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 informatio...

Taste of forbidden drink Long time ago when I was living in the UK, I realized that cider (hard cider, or cidre) was available at pubs. However, when I go to the pubs with my English friends, they always tried to stop me drinking cider, saying “It’s not for young people” “Japanese won’t like it” “The Japanese people are weak on alcohol. Cider is too strong for the Japanese”. Those were their opinion, but I was baffled with their strong rejections. These English friends called themselves connoisseur of Japan, as all of them have lived in Japan for a bout year. They all rejected cider that it dose not match Japanese’ taste.  Looking back now, they probably experienced something uncomfortable when suggesting cider to the Japanese people. Possibly they did not want to let me down.  After long years passed from the incident, I finally found a chance to try British cider. A pub in Tokyo was displaying their drink menu on their website, and there were eight choices of cider. Recallin...

Scotland: The First Encounter with Haggis and Whiskey   Scotland: The First Encounter with Haggis and Whiskey Long ago, we went to Scotland on family trip. It was end of August. Scottish weather was already chilly. It was too cold with summer clothing we brought. First, we stopped at Edinburg for a sightseeing, then moved on to near Inverness by train, and checked in at a hotel. The hotel seemed to be a new hotel, had neat and bright interior, with good utilities inside. The manager of the hotel was full of hospitality. She was with us at our check in and lead us to our room, explaining cheerfully about what services were available at the hotel. Once we settled ourselves in at hotel room, we went to swim at hotel’s swimming pool. Our limbs became stiff with long train journey. We relaxed ourselves in the pool, The pool was quite vacant. Part from our family, only a few people were seen at the pool Dinner time came, and we were shown to our table at dining room. Three course mea...

Once, there was a remarkable lady called Mrs P. She had been working at a Japanese company in London for many years, and everyone adored her personality—humorous, fun-loving, and relaxed. Throughout her long career, she was never one to boast, and her charm endeared her to all who knew her. One day, a member of the company organised a barbecue at Mrs P’s house, which turned into a delightful gathering. About twenty of us attended, including children, and everyone enjoyed the festive atmosphere. Drinks were poured for a toast, and the host worked diligently at the grill. Soon, the aroma of sizzling meat and roasted vegetables filled the air. On this occasion, the host had prepared a wide variety of beverages, including wine, beer, soft drinks, and whisky. Each of us picked our favourite to accompany the barbecue feast. Midway through the event, I found myself chatting with Mrs P and grew curious about the drink she was holding. In her hand was a whiskey glass filled with a transparent l...

 One spring, long ago, I stayed in Ireland for a month with a group of friends. We travelled extensively around the country and spent about a week in Dublin. With plenty of time at our disposal, some of us decided to visit Inishmore, one of the Aran Islands off Ireland’s west coast.   The Aran Islands, comprising Inishmore, Inisheer, and Inishmaan, are renowned for their rugged beauty and as the birthplace of the iconic Aran jumpers, famous for their intricate cable patterns. These islands hold a certain charm for knitters and history enthusiasts alike.   Our journey began with a long coach ride from Dublin to Galway, the gateway to the Aran Islands and the departure point for the ferries. Galway itself is a delightful city, known as the birthplace of the Claddagh ring, a popular Irish souvenir. The ring’s distinctive design—a heart crowned and held by two hands—symbolises love, loyalty, and friendship. It is often used as an engagement ring. I recall seeing this ...

  Our local shrine’s festival resumed for the first time in three years. Streets were once again jolly with illuminated lanterns. Kids were playing wood flute and drums to add festive feeling. They were performing the music in front of train station. People enjoyed the music in the evening.   I assume that the shrine must have planned the festival when the number of corona patients were decreasing daily – at least until June 2022. People must have put much effort into the preparation, looking forward once again to practice the music, drew out the portable shrine (Omikoshi) ready to be carried around the town, and float to carry the music bands.   Before COVID-19, the festival was like these;   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oWNuFH-CIg https://youtu.be/97cu-n3QXrc I watched the children playing music with somewhat mixed feeling. By the time the festival started, the number of COVID-19 patients were increasing at tremendous speed. I was tracking onl...

 New COVID variant is now spreading across Japan. I almost lost track of how many waves passed by, but the media reports that this is the 7 th wave here. The number of positive cases doubled over the past two weeks. Tokyo now sees more than 30,000 patients.   Despite this depressing news, I saw few positive changes.   My former employer, a travel company selling tours from Japan to Europe and Middle East, has brunch offices across Europe. These offices are now hiring some specialists who has experience working for group tours from Japan. It seems that European offices are ready to prepare for incoming tours from Asia.   The company used to handle tours from Asian countries to Europe and Middle East. With COVID-19, I heard that the offices in Japan is half closed, some comes to office for quotation and few tour operations. The employees there have been given temporary jobs at various institutions and organizations. I was relieved to hear that my former co...