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Amano RIP?

A Bull With Yogurts said:
Personal stories such as this are wonderful because they reveal the more relaxed side of a man who could come across as being quite intense in the ADA videos I have seen.
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Hi A Bull With Yoghurts (that's some name tag you have got there!)

I agree, in the letter I recieved from Takashi Amano he gave me some words of advice which showed a much more compassionate side to him than the impression you might get from watching his videos.

Cheers,

Steve
 
REDSTEVEO said:
A Bull With Yoghurts (that's some name tag you have got there!)
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I got fed up with trying to dream up names when registering for forums so I dumped my name into an online anagram generator. This was the best one it came up with.

Works for me as I never forget it and nobody else has ever registered using it. Does sometimes generate some funny responses though. 😵

REDSTEVEO said:
I agree, in the letter I recieved from Takashi Amano he gave me some words of advice which showed a much more compassionate side to him than the impression you might get from watching his videos.
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Yeah, when I first started watching the ADA videos I thought he came across as a bit of a prima donna. As I watched more I started to wonder if it was just the Japanese way of doing things. What I've actually come to realise now is that he was just a perfectionist who cared deeply about the work he created.



It occurs to me whilst writing this that he died the same week that I decided to get a tank whilst on my summer holiday. Gutting as, having learnt so much about him since then, I would have loved the opportunity to meet him in person at some point in the future.

All the best
Stu (real name)
 
Hello everyone who like me was very saddened at the loss of one of our sources of inspiration. You will have read the story on here about my experience with the great man and my involvement in helping him to buy a puppy for his daughters birthday.

Mr Amano's daughter Sayuri posted a journal here... http://www.adana.co.jp/en/aquajournal/archives/248

After reading it I wrote a letter to Sayuri Amano and she kindly replied via email, see below the unedited version.

Hello, Mr.Lancashire.
Thank you very much for your letter and photos of your family.
I apologize for that now I reply you, this delay response... the time is passing so fast for me especially in these months.

It was a big surprise for us to receive a letter from you because I had no idea if the guy in the story is still alive or not in actual.
We are very happy to know that you are well with your family in your good health.
The dogs are now 13yeras old now but they are also in good condition while enjoying to play at the garden every day.
I'm very glad with that this story is not ended but is continued to bring each of us smiles.

We would like to express again our gratitude to everything you made for us, our family.
I hope you are keeping well too.

Kind regards,
Sayuri Amano
ADA


Thank you.

Steve
 
REDSTEVEO said:
I am very sad to hear the news today of the passing of a great and truly inspirational man, for very special reasons...

In 1997 I was off work for a whole year following a very serious accident. I had an aquarium at the time and I had just bought the book Nature Aquarium, First Edition by Takashi Amano, and I was completely blown away by it. I decided I was going to try his techniques for the first time. A few months later my firts proper planted tank was finished, I was so proud of it I took a load of photographs and sent them with a letter straight to Mr. Amano at ADA in Niigata. I told him I had been ill and that his book and my work on the aquarium had taken my my mind off it while I got better.

I thought no more of it until I got a letter from the man himself via his private secretary. The letter said that Mr. Amano thanked me for the photographs and the aquascape I had created showed great promise. He also asked me for a favour and would he mind if he telephoned me to tell me what it was he needed.

Sure enough he called me and told me that he had been trying to import a special breed of dog for his daughters Birthday. The breed of dog is only bred in England but the breeder would not sell one to him because he did not trust him, what he needed was a sponsor to vouch for him in the UK. He provided me with the address of the breeder and I wrote to them explaining who Mr Amano was and that he was a lover of nature and would never do anything to harm the dog.

I never heard back from the breeder, but about a month later a parcel arrived from Japan. I say parcel, it was a box measuring almost a metre cubed and weighed a ton. The top of the box was covered in Japanese postage, when I added it up and converted it into UK Sterling the amount of postage alone was over £200.00.

I struggled to get the box inside the house, but when I opened it, it was full to the brim with every book Takashi Amano had published, inside each book was a personal message and the wax seal of his own personal 'chop' signature. The books were all in Japanese so I couldn't read anything, but I didn't have to, the pictures told me all I needed to know. Not only that but also in the box was 24 issues of his monthly magazine published over the lsat two years in Japan, each one still inside its own sealed plastic cover. I have never opened them and still have them to this day. I have always treasured them and will do so now more than ever.

Thank you Mr Takashi Amano. R.I.P.

Steve
Muito obrigado
1954 - 2015 - Legend.
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This story definitely deserves to be part of Amanos biography!

Thanks so much for sharing it!

[Your tanks in 1997 look pretty snappy even by today's standards!]
 
Hi Rebel,

It's a strange old world isn't it. Sayuri Amano is still playing with her dogs all these years later, and here am I still playing with planted aquariums, all thanks to Mr Amano.

Thanks for the kind words on the tanks from back in 1997!! No EI or Co2 in those days!

Regards,

Steve
 
Cheers Victor,

So here is the plan!! I am hoping to retire this year around July, then I want to start planning a trip to Japan and visit the ADA factory when I am over there and hopefully get to meet Sayuri Amano in person. This would bring a nice end to the story.

If there is anyone out there in UKAPS who fancies making the trip with me you are welcome to join me.

Cheers,

Steve
 
REDSTEVEO said:
I wonder if any of our forum sponsors would
be interested in chipping in towards the costs?
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haha sure they would 😛 pay for themselves and leave us all behind 😉
 
REDSTEVEO said:
Cheers Victor,

So here is the plan!! I am hoping to retire this year around July, then I want to start planning a trip to Japan and visit the ADA factory when I am over there and hopefully get to meet Sayuri Amano in person. This would bring a nice end to the story.

If there is anyone out there in UKAPS who fancies making the trip with me you are welcome to join me.

Cheers,

Steve
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I think in one of her blog posts, she mentioned that she married a German and she's now living in Germany. So even nearer!
 
flygja said:
I think in one of her blog posts, she mentioned that she married a German and she's now living in Germany. So even nearer!
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Hi flygia,

I would be interested in seeing that blog if you know where it is? My wife is from Germany so I could blag a trip to see her family at the same time😉😉

Still would like to go to Japan though!!

Cheers,

Steve
 
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