On May 20, 1991, in Tokyo, Mrs. Chioko Egami, the widow of Master Egami, went out. With a constant discretion, an ever faulted politeness, she embodied an immense part of the spirit of Master Egami.

   Mrs. Egami was well known by the oldest students of Shotokai in Europe. She had accompanied her husband twice in 1976 and 1978 during his journeys in Europe.

There was a real link of friendship between her and Master Murakami. I remember the delighted sight Master Murakami had when he receive her visit in Paris while he was already hospitalized. Mrs. Egami had then admitted to have agreed to come in Europe mainly to meet Master Murakami.

   Often met her during our journeys in Japan. She was an outstanding person and we owe her a lot for all the support she always supplied to her husband in the way of Karate.

   For me, she embodied the Japanese proverb that says “the rice ear, when full, lowers the head in sign of humility”.

   An image stays in my mind: every time we went to see her in her duplex apartment of Higashi-Umagome (where we burned incense in front of Master Egami 's altar), she received us very friendly and served us a strong green tea with sweets. At the time of our departure, she accompanied us up to the gate and went outside. The road that led us to the station made approximately 200- 250 m, however, Mrs. Egami stayed there, to observe us going away, and did not return inside as long as we had not disappeared on the horizon...

   When we turned around, she was still there and waved. May it snows or by a full Japanese scorching heat, she stayed in front of the gate until we lose sight.

   Mrs. Egami is always with the followers of the Shotokai school: invisible but present. To her three children as well as to all her family, we want to pass on our touched recollection and our sincere condolences.

Luís de Carvalho   

(Translated from the French by Sebastien Garnier)