Since Izo lived most of his life during a time without electricity, it was not rare for him to eat dinner while on the job in the dark or under dim lantern light.
Once when he had a construction job in Koriyama, a small tree frog fell into the rice gruel. Izo quietly took out the frog without anyone seeing it and continued to eat as if nothing had happened.
Continue reading Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 5
During his bachelor years, Izo lived with his brother Kumejiro and two or three other assistants and apprentices. As there was no woman in the house, there was no one who regularly woke early every morning to prepare breakfast.
Continue reading Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 4
Izo had a playful side to him. One of the stories that prove this is “Izo’s Sandal Stew.” One night he gathered with his young colleagues for a night of fun. They played a traditional game known as yamijiru, or night stew. In this game, each person adds an ingredient to a simmering stew pot in the dark. Because each person is unaware of what the others have brought, there is no knowing what is in the stew when a lamp or candle is lit and everyone begins eating.
From a young age Izo proved to be different from others. When he was at work and saw that the people of the household who had hired him were very busy, he would stop to help draw water from the well or watch the fire at the stove. He never once complained about the meals he was served.
Continue reading Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 2
A mysterious incident happened before Izo moved to Ichinomoto. The following is an anecdote from a carpenter named Tozo, who often worked with Izo when he still lived in his home village of Mukoji.
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“When Izo was about 20 years old, a mysterious incident occurred when we went to dig a new water reservoir for the village above Izo’s home. When I think about it, it may have been a sign from God that he would gain such distinction later in life. Continue reading Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 1