After his first baby was born in December 2021, Naoshi Murata, a junior from Nara, Japan, majoring in information systems, said he was able to see how difficult it is to raise a child and felt more grateful for his parents who raised him. He said he appreciates his father who cares for him, though not always through words but by his father’s actions.
Murata, who played baseball when he was young, said his father did not play any sports but liked reading and studying books. “After I started playing baseball, he [Murata’s father] bought some books [about it], and started to learn about baseball,” he said.
When his older brother did Kendo, a style of Japanese martial arts, in junior high, Murata said they saw a book about it on their father’s bookshelf. “So, every time his children start doing different things, he learns about it,” he explained.
Because of this experience, one thing he said he wants to pass to his son from his father is his love for studying. In their house, Murata said they have books readily available. He wants to have a good bookshelf in their home so their son can read lots of books, Murata shared.
“Books teach a lot of things that you cannot learn from just by living each day, and it gives a lot of different perspectives, insights [and] knowledge,” he added.
Life changes
Murata said when he got married, his life changed. When he became a father, his life switched again. He explained he now has a wife who needs him and a little human being who relies on them as parents.
Being married is like always having a best friend in your life, he said. As a couple, they do things together, such as going for walks and having picnics, discussing life and getting feedback on how to be better, he explained.
“Before getting married, I could do whatever. [For example], I could watch basketball full time.” He said he has less time for himself, and he focuses more on taking care of their baby, such as feeding and giving baths.
Murata said sometimes being a parent can be difficult and admitted he could help out more with taking care of their baby. He said he learned from this experience he has more time than he thought.
A father, a student and a husband
Murata’s wife, Akari Murata, who is from Okayama, Japan, said her husband takes care of their son while studying at the same time. She said he holds the baby and works on the computer simultaneously. “He wouldn’t say no to taking care of our son, whether feeding or giving a bath. He is always willing to take care of our baby.”
She said she appreciates her spouse for being willing to help take care of their son. She added something she likes about her husband is he doesn’t have any ideal or typical type he expects their son to be. “He is so accepting and only wants the best for our baby. And whatever he [their son] wants to do and what to be in the future, he would respect that,” she shared.
Akari Murata said her spouse as a husband is kind and always respects her opinion. “He is open to what I like to do and what I don’t want to do. He is really easy to be with,” she said. For example, she shared, he is willing to work from home so she can go outside and do any job that she likes to do in the future.
Teaching by example
Masaki Iwasa, a good friend of Naoshi Murata, said he came to BYU–Hawaii at the same time as him in 2017 when they were 18 years old. He said they both lived in the same hale at that time.
Iwasa, a junior from Tottori, Japan, majoring in accounting, said he served in the Japan Fukuoka Mission with Naoshi Murata. He was an excellent leader in the field and became an assistant to the mission president where he gave training to other missionaries, Iwasa shared.
At one point in their mission, Iwasa said he had the opportunity to serve with Naoshi Murata in the same district. “He [Naoshi Murata] didn’t force missionaries to work hard [but] showed his example and inspired us.”
Iwasa also said he served in a ward where Naoshi Murata served before, and he discovered that all the members of the ward loved him and spoke well of him. “Members said he [Naoshi Murata] is funny, good at building relationships with members and has a [great] humor,” he recalled.
After his mission, Naoshi Murata got married quickly, Iwasa said. “I knew that he would get married soon because he is kind and really good at showing love to others.” He said Naoshi Murata is selfless and always cares for others first before himself. Seeing him as a student at BYUH, Iwasa said Naoshi Murata hasn’t changed; he is selfless still to this day.
Now knowing him as a father here at BYUH, Iwasa said whenever he goes to his friend’s house, he can see that Naoshi Murata is “always willing to help his spouse to take care of their baby.” Whenever they have dinner together, Naoshi Murata always takes care of their son so his spouse can eat dinner freely, Iwasa shared.
Naoshi Murata said his goal as a father is to see his son grow up as a good influence on the people around him and to be an instrument in bringing people closer to Christ. With this being said, he shared he has learned the importance of being a good example first before he can effectively teach these things to his son.
Naoshi Murata advises future fathers to focus their time on their spouses and children. He also encouraged them to see their children as human beings God entrusted them to raise. He added to not worry too much about everyday life affairs.