By Jill Chastenay

Since returning to the states a lot of people have asked me about my trip to Japan. I often answer like a man, telling them it was good and I enjoyed my visit. When this happens I see in the faces of many that they want me to go on. However, unless they ask specific questions I don’t. It’s not my personality to go on and on about myself. I did have a few people ask me “What was your favorite thing about Japan?” This has been difficult to answer as there were a lot of things that were great about Japan.

One of the things I wanted to do while visiting Kushiro, Japan was ride the Noroko (Slow) Train. I like trains and thought it would be a neat way to see the Kushiro Marsh. My host mom took me there after picking me up from the hotel. The most curious thing happened while waiting for the train to disembark from the station. As Yuko my host mother and I sat on the train an elderly man asked if he could practice speaking English with me, as he had just started to learn the language. We spoke a little, mainly about Baseball. He wasn’t always clear but made a concentrated effort, and I enjoyed the few minutes I spent talking with him.

Upon my return to the station I had another interesting experience. While my Yuko went to the ladies room an older woman approached me and started speaking to me. Of course my Japanese is limited so I tried to say, “scoshe Nihongo.” (I speak little Japanese.) She kept repeating herself and I finally figured out that she wanted to know where I was from, to which I answered, “New Hampshire, United States.” At this point our group interpreter, Kachiyo who had spent her day off on the train saw our interaction and asked “Are you okay?” I replied, “Yes,” and the old lady said, “Goodbye” and walked away.

A few minutes later while walking out with Yuko we saw the lady and again she spoke. Yuko told me the lady said, “She is a beautiful lady,” in reference to me. If anyone else had said that to me I’d just wave it off. I could care less about that kind of thing but for some reason when a lady I’d never met from a foreign land said it, I felt kind of special for once.

While working on the Crane Collage at the Kushiro Prince Hotel, a woman approached Colleen and I telling us that she had spoken to Kate earlier in the day. All of a sudden she just started talking to us about everything and anything. She was very interested in Astrology and wanted to know when our birthdays were. In the conversation she told us she had two children and was a single mom. I can’t be sure but I think she was at the hotel in an effort to meet a folk singer that was performing at the hotel that night. At one point she had me talking on her cell phone to her daughter! The poor girl had no idea who I was and I didn’t know what to say! She was really nice and the experience certainly was interesting! I wish I could remember her name! But I have her picture!!

All of these were great experiences while visiting Japan. However, my absolute favorite happened on one of my last days in Tokyo before returning home. I had decided that I would go to Asakusa and finish some shopping at the market. I love outdoor markets and little shops and Asakusa has tons of them! I even had the company of Angelica so I wasn’t a total loner. After putting a considerable dent in my Yen we returned to the hotel via the subway.

While riding, a mother and daughter got into the car we were riding in. The mother had the little girl sit down in the available seat. However, there was no seat for mom. I got up and insisted she take my seat. She tried to refuse but I prevailed. No little girl should have to sit next to a stranger versus her mother! Once another seat became available she asked me to sit down next to her and she asked what I was doing in Japan. I told her that I was a teacher and part of the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund program.

I had noticed that her daughter had a little purse. So I took out one of my business cards and gave it to the little girl so that she would have something to put into it. This appeared to make her day. Both mother and daughter checked out the card and appeared surprised when they saw that I had my name and position printed in Japanese on the back. The mother then told me that her daughter was starting to learn English. The little girl then said, “My birthday is on July 27^th.” I told her that I hoped she would have a good birthday. By then they had come to there stop and had to disembark the train. While they were walking away the little girl waved to me until she was out of sight.

This may not be what many of you were looking for in an answer to this question of “my favorite thing about Japan,” but it’s hard to nail down any one thing. There were so many experiences that I loved while being with these wonderful people. I will always love my trip to Japan but these experiences are things that I will always keep special.