A Japanese Love Story

‘To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance’ – Oscar Wilde

A Japanese Love Story

Hiroshima-ken 2009

Kawatana was a small town. It was 20 minutes by train outside of Hiroshima and in summer mikans (satsumas) grew on the trees and cicadas sang at night. The humidity and heat attracted cockroaches and other delightful creatures and it sapped the energy out of everyone. Obachans (grandmothers) made jugs of oolong tea and sat in the shade. Women wore long sleeves and floppy hats to protect themselves from the sun. Summer was less of a celebration here than it was for Kate back home.

She cycled to work, her usual hilly route she took every day. She had grown used to the stares of the locals and had begun to enjoy her status as the local gaijin (foreigner). The change in environment and culture had woken her up to life again and had given her the lift that she had needed. She filled her days teaching English in the local high school and her evenings frequenting the local isakayas (bars) with friends and taking ikebana classes (flower arranging). Her weekends and midterms were spent exploring her new environment and places further afield.

The change in diet had allowed her to shed the extra pounds she had gained during her finals and the sun had made her skin glow again. Here she could be anyone, as anonymous and private or as intimate and personal as she wanted to be; it was her choice. It was her chance to begin again. The recent years had taken its toll on Kate. A series of disappointments, failed relationships and set-backs had knocked her confidence. She had retreated into herself and had become suspicious of other people. On her induction course when she first arrived in Tokyo she was told of this ‘Honeymoon period’ she was going to experience but then culture shock would set in and she would have high highs and low lows. For her however the change in culture had shocked her body and mind into a better place and helped her to get back to herself.

Back home she had never taken an interest in languages, or fitness and couldn’t afford to travel. Here opportunity presented itself to her on a golden platter. She began to nourish her mind and body in a way that didn’t feel possible before. She now had things to say for herself, interests and experiences to share. She had branched out. Away from former negativity and other factors that had crippled her ability to blossom. Inspiration returned to her, she met new people with confidence and she managed to shake off the weight that was holding her down. What was possibly the scariest decision of her life had turned out to be the right one.

And this was just the beginning.