ABSTRACT
Saturday 23 May 193 I was a happy day for me. For on that day I met Mr William Empson for the first time in my life. The meeting plaee was the lounge of the Imperial Hotel, Russell Square, London, where Dr Sanki Iehikawa was then staying. I was a student at the British Museum. Dr Iehikawa had reeeived from Dr 1. A. Riehards a letter of reeommendation of Mr Empson for the post of Professor of English Literature in Tokyo. Thus Dr Iehikawa and I were brought to a meeting at the hotel with Mr Empson, and after half an hour's talk the young poet was quite ready to eome over to Japan.
