We arrived on Wednesday, the 13th after a flight of eleven hours. The Japanese can be very efficient and they made Customs easy. Our friends, Sunao and Teruaki, greeted us with unbridled joy and an unusually big expression of emotion. They bundled us into a couple of taxis for the short ride to a hotel right at the airport.
Before going further, the United Airlines flight was wonderful. The hours were long, but they provided the usual variety of music and several choices of movies. I brought along several old psychology and political magazines that I had not yet read as well as my Brian Greene book on cosmological physics (Written for a lay audience, like me) so I was never bored.
I also need to say some good words for the flight attendants who were pleasant, attentive and really made the trip so much better than other flights. (A friend told me to order special meals if they were offered when I purchased tickets. I ordered kosher for Don and me and vegetarian for Tamayo. These are made individually rather than on an assembly line. But on this flight, the regular meals looked quite as good.) I will fly United again.
In the morning we took a bus to our base of operations, Iruma city. This was the location of Johnson Air Base and Emmaus House. Of course the city is very different today. Rickety wooden buildings are gone. Modern housing, businesses and public buildings have replaced them. Where Emmaus House once stood, there is now an apartment building. (The Japanese refer to apartments as *mansions*, whether derisively or not, I cannot yet tell. This is because the apartments are often very small.) Johnson Air Base is no more, of course. In it's place is a much smaller Iruma Japan Air Self-Defense Force airbase. Where I lived in a quonset hut 50 years ago, now stands a magnificent public park with winding paths and a small lake.
Friday,we visited various old landmarks of our younger days, but yesterday-Saturday-was very special. One of the co-workers of Sunao and Don was a young man named Genji Seya. Gen became another close friend to many American servicemen, certainly including me. When I visited Japan in 1982, I made a point of visiting Gen and his family, wife and two young daughters. I was saddened a few years later to hear of his death at 55, of a heart attack. Yesterday we met Gen's widow and youngest daughter. Together we went to his grave, placed flowers and remembered him with song and prayer.
The wife and daughter were both fascinating, bright and had interesting lives themselves. Gen's wife has worked for the UN in Japan for many years. She has a strong and independent spirit that captured all of us, no one more than Tamayo, who herself has such a spirit. Mizuka, the daughter, dances ballet for fun but works as a representative for a Japanese trading company. She travels all over with seeming boundless energy. Both of them speak flawless English.
After the time at the grave, we adjourned to an Italian restaurant and continued to enjoy each other's company for almost 3 hours. Fortunately we were the only guests and the proprietor was a friend of Sunao.
Arriving back at the hotel, about 5:30, Tamayo called her brother to touch base.
The hotel has this one public computer in the lobby. I came to it intending to write this blog entry. A few moments later, Tamayo came in and asked for a hug; then she informed me that her mother is in the hospital, not taking food and being fed intravenously. Her mother is 99 years old and has done pretty well so far, but from the description I suspect that they are putting her on *comfort care*. They will make no more curative effort, but simply keep her comfortable while she does the work of passing on.
Today is Sunday. Don will be preaching at Sunao's church. Tamayo had intended to translate for Don--most people don't speak English--so she decided to stay through that, but after church she will abandon our plans and go immediately to be with her family. I will stay here, partly for Don's sake but also because of family dynamics, I would be in the way. Tamayo will share my feelings and words with her mother. Tamayo's mother and I fell in love the first time Tamayo took me to the home. We have always felt the connection. Uncharacteristically, especially for an older Japanese woman, when I come to visit, she wraps me in her arms and we hug with tears of joy.
Minor annoyances aside (Like chairs that are too low for me, but perfect for Japanese bodies) I am really enjoying being here. I remember why Japan has been so special for me. The subtle beauty, the understated grace are part of Japanese character. But also the more practical: quality public health care, broader social safety net, strong environmental concern. Sure Japan does have its problems, but they tend to solve them with a greater sureness.
Enough for today. I will try to write once more during the trip. Meanwhile please keep Tamayo and her family in your thoughts, prayers, meditations, intentions, whatever your spiritual discipline.
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