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My Heart Lies in Japan

My Heart Lies in Japan

By: Philip James Hanan

A Lulu.com Publication Experience Entertainment Books Lexington, KY

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are either ficticious or used fictitously. My Heart Lies in Japan Copyright 2006 through Lulu.com All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or any portions thereof, in any form. www.geocities.com/philhanan www.myspace.com/idamannowdog Cover Design Philip Hanan

Dedication
I dedicate this book to God, who inspired me to write it, to my mother Leslie and my Grandmother, Patricia a.k.a. Tuck, who believe in my talent, my brother Sam, to my fellow writing cousin, Christian, to my best friend, Matthew who also believed in me, and to all those with a deep passion for Japanese culture.

Acknowledgements
I just wanted to note how deeply inspired I was by God to write this novel and by many famous Japanese tales including Memoirs of a Geisha , Tales of the Otori , and The Last Samurai. I can only hope to eventually have half the talent they do.

Explanation
The following novel is a fictional story based upon a journal written by a fictional character. The early part of the story is written through a childs eyes and memory while the rest written through an adults. The story is intended to take place in early modernized Japan, but is not intended to be completely factual. Any complaints about timelines, facts, etc. will not be noted as this is a work of fiction.

Introduction
My name is Samuel Higgins. These writings are based upon entries from my journal from the years 1912-1942. I, a young British boy of 11, very used to an easy, tranquil life, spent 30 years in Japan, a land still a mystery to most of the world. There, I learned to take life more slowly, to appreciate life more, to not favor anyone, and to love. Although I no longer live there, I appreciate my time in Japan more than anywhere I have lived. My wife and I keep it in our hearts everyday as we live out our lives in the freest country in the world, America.

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Chapter 1 Death Favors No One

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I never knew my mother personally. She passed away from a disease she had caught while overseas in Africa when I was 3. She was with my father at the time, who was a famous world traveler and college professor at Cambridge University. He dragged her around to many locations while I stayed at home in London. Our butler, Mr. Livingston kept watch over me carefully, but was not fond of young children. I dont even know if he enjoyed his job, but we paid him well, and he got to wear a fancy tuxedo everyday. My parents would never be gone for more than 3 months and tried not to take more than one or two trips a year. They cared for me very much and tried to be at home as much as possible as long as they had time to get away every now and then. My father decided to put a hault to the travels for a while after my mother passed away. I cant even remember my mother or the funeral. I developed my earliest memories at around 4 and a half. The first thing I remember is looking at a photograph of my mother with my father standing beside me. My father sighed and patted my head as I stared at a woman with no memory of her.
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He told me a bit about my mother every few months or so. I know she was kind, and respectful. The community liked her as a whole. She spent a lot of time gardening and would never think of hiring a servant to help her for it would take away her fun and her position in the household. She wore a lot of bright colors, especially white even in wintertime, for she didnt care much of what people thought of her style. In the summer, she would often go barefoot in the garden and when it was hot, she would only wear a petticoat. My father called her a free spirit and that was why he married her. She said that I was the jewel of her eyes and she hated leaving me, but my father always charmed her into seeing the world. When she died, my father said that she was happy in Africa, but she hated not seeing me once more before she died. She knew I was strong and would grow up fine without her, but I wish I had some recollection of her. I feel like Im reaching for a ghost whenever I think of her. I want something tangible, but I fear Ill never be able to touch her until we meet again in Heaven. My father was a little less charming, but tried his best with me. He learned to cook meals every now
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and then like mother use to. He tried to teach me baseball and football. Sometimes wed even try rugby, but I was a little too weak for it at age 8. I didnt have too many friends. Most of my fathers friends didnt have any children and we didnt live near anyone as we owned so much land that was empty. My father thought the long plains of green grass looked beautiful, but I longed to see houses, even if they were old, dirty, and stained. I wanted to be with people. Every now and then, we would receive a visitor. My fathers best friend, Mr. Tanaka from Japan would come to visit and swap stories. Mr. Tanaka was one of the few Japanese to leave Japan and travel. When my father first visited Japan, way before I was born, he invited Mr. Tanaka to travel with him for 2 years in order to share more information about the world before he went back to teaching the schools there. Mr. Tanaka was very friendly, but you couldnt tell from his face. His eyes appeared very tight and his thick eyebrows appeared to have a scorn upon them. You had to warm up to him to be able to look at him without a bit of fear.
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He happened to visit in May when the weather was extremely nice. The grass was a vibrant green due to the April showers and the flowers started to bloom. My father was invited to a polo game outside of town. My father needed a break from raising me and invited Mr. Tanaka to join. Mr. Tanaka declined, but agreed to watch. I stayed at home that day and practiced some football kicks in our massive backyard. I had hoped to improve to impress my father who was never satisfied with my athletic skills, but it seemed doubtful I could shoot better overnight. Mr. Livingston kept watch over me from the backyard where he slowly sipped his Raspberry tea. I would kick as hard and straight as I could until my feet felt numb. I felt a blister upon my kicking toe from the work, so I removed my shoes and walked barefoot through the grass as I headed back towards the house. Mr. Livingston had stepped back in for a moment as I kept walking towards the backdoor. Mr. Tanaka had stepped out with Mr. Livingston. They appeared to be chatting with a not-so-plesant tone. I approached them with puzzlement in my mind. Mr. Tanaka bent over to speak to me. He said, Samuel. Imsorry to be the one to
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tell you thisThis should.never happen to anyoneYour fatherhe had an accident today An accident?, I asked. Yes., he replied. At the polo match. He.fell off his horse. A stunned look came upon my face. Hes going to be alright, though?, I slowly asked him. Uhno.hewas..trampled. The injuries were already too much for him. His lungs were collapsed. There was nothing we could do for him. I just stood there for a moment. I couldnt believe I was hearing this. Mr. Tanaka tried to put his hand upon me. I just dropped my shoes and socks, ran up stairs, slammed my door, and cried.
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Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Livingston let me alone for a while. It must have been almost 2 hours. I stopped crying for a while as I started to think what would become of me. I had no godfather, my grandparents were already deceased, and I had no friends. Just then, Mr. Tanaka gently opened my door and spoke. I am very sorry. I loved your father very much. He was my inspiration and my enlightenment in this world and I know the world was a better place with him in it. He cared for you very much and we had discussed what would happen if something would ever happen to him. I looked up at him in puzzlement. Its true that your father had never chosen a godfather. He liked to distance himself from his friends and would never ask them to every do anything for him. He never truly believed he was would pass away before you were grown. He did however speak to me on a train once in Europe. He asked me to take care of you if anything should ever happen to him. I agree as respected your father very much and was honored to help if
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I was ever needed. I have a daughter, but always desired a son, and would be very happy if I ever had to take a father-son position. Where would we live? Here?, I asked him. No. I dont have the proper papers to apply for a citizenship, and I also have a family waiting for me at home. I could legally let you stay at an orphanage, but I wouldnt wish that life upon you. Soin Japan?, I asked him. Yes, we found your fathers will and once the funeral is over, I am legally entitled to the house, so I will be forced to sell it. Your father was fairly wealthy, but the house is not quite paid for and I cannot afford to pay the remaining debt. All we can do is sell the house, sell off some belongings, pay off the debt, and then use the money to go back to Japan. You may keep your things, and I wont sell any belongings of your mother or father you wish to keep, but we must try to depart with some. You understand. Weepingly, I answered, Yes.
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We held the funeral two days later. It was a closed casket, so I havent seen my father since he left to play in the polo match. The funeral was simple. We held both the memorial and the burial outside. The weather was slightly chilly and damp that day, but I couldnt smile even if it was warm and fair. A few of his closest friends attended as well as Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Livingston, who would no longer be with us after that day. I looked down at the cold, black casket and said my goodbye. Mr. Tanaka spoke May God be benefited by your assencion and may you guard over the son of one of the worlds greatest gifts. I knew if no one else would be there for me, God would. I didnt know if Mr. Tanaka knew the same God I did, but I had faith that my God would still help him out. We spent the next week looking for buyers of the house. The price was a bit stiff, but father would have wanted it that way. We had to sell the house in 7 days. We waited 5. Those 5 days were frustrating as we waited for someone who would pay full price and would agree to buy most of the furniture. I was glad that most of my familys possessions would remain in that house where they belonged.
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We only took the family photographs, a portrait, clothing, and some rare vases that Mr. Tanaka had his eye on. I only cared for the photos and some seed my mother still had from the garden she grew. I wanted to make certain the exact same garden would continue to exist no matter where we lived. Two days later, we prepared to leave the house where I remembered my father raising me and teaching me to be a man and where memories of my mother existed. At that moment, I would have given up everything to stay there. I would have sold my clothes and laid naked in the grass just to be near the garden my mother grew and the house our butler kept tidy.

