Be not afraid of going slowly, Be afraid of only standing still.” — Japanese Proverb

December Tenth - Eleventh

I write this banking on my recollection of this beautiful country and my experience, which barely scratches the surface, of what it has to offer. Apart from immigrating to the United States in 1988, I had never really visited another country until 1995. I decided to visit my native country that year.

Instead of booking a flight with one stopover involving a few hours of layover at some foreign airport, I haphazardly planned an itinerary that included a stopover involving a few days’ stay somewhere I had never been, before continuing the journey to my final destination. It was a long-haul flight departing from Florida, traversing the span of the United States, continuing on across the Pacific Ocean, sort of (planes cannot directly cross the Pacific Ocean in a straight line!), and reaching Asia. It was an unremarkable and uneventful 15-hour flight until the plane started its descent to my first stop. Looking through the plane window was what initially seemed like a small mound of earth somewhere east of my orientation. As the plane approached closer to the airport’s runway, the snowcapped Mount Fuji gradually revealed itself. This was only a brief stop on the way to my final destination but, nevertheless, the opportunity to explore a new place excited me. There were no plans to go anywhere near Mount Fuji, but I was determined to discover and explore what little I could of Japan while visiting family in Yokosuka.

Japan fascinated me: the culture, the people, the sense of community, and the possibility of being one with nature despite the modernity of its urban centers. It also goes without saying that I love Japanese food, their technological innovations, manga, their gadgets, their creative and clever use of space, and their sense of preserving certain traditions.

I stayed at a condo unit perched on a hill next to a nature preserve. The condo had one traditional bedroom with Tatami floor, sliding doors, and fusuma — partitions made of washi (traditional paper made with fibers from the inner bark of a tree or shrub). The rest of the house was "Western-style", i.e., not traditional-Japanese. The "wash room" was a "suite" comprised of three separate rooms. The main door of this "suite" opens to the laundry room wherein there were two other doors–one leading to the commode room and another to the bathroom. As I had expected, the stacked washer and dryer were equipped with high-tech looking buttons for various functions. That took a bit of getting used to. Opening the door to the commode room for the first time was a bit of a surprise. The space was small by American standards and, probably for a more efficient use of space, there was a built-in sink on top of the commode's back. The bathroom door is of frosted glass and opens directly into the shower area on one side and a deep soaking tub at the other. A pedestal sink stood between the two areas.

Anyhow, after the short condo tour, my curiosity to explore the neighborhood was mounting, so my family and I ventured out in search of snacks and other food items. Our first stop was the Daiei building where various shops can be found — of which the largest were the Daiei supermarket and Daiei department store. On our way there, we went past what looked liked a kindergarten school. The children were out in the schoolyard. They were so adorable — doing morning exercises in the middle of a wintry day, clad in shorts and short-sleeved shirt uniforms! Upon arriving at Daiei, we navigated through throngs of shoppers like us. We stopped by a few shops to look around. I initially did not know what to get because my eyes were popping out, feasting on the colorful abundance of choices. At some point, I went to one of the shops, looked around from aisle to aisle and picked out a few pens, two bento boxes, and a few packs of chewing gums (the kind that has cool fruit-flavored liquid filling that squirts out as you chew on them). I also filled my shopping basket with sweet and savory snacks. I could not read Japanese, but it did not matter because the Japanese food packaging was pretty and enticing enough to convince me that what was inside would either be beautiful or delicious or both! I was not disappointed.

A couple of hours later, I was still buzzing with excitement being on Japanese soil but was famished! We stopped to fill our tummies with none other than…McDonalds! Ha, ha, ha! Of all places! The fillet-o-fish sandwich crafted in Japan was absolutely amazing! It tasted nothing like the ones sold back home in the U.S. Even the bun smelled and tasted like freshly baked bread and the fish tasted fresh and juicy!

December Twelfth

Nine months after the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, there I was exploring the city, but only on the “surface”. No pun intended. I was at the mercy of my family and none the wiser, so I did not hesitate when I was told we were going to see Mickey!

I had been to Disney World in Orlando a few times. This theme park boasts millions of visitors coming from all over the globe at any given time. Back in the 90s when smart phones did not exist yet, headphones were available in various languages and offered to non-English speaking tourists in some of the attractions. I had always wondered what it would be like to use one of those headphones. It never occurred to me that I would need one in English until I visited Tokyo Disneyland. It came in very handy, indeed, as I could only count with my 10 fingers the number of Japanese words I could speak and understand. The rest of the park was just the same as any other Disney theme park.

Departing Disney, we decided to take a walk around the Ginza District. Tokyo is a vibrant city. I felt like a human being recently turned into a vampire because my senses were heightened. It felt electric. It was electric: the sight, the sound, the smell and the taste! This sensory experience, coupled with the act of extensive walking, served to build up our appetites. At some point, heeding our tired legs and growling tummies, we made a stop at a Ramen restaurant. The best ramen I ever had!