It was a long time ago, to save for my journey to India, I worked a season in Furano, Hokkaido, at one of its popular tourist attractions. We were all temporary staff, gathered there for just a brief moment in life, bound together by shared work and fleeting friendships under one roof.

With only one day off each week, those free hours were treasured and carefully anticipated, like a gift.

It was a time before SNS, before Google Maps. The only guide I had was the wisdom of coworkers, who each week would suggest where to go, what to see, and how best to use that rare free day. Because of them, my days in Furano, Biei, Asahikawa, and the surrounding landscapes have become etched into memory, comprising moments of beauty, laughter, and youth that I still carry with me.

Again and again, one recommendation was whispered with certainty: “Go to Yuiga Dokuson.”
In the heart of Furano, this small restaurant offered a curry unlike any other; its plate was crowned with giant sausages and soft scrambled eggs over the bed of flavourful butter rice. For young folks like us, the volume was just as satisfactory. There was also the simple yet unforgettable baguette sandwich, filled with bean paste and a generous slab of butter. To reach it from our staff quarters in Rokugo meant a 30-minute bus ride, but the journey only heightened the anticipation.

I left Furano in mid-October 2001. Since then, I have not returned to Furano and Yuiga Dokuson. But the memory of that curry, and of those days, has stayed with me. Whether I ever make it back or not, it remains part of the story I carry with me.

Note: The name of the restaurant 唯我独尊 (Yuiga Dokuson) literally means “I alone am honoured” or “I am the most noble one.”
It originates from Buddhist tradition: according to legend, when the Buddha (Shakyamuni) was born, he took seven steps, pointed to heaven and earth, and declared:
“天上天下唯我独尊” (Tenjō Tenge Yuiga Dokuson) — “In heaven and on earth, I alone am honoured.”