‘Would you like to see?’ he asked, and I moved closer. ‘When you hit a key like this …’ Tooo–nn. The sound rang out in the big airy gym. A part inside the piano lifted up and knocked against a line. ‘See, this hammer here strikes a string, and the hammer itself is made of felt.’

The same sound resonated again: tooo–nn, tooo–nn. I couldn’t tell if that was a gentle tone or not. But in the forest, near the beginning of September, around six in the evening, it was now starting to get dark.

‘Is something the matter?’ he asked.

‘It’s so much clearer than before,’ I replied.

‘What is much clearer?’

‘The scenery of the sound.’

The picture that it conjured was now so vivid in my mind, even more so than when he first touched the keys.

‘Could the wood they use in pianos possibly be pine?’ I asked.

The man gave a slight nod.

‘It’s from a tree called spruce,’ he said. ‘A type of pine.’

My confidence growing, I asked, ‘Could this by any chance be from pine trees cut down in the Daisetsuzan mountain range?’

The dark forest balancing on the flanks of those mountains – the image and sounds resonated in my very soul.

‘Actually it’s from foreign trees. From North America, I believe.’

Oh. So much for what I’d imagined.

The man heaved up the piano lid and closed it carefully. Then he continued to buff up the shine with a soft cloth.

‘I imagine you play?’ he asked.

His voice was soothing and I wished with all my heart that I could respond with a yes. How wonderful it would be to play the piano, and express the sounds of the forest, the night, all manner of beautiful things.

‘No, actually, I don’t.’

I’d never even touched a piano.

‘But you like pianos, don’t you?’

Did I? I wasn’t sure. Only today had I become properly aware of this instrument, for the first time in my life.

He didn’t seem to mind my reticence. He finished his polishing, stowed away the cloth, and quietly snapped shut the lid of his case. Turning again to face me, he took a business card from the pocket of his brown jacket and placed it in my hand. ‘If you fancy it, feel free to come and take a look at our pianos.’

Soichiro Itadori, Piano Tuner

‘Can I really?’ I asked.

‘Of course.’ Mr Itadori nodded, smiling.

I couldn’t forget that encounter. And one day I did go to visit the music shop.

As I arrived, Mr Itadori was heading off to a client’s home, so I walked out into the car park with him and attempted a direct appeal. ‘Will you take me on as your apprentice? Please?’