my soroban, 62 years ago

I happened to find my そろばん under a few boxes.
while I was looking for a certain book.

I've never used this そろばん since I came to live in Tokyo.

Why did I bring this そろばん from Niigata?
Yes, I used to love そろばん.

This is the そろばん my mother bought for me
when I was a fifth grader, in 1953.

As soon as そろばん塾 was opened in my mountain village,
I asked my parents to let me attend the そろばん塾.

What a diligent and ardent student I was!
Whenever I had time to spare, I practiced そろばん at home.

I stated learning in September in 1953
and 9 months later passed
珠算能力検定試験３級 by 日本商工会議所.

Oh, I still remember the name of 日本商工会議所会頭
藤山愛一郎 written on the certificate..

Then I passed ２級 when I was a first year student
at junior high school.

But I could not pass １級.

In those days, in order to pass １級, you had to take
over 80点 in 掛け算・割り算・みとり算・みとり暗算
and 伝票計算.

Alas! My score in みとり暗算　was ７０点
and I failed to　pass １級！

And I stopped attending そろばん塾　and started to study
for the entrance examination to high school.

Oh, how I long for those good old days!