A Summer Barbecue with Colleagues
Tomoya Kurokawa
Last weekend, about twelve of my colleagues from SOEI Patent & Law Firm gathered at my home for a lively summer barbecue. We even had a special guest—our colleague M’s young daughter—who brought extra energy and fun to the day.
We grilled a large cut of meat over the fire, slicing it up and sharing it together.
Alongside the meat, we enjoyed freshly harvested vegetables from the garden: green peppers, eggplant, manganji togarashi (a type of Japanese sweet chili pepper), okra, and edamame. The flavors of the vegetables, picked at their peak, perfectly complemented the smoky richness of the barbecue.
In addition to the food, we held a traditional summer activity: suikawari, or watermelon splitting. A ripe watermelon had grown in the garden, so we blindfolded participants, handed them a stick, and cheered them on as they tried to split it open. When we finally cracked it, everyone enjoyed the sweet slices together.
As we laughed and ate, a small frog hopped into the garden. M’s daughter was delighted, quickly catching it in her hands.
Excited by her success, she decided that frogs alone weren’t enough—soon she was playfully “catching” people too! The attached photo shows me in the moment I was “captured” by her.
Although the temperature reached 37°C (99°F), we hardly noticed the heat. Surrounded by friends, delicious food, and laughter, it was a day full of warmth in every sense of the word.