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Chapter 2 Department

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We set sail for Japan Monday. The ship we were on was quite magnificent, but contained rust and water marks from its many voyages. Im certain it was fancy back it is hey-day, but now only its massive size was appealing. I guess I need to start getting used to a life without so many fancies. In fact, I probably need to get use to this ship. It will take weeks to reach Japan and well have to make many stops. I suppose in a way Im getting the chance to see the world like my parents did before I find my new permanent destination. As we sailed for a while, I began to think about the land I left. I would probably never see Englands greenery again or the Atlantic Oceans beauty again. I didnt have many friends there, but I wondered if I would be missing out on something by leaving. I know it will be quite difficult to follow biscuit and tea time without Big Ben sounding off. Im so use to its sound every day that any quiet period over an hour will certainly feel strange. In fact, Big Ben was so helpful, I never needed a watch, although you usually must be old enough to be responsible to carry a watch where I come from. I brought my fathers pocket watch with me, but didnt feel I was ready for it yet. I didnt
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want to take it just because he could no longer hold it. I wanted to earn it and I wanted to take it when I was the right age and it was the right time. The sunlights position helped tell me the time and was interesting to watch, but we had many days of dark weather and rain, which disorientated me a bit. We sailed for a while without docking anywhere for fuel and food supplies, so there was no land to see. I was pretty bored at that point, but Mr. Tanaka entertained me with stories and card games. Our first docking was a northern point in Africa. Mr. Tanaka and I stepped outside for an hour or two while waiting for the ship to be refueled. The British had much control of the land there and reminded me of the docks at home. I expected to see some African countryside, but we werent near true Safari land. I longed to see new faces, but we werent allowed to go any farther than the port. Our ship was fueled, the passengers were restless, and the captain had a time to keep, so we departed. We continued to sail down the western coast of Africa without seeing anything. We were literally passing a different world while blindfolded to it. I longed to see the land where my mother had
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passed away, even at the risk of catching a disease myself. We did eventually stop again. This time we were in South Africa, a land owned by the British. I surprised to see mostly Caucasian people at the port. I had never seen a Negro up close, but I did happen to see in South Africa, which I heard was a bit rare. The man appeared to be rather poor and probably worked for someone in England. The ship needed some quick repairs while we were there, so we got to see more of Africa this time around. South Africa was more like home than I thought, but I knew that there must be a land mostly of negros and not much of our kind there. Maybe it was savage like I heard, or maybe we just didnt understand their way of life. I know my mother liked it there and that was enough for me. Mr. Tanaka took me outside of town once to see the countryside. It was plain and dusty, but amazing at sunset. I only saw a few small animals which I couldnt even recognize, but was glad to see something different all the same. The ship was repaired the day after Mr. Tanaka took me outside, so we boarded again. We sailed around Africas tip and East coast until we reached China. China was a civilized
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society like our own, but seemed to be more of a mirror to ours. The people were darker and had small eyes. They wore pajama-like outfits instead of straight suits, and ate from bowls more often than plates. Mr. Tanaka and I sampled some food while we waited to depart. I loved the rice, but Mr. Tanaka complained that it would never be as tasty as the noodle dishes from his home country. I hardly sampled noodle dishes myself so anything different sounded appetizing to me. Time grew on as we sailed toward Japan. I grew tired of card games and being locked up in our cabin due to rain. The band continued to play the same tunes and I believe even the adults were tired of dancing and listening to the music. Shuffleboard could only entertain for a while and was not the most entertaining sporting event. I started to dream of the day we left the ship for good, even if the land was strange and not fitting for a British chap of 11. We walked down the stairs toward the dock with anticipation in our hearts. I felt a sensation of exploration and had new dreams in my head. I started to feel a pull on my shoulder. Then it happened again. And again, until I awoke. Mr. Tanaka told me we arrived. It was 9:30 a.m. My dreams had come true.

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I hurriedly got dressed and started grabbing our luggage. Mr. Tanaka smiled and grabbed a heavy suitcase from me. I knew he was happy to return home again. He didnt expect to have stayed in England as long as he thought and the boat trip must have really taken away time from his family. The port we arrived at was fairly simple. The dock was worn from the rain and the sun and the buildings seemed weathered from the rain. The people I saw were trying to sell food and other items to customers just arriving in town. Mr. Tanaka told me we were in , a small Japanese port town which usually just received visitors looking for a true Japanese experience or people simply looking for a good vacation spot. I took a look from the top of the boat and saw a nestle of roofs in the distance. The houses in the port area were very close together and the people all seemed to bob around in the streets trying to show their goods first. Ive never seen so many people in one area outdoors before, especially with their slits for eyes and their pale yellow skin. The fishermen seemed annoyed by the people in the market. I guess they needed someone to sell their fish, but Im sure if they had time, they would do it themselves.

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Mr. Tanaka held my hand as we walked down the plank. I started to come to the realization that I was truly in a new world in which I might never leave. I picked at my collar and continued walking with him.

