Welcome to Japan

The minute school let out today I ran home, grabbed my suitcase, and made a mad dash down the hill to catch the airport bus. I have to say that riding the bus was easier than I thought and a cheap way to get to the airport. Upon arrival, I joined a very long line of travelers at the Korean air check in and a little over an hour later my suitcase was checked and I was on my way to the gate. My flight left a little late, but it was a very short trip from Seoul to Okayama (about an hour and a half). Here was my first glimpse of Japanese culture...

Yes, I can actually use one of these!

The most difficult part of the entire night was getting through customs—because I was quite obviously the only non-Asian foreigner the customs agent decided to inspect my entire suitcase which meant unpacking the contents right in front of him. No big deal on my part, however, I was carrying a very large gift box wrapped in foam and bubble wrap which contained a celadon jar of Korean honey. After several minutes of unwrapping, the guys just took my word for it and packed the suitcase back up. By this time about an hour had passed and I was certain that it would make my task of locating Masae in a crowd monumentally easier…I was right. She greeted me along with her sister Hiroe (they were the only two people left in the lobby!) with flowers in hand...what a welcome!

A gift from my hosts

The forty-minute ride back to Masae’s mother’s house was spent listening to Lady Gaga and fumbling through a conversation in English with Japanese subtitles (this is the only way I can think to describe the conversing that occurred between my Japanese hosts as they attempted to decode what I’ve just said in English). Though it was very dark, I could tell that Masae’s childhood home was not located in the city as I had thought, rather it is in what Masae calls a “village”. There are rice fields all around and the home is quite large and traditional—I hope to take some photos later. Entering the house I encountered my first of many surprises on this trip. Here’s what I learned in my first hours…1) In Japan you drive on the left-hand side of the road just like in the UK, 2) Foreigners of the Western type seem to be rare here, 3) Masae is now married (three and a half years) to a man named Toshiaki and they have a beautiful two-year-old daughter named Kahori. Somewhere I feel like I missed the memo! Apparently we have a lot of catching up to do and I’m sure that will begin tomorrow. In the meantime, I am in need of some serious sleep!

My Japanese friends sleep on floor mats, but I was treated to a Western style bed during my stay.