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Lately, a long-awaited pet door was installed in my house.
Pet doors have a flap in the lower part, so pet dogs and cats can pass through freely.

 

There used be a sliding door that opened easily even by cats, and I had to shut the door
every time my cats opened it. Especially in winter, it bothered me that cold air entered
the room.

 

Then, I thought that at last both humans and cats would be able to live with no stress.
However, the door is a totally new stuff to my cats and they couldn’t pass through it immediately.

 

So I lured them by cat food, toys and silver vine’s powder on this side of the flap
so that they learn to pass through it. Then my female cat Miiko learned to be able to pass through after she tried a few times.

 

But my male cat Gil doesn’t try to do that. Although he wanted to eat the silver vine’s powder, he didn’t even touch the flap with his forepaw, and finally turned around dejectedly.

 

He is such a cat as to catch a swallow but cannot even pass through just a flap.
I was wondering how to deal with this, but only recently he learned it and he can
pass through it now.
At any rate, I think that the creator of pet door is great. (H.S)

 

Gil stands frozen in front of the pet door

 

Miiko can pass through the flap quickly

 

The whole door (There are various kinds of pet doors)

Arigato project has been established since May of 2013

by authorized dealers of Kokuryu brewery, “Yushi-no-kai” as main members.

Yushi-no-kai and Kokuryu brewery started this project hoping for the participants

to learn the importance of bonding with others, and realize the charms of Fukui.

 

To make sake in this project, the participants start from planting rice.

After one year, they give the completed sake to the people whom they want to give thanks to.

 

It has been a year already since the participants planted the rice.

Finally! “The Arigato sake” (official name of the sake is “Adoso”) has been completed.

On June 5th, 2015, the presentation ceremony for the sake was held in Fukui.

Before the presentation, the participants gathered around and exhibited all the photographs taken during the project.  They also wrote what they thought about the project on a big panel.

 

Today, I would like to introduce their last activities of the Arigato project 2015. 

The participants worked together on exhibiting the photographs and making the panel.

 

Most of them were students last time when I saw, now they graduated and have jobs. 

They even look so much more mature since about 6 months ago.

The ones who weren’t there that day, they have moved to different cities for their jobs.

I realized how the time has passed so fast.

 

 

 

 

 

The photographs were taken by a professional photographer throughout the year.

The photographs are not only cool or beautiful, but they let people see how they have bonded with each other, nature of Fukui, how the sake is made and what they did in this project.

The time was passing by quietly at first, but as the exhibits and panel were worked on by the participants, smiles and laughs were coming out.

 

I saw the panel and exhibition wall became filled with good memories and delightfulness.

 

 

 

 

This is the last time for the participants of 2015 can see each other like this.

I am sure that they now have so many good memories.

 

Whenever they will drink sake and/or they talk about Fukui, I am sure that they will remember the people they met and experiences they had in “Arigato Project 2015”.

 

T.F