A Long Road Back For Japan

Hi-Tech Tokyo
at night

One of the short stories that I told in school assemblies – usually each harvest time -  was of the Japanese village headman. He was an old man and sat one day on his verandah on the hillside looking down at the young people from the village enjoying their harvest celebrations in the field below. The rice harvest was safely in and the villagers were relaxing. The earth trembled  but the people were used to this, earthquakes were common and not to be worried about and the villagers carried on with their celebrations. Then, the old man noticed the sea in the distance, he saw it draw back from the shore and he suddenly became very afraid – he had seen this once before as young boy and knew it was the sign of a coming tsunami. He was safe in his house on the hillside but he knew that the village folk were in danger if  a tsunami rolled in. He called out but they couldn’t hear. What could he do? He made a decision.  He stumbled from his chair and brought a flaming torch from the fire. He went across to his barns where his rice was stored and set the barns ablaze. Far below, the people saw the smoke and realised there was a fire at his house. They immediately left their festivities and ran up the path to help put out the blaze – and as they did so the tsunami rolled in – they were safe – saved by the burning harvest.

A brief résumé   of the story which I enjoyed telling, and over twenty or so years many children enjoyed listing to. The dreadful events in Japan of the past few days give it  a terrible resonance – tsunami, fires, food shortages, destruction – but one can’t fail to be impressed at the calmness, dignity and  stoicism that the people of Japan appear to have shown in the face of this catastrophe.

Japanese Temple

My wife and I have watched the news reports with interest and great sadness in the past few days.  We briefly visited Japan three or four years ago. It was a short 3 or 4 day  'stop over' on our way back from Australia. We just thought it would be nice to call in – but had no expectations – just  a place on the tourist trail. In the event we fell in love with it. We spent the time in Tokyo and from the minute we arrived felt so welcome and enthralled by the dignity and politeness of the Japanese people.

The Imperial Palace

Our Japanese was absolutely zero but the kindness of people and the wonderful public services ensured that we never got lost, were able to navigate the underground system and enjoy the shops and the sights. In the few days we were there we had so many happy memories. The bus driver who stood at the front of the bus and bowed to the passengers before taking his place behind the steering wheel. The luggage men who did the same as they stored the luggage in the buses. The wonderful mix of hi-tech shops rubbing shoulders with ancient Japanese temples and customs. The occasional geisha that we saw in their wonderful costumes. Despite Tokyo being one of the world's major cities and one of the largest conurbations in the world it seemed always subdued – no racing cars and car horns here – wherever we looked dignified movement. Occasionally we would pass  workmen mending the road or building – all were smartly uniformed with boots and wellington that shone – no scruffy labourers here – a pride in everything. When we sat in our hotel restaurant, the waitress kindly and  smilingly helped us with  our chopstick skills! To us it seemed that everyone took  a pride in themselves, their work and their city. Perhaps this is looking through rose coloured glasses but I don’t think so.

A Tokyo Market

A couple of days after we returned home I went to catch my local bus into Nottingham and was told by the driver 'I don't give change  yer 'ave to 'ave the right money'. When I asked why, he told me that he only had 29 minutes to get onto Nottingham. He wasn’t impressed when I told him that  I'd just returned from Tokyo where  they gave change and probably built three Nissans while navigating to the centre of Tokyo in 29 minutes! He just told me to 'F**** O**!' Mmmmm!

No, I’m sure Japan has its problems and it’s not as great as I think, but  it is a stunning and thought provoking place and for me a fascinating, lovely people. It was another example for me of how wonderful, in their many different ways, people of other nations can be, and why I would be unwilling to embark upon or support any kind of war against a foreign nation. Having travelled to a fair  number of  destinations I have always found that ordinary people are pretty much the same the world over – the same dreams, worries, ambitions, needs, beliefs etc -  it’s leaders and governments that cause the problems!

