かつて宇和島市日振島を大きく変えた人がいました。その人の名は森岡天涯(1879-1934)。若くして渡米、ワシントン州シアトル市にて新聞記者を勤めて故郷に地元日振島に帰国します。彼は貧困に苦しむ地域の問題点を指摘し、根気良く説得、学校建設や地元経済インフラを整えることに尽力されました。
There used to be someone who changed Hiburi Island in Uwajima City. His name is Tengai Morioka (1879-1934). At a young age, Mr. Tengai went to the United States and worked as a newspaper reporter in Seattle, Washington, and returned to my hometown, Hiburi Island. Upon his returned, he pointed out the problems in areas suffering from poverty, and was committed to patiently persuading, building schools and preparing local economic infrastructure.
「もてころ」とは彼の言葉で「大きな石は俺が運ぶ、君は軽いのを運べ、いやなこと、苦しいこと、きたないこと、なんでも俺が引き受けるから持ってこい」の意味だそうです。
"Motekoro" means in his words, "I'll carry a big stone, you can carry a light one, bring it because I'll take care of unpleasant things, painful things, things that you think you can not do."