6th March 1965

The Hongkong and Shanghai Bk
PO Box 227
Osaka
Japan

Dear Mum, Dad and Alan,

Thank you for your letter which Margo answered for me.  We are a lot more settled now that two months have passed since our arrival.  It is still on the cold side with snow again this week but still not settling.  Afterwards I read of your severe spell which is a lot worse than ours.  The children continue to like school - and that is where the car goes daily.  Even if I used it to go to the office it would take twice as long as the train as the roads are so cluttered up in the city.  So I go to the station in the car - wait for the train then half an hour to Osaka then the office car to the office.  A complicated business compared to the last fifteen years when the office has been in easy reach - but it only takes getting used to and already it appears normal.  However, I rarely drive now except at weekends and the road sense of the other users is so non-existant that it is a frightening experience. 

We went to George Washington Ball last Saturday as the guests of an American couple and had an unusually interesting time.  However, it was spoilt by the lateness of the affair and we did not get home to bed until 3.30 am on the Sunday.  I feel fine at the time but the next two days are spent in recovery.  The Americans here are in some force in oil, textiles and engineering.  Many Germans & Swiss in Dyestuffs and in fact every other nationality one can think of seems to be around.  The train carries the speech of most of the east and europe together. 

I still have not met the Union but there is a strong undercurrent and things are sure to boiling up.  Unfortunately we have one or two reds - well trained.  Fellows who must prove their worth or lose their following and this spells trouble, but it is unavoidable I am afraid and part of the job.  This morning I had my monthly Saturday in Kobe office whilst the manager had his morning off.  We have been open there since 1868 but business is not what it was and things are not too busy.  It makes a change too when I pay a visit.  The servants, the cook & maid are with us at the moment and appear happy - one never knows how long this will last as they are liable to go off at a moments notice - but all seems well at present.  Elisabeth is swimming daily in a hot vibro bath which has helped many people and least gives her daily exercise.  She has been inclined to be naughty at physiotherapy as she needs a firm hand and no one will treat her this way let alone Japanese; plus the language barrier so she tends to play up a lot.  However, it is a great deal better than nothing.  Still working towards the centenary and have fixed everything we can think of at the moment - just a matter of hoping for the best now.  The Osaka Grand Hotel reception for 350 should be attractive.  Have no arranged for flowers in the bank colours of red and white.  Three flags on display and a block of ice encasing a miniature bank flag with ice 100 on top (a picture is drawn here on the letter).

The local staff dinner - chinese food- on the day before has been arranged with a magician's show to go with it.  Apparently Japanese het tight on one drink and go puce so I hope they do not break up the place.  Again we can only hope for the best.  Am in the process of selling the office car and getting a new one.  This should happen on Monday.  Nothing can go wrong here except that the buyer will not turn up.  The trouble is one is so indoctrinated to expect the unusual impossible and unexpected that the simplest transaction assumes difficulties it just hasn't got.  If I could only get it all down on paper some of it would be very funny.

Cheerio for now and love to you all from us all in the land of the rising sun.  Peter