I met Shouji Toyoda at the 1980 JCI Singapore Conference. It was at the Singapore Hospitality Night hosted by Singapore Jaycees for the delegates. I saw Toyoda and his friend. We talked for a while and exchanged our name cards. As I collected many name cards during the four days of the conference, I could not recall those delegates I met and talked to, except Toyoda. He gave me a name card printed with his picture. He talked to me with smile. I remembered him as an innocent, friendly and handsome Japanese young man who could understand my simple Japanese.

At the end of the year 1980, Toyoda sent me a calendar. I then wrote a letter to thank him. From then, we occassionally wrote letters to each other.

In 1982, I wrote to Toyoda that I would attend the Jaycees International Asian Pacific Conference held in Miyazaki and hoped that we could meet. At the first night when we held the Jaycees Bazzar near a river. I was busy selling Orchid at the Singapore booth. At about 7.30 p.m., I went for a light dinner and visited booths of other Jaycees. When I went back to the Singapore booth, my friend told me that three Japanese were looking for me and they would be back again. An hour later, they came and I saw Toyoda and his friends from Tokyo Jaycees. Since I was busy attending to visitors at the booth, Toyoda just introduced me to his two friends and talked for a few minutes. We then made an appointment to meet at the hotel he stayed the following morning.

I woke up early the next morning and walked to the hotel where Toyoda stayed. As I was about 10 minutes earlier, I just stayed in the lobby. I was surprise when I was looking high and low for the flushing knot or handle in the toilet, I found that the toilet was installed with the automatic sensing system. At 8 o'clock, I went to the counter and requested the receptionist to call Toyoda. The receptionist informed him and then replied that I could go to the guestroom to meet him. While I was in the lift, I imagined that Toyoda must be putting on the pajama and a pair of slippers. I was surprise again when Toyoda opened the door. He was wearing a suit just like going for a business meeting.

Toyoda told me about himself and his family members. I did not expect that he would tell me in such a detailed. So I had to tell him about myself too. We used simple English, Japanese and Chinese characters to communicate. Then we went to the Conference. We did not attend any meeting, but talking. I was very touched that Toyoda did not intend to attend the conference because he was very busy. He flew from Tokyo to Miyazaki the evening before. In order to meet me, he went to the Bazzar twice to look for me after checking in to the hotel. And he stayed in Miyazaki for less that 20 hours and flew back to Tokyo the second day. I remembered that it was at noon. When I knew that he had to take the 2 p.m. flight to leave for Tokyo, I told him that he needed not send me back to my hotel. We were in a long small street. After saying "sayonara", he stood there and I kept walking. I heard him shouting "sayonara" a few times, and each time I had to turn back and wave my hand. When I came to the junction of the street, I needed to turn to the other road. So I turned back and saw him still standing there. I kept waving my hand and had to shout "sayonara", then turned to the other road. Only then, I was weeping.

1983 JCI Conference

1984 JCI Conference

We did not meet at the 1983 Jaycees International Asian Pacific Conference held in Christchurch, New Zealand and the 1984 JCI Asian Pacific Conference held in Genting Highlands, Malaysia. After my final year with City Jaycees in 1985, I thought I would not meet Toyoda again. But in 1987, the JCI Asian Pacific Conference held in Singapore again. I was invited by the host, Singapore Jaycees - Orchid Chapter, to attend the conference and also to invite those verseas Jaycees I knew to attend. We met again in May 1987, but I almost could not recognise him as he had a lot of grey hairs. We were glad to see each other and I spent a few days with him, his wife and friends.

1987 JCI Conference

1987 Mr. Toyoda and his wife at our home

We then meet a few times when Toyoda visited Singapore again with his wife Kiyoko Toyoda. They came again in 1991. He always wrote to me and wished that we would visit him in Tokyo.

1991 Istana (Presidential Palace)

1997 at Mr. Toyoda's apartment

Our dream came true in 1997. We had a short holiday in Tokyo in June. I went for a Tokyo tour with my wife and my son. After a night journey on flight, we had a day tour in Tokyo when we arrived. That evening, Solomon was tired. But he knew that we had to meet Toyoda that evening, or we would be further away from Tokyo the next two nights, so the three-year-old boy had to struggle. Toyoda came to the hotel to meet us. He brought alone one of his staff who came from China, so that there would be an interpreter. We visited Toyoda's factory, office and apartment, and finally his house. When we were in his apartment, he showed us the bedrooms and told us that the apartment was vacant. He told us that the next time when we visit Tokyo, we just buy air tickets and do not join the tour. We could stay in his apartment and he would bring us around visiting places of interest.

When I told him that we knew each other for 17 years already. He said that friends are forever. He always remembered me because I was sincere and friendly. I ever showed him the pictures of Japanese Occupation when I brought him to Sentosa Island. I told him about our family during that few years. He listened with sympathy.

If more people are like us, can friendship bring peace to the world?