Seiji Akamatsu was one of the first young people I got to know upon arriving in Iya. We're pictured here together at the place we most often meet, the smallest elementary school in the village, Awashi Shougakkou, where he works full-time and I visit a couple of times a month. Seiji was born and bred in the Awashi area, is the same age as me, and is trained as a high school Japanese teacher. Teacher accreditation examinations are pretty tough here in Japan - too many teachers, not enough jobs! - so Seiji works here in the village while he studies hard for the next round of tests. Alternatively, he might join the police force - a stocky man and a good wrestler, I reckon he'd be a good cop! In the meantime, he's a great mate who's helped me out more than once, the sort of fundamentally decent person that I know so many of in Nishiiya. It's for people like Seiji that I could stay here for a long time. Good on you, Seiji! Keep up the good work, mate!