Gallery
In the following, we will introduce some of Risa Takahashi’s works. Please enjoy the funny cats on display. Ms. Takahashi holds cat clay-making classes at irregular intervals.
We have also provided a free video on making clay cats to make it easier for you to get started. (⇒View here)
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In October 2019, a Japanese interpreter contacted us about a translation. This interpreter who lived in Portugal said he had been introduced to us by a representative of a foreign firm, one of our long-time clients. The translation concerned a patent specification of encryption technology for a Ukranian IT company, a request that we decided to accept. This led me to start following on Twitter a Takashi Hirano, who lives in Ukraine and writes about the country. When he tweeted that he had published Ukraine, a Fanbook, I immediately bought a copy. It is a delightful guide to the sites and history of Ukraine with plenty of pictures of its beautiful streets and buildings. In it, he pointed out that “although we often associate Cossacks and Cossack dancing with Russia, they are, in fact, of Ukrainian origin.” And did you know that sumo wrestler yokozuna Taiho was the son of a Ukranian Cossack?
That Russia would start a war on Ukraine could not have been father from most people’s imagination. I am hoping and praying that this war will end soon so that those beautiful city streets and buildings can be rescued and restored.
It is interesting to note that cats are kept by people all over the world and Ukraine as well as Russia are home to a great many cat lovers. According to 2019 statistical data from a survey institute, Russia and Ukraine keep 17.8 million and 7.35 million cats, respectively, ranking third and ninth in the world. As a comparison, Japan keeps 7.3 million cats ranking tenth. Since the population of Ukraine is about 40 million, the cat-to-population ratio is quite high. The US has the greatest number of animals kept per 100 households and Ukraine ranks fourth. ◆