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Chapter 3 A New World

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We waited at the port for our luggage to be picked up. Many vendors eyed us hoping that we would deliver another sum of money into their hands. Mr. Tanaka held me back as I tried to look over the strange foods I saw. Theyll just cheat you here, Sam. They dont expect foreigners to know what a good price is for anything here in Japan. Ill show you where the good products are for a good price. We waited a bit longer until our luggage was finally delivered. Mr. Tanaka only had one suitcase with him, even though he had stayed quite a while with us in England. I had brought 3. Mr. Tanaka helped me carry one after he noticed I was struggling to carry them. I brought bags half my size with me not thinking of the strain I would have transporting all my possessions from England. After leaving the port area, we found a Japanese taxi very similar to the ones I had heard about in China. We weighed down the cart with our luggage and sat on top of the suitcases as we rode to the nearest town of Gaiku En, which meant Town of Salt
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Mr. Tanaka started to tell me about Gaiku En, the town where he grew up and worked as one of the newest school teachers in the area. He mentioned the sea where he used to fish as a child and the massive trees he use to climb. It was there he met his first love and his current wife. Gaiku En was a town full of fishermen and people with hopes and dreams of prosperity. I wondered to myself what I might see in my life as we grew nearer our destination. I kept looking around at the passing view as I saw other travelers on the road. Originally, the road was paved, but turned to a rocky mess as we neared the end of our journey. We began to approach the town where Mr. Tanaka grew up and it looked much different than some of the more modern areas being built in Japan. The cart bumped along and I felt sick to my stomach as we traveled along the bumpy road. Mr. Tanaka tried to comfort me with more stories. Eventually, we reached the end of a small hill, where a small house stood looking like a dessert at the end of the meal. I couldnt wait to get to it. The cart stopped and we got out, all while picking up our luggage. The house was very typical of what I had seen in Japan, but seemed to be in better condition than most of the houses.
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Mr. Tanaka said he took great pride in his home and although most houses were slightly worn from the weather, he took constant care of his place no matter how much caretaking it took. We were exhausted from our trip, even though we had been sitting most of the time as anxiety took over us and the cart trip disturbed us. We struggled to drag our luggage across the rocky path leading to his house. Mr. Tanaka knocked on his door, having left the key with his wife. I set my luggage down for a moment as I waited for the door to open. I studied the aged cherry wood outside the door and the rice paper sidings. I had never seen architecture like this in England and it amused me. After a few seconds, the door began to loosen. Mr. Tanaka stepped ahead of me in order to introduce me to his wife. A middle-aged woman with skin still young as a 20 year old looked outside my door. Her smile was like sunshine rising in the morning after a storm. He reminded me a bit of my mother which made me feel like I might finally have a chance to get to know her spirit more. She said Daikangei which I later learned meant, A warm welcome in English. Mr. Tanaka stepped in first. He set his luggage by the
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door and sat down upon a bench of some sort. I watched him remove his shoes and stick them inside a cubby hole. He signaled me to come inside. He told me to remove my shoes as well and pointed to a cubby hole in which to store them. Mr. Tanaka explained that I would have to listen to him mainly from now on as his wife didnt know the English language as well as he did. He would explain what she was saying to me and hoped that I might eventually learn some Japanese. He also hoped his wife would pick up on my English. He grabbed the luggage and took it to a large empty room with just a closet. He said it was his storage room. I stared at the strange floor below me as he put our suitcases away. He said we would unpack later. His wife was to fix a proper lunch for us. I asked what kind of floor he had. He told me tatami. It was made from bamboo shoots. He said it was soft and sturdy enough to walk on at the same time, but could easily be damaged from the soles of shoes. That was why we left our shoes in the cubby holes. It showed respect for the home and we would remove our shoes anytime we stepped into someone elses home. As we finished, his wife called us into a small room with a coffee table. Mr. Tanaka said she announced the food was ready, and the look of
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excitement grew upon my face. I was extremely hungry after hauling the luggage and riding in that unwieldy cart. I asked Mr. Tanaka where the dining room was located. He told me that was the room, then he knelt down on a pillow on the floor and waited for his wife to set down the delicacies. I knelt down as well and glanced upon the strange dishes. I recognized the rice, but other than that, I was clueless when it came to understanding the Japanese diet. I now know everything there is to know about the food, but it took me sometime to even try some foods. It took me some time to show my appreciate to Mr. Tanakas wife. I looked around for a fork and couldnt find anything, but some small wooden sticks. They picked up some rice from a dish with ease just by pressing the two sticks together. I clasped the sticks between two fingers and dropped them on my lap. I again tried to use them but found myself dumbfounded by the contraption. I eventually held them together with both hands and even stabbed at the rice clumps. I tried some of the meat that was served before me and was pleased. I dont know if it was pork, but it tasted the same nonetheless. It was a struggle, but I continued to fill my stomach as I dropped small portions upon my lap. I probably left 1/3 of my rice upon my lap, which
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I scooped up in my hands and ate. Mr. Tanaka said I could hold the bowl up to my chin, but such mannerism felt strange to me and I couldnt seem to nail holding the bowl and the chopsticks at the same time. Eventually, with a full belly and a smile, I arose. His wife delivered the dishes to the kitchen and I began to stretch. My legs felt cramped up as I was not use to kneeling like such, so Mr. Tanaka asked me to take a look around outside to stretch them out. I slipped my shoes on and walked around the house, admiring the simplicity of the paper windows and the dark finish of the cherry wood. I saw a large Cherry Tree in the backyard and was amazed. It looked as if it was some hand of the earth, reaching up to grasp the light of the sun. The blossoms reminded me of pink shooting stars trying to touch the earth and fill it with beauty. I was so intrigued that I began to climb it, but when Mr. Tanaka saw this, he was displeased. He said the tree was very old and should be respected and not used just to see other sights. He also said he didnt want me marking up the tree with my rubber soles. I quickly climbed down, but Ill remember the view of the distant ocean and the suns reflection bouncing off the crystal clear water for the rest of my life. That was my first view of true Japanese beauty.
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Chapter 4 Getting to Know the Family

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Mr. Tanaka was about to bring me inside when I felt a tingling in my body. I knew I had to use the restroom, but I didnt know where. He told me the house didnt have indoor plumbing yet, so I was told to go in the bushes outside. I was a bit nervous, never have gone camping with my father, so I looked around from behind a bush. Mr. Tanaka saw something that caught his eye and went around the front. Feeling less nervous, I took care of business and went to see what he was up to. A girl of 12 was walking down the street toward his house wearing a beautiful white robe with pink cherry blossoms printed on it. She stood taller than me, wearing tall, wooden sandals like I had never seen. Mr. Tanaka smiled at her as she continued to walk nearer. She waved and looked at me. I just smiled and stood there like my brain had dropped out of my head. She stopped at the front porch and said, Hello.

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Being shy around girls, I just clinched my hands behind my back and said, Hi.. Mr. Tanaka introduced me. Samuel. This is my daughter, Kimiko. Unlike my wife, who is too stubborn to try to learn English, my daughter found it both fascinating and challenging. She doesnt know all the words, but she knows many phrases and common words in English. Its good to meet you., she said as she wiggled her toes in her sandals. I kept looking down the whole time because I was too shy to look her in the eyes. She must have thought I liked girls feet or had a neck problem. When I finally looked up, she just smiled again. Mr. Tanaka took her inside and she began to remove her sandals. After 5 minutes after standing outside, I finally went back in. I was told Kimiko was in her room changing. She had just been to a party close to town, so she was all dressed up in her fanciest kimono. Mr. Tanaka was lucky to be able to afford such a nice gift for his daughter. He didnt earn a lot of
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money teaching, but received grants from the government every now and then and gifts from traveling Americans who wished to invest in his journeys. I waited in the dining room a while until she came out. She wore a simple, sky blue robe which still looked stunning to me. She smiled and told me she would show me around the house. I saw her room, her parents room, and the storage room again. Every room looked the same except for a few knick knacks which gave each room a small impression of who used it. Everything was quite bare, but beautiful in its simplicity. I was use to more extravagance, living in 2 story, 10 acre estate, but I believed I could learn to like such a place. That afternoon, Kimiko and I sat outside and watched the clouds and enjoyed the weather. She said she loved nature and being outdoors a lot. I understood why she did in Japan. In England, nature was constantly being sculpted in order to make in beautiful, but in Japan, every ornament on Mother Natures eastern island was naturally beautiful and alive. As dusk grew, we went inside and talked. Mr. Tanaka had to translate a number of words for
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Mrs. Tanaka, but I think she actually started to pick up on a few English words. She fixed us dinner later and I feasted again. I embarrassed myself in front of Kimiko, but she seemed rather polite about it. She even tried eating like I did with my chopsticks in both hands and laughed as we both dropped our rice clumps. Mr. Tanaka seemed a little disturbed we were playing during dinner, but he let us go on that night without any warning. He later asked me if I wanted to take a bath. I was so exhausted that day that I simply fell on the floor of the storage room and passed out before I could answer. I woke up with a blanket over me, so he must have tended to me that night.

