I went to the house of Jack, who drives the team trailer. His wife welcomed me with a wonderful home-cooked meal. They introduced me to all sorts of animals—dogs, cats, a donkey, chickens, carp, and goldfish—but I couldn’t remember them all. (laughs)

It was a place you could genuinely describe as silent. It goes beyond just being quiet. It felt incredibly cozy, and I felt completely at ease. As I was writing up to this point, it seems I fell fast asleep.

Today, the test has already begun, and the morning session is just over. The photo is a sad record I took yesterday: At an exchange rate of 184 yen per Euro, diesel gas costs 442 yen.