CHAPTER EIGHT
GANBARU
Ganbaru
Fall seven times and stand up eight.
—Japanese Proverb
Ganbaru is the Japanese word to stand firm, hold out, and persist. Ganbaru is to do your best, not give up, and hang on—even to the bitter end. Go for broke! In the face of demanding odds, continue on tenaciously through tough times. Ganbaru is to commit fully to a task and bring the task to an end. Although ganbaru is not one of the principles of bushido, I believe it is the essence of the samurai spirit.
Ganbaru can also be described as:
• Boldness
• Courage
• Determination
• Firmness
• Focus
• Fortitude
• Motivation
• Perseverance
• Tenacity
Ganbaru is used in situations to express encouragement. The Japanese people use the imperative form of this word, ganbatte to encourage each other in sport and cooperative activities. When facing scholastic exams, students and parents support participants by cheering them on: Ganbatte! Do your best, persevere, and commit fully to high achievement.
No matter what circumstance you find yourself in, it is the sincere effort in persevering that is deemed admirable and worthy. The endeavor is evaluated on its own merit. I believe there is always a way to over come obstacles and succeed; it’s not over until it’s over.
Ganbaru is a uniquely Japanese word, and it expresses the Japanese people’s character. It does not have a direct English definition or translation; it’s more a feeling and state of mind. The Chinese and Korean languages both use the characters that make up this word, but they do not express the same meaning.
There is a Japanese proverb, ishi no ue ni mo san nen, which means “sit on a cold rock for three years until it becomes warm.” The proverb aptly expresses the concept of ganbaru by relating the effort needed to succeed in warming the rock. It takes persistence to achieve your goal. Without perseverance and the resolve of a samurai, how do you succeed?
In my personal life, this belief in ganbaru has manifested after sustaining injuries from not one but two rear-end car collisions within a short period of time. I was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and suffered from both physical pain and mental fatigue, unable to perform life’s daily tasks. My ability to read tested at a seventh-grade level. However, I was determined to restore my ability to function, so I vowed to fight and persevere until I succeeded!
Most of my life, I have had an aversion to doctors. I remember trying to convince my mother that I was not feeling well on the dreaded day of school immunizations; it didn’t work. I attempted to run from the school nurse to avoid receiving my shot. The entire TBI ordeal forced me to face my fears as I endured years of doctor appointments and rehabilitation therapy. In fact, I had more doctor and rehabilitation therapy appointments to regain wholeness than in my entire life! I am a baby boomer. From the period of 2005 to 2015, I have endured thousands of appointments to regain my physical and cognitive health. My persistence and tenacity paid off. Because of God’s grace and perseverance, I am now a TBI survivor. Ganbaru!
The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
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Brian Klemmer
Ganbaru is of significant and central value in Japan. The samurai adhered to the bushido code, and always endeavored to do his best at all costs. Between the years of 1950 and 1980 in postwar Japan, Japanese people worked hard and focused on supporting and rebuilding their country after the destruction of World War II. The slogan “Ganbaru Kobe” was expressed to encourage the people of Kobe City to rebuild and reconstruct their city and lives after the 1995 Hanshin earthquake. Ganbaru was one of the most commonly heard expressions after the devastating 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Although faced with great trials, the prevailing spirit of both the samurai and ganbaru has lived on in Japan!
Recall when I discussed earlier that Chiune Sugihara wrote transit visas, against the orders of the Japanese government to save Jewish lives facing annihilation? Each processed manually, required a tremendous physical and emotional commitment. He knew that without his perseverance many would likely perish. Another great ganbaru example is the late Senator Daniel Inouye, who courageously continued in battle during World War II even after his arm was severely wounded and with a great loss of blood. His arm was amputated ending his dreams of becoming a doctor. Yet his desire to serve others never wavered.
In this chapter, we discuss the tenacity of my dear mother, Mable Tsugawa. She persevered and started a business after the volcanic eruption of Mt. St. Helens in the 1980s as she neared retirement age. She believed that anything was possible when you refuse to give up. Mable Tsugawa was a living example of the samurai spirit: integrity, courage, and tenacity. Ganbaru!
Tsugawa Family Kamon
She turned her can’ts into cans and her dreams into plans.
—Kobi Yamada
What do you do for an encore after you have raised six children and devoted your life to the success of the family farm? Sometimes an empty nest can be a mixed blessing as it was for my mother, Mable Kazuko Taniguchi Tsugawa, a nisei, second-generation Japanese American.
Although Mother was a farmer’s wife, she was not born with a green thumb. When the family arrived in rural Woodland, Washington, in the 1950s, she attempted gardening for the first time by purchasing bean, corn, and cucumber seeds. She followed the instructions by planting a hill, which she made over 18 inches high! Mother wanted to return the corn seed because it seemed dry and dehydrated. The story became humorous and well-known in their small community. The local people nicknamed her “the girl from the city.”