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Chapter 5 Dawn of New Life

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Breakfast was wonderful that morning, but the rice was starting to cramp up my stomach a bit. I wasnt use to so much grain and had trouble dumping it off in the bushes. I didnt know how Japanese people ate so much rice, but it seemed to be the side dish for any meal. I spent more time outdoors that day just wondering around a bit and trying to get the cramps out of my stomach. The world was so unique there, I felt I was in a dream. The birds looked different, the blossoms were brighter and the people seemed more genuine and caring than in England. I was told not all Japanese people were like this, but the families in were all very caring for each other and close. Most of the families had lived together for generations and a number of them actually founded the town. Life just seemed different here. It moved slower, but seemed richer. As time grew late, most people headed inside. Mr. Tanaka asked me to head inside as well. He said that the family was taking a bath again. I didnt how to answer that statement. Kimiko said shell stay with me. Mr. Tanaka and his wife entered the small room leading to the bathroom.
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Thats where everyone would change clothes before their bath. Kimiko and I talked for 30 minutes or so, but I couldnt tell time too much anymore as I had left my fathers pocket watch in the luggage. Eventually, Mr. Tanaka and his wife came out wearing matching blue robes with white tree prints. They headed to their bedroom after saying goodnight in Japanese. Kimiko told me to go on and get my bath. I undressed in the room before the bathroom and stepped into the room. It was like the entire room was made for bathing. Tile completely covered the floor as to protect every corner. A small spout stuck out of the wall which confused me. Two wooden buckets lay by it. I turned to the bath tub and got in. The water was already poured for me and it was hot. I didnt understand how when the tub didnt even have a spout, but nonetheless, I enjoyed the relaxing soak. As I sat, thinking about the day, a door slid open and I heard Kimiko walked in. I was startled and tried to cover myself the best I could while sitting in that tub. I heard her behind me ask if I needed my back scrubbed. I said, That would help.

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She handed me a back brush which appeared in front of my face. I took it and began to scrub. I still felt uncomfortable, however, and tried to decide whether to scoot back in the tub to cover my posterior or scoot forward to cover my private parts. Kimiko left the tub area, so I began to feel secure before I had to move. She then sat down on a small wooden stool with her back turned to me. I glanced for a moment and saw that she was naked as a jay bird. She hummed while she poured the water down her head, soaped it up, and poured more. I didnt realize I was to bathe before I soaked. I continued to feel nervous about the situation. I wanted to leave the tub, but wasnt comfortable exposing myself. No one was this free physically in England or any other country that I knew of, not counting the savage countries of the south Pacific my father use to tell me stories about. He said that naked people had no morals or class. A man that took no pride in morality or decency had no reason to live. I wasnt one to be naked in front of others and by the time my mother passed away, my father simply told me to take a bath. He wouldnt even
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draw it for me, so Ive always been alone in the bathroom. Kimiko didnt seem savage or anything. She was very caring and seemed to love life. She continued to bathe with her back turned. I decided to get out before she finished, so I climbed out backwards, exposing my posterior and headed back to the changing room. I dried off and looked around. I had forgotten to unpack my pajamas. Just then, Kimiko opened the door. She dried off and stared at me as I stood there naked, still dripping on the floor. She couldnt understand why I wasnt dressed as she stood there, putting her robe on. Suddenly, she dashed out the door, returning in just a minute. She had brought me a sky blue colored robe to dress in. She helped wrap it around me and I felt better, not being so exposed anymore. I was appreciative of what Kimiko had done for me, but I felt strange, hardly knowing her, even if she was going to be my new sister after all. She said goodnight and I headed to the storage room where I lie down under a blanket again. The floor was a bit hard for my back, but I learned to sleep soundly. The family didnt have a mattress for me, but planned on getting one soon.

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That night, I dreamt of what might await a young British kid of 11 as he was about to live life in a completely different and opposite setting. I didnt know for sure what was in store for me, but I was ready to endure new adventures like my father.

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Chapter 6 Relaxation

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The next morning, after breakfast, Kimiko suggested that we see some of the countryside. With school not starting yet and curiosity still in my mind, I agreed. Her wooden sandals werent proper for walking on the hills and my leather shoes would have been weathered by the bright sun and ocean spray, so we left that morning wearing just our robes. The gravel roads we walked across hurt my feet, but Kimiko seemed to be used to it. I guess she did a lot of walking for fun. We passed lush green hills and more Cherry trees along our path. The beauty continued to amaze me and couldnt believe that these people did not stop and appreciate their surroundings every day. I hate to say it, but the natural surroundings alone put my mothers garden to shame. I felt tempted to pick some flowers, but I also hated to remove them from the scenery. We didnt really walk all that long. It might have been a quarter of a mile to a half, but it seemed like a journey. Our backyard in England was at least a quarter mile as well, but it was so flat and empty that I didnt seem to get lost in it as I did that day with Kimiko. After climbing some hills and passing through some brush, we reached the shoreline. Kimiko said that this particular part of the beach was empty because the fishermen couldnt find big
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enough fish here. She then asked if I wanted to go for a swim. I couldnt swim, but I could wade a bit, I told her. She laughed for a moment and then started to disrobe. She lay her robe upon the ground and headed toward the sea. She dipped a toe in and shook for a second due to the slightly chilly temp. I had never been naked outdoors before, but wanted a chance to swim in an ocean I had never swam in before. Kimiko looked like she was heading out, so I carefully placed my robe near hers and headed toward the water. She started splashing around like she was in a bathtub. I felt rather nervous, partly because I hardly knew her and she I was going to be living with her, and partly because I was naked. She signaled me to come in. The water sent chills up my body at first, but I quickly got use to it. We played until our bodies pruned, then set foot back upon the beach. We lied down on the sand and watched the clouds roll by for an hour or so. After that, we wrapped ourselves in our robes and walked toward the house. Kimiko seemed to be a real happy type and I was glad because after what I went through, it was hard not to focus on the past at some point during the day. She helped break up the gray clouds in my mind.

