The writer standing next to the “isshōkenmei” plaque in his office, and carrying another one with a different phrase. — Photos: LEESAN On the fifth floor of our company is the main foyer for guests that’s designed to look like a Japanese art house. Even our visiting Japanese guests marvel at it. At the entrance, there hangs an eye-catching plaque with four Japanese Kanji characters that read “isshōkenmei”, or “giving my best shot”. That was a gift designed specifically by a close friend of mine, Nakagawa-san, the owner of an onsen resort in Japan’s Mie prefecture. He insisted that the four words embody the craftsmanship spirit of never giving up.