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Slanted Eyeed Japanese Gained a Wisdom on a Street of London

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  One day, about 40 years ago, I was on the way from school to the underground station .   At that time, there fere few people started call Japanese “Slanted eyes” at the school. Few girls, who have faced racial abuse for the first time, were either in deep shock or panic.   As I consoled them and give them emotional support, I was beginning to think I can not take this burden any more. Everyday, someone was crying, and they somehow call me and asked me to listen to  what they have to say.   We reported the racial remarks to a teacher who was responsible for the school affairs.   The process was slow, and I was almost there to spot the ring leader. That was a boy I have never seen, although I was at school more than 2 terms.   One day, the racial remarks on tubes were particularly hard, I hurried to the school, although being uncomfortable that remarks of “Slanted Eye” is coming from the students and new victim might be one the way.   On the way home, a white ma
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Paying an annual budget of Japan to buy a Japanese

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  About thirty years ago, in mid 1990’s, I was waiting for her at ticket gates of Kensington Underground station in London.   As I leaned on the stone object, which looked line a fountain, I noticed there was a young man   looking at me.   I was slightly startled, thinking why he was looking at me. Then he came forward with soft smile on his face   “ Anna ？”   I could not recognise his voice, but behind his adult face, I remembered his younger days Besides, there is no one who knew my name   “ Kamire ？”   Bingo.   He was brother of my best friend from a language unit of an international school in London. We sit at the same class, and we had lots of fun during the brake. 7 years passed since then   The boy who was a12 years old at that time, became 17 years old grown-up boy now. His voice changed, and was wearing thin beard. I nearly gave him a big hug, but realised that he is no longer the little boy I knew.   “My sister sent me to tell you t
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An eye-opener

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  About 40 years ago in Japan, School teachers were considered as highly respectable people, with high moral, someone to be admired. Children were expected to comply to teacher’s instruction, and had almost no doubt that they will not be misled by teachers.   Probably clever children might have come up with a different opinion, that teachers are human being after all, and they do make mistake and they do have moral problem.   As an average Japanese child grew up in 70’s and 80’s, I vaguely thought that school teachers are trustworthy.   Then came an encounter with an American teacher, who has changed my point of view.   I was at an international school in London, and on a first day of English literature class for EFL students, I was harassed by the American teacher and thrown out of the class room because my handwriting in English was not satisfactory.   The teacher also threw out another Japanese student, who previously attended the EFL literature class a year befo
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A kiss for a soldier

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  It was about 30 years ago. I was waiting for my plane at the Heathrow airport.   I was on the way back to Japan after studying at a university in UK for a year. The final exam date was not out until last minutes, and it was difficult to fix the day I leave the country.   I booked the seat only 3 days before the flight. As soon as the exams are over, I sent out my text books and belongings from my college room, said goodbye to my friends, and headed for London.   It was slightly late in the afternoon when I arrived at Euston station. I went straight to a youth hostel in city centre, whic had a good access to Piccadilly line which has direct connection to the Heathrow airport.   I slept soundly, and got up early to catch the underground bound for the airport.   After check in, I sat at one of bench in airport lobby, waiting for boarding announcement.   Then, there came a group of soldiers. They were walking in a line, wearing khaki army outfit. When they got c
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A Blast from the Past : Girls' Day at an International School

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The alarm was blaring. I’ve got to get up now. As I draw back the curtains, the sunlight floods into the room. Today is Girls' Day. Well, it's a secret day only us girls in the same grade know about. It all started that PE was the last class on Fridays. Our school was very small. Despite the size, we always had two types of sports for PE. It was either football or other sports. The school bus drivers, Roger and Jo, held PE teaching licenses. They both taught us PE.  One group played football at a nearby park with Joe, while the other did any sport available in the gym rented for an hour and half for the day. I've tried the football class once. But once was enough for me as I didn't know the rules, and I kept fouling. Boys were not happy about it. Also, playing among the boys was physically challenging. All the girls did not participate in the football class. The other group, led by Roger, was a mixed-gender class. We played various sports, from basketball to volleyball.
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The Canary Islands: Wine and the End of Year Party

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 One winter, my family and I embarked on a journey to the Canary Islands, situated off the coast of North Africa, to celebrate the year-end holidays. These islands, a bit farther south than the Mediterranean, are renowned for their numerous volcanoes. My destination was one of the islands in the archipelago, Lanzarote. It's a Spanish territory where the predominant language is, unsurprisingly, Spanish. Upon landing at the airport and traversing the island by bus, I beheld many curious sights. I noticed peculiar circular enclosures made of stone, with greenery growing in sunken centers. Our guide explained that these were vineyards. The island, formed from volcanic ash, experiences strong winds, making it challenging to cultivate taller crops. Thus, they construct enclosures with rocks to shield against the wind, creating depressions in the center where grapevines thrive. That day, our group of nearly thirty individuals was meticulously led around by our guide, showcasing variou
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Japan : History of Japanese Wine

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 In my early years, I resided in the Tohoku region of Japan. Near the housing complex nestled in the mountains, there was a forest where various fruits grew.   Among them, the mountain grapes held a special fascination for my young heart. Simply put, they looked delicious. Despite being warned by adults never to eat them, they seemed even more tempting.   During that time, I heard a folktale called "Saru-zake" (Monkey's Wine). It narrated a story of a monkey living in the mountains who hid the mountain grapes he had gathered in a tree hollow. Over time, it miraculously turned into wine. A woodcutter who discovered it tasted the wine, found it incredibly delicious, drank too much, and ended up drunk—such was the essence of the story, if I recall correctly.   This wine made from mountain grapes (Vitis coignetiae) is considered one of Japan's oldest alcoholic beverages archaeologically. Its origins can be traced back to the Jomon period, approximately 10,000
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