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When we got back to the house, Mrs. Tanaka had some treats waiting for us. They were fried and tasted sweet. I wasnt certain what they were at the time, but we now call them Japanese donuts. We munched on several and talked about life that day. I spent time trying to learn more about my new family and they tried to learn more about me. I tried discussing my interests and hobbies, but I found that it would be hard to get people to play football with me, especially when there was so much sand in the village. Straight, hard kicks can only be delivered on firm, level ground. Still, I knew I would learn some new hobbies and activities and maybe some Japanese sport would be a new favorite of mine. We continued talking throughout the night and after some time with the family, I felt more relaxed with them. I realized Mr. Tanaka was a caring man who reinforced rules WAY more than my father. His wife reminded me of the tales of my own mother which made me cry in a way, but comforted at the same time. My new sister, Kimiko, was fun to be with and made me feel comfortable to be here in Japan, even if I was a stranger to everyone outside my own family. That night, I dreamt of what might await me in the days ahead. Who knew a young British boy would wind up running around Japan in a robe, eating rice, and sipping Japanese tea?
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Chapter 7 Summer Time

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That summer was all about learning the Japanese way. By staying close to Mr. Tanaka and Kimiko who spoke both Japanese and English, I was able to start learning all the words I needed to converse with. Of course, I had no idea how to write, but Mr. Tanaka told me I could wait on that. During the summer, however, he did teach me some more things about the English language. Since I was no longer in England, it would be difficult to finish my English studies, but he was very well educated in the subject. I spent mornings with him and then Kimiko and I would take breaks and either garden or walk through the forest or beach. Sometimes, Id even practice a few Japanese characters I saw by drawing in the sand, but since I hadnt been taught their meanings yet, it meant nothing to me. Still, I was proud to be doing something. Kimiko said she would teach me some characters, but she didnt want to interfere with her fathers teaching plan. Mr. Tanaka was very strict when someone would question his teaching methods and he showed his anger toward one person that summer
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who wanted to talk to him about the classroom 2 months before school would start up. I understood Kimiko and I learned patience that day for sure. Whenever I wasnt learning Japanese or playing, I helped teach Kimiko more about England and the worlds I knew of. She found our eating style interesting, but thought the clothing styles were over the top. Never before had a Japanese woman outside of a Geisha had to wear some many layers of clothing. Kimiko said that basically, the Japanese didnt even have underwear originally, so if they were unclothed, they were naked. There was no state of being half-naked. I found that a bit disturbing, but she didnt seem to mind nudity that much. She was often undressed at the beach and would go naked in the rain if she wanted to cool off. Mr. Tanaka was furious about his daughters exposure as he did believe in some of the Japanese westernism and thought she should have more modesty. I had plenty of western outfits from England, of course, but I knew it would be a matter of time before they no longer fit Kimiko said. In our village, it was much easier to wear simple robes and such than western style wear because
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fishermen needed something easy to wear and divers needed something easy to remove. I enjoyed the comfort of the wear and learned to appreciate all the small things in Japanese life such as the food, the weather, and the times you spend with family.

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Chapter 8 One Last Adventure

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A few days before Mr. Tanaka decided to gather up the villages children for school, Kimiko and I decided to camp out near the beach before we needed to start getting serious about our education. We gathered together some sheets and pitched them up like a tent in a green area near the beach under some trees. Afterwards, we tossed some pillows down to make the camp site complete. We still had plenty of daylight left, so we walked along the entire shoreline, where Kimiko introduced me to several fishermen and other villagers. We both grew sweaty walking around town for so long, so near the beach, we threw off our robes and plunged in. We played for two hours or so, then told stories around our campsite. Kimiko told some ancient Japanese folktales which were fascinating. They helped tell the history of Japan and explained some of the strange beliefs. I laughed at most of them, but I think she was a bit offended. She laughed at some, but I laughed at almost everyone.

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She turned her back to me and I went off into the woods for a stroll. The wind felt good as it blew the remaining drops of water off my body. I tried to keep away from Kimiko, but she eventually came after me. She startled me pretty badly so I felt embarrassed after laughing at such stories of gods and such. I acted like I wasnt afraid of anything, but my sister snuck right up and spooked me. We dressed back at camp and watched the stars over the sky that night. The stars were easy to see from our spot and were actually easier to see in Japan than in England. I was glad to have a relative I could spend time with and Kimiko became my constant companion. I thank her for teaching me most of what I really know about Japan.

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Chapter 9 Education

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It was time for Mr. Tanaka to start teaching again. There werent very many children in the village, and they were all about the same age, so much like the schools I had heard about it America, he taught in one single room. It was there I finally had the chance to meet other children my age. I had learned enough Japanese to communicate with them thanks to Mr. Tanaka and Kimiko, but I still had a way to go in Japanese education. I only knew a bit of Japanese writing, but Mr. Tanaka told me that hardly any Japanese students knew enough Japanese writing even their age. The Japanese alphabet has thousands of characters so no one person could ever master writing them all. Not only that, but after a young student learned all the characters, you would be forced to learn a more adult style and a non-cursive style similar to our English cursive letters. I was behind in my studies, but no student was too far ahead of me. Of course, with Mr. Tanaka being a teacher and being my foster father, I had all day to learn the material I needed and I certainly took the time to learn. I was already enough of an outcast with my British accent and poor writing skills. My skin did turn a nice golden brown during the summer and I had to squint a lot during the bright sunny days, but my brown hair certainly didnt make me look any more Japanese. Still, not everyone made fun
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of me. Some were just interested in my background. Two of those students were Ryo and Goji. Ryo was a class clown, but a good student at the same time. Goji was pleasant to be around and loved food. His parents wanted him to become a Sumo one day, but he didnt like fighting of any kind and wanted to get an education. I think he wants to be a teacher someday. The school schedule gave us days off every few weeks so its like we had Spring Break once a month or so. Kimiko, Ryo, and Goji and I would spend the time being lazy and swimming until the weather grew cold. I kept working on my handwriting even during the days off in order to catch up to the other students. Sometimes, Id even bring some paper and a pen and practice while the others swam. Technically, Goji wasnt able to swim, but I think he liked the cool breeze. Although he was the largest student in our school room, he was shy and had trouble talking to Kimiko even after knowing her 5 years. He didnt like removing his robe even to go swimming, so Ryo made fun of
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him for it. Kimiko was very nice about the whole matter, though. If I had known it was alright to get my robe wet, I dont think I would have swam naked, but on hot days, it was common for many to take strolls naked because nudity was just a common form in Japan. Kimiko felt pretty comfortable in her skin, but I worried about that because Ryo was such a pervert. When the weather cooled off, we stopped going to the beach and started building a fort in the forest out of fallen branches and such. We all felt like ninjas there and enjoyed our adventures. Ryo always tried to be the Warlord, but I always thought Goji would have made a better one. I didnt really care whether I was a ninja, Samurai, and peasant. I had fun just being with my friends. Mr. Tanaka seemed happy I was getting along with the neighbors. I had more freedom to visit the villagers and they eventually got use to my curiosity. I asked more questions about life there than anyone I knew because I felt like I had missed out on a decade of learning. Everyone around me seemed to know answers for why life seemed more pleasant or how to catch the biggest fish or what berries you could make
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paint out of. I really wanted to know more about my surroundings. As Spring came again, I turned 12, and our group of adventurers also aged and prepared for the summer. We were glad to get out of school for a month and counted down the days until Mr. Tanaka would let us be free.

