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When I came back from Japan, I submitted a quote to JFMF about my experience in response to an invitation to submit quotes
and pictures to be considered for publication in a future brochure. To my delight and surprise, my quote was chosen.
It says, "Never before have I felt so welcomed amongst strangers, to the point where I felt like I had lived in Japan my entire
life. I now strive to achieve this same amiability and spirit of giving throughout my daily routine, hoping to translate
this into the character of my students." I truly cherish my time in Japan, and I want to share a few stories of the
people I met who personify those excellent qualities that made me feel a part of the Japanese community.
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| A Japanese farmer who served me tea. |
One evening, a few members of my group and I decided to rent bicycles and ride around the city of Aizuwakamatsu.
We were able to rent a bicycle for two hours at a cost of 500 yen. However, it was later in the day, and the bicycles
had to be back by 7:00 PM. It was 5:00 PM. We took our bicycles and rode north of the city and were able to see
the rice fields that grow the tasty Aizu rice. Then, we decided to ride to Aizu Mura Park which has a 57 meter statue
of Aizu Jibo Kannon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. She towers over the park and can be seen miles away. We used
her as our guide and rode our bikes through the clusters of houses and fields. On our way to the park, we passed a farmer
working in his fields and exchanged a friendly wave.
Unknowingly, we entered the park after hours, and after being politely asked to leave, we retraced our route and found
ourselves riding past the farmer. This time, though, he waved us down and after we all three had stopped, he invited
us into his backyard garden for some tea. His only words to us were "ocha" which means tea in Japan. We had thirty
minutes left before we had to return the bicycles, but we did not want to miss out on this opportunity. The farmer's
backyard garden was beautiful, and he served us cold tea with little cakes and sweets that he gave to us. We sat together
using a Japanese phrase book to communicate with him. We explained that we wanted to stay longer but we had to return
the bicycles. He understood, and we thanked our host and drove away.
This is one of my greatest memories of Japan because the simple gesture of inviting us to tea spoke volumes to me about
the values and ethics of Japanese society. The people I met were so kind and generous, and it made me reflect on the
perception of Americans and how I could change that perception with my own actions. I wish that farmer knew what an
impression he made in those few minutes, as the memory of it will last a lifetime.
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| A saleswoman for a bridal store |
When my small group traveled to Aizu, we spent a night in Fukushima City. There was some free time before dinner,
so a few of my group mates and I went walking around the city to see what was there. We had no map and no idea of what
was around, so we simply meandered about. While we were walking on the sidewalks made of recycled shredded rubber, we
noticed a Japanese policeman and asked if we could take a picture of him in his bright blue uniform. He agreed, and
we took our souvenir picture, thanked him, and continued on our walk. A few seconds later, a young woman came out of
the building we were in front of and got our attention with a wave of the hand and a few shouts. We had no idea
what she wanted, but we stopped anyway.
She gestured for us to follow her into the building. We did, and it was a wedding planning shop. She showed
us the beautiful wedding gown on display and the lobby area of the hotel that served as the site for many wedding ceremonies
and receptions. She also gave us packets of seeds that appear to be wedding favors. When planted, the seeds grow
leaves in the shape of a heart.
This is one of the first instances in which I encountered strangers who treated me as a long time friend. Our communication
was limited, but her kindness was simply nice to experience. I can't imagine a similar situation occurring in the United
States. It was a refreshing welcome to Fukushima Prefecture, and it solidified my impression of the kindness and generosity
of Japanese people.
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