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!
![](https://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/46/99/a58ed9d0b9a9aba5ccb29e1ba1ce27f0.jpg)
![](https://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/12/b9/fc6616f7fe0b6189946e9e9d63ffa541.jpg)
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!
![](https://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/46/99/a58ed9d0b9a9aba5ccb29e1ba1ce27f0.jpg)
![](https://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/12/b9/fc6616f7fe0b6189946e9e9d63ffa541.jpg)