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Chapter 9 New Goals

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We all had goals that summer. Kimiko would try to learn more about gardening, Ryo would try to get rich, and Goji would actually try to lose weight. I really doubted Goji could stop overeating, but I wished him the best of luck. My goal? I would learn to swim. I spent many days in the ocean trying to swim against the waves. I admit the ocean was not as good of a place to swim as a pool, but the village didnt have any kind of standing water outside of a bathtub which were not large enough to float in. I was naked outdoors 2/3 of the day just trying to keep afloat. Kimiko would watch sometimes and try to life me up, but I continued to sink. There were times when I would get knocked over by a wave, so I had to learn to hold my breath for a few seconds. Eventually, I actually become pretty skilled at diving. I was able to hold my breath for sixty seconds and that impressed Kimiko. I didnt really understand what diving could be used for, until Ryo invited the the two of us to another stretch of beach where he heard he could get rich. He said it was rumored that pearls lie below in the sea and he was going to get them. The only
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problem was that he couldnt stay under water very long and he was only an average swimmer. He asked me for help and said we could split the profits if I found a pearl. I thought I should get 75% profits since he was only going to find a buyer, but didnt feel like arguing with Ryo. Somehow, hed always make himself out smarter than you, even if he really wasnt. The first day at the beach, there were already divers. The fishermen were too busy to take time to search for what could just be a dream, but many of their wives were out diving in their natural skin, hoping for just one pearl to make them a nice profit. The area was supposed to be restricted to these divers for their were supposed to be professionals and they didnt want any drownings or anyone taking away their business. Maybe they dived nude to keep men away like the men in Greek Olympics or maybe they felt comfortable enough that no one would stare, but Ryo certainly got his share of memory snapshots. I told Ryo I wasnt comfortable wading through water with a group of nude women. He laughed and couldnt believe I wouldnt take this opportunity. I wasnt one to stare at women and
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didnt feel comfortable invading their territory. Ryo got a little frustrated, but since he wasnt a good diver, there wasnt much he could do. Kimiko told him she would dive with the other women if he only accepted 40% of the profits. He agreed, but she said he had to leave. We agreed, and took home some shells and her robe in order so she wouldnt have to watch it. We didnt see Kimiko for hours and Ryo and I began to worry. He decided it wasnt worth it to have Kimiko gone for so long just to get rich. We waited until Ryo had to go home in the evening. Dinner passed and we all grew worried. Kimiko had never stayed away from home like this before. I didnt know if she was just obsessed with trying to prove herself to Ryo, trying to get rich, or might have been hurt, but I couldnt stand not knowing what had happened. Suddenly, as the sun began to go down, I saw what looked like Kimiko coming toward me. Her skin was a bit red, her feet dirty, but she walked with a smile. There she was, holding a pearl in her hand. She told me she checked every clam she could that day until she found one. Mr. Tanaka opened the door to see his daughter, tired, naked, and dirty. She held the
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pearl with a smile, but Mr. Tanaka looked furious. He snatched the pearl from her and told her to take a bath. He told her he didnt want her to leave the family like this for anything. I never knew Mr. Tanaka could be so harsh. Its like he lost another daughter or son before. He took the pearl and put it in a drawer, never to be opened. Kimiko came out of the bath still naked. I had her robe in her room. Dinner was waiting for her, and being hungry as she was, she knelt to eat it before choosing to dress. When she got finished, Mr. Tanaka told her she was grounded. He took her possessions which were meager and told her to stay in her room for a week. I got angry with Mr. Tanaka for dealing with Kimiko so harshly, but Kimiko told me just to stop. She dragged me in her room and explained that he was desperately worried about his daughter because indeed, he already lost a son. She explained that he took his 15 year old son on a journey with him to see the fine horses of Japan that once belonged to Samurai. His son tried to ride a horse once and he got thrown off of it which broke his neck and killed him. Mr. Tanaka felt he had betrayed his own son by letting him act wreckless. He was worried that
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if his daughter wasnt nearby, he might lose her. He doesnt like me to be gone for more than 2 hours and doesnt really like it when I go diving. I know I must have worried him, but I thought I could make him proud. I understood why he was so harsh, but I still didnt approve how he handled things. Still, I was willing to keep my mouth shut. The next day, I saw Ryo. I tried to explain the situation, but he didnt believe Kimiko found a pearl since Mr. Tanaka had the proof and he put it away. He just laughed and said he would find another, easier way to get rich. He didnt hang around much after that, and I didnt feel like leaving my sister alone in her room after being stripped of her personals and even her robe. Goji never did show up that summer. We all thought he went to a sumo training camp, but we were shocked when we all got back to school. He explained he had gone to a dojo for a few weeks. He exercised there and had the Master hide food from him while he learned to focus on life without munchies. He had lost half the fat he had on him and we were proud. He said he originally did it to avoid
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having to become a Sumo. He also said his parents were upset over not having a future sumo champion in the future, but did appreciate their son being leaner and stronger. Now, they want him to finish losing the weight and try to become a martial arts instructor. Poor Goji. It seems life will never treat him fair.

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Chapter 10 Life

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The four of us continued to be friends for the year. I was able to finally catch up to the other students in handwriting and made a few calligraphy pieces for the storage room which became my room. Mr. Tanaka had saved up for a mattress and several robes as I had outgrown my English style clothes. I had a few items from England sitting out such as some English novels, my fathers pocketwatch, and some photographs. They reminded me of home and what I had to give up, but I wasnt too sad. I knew that I could only make a new life from now on and Id never be happy living in the past. Overall, Mr. Tanaka was very nice and after just a year, I was able to carry out conversations with his wife. I learned her first name was Kasumi. She was very humble and sometimes afraid of Mr. Tanaka. I never thought a woman should ever have to be afraid of a woman, but in Japan, women were always very respectful of men no matter how they were treated. I hoped to change things as I grew older. Time passed and I started to feel more Japanese than English. I became skilled with chopsticks, slept on the floor, learned to paint, and wore
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wonderful robes or kimonos as I tried to start calling them. It wasnt just physical appearances that made one Japanese. It was focus, determination, and learning to appreciate the smallest things. This year I learned to appreciate growing up. I turned 13 as did my friends. We had a big celebration at my house with Japanese cake and had an outdoor party at the beach. I received a gentlemens formal kimono and some very formal chopsticks. I was pleased to be treated more like a man. Kimiko took me to a party with her where I had an attempt to prove I was a gentlemen. It was there I learned about the geishas. Normally, geishas did not come to our village, but once a year, Nanako, the village leaders daughter, loved to throw a party for her friends which were numbered few. Her parents were there, some gentleman I didnt know was there, and Kimiko and I. I dont think I would have even been invited if I wasnt Kimikos brother, but maybe they just wanted to finally sit down with a British chap.
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Nanako went on about her family history and how they started the village as if they did it by themselves. She seemed very arrogant at times which disturbed me. As beautiful as the geisha was, she tried not to overshadow Nanako. It was hard to believe that a woman dressed in a exquisite scarlet kimono with a bright face and silky hair was a slave to her. Indeed, the geisha was entertaining, but it seemed to me that she was under a lot of stress and that she did not enjoy herself at the party. Kimiko told me that it was a dream to become a servant of that level to many Japanese women, but I told them no matter how beautiful the servant, it doesnt mean her life is more beautiful. I felt sorry for these women and the fact they had to simply watch others enjoy better lives in front of them. Nanako was rude to the geisha whenever she would spill any tea or miss a chord on an instrument. I could tell she was new, but she performed quite well in my opinion. I finally got up and told Nanako what a rude, uncaring, ungiving person she was. I didnt know how she
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could talk about herself when she did nothing for others. She was absolutely shocked and asked us to leave. I planned on leaving anyway, but I think Kimiko didnt want to leave in such a manner. Still, she followed me out of the house. She didnt seem to want me to approach Nanako that way, but I didnt think Kimiko needed to hang around such a person. Perhaps she thought she might land a great job someday with the family if she hung around Nanako long enough, but I would rather dig in my own dirt than live in Nanakos best room. I think I finally proved my manhood that day and began to realize it. I didnt care for the way the geishas feelings were hurt and decided to learn to protect others and myself if I was going to stand up for people. I spoke to Mr. Tanaka and he paid a local dojo owner to teach me some basic martial arts. I learned some judo chops and throws almost immediately. My muscles tightened and I noticed changes about me. Not just in my mass, but I could tell puberty was setting in.

