Since then, almost 30 years have elapsed.
My father, Akira Goto, died the year before last.
When my father was hospitalized by ambulance, I was told that he was seriously ill, ...colon cancer.

Having been in the hospital only for about 20 days, my father passed away.
When my father was notified that he had got cancer, his face did not change color.
Though his disease became worse, he never said he had a pain.
Among mementoes of the dead I found a poem written by my father.

"Ah, the Battle of Osaka in Summer" written by Akira Goto

Thinking over, I think my father took pride in being a descendant of "Samurai Master".
Today "Samurai" (warrior) does not mean anything. However, it is wonderful to have a "pride".

A few days before his dead, he regained consciousness miraculously.
I carried him in my arms to a window of the hospital room to show him the outside of window.
How light in weight he was at that time!
He looked out of the window in silence.
He seemed to get a distance view of the mountain, probably an imagination of the "Komatsu-yama" (Mount Komatus).

Leaving the story of my father as it is, I would like to come back to "Matabei Mototsugu Goto".

Recently we don't have so many occasions to see historical plays on TV. Every Japanese may know "Touyama-no-Kinsan" or "Mito-Kohmon,but scarecely knows "Yukimura Sanada" or "Matabei Goto". Everybody might say, "Who is it?".

To have the name of Matabei Goto remembered, we can say "Goppei" in an up-to-date fashion.
This time I would like to tell youabout the "Battle of Osaka in Summer" where Matabei Goto died.