The Pacific Northwest was devastated, and everything came to a standstill when Mt. St. Helens erupted on the morning of May 18, 1980. Businesses and roads closed and people relocated when southwestern Washington and beyond was covered in volcanic ash. In only three minutes, the volcano spewed 3.7 billion cubic yards of fiery rocks and volcanic ash into the air. In the aftermath of the eruption there were:
• 150,000 acres devastated
• 57 lives lost
• 250 homes destroyed
• 47 bridges in need of repair
• 15 miles (24 km) of railways destroyed
• 185 miles (298 km) of highway ruined
• millions of trees strewn like matchsticks
• 7,000 big game animals as well as thousands of birds and fish dead
My parents, George and Mable Tsugawa, faced one of the most devastating disasters of their lives. It would take courage to continue on when the future was so uncertain.
Have you heard the saying “beauty from ashes”? Literally, from the Mt. St. Helens eruption, beauty emerged. Weyerhaeuser Company planted 18,000 seedlings, and some of these trees stand 70 feet tall today. Glass art and ornaments are designed and manufactured from the volcanic ash. Today there is a visitors’ center to educate people about the rebuilding of the Mt. St. Helens area. It is a testimony to the restoration and rebuilding following a natural disaster and human tenacity.
Shortly after the Mt. St. Helens disaster, my parents had an opportunity to purchase a nursery business. It was located on I-5 frontage road, not far from the mountain.. At the time of purchase, it took courage, vision, and imagination to see the possibilities. The property had dilapidated buildings, a history of failure, and uncertainties related to Mt. St. Helens itself.
After purchasing the property, there were some doubts about my parents’ newly acquired business. With sheer determination, my Mother declared, “I can do it!” She had faced challenges in her life with a positive attitude and determination second to none. With little support, she began to embark on her new venture with the courage and resolve of a samurai. Her empty nest dilemma had found a solution.
A worn-down truck accompanied the dilapidated nursery buildings and served as Mother’s vehicle when visiting nurseries and purchasing nursery stock. The truck broke down four times on the freeway in the Portland vicinity. It was fortuitous when a family friend happened to be going by and assisted her—three times! After the third rescue, he insisted that Dad purchase Mother a new vehicle!
Mother tirelessly canvassed wholesale nurseries, soliciting advice from the owners in selecting inventory for a successful retail nursery. In the spring of 1981, the nursery opened its doors to the public, an exciting time for the whole family, especially Mother. However, that first week, the only sale for one day was a single, lonely geranium. She cried and felt like quitting, but with samurai determination she persevered. She was the only employee for the first year, never taking a day off except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The family farm laborers helped with cleaning, watering, and heavy lifting, but it was Mother who ran the nursery.
As the business continually grew year after year, Mother saved money. She made improvements to the property and looked for opportunities to meet the needs of her growing clientele. The property adjacent to the nursery became available. It was purchased as the business began to grow. The house became the new office, and she modified the pool to become a fishpond for Japanese koi or carp.
Even though Mother was not born with a green thumb, she was born with determination. She had the vision, guts, and the ability to see a silver lining in any situation. Mother raised six children and knew what it meant to persevere in good times and bad. She taught us to work hard, and she led by example: no one could work harder than Mother.
My mother was really telling me to go ahead and love life, to engage in it, give it all you’ve got. To love it with a passion.
_______
Maya Angelou
Today, Tsugawa Nursery occupies over seven acres, employs 40 people during the busy season, and is a destination nursery in the Pacific Northwest. Each year, loyal customers drive hundreds of miles in their trucks and vans to stock up on their favorite plants; a testament to the accomplishments of one woman’s determination to never give up. My mother understood the concept behind ganbaru: she knew that to succeed, whether in business or life, you have to expect both times of prosperity and times of want.
Mother knew the valleys only made the mountaintops that much sweeter. When asked about the success of Tsugawa Nursery, she replied,
Courage and family have kept me going. I have enjoyed the nursery, and I have come a long way from the dehydrated corn seeds! My advice to everyone is to believe that anything is possible and to never give up.
I can still hear Mother’s advice as I live my life. She always found a way to accomplish anything that was presented to her. She worked circles around everyone, and she also worked miracles. I sometimes think that she invented multi-tasking! Mother was an optimist, always believed in accomplishing the impossible, and never gave up. I miss her every day, but her legacy continues.
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
_______
Eleanor Roosevelt
In her later years, Mother enjoyed speaking with her loyal customers and finding the perfect plants for their yards and gardens. When summer arrived, she loved giving popsicles to young and old alike. It was a welcome treat, and it helped people to cool off.
After I finished writing the story of the nursery business, I read it to her. She commented, “Is that me … really?” Her health finally failed, and sadly, she passed away in 2011.
A true samurai, my mother, defines for me what ganbaru is all about. She never gave up, even after her only sale for the day was one lonely geranium! What is the desire of your heart? What is your vision, dream, or goal? Is the desire strong enough that you will never give up until it is accomplished? Do you have what it takes? Can it be said of you, “He or she has ganbaru?”
The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.
_______
Vince Lombardi