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I started to blossom and was given my first razor blade. I was proud to have the blonde hairs growing on my chin, but they were so thin, they didnt look quite right on me yet. I cut myself several times shaving until I mastered its use. I used some kind of soap to keep my skin soft, so I would have less knicks and cuts. I became self-conscious of my body as I got older and stopped letting myself be so free. If I swam, I did it alone so I could be naked without onlookers. I knew that families including even grandparents sometimes would enjoy hot springs or large bathrooms together, but I didnt feel comfortable bathing with Kimoko anymore as we were both blossoming together. She might have been my sister, but we werent blood relation and I felt uncomfortable bathing with someone starting to develop distracting parts. Kimiko understood and we separated ourselves a bit. I spent more time in the dojo while she began to work more in the garden outside. She became better at healing the land while I became better at killing man. Well, in my mind I was.

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We still spent time at the house, but I decided I needed to be by myself, as a young man. I couldnt have my foster sister always there supporting me. The time I spent at the dojo my 13th year helped. I studied judo and a bit of Karate there. My master said I rose quickly through the ranks, but felt I pushed myself too hard for one who picks up on things so quickly. I guess I just wanted to start mastering something foreign to me and I thought being able to defend myself would be great. I didnt realize how much work it would be, but I liked it anyway. I had gone through 3 or 4 belts that year. My master expected me to earn my black at age 15 or so. Many of the students at school were impressed when they learned I was doing so well. It was a time when a lot of students were starting to focus on their future. Most would remain in the village, supporting the fishing industry, but I knew some who wanted more in life than fish. Personally, I didnt have anywhere to go. Maybe I would remain here or maybe I would travel like my father. I didnt know for sure. Only the next few years could tell me where I would end up.
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Chapter 11 Growing Up

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For the next 2 years, life carried on like usual. Our family was quite popular among the town and people were always interested in my stories of England. Even with my Japanese language training, I carried out an accent that they had never heard before. Still, I could read and write like any other person by then as well as fight like a true martial artist. I had earned my black belt by my 15th birthday. Both my father and my master were very proud. My master told me I could earn 9 more degrees in my ranking as a black belt, but I wasnt too concerned about it. I felt I had earned enough respect and learned enough about fighting for one lifetime. I continued to practice once a week, however. I became accepted in the community like anyone else, but I had a feeling a few had their eye on me. Maybe they didnt like the fact I came in their small town and was suddenly one of them. I decided not to enter the fishing industry. I didnt need anyone keeping their eye on me or hating the fact I might be taking away Japanese business. It seemed to me that these people should be more worried about its leaders and their plans.
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Japan needed much more than its own natural resources now and that became a problem. The country had just experienced the first World War and things were starting to change. Japan had helped our Europe and proved itself to be a modern country, but our town was anything but. I had heard plans to start changing the town. There was supposed to be a new paved road around the port outside leading into town. Many were used to the soft road which had lost most of its gravel during small floods. A man didnt need to wear shoes if he didnt desire, but somehow, I dont think the Japanese government wanted to see any more barefoot Japanese fishermen walking around any more. Many were upset that the government were making changes without speaking to the village leaders. The most upset was Nanako. She had planned on running the village at age 18, but by the time she was old enough to rule, her throne was going to be pulled out underneath her. She had a hard time trying to accept she would have less purpose in her village and if she remained, she didnt want to be used like a puppet. Therefore, she decided to try to educate herself more and learn some kind of task.
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Nanako became friendly with me and spoke to me about the incident. She began to realize how easily control could slip away and began to realize how truly held the power in Japan. She knew that the fishermen were truly supporting the village and aimed to keep the industry going, even in a small town that hardly drew in the amount of fish the larger coastal cities did. That year, Nanako had changed. She lost her selfishness and became stronger for it. 3 years ago, I cant say I would ever befriend a person like her, but somehow, we became connected. I began to spend more time with her than with my sister. My sister looked out for me behind my back still, and began to judge Nanako. She didnt trust her so quickly, but I made certain Kimiko wouldnt stick her nose in our affairs. She stopped talking to me for a while. I was surprised as Kimiko and Nanako were friends, but I think Kimiko began to reject Nanakos life after a while. Suddenly, I was better friends with her than Kimiko was. I didnt know how to connect the two. A year went by as they never spoke and Kimiko hardly spoke to me. Then, during the summer of my 16th
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year, as I really began to mature, the two decided to get a summer job. Little did each other know, they chose the same job. The fish began to fade as the town grew into a more civilized society, but there were still rumors of wealth in the small bay. Both my sister and Nanako decided to spend the summer gathering pearls in order to have some backup funds in case the town was taken over or if we needed to move. Kimiko was surprised to see Nanako at the beach, walking in the nude, without one of her fancy kimonos on. They started to talk and knew they both had a plan for the city in common. They spent hours outside diving for pearls and talking. As their bodies matured more, I definitely had to keep away from them. I wondered how friendly they got to be. Nanako took a day off and was excited because her friendship with Kimiko was back. They both were on the same page and I think I enjoyed it more than they did.

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Chapter 12 A Working Man

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We finished up our education over the next two years, and began to decide what to do with our lives. Japan was still being modernized which took away some of old Japan, yet gave new opportunities. For now, I enjoyed being in the village, and decided to stay settled. Kimiko decided to keep her job at the beach, where she would dive and enjoy being free. Her father didnt care for such a job, where his daughter could drown and would be naked in front of others, but he couldnt control his daughter any longer and he began to realize she had to make her own decisions in life. Nanako stopped the diving and sought what she saw as a real job. She wanted to spread some of Japans influence around, so she helped manage the port. She knew her job as a village leader was numbered and even if the government brought in a new leader, he would be a puppet. The leaders of Japan could have turned the port into a military base, a mining facility, or a storehouse for weapons, but kept it the way it was for a while. I suppose they had more important places to tend to.
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I sought out a job selling Japanese goods at the port. The old man who used to work there passed away and with no children bestowed to him, his wife decided to let me run the business. I enjoyed managing the little store and talking to both native Japanese and outsiders. I did pretty well for myself, selling items mainly to foreigners for more than they were worth. They expected me to be honest as I was a foreigner myself, which helped make a sell. After saving up some money for a couple of years, I decided it was time to ask Nanako the big question. We had been together off and on, and I wanted to make certain it was permanent. I asked her to marry me at my parents house. She immediately answered Yes., but her parents seems disturbed. They wanted her to marry someone higher up in Japan and they wanted her to marry a Japanese man so their land would be inherited to a native. My parents welcomed Nanako and were very accepting of her, but Nanakos parents didnt even come to the marriage ceremony. She felt abandoned by them, so we stayed at our parents place for a few weeks.

