(Voice actor) Mr.Akira Daniel Duncan

There is a saying, “hale and hearty in spite of his years.” People usually get less adventurous and become more conservative in their work as they age, but those who are hale and hearty despite their age can even beat the younger generation at challenging new tasks and making new achievements. In Japan, Tadataka Ino comes to mind when you hear this phrase. He became an apprentice of Yoshitoki Takahashi, the official astronomer of the Tokugawa administration, after he turned 50 years old. Furthermore, he walked across Japan until he was 71, to complete the first accurate map of Japan. You may wonder why such an amazing man did not gain fame earlier in his life. That is because he was a successful village chief of Sawara in Shimosa province (a part of current Chiba prefecture) when he was younger. Back then, Sawara was a town which prospered by its access to water transportation. Various goods were shipped from Edo to Sawara, then to the rural areas, and vice versa. Along with supplies, information was gathered at Sawara too. Ino managed this important land all by himself. One of his accomplishments was during the Great Famine of Tenmei in 1783. Asama volcano erupted that year and poor harvest was expected everywhere. Ino bought up rice in the Kansai district prior to a price hike, and brought it home to Sawara. After a while, the market settled down and the price of rice kept falling, causing an economic loss for him. People advised him to sell the rice before his losses grew, but Ino refused. He thought it was not over yet. And in 1785, the price of rice skyrocketed from the shortage of rice. He knew the weather problem wouldn’t end in one year. Ino distributed the rice mostly free to the town’s people. He also fed the famine refugees and saved their lives. As the number of starvation victims went up all over Japan, riots rose, centering in the urban areas. Eventually, riots broke out in Sawara too, but Ino’s act of kindness saved the day. The refugees who were fed and saved by Ino came to guard the town and his house from the rioters. Thus, his measures and actions became renowned through the area, and he was awarded by the Tokugawa administration for being a good chief. And that was why he could not retreat (or retire) easily from the village chief position even if he wished to. Finally, he was allowed to retire. Then came the time to use his talents for the world. Enjoy the story of a man who remained hale and hearty in spite of his years.