2016 - Autumn

The season giving so much joy through its matured characteristics. I am sitting in a coffee shop, looking out the window. Those rich-coloured leaves, dancing in the cold wind of yesterday, are now quietly resting on the wet ground from the drizzle, withered by the relentless time. Indeed, the story of man and his life is the story of wind and leaves, I think to myself. Far off, the crows caw on treetops, but they do not sound annoying anymore; rather, I hear some kind of sadness. The sound of rain takes me back to 40 years ago, reminding me of my first autumn in Japan. Alone, going through major changes in life, happening all at the same time, and I was not sure what to do. Perhaps it’s the drizzle and melancholy air that has finally made me start writing, things which had been feeling heavy in my chest for a long time. The story of my journey in Japan is a letter to my son. When he came into my world, I was initiated into the role of a parent. As a mother, this made Japan to me a gift of God.

In this age of the Internet, overflowing with information, supposedly bringing us closer, a critical issue, still facing us, is lack of knowledge and the attitude toward “others” we create in our minds. We tend to fill what we do not know with our stereotypes causing “fear of others”, a euphemism for prejudice. These biased thoughts have consequences. Inclusions and exclusions cause opportunities to be denied, contributions to be overlooked, yet privileges, unjustly provided to others. Becoming aware of this bitter reality is a starting step to dealing with the problem of societal integration.

As I write this, I am a mother, a wife and teaching at two top level universities. I am also an interpreter/translator in the legal system.  And Oh! The Japanese government finally succumbed to my twenty plus years of applying, pleading, and granted me Japanese citizenship, a rare occurrence.  These might sound like a very ordinary path of life for a Japanese, but for me to get where I am now, there were experiences / stumbles –struggles and at times happy moments I would like to share with you in the hope that through this story, to introduce my country and the challenges of integration for a non-westerner like me.