Monthly Visit to the Family Graves

Today, I went to visit the family graves of both sides in the morning. Since the beginning of this year, I’ve made it a point to go once a month. By chance, my husband’s family grave and my father’s family grave are just a stone’s throw apart, and they even share the same temple parish, so the graves are close to each other. It only takes about an hour to visit both.

This is the sixth time this year I’ve gone, and lately, I feel like my luck has been improving somehow.

The Meaning of Being Alive Here and Now

It’s not that I visit the graves to boost my luck, but once a month, buying flowers, cleaning the graves, and putting my hands together in front of my ancestors resets my mind.
I somehow feel deeply that “I exist now thanks to my grandparents, great-grandparents, and all the ancestors before them”. It’s also a time to reflect on the meaning of being born in this era and living in this place.

And strangely, whenever I arrive at my husband’s grave, the rain almost always stops. Today, it was pouring with thunder, but as soon as I got there, the rain stopped completely, and I was able to pay my respects without an umbrella.

Me, the “fog lady” instead of a storm lady… ( ﾟдﾟ )!!

＊About my fog lady reputation, I wrote about it here → My second trip to Hakone Turnpike after taking delivery of the Panamera.

The world really is full of mysteries.

The Amazing Volkswagen Golf

Now, finally to the main topic. For these grave visits, I always go in the Volkswagen Golf instead of the Panamera.

Since it’s countryside with narrow roads and farm paths, the Panamera just can’t handle it.

Our Golf is a Golf 7 (early model), a limited final special edition with only 300 units made, equipped with a 1.2-liter turbo engine and a 7-speed DSG. Every time I drive it to and from the graves, I’m impressed and think, “What an amazing car!”

Honestly, I even sometimes think, “Maybe I don’t really need the Panamera?” (Though if someone actually said they wanted to sell the Panamera, I’d definitely stop them, haha.) I’ve written about this before.

→ Should you choose the 1.2 or 1.4 when buying a Volkswagen Golf?

Golf: Japan’s Best-Selling Imported Car

Even if I didn’t say it, everyone already knows the Golf is a great car, and the proof is that it sells incredibly well in Japan.

According to the Japan Imported Motor Vehicle Association’s 2015 ranking of new car registrations by foreign manufacturers, Volkswagen’s Golf held the top spot with 25,635 units sold, marking 28 consecutive years as the best-selling imported model. (Though due to emissions scandals, it’s no longer number one now, but it’s still selling well.)

＊Source: Foreign manufacturer vehicle registration ranking: VW Golf holds top spot for 28 consecutive years… 2015

Not only me, but my car-loving husband also praises it as a “wonderful car.” I think the high satisfaction comes from how closely “what our family looks for when buying a car” aligns with “what the Volkswagen Golf delivers.”

The most important criterion for our family when buying a car is “the car’s performance itself must be excellent.” (Well, that’s obvious, right? I guess everyone thinks so (-_-)) In that sense, the Golf is truly a well-crafted car. So, I’ve summarized the points our family values when buying a car below.