Mrs Kaneko Ikeda:

My husband was certainly always busy, but his fondness for the children was always apparent. When I talked about the children, the stern expression on his face would soften, and he would break into a happy smile. When he would return home so exhausted that he could barely respond to me, suddenly he would ask about the children.

He enjoyed playing with the children, and even after he was appointed president, whenever he had time, he would play games with them like sumo or scooping goldfish out of the water with a net.

My husband never became angry with the children. He would let them be as free as possible. He said he wanted them to grow up healthy, as straight and upright as bamboo, so they could make their own unique and valuable contributions to society. This does not mean focusing merely on achieving success or prominence. He wanted the children to become people who would be of service to society.