Hmm, I've been wondering about this, too. Since Father-Iwaki is always wearing a kimono when we see him, I was speculating that he was in a profession where one is expected to dress traditionally--such as tea ceremony or flower arranging. However, Masahiko usually wears western-style clothes, so maybe Father is just old-fashioned, and in hindsight, when we see him, it's on a formal occasion or holiday--when he is in mourning for his wife in Book 3, and during New Year's in Book 9. So maybe he doesn't wear a kimono all the time, although I sort of get the feeling that he's the type who does.
Anyway, since Masahiko apparently wears a suit (Book 7) when he is working, the Iwaki family probably runs an ordinary sort of company rather than being involved in culture and the arts.
Father says that Masahiko gave up dreams of his own to succeed the family, which strongly implies that he took over the family business. Father looks old enough to be retired--maybe Masahiko consults him on major decisions affecting the business, but he probably leaves the day-to-day operation of the company to Masahiko, whom I am sure is very competent at his job.
So I seem to have spent a long time saying that I don't really know what the Iwaki family business is. ~_^ The idea you use in your fic--sake breweries and rice production--seems very logical, since Wikipedia's article on Niigata says that rice is the principle product of that prefecture. It's also a business that the family could have been running for many generations, which fits in with the big, traditional house and the air of "old money".
Although I do like the idea of Father being the head of the local Yakuza group! ^_^ I also see from the article that Niigata is famous for its koi (ornamental carp), and it's fun to imagine them raising these beautiful, expensive fish and having a large koi pond in back of the house, but I think the breweries/rice idea seems more likely. Still, if I were running with the idea for a fic, I could see Father raising the fish and Big Brother handling the business end of things, taking care of the finances and traveling to meet with clients.
Getting back to Masahiko, I do wonder what "dreams" he had to give up in order to succeed the family? (Although as the eldest, he would still be expected to succeed even if the younger brother hadn't left home, unless Kyosuke had been willing to take over the business in his brother's place.) Maybe something artsy, such as painting or photography? Or since he seems to like kids, maybe he would have liked to be a teacher if he'd been free to choose his profession? Whatever his secret dream was, I'm sure that he's completely suppressed it, and would deny that he ever wanted such a thing, or at most, dismiss it as a childish whim he had when he was young. I can sort of sympathize with him and understand why he has such a stick-up-his-arse attitude--Kyosuke got to be selfish and live out his dream by abandoning his family, so Masahiko seems to have decided to become the exact opposite and suppress all his own desires in order to carry out his filial duties.
My favorite moment in the Iwaki family reconciliation chapter in Book 3: when Katou tells the brothers how alike they are, and they practically say in chorus, "That's not true!" and "We're nothing alike!" ^_^
And hmm, looking at the scene again, Katou thinks that Iwaki's dad looks scary--maybe he really is a yakuza! Haha, but he's surprisingly kind and understanding beneath that stern-looking surface.
Anyway, since Masahiko apparently wears a suit (Book 7) when he is working, the Iwaki family probably runs an ordinary sort of company rather than being involved in culture and the arts.
Father says that Masahiko gave up dreams of his own to succeed the family, which strongly implies that he took over the family business. Father looks old enough to be retired--maybe Masahiko consults him on major decisions affecting the business, but he probably leaves the day-to-day operation of the company to Masahiko, whom I am sure is very competent at his job.
So I seem to have spent a long time saying that I don't really know what the Iwaki family business is. ~_^ The idea you use in your fic--sake breweries and rice production--seems very logical, since Wikipedia's article on Niigata says that rice is the principle product of that prefecture. It's also a business that the family could have been running for many generations, which fits in with the big, traditional house and the air of "old money".
Although I do like the idea of Father being the head of the local Yakuza group! ^_^ I also see from the article that Niigata is famous for its koi (ornamental carp), and it's fun to imagine them raising these beautiful, expensive fish and having a large koi pond in back of the house, but I think the breweries/rice idea seems more likely. Still, if I were running with the idea for a fic, I could see Father raising the fish and Big Brother handling the business end of things, taking care of the finances and traveling to meet with clients.
Getting back to Masahiko, I do wonder what "dreams" he had to give up in order to succeed the family? (Although as the eldest, he would still be expected to succeed even if the younger brother hadn't left home, unless Kyosuke had been willing to take over the business in his brother's place.) Maybe something artsy, such as painting or photography? Or since he seems to like kids, maybe he would have liked to be a teacher if he'd been free to choose his profession? Whatever his secret dream was, I'm sure that he's completely suppressed it, and would deny that he ever wanted such a thing, or at most, dismiss it as a childish whim he had when he was young. I can sort of sympathize with him and understand why he has such a stick-up-his-arse attitude--Kyosuke got to be selfish and live out his dream by abandoning his family, so Masahiko seems to have decided to become the exact opposite and suppress all his own desires in order to carry out his filial duties.
My favorite moment in the Iwaki family reconciliation chapter in Book 3: when Katou tells the brothers how alike they are, and they practically say in chorus, "That's not true!" and "We're nothing alike!" ^_^
And hmm, looking at the scene again, Katou thinks that Iwaki's dad looks scary--maybe he really is a yakuza! Haha, but he's surprisingly kind and understanding beneath that stern-looking surface.