Anna Matsushita

 It must have been about twenty-five years ago. Our colleagues and I had just graduated from university that year and landed jobs at a small travel agency. Specializing in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, the company thoroughly immersed us in the geography, history, tourist attractions, and various local cuisines of Europe through our work.   Among our colleagues were those who, during their student days, embarked on budget travels abroad, boldly exploring various countries. We exchanged experiences, learning from each other, and absorbed knowledge like sponges from our seniors, as we navigated through our daily routines.   At that time, my role involved researching travel ideas for sales outside by obtaining information from overseas branches. Information available domestically required my personal research, compilation, and storage. Despite the bursting of the economic bubble about five to six years earlier, Japan still had a thriving population eager for information on l

Many years ago, during my stay in the UK, I was aware that pubs offered cidre, known as "cider" in English. However, for some reason, my British acquaintances strongly discouraged me from ordering apple cider. They claimed it was not something young people should drink, that it wouldn't suit Japanese taste buds, and that Japanese people were not accustomed to strong alcohol, which they believed apple cider to be. Their opinions, particularly the insistence that "it doesn't suit Japanese palates," left me puzzled. Despite their claimed familiarity with Japan, it seemed they were determined to prevent me from trying apple cider. Looking back, I suspect they may have had a negative experience recommending it to a Japanese person in the past, perhaps to avoid disappointing me. After several decades, I finally had the opportunity to savor British-made apple cider. A Tokyo-based restaurant had a menu featuring about eight types of apple cider. Recalling my past en