What the Character “So” (創) Taught Me — Steam from a Bowl of Ramen and Thoughts on a Peaceful Afternoon — 2026/6/5 (Fri) R8

Today began with a visit to Hello Work, followed by a trip to see the workplace connected to a job at Matsuyama Castle, and then a walk to the Botchan Train Museum.

By the time I returned to Eden no Sono, I was quite tired.

I had already eaten a simple lunch of bread and tea, but after a while I found myself craving something warm. So I made a packet of TOPVALU Best Price instant ramen from AEON.

I have always preferred soy sauce ramen.

I never add the flavored oil packet that comes with it.

I do not care much for greasy foods.

Instead, I sprinkle on a little black pepper.

That tastes much better to me.

As I ate, I found myself thinking about a column I had glanced at earlier in the day.

The column centered on the Japanese character “創” (So).

It is the same character used in the word bansoko (adhesive bandage).

The character means “wound” or “injury,” but it can also carry the meaning of “learning from painful experience” or “becoming wiser after suffering.”

A wound hurts.

A wound heals.

And sometimes a wound teaches.

Perhaps that is why this single character can contain both meanings.

The newspaper column discussed exhibits at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

There have been efforts to adjust how some of the most graphic displays are presented, especially for younger visitors.

Reading that reminded me of a museum I visited in Vietnam many years ago.

It was not part of any standard tour.

A guide recommended it to us during some free time.

Near the entrance was an exhibit showing the devastating effects of war.

The image was so powerful that I still remember it today.

Of course, children deserve consideration and care.

But I sometimes wonder whether shielding people from wounds is different from helping them learn from them.

When I was young, a social studies teacher often said, “History repeats itself.”

Looking back, I think he was speaking especially about war.

Human beings seem capable of repeating the same mistakes again and again.

Perhaps that is why memories of suffering matter.

The character 創 can mean a wound.

It can also mean learning from that wound.

War leaves wounds.

Illness leaves wounds.

Disasters leave wounds.

Life itself leaves wounds.

Yet people try to learn from those experiences and carry the lessons forward.

Maybe that is what it means to “become wiser through pain.”

As I sat there eating ramen, these thoughts drifted through my mind.

I spend my days comparing prices, wondering whether I might ride the Botchan Train someday, and preparing an application for a part-time job at Matsuyama Castle.

It is a peaceful life.

And yet, somewhere in the world, wars continue.

I do not know exactly how to bridge the distance between my ordinary daily life and those realities.

But perhaps the character 創 offers a small lesson.

Do not forget the wound.

And try to learn something from it.

That may be one of the most human things we can do.

#TenseiJingo
#KanjiReflection
#LearningFromPain
#HiroshimaPeaceMemorialMuseum
#WarAndPeace
#VietnamMemories
#HistoryRepeatsItself
#AEONBestPrice
#InstantRamen
#LifeInMatsuyama
#SeniorLife
#DailyReflections
#ThoughtsOfTheDay
#MatsuyamaEdenNoSono