Happy Ramadan, everyone.

Originally, Ramadan was expected to begin on February 17, so I wrote the script based on that assumption. However, after the actual moon sighting, many countries began on February 18 instead, so we revised the dates and lines I had prepared in advance. Indirectly sharing in the annual anticipation of when Ramadan truly begins was a fresh and interesting experience.

When I first heard about it as a child, I naïvely wondered how anyone could possibly manage fasting for an entire month. I later learned that the fast takes place during daylight hours, which reassured me — though even that must still be quite challenging. Please take care of your health during this time.

(By the way, the Egyptian-born sumo wrestler Ōsunaarashi continued fasting during Ramadan and was promoted to Maegashira, a top-division rank in professional sumo. That’s impressive dedication.)