The wonderful Loo

We had so many  happy memories of our short stay, but two or three stand out. Firstly, bizarrely,  the  hi-tech toilets. Each toilet had a row of buttons which ensured it performed all sorts of functions - we never discovered them all! When you walked into the loo, the lid/seat lifted automatically and the toilet bowl was sanitised. From that point onwards the loo met your every need  blowing warm air, cleaning (you and it!) powdering etc. And as you left, the seat and cover silently and automatically closed after you! I do belief my wife would have spent the days we were there constantly using the loos!

Secondly, and much more important, the quiet, calm, politeness of the people. Whether a market stall or exclusive shop, whether a bus driver or waitress or fellow traveller, all were without exception kind, helpful and quietly friendly. No 'in your face' behaviour here – everything measured and dignified. One of the great things we discovered as we read the guide books was that apparently this characteristic of politeness, respect, awareness of the feelings of others is rooted not so much in Japan’s religions (although there is a link) or in Japan's ancient customs and history. Rather it is a natural response to a very crowded island – it is the only way of successfully living together in the crowded conurbations in which make up Japan. People simply have to get along together and you do that be respecting your neighbour and being kind, polite etc. Makes sense to me – perhaps we could learn something there!

Tokyo at dawn

And finally an event that happened in our last hour or so in the country which perhaps pulls all these things together. We left our hotel early in the morning. The coach picked us up, together with other travellers for the two journey to the airport. As we stood waiting we noticed a young Japanese woman who looked rather upset and fraught. We climbed aboard the bus as did she and she sat on the seat immediately in front  of us. She was perhaps 18 or 19 years old. After a little while she turned to us and asked in perfect English could we give her some advice! We were a little 'thrown' but even more so when she began speaking. She told us that she was going back to America (New York) where her mother and father were – they were Japanese and her father a Japanese executive with a contract in New York for a number of years. She lived with them, had been at school in New York, and had been on holiday in Tokyo visiting friends and relations. But, her problem was (and she was moved to tears) she did not want to return to New York – she hated America she said – so uncouth, loud, rude, brash – no quiet calmness and respect. Having experienced both Tokyo and New York (and I love New York!) I had  a huge amount of sympathy with the points she was making - Tokyo is everything that New York isn't and vice versa!. She wanted to ask us what she should do. She had, she told us, been up all night packing, unpacking and re-packing her case – as her thoughts changed.  Should she ring her parents and say she was staying in Japan? She was terrified of offending and upsetting them. Should she ring them and discuss it – although she knew her father would  'order her' back to New York? What would we, as older people, advise? She had the promise of a job and friends with whom she could stay.

A public exercise session

We were dumbfounded and unsure. We sympathised and the best advice was that she really should discuss it with her parents rather than just not go back. We were very uncertain of Japanese  protocol – and the parent/child relationship. Clearly to her this was very important – she was anxious not to upset her parents and to 'do the right thing'. For almost two hours we talked as the bus rumbled through early morning Tokyo – and then we arrived at the airport and we had to leave. We never did find out what she did – we left her on the concourse, mobile phone in hand looking upset and fraught. Our last advice was 'Speak to dad' but it sounded somehow feeble.

The incident quite saddened us – we would have loved to discover what happened to her – who knows perhaps she will read this blog and tell us! But it perhaps said much about Japanese culture, the parent child relationship and the fact that we see on the news pictures the old people displaced by the tsunami being cared for by the families in the refugee centres. Perhaps too, the calm, dignified life style that we witnessed, is the same behaviour that is at the moment ensuring the orderly queues for food as the homeless wait for assistance.

The temple gateway

The terrible events in Japan in the last week – earthquake, tsunami, nuclear disaster are quite beyond comprehension – for us it has  a special poignancy, our brief visit had given us many happy memories and a fondness for the people. We can only hope that they are able to resolve their problems and hopefully their   national characteristics will help them in the next weeks and months. A wonderful country and a wonderful people.