As a student at Motoyama Daini Elementary School in Kobe, I was an unruly young boy. One day, I climbed a loquat tree near the housing for civil servants. I fell out of the tree when a branch broke and cut my head, requiring stitches.
At the school arts festival, I took part in dances and plays and played the role of Urashima Taro (a character from a famous Japanese fairy tale). I believe I was in the middle of my class when it came to grades.
