Though he has yet to recover from his poor health and a high fever, the cold of Hokkaido’s winter has never discouraged President Ikeda from meeting the members​.

On February 26 (1971), Shin’ichi Yamamoto went to watch the group ski performance at the Teine Olympia Ski Resort. On that day, actually, he had a fever. He hadn’t fully recovered from his bout of poor health the previous year, and Hokkaido’s cold had taken its toll on him. That morning, his temperature was almost 39°C (102°F). But he knew the members were waiting for him, and he couldn’t disappoint them, so he went ahead with his schedule.