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The wife of the man who passed away told us, if we would help take care of her during her last few years, we would inherit her house as the couple never bore children. We agreed to the deal, so I continued working at the shop while Nanako tended to her. She had never tended to someone before like this, but I believe it made a jewel even brighter to my eye.

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Chapter 13 The Passing

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I had worked at the store for 5 years when Nanako came to see me, rushing toward me as if she wouldnt see me again in years. She said that , the lady that housed us was dying. I asked her why she left her and Nanako told me that it was her will that we both be by her side. I closed up shop early that day, still making enough of a profit, and went straight home. was extremely week, but held on to officially proclaim that her house was now officially ours. She didnt want us to have it simply from her passing away. She wanted to give it to us while she was alive. We were both pleased at the bittersweet moment. It was within minutes that she passed away. We called the coroner in town and after examination, her body was taken away. Nanako was a bit relieved now that we owned a house, and the fact that she could really get into a career, but she said she would miss all the meals together with . I would as well for she felt like a grandmother to me which I didnt have as both mine died from disease when I was around two years of age.
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We were left with many pieces of furniture and other valuables by the family, so making it a comfortable house was fairly easy. We sold a few pieces and donated any clothing, but were mostly pleased to be surrounded by the items that she cared for. Each day was pretty pleasant. We led a simple life running the store and watching the village change every year. The village wanted a simple life too, but the government wouldnt allow it. In 1932, Japans largest cities were as modern as any 1st world country. Japan was working on exports, but was still dependent on imports at the same time. The imports I sold certainly werent necessities, but pleasing to travelers. Kimiko continued to dive. She took time to head to different areas of our village where she had heard pearls were found. You couldnt find one everyday, but a pearl provided enough money to last for a while, so it didnt matter. We didnt know how much our quaint town would change, but we were all going to enjoy it until its change.
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Chapter 14 Port Life

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A few years passed by. Life was pretty plain for us. Nanako and I truly made the house ours and after some success, Kimiko finally made Mr. Tanaka proud of her. We all gathered together one evening to discuss times and such. Mr. Tanaka was beginning to realize that age was catching up with him. It was 1935. Of course, Kasumi was aging as well. They felt it was a good time to discuss all of our plans in life. I had been happy at the port, as a merchant, but I did want to provide more for the family. If I worked at a company of sorts, I could move up in it and have better financial backing. Unfortunately, except for the fishing company, there was no real company. Nanako was of course, part of it, as well as head of the village. All projects, etc. went through her unless the head government wanted something done. Lately, Nanako had been fed up with the way things were run. The government wanted to use the land in pretty badly and they were beginning to force their way in even if the people living here didnt approve.

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All of the family was sad to see the free life they had been living taken away by big business and westernization. Most of the old houses were being torn down and I believe the government wanted to do away with Nanakos family as they still represented old royalty in the country. There was to be only one leader, and that was the Emperor. We knew it would only be time before all of our positions would be taken away, so we chose to lead a new life by ourselves. Mr. Tanaka had saved up enough funds that he could retire from teaching. The Japanese government wanted new western ideas taught and Mr. Tanaka didnt completely agree with changing the Japanese education system even though he did admire the characteristics of the various countries around the world. I had hoped that Nanako and I could try to start another life for ourselves soon and while I hated the control the government was using, I was certainly used to western ideas and idealisms, so I wasnt bothered as much as some members of the village. I also had hoped that Nanako would someday give up her role in the village, just for my own desires and to my surprise, she did. She discussed signing over her rights to the fishing company to my sister, Kimiko, for a small fee and she would give up her role as head of the village in return for
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small financial benefits to be given to her by the Japanese government for life. We spent a month carrying out the ideas and tasks. I continued to work, but looked for a replacement merchant without telling Mr. Tanaka. Nanako backed down from her work and introduced Kimiko as the new head of the fishing company. Kimiko kept the fishermen happy and continued to make certain the women of the village dived for the pearls once a week at least. She was excellent at it and she still dived once a month. The men were overwhelmed to have a female over them who felt free enough to be nude at the beach and still feel powerful. As the month went by, I finally found someone to take over the store. I only sold the store to make enough money to pay for travel expenses, because I knew not many men in the village had enough to purchase a building. Nanako completely retired at the end of the month as did I. One evening, we both went to Mr. Tanakas house and discussed our plans. I didnt know what he would think of our abandoning the village, but we both knew we needed change in our life.
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My sister was there and backed us up. Although Mr. Tanaka would have been happy to let us have the house, I felt it would be best to keep it in a Japanese family and I felt Kimiko earned the right to own it. Therefore, her father allowed her to run the household once he passed away. Kasumi seemed pleased to see her daughter taking a leading role in the family. She put up with her husband a lot, but I think she always wanted to see him keep quiet for once. It would probably be ten years or more before Mr. Tanaka would pass away, but she made plans right away. That evening, we also broke news to the family of our plans. We mentioned that we would sell the house in one more month. Kimiko already bought a house of her own and we needed the funds to purchase a new one, so we sought out buyers from outside the village. Mostly, the only people interested were developers or retirees. We saw several people, and after several complications, we found a businessmen preparing to retire. He gave us quite a sum of money up front which would more than pay for our new home.

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Nanako and I thought about the best place to move to, and if every town was to become more modernized and eventually more like Tokyo, we might as well move there. We spent one last week on town enjoying the beach, family, and the company of the fishermen who grew to like me over the 2 decades or so I spent there. When we were both satisfied by our time, Nanako and I left aboard a train outside the town and headed toward Tokyo.

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Chapter 15 The Big City

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I sat in my seat quietly the whole trip to Tokyo. Nanako read to herself and tried to keep busy, but I couldnt keep my mind off anything but home. Mr. Tanaka took me in as his own child and now I was leaving him before I had to. I felt like I betrayed him in someway, but I knew it was for the best. Kimiko needed to take a larger role in his life and Nanako and I needed to live where we werent under his control. I reminisced for hours upon the train about the life Ive lead so far. In my mind, I spoke English, but I havent spoken an English word out loud in years. My life as I knew it was in Japan where I led a simple life, enjoying the scenery and culture, and where I met the love of my life, a brash woman who realized the meaning of strength in life. I had left the Western world when I was but a kid, but now the whole world was changing that. I might still be in Japan, but Tokyo was not going to be the same as . After I relieved some stress and Nanako finished her book, we made it to Tokyo. After we departed the train station, we were surrounded by a group of people. My parents never threw huge parties and there were only small gatherings in Gaiku En, so I was not use to so many people.
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I started to sweat among the hustle and bustle of the crowd as Nanako and I walked through downtown. Lets look for a hotel room tonight., she said. I agreed, and after enjoying some city food, we checked in. We skimmed through a newspaper looking for houses we could afford. The next day, we spoke to a couple living in the city. The houses were crowded together and the property was a bit pricey, but we had made enough from selling ours. Granted, it wasnt much to look at and lacked the charm of traditional Japanese homes, but we were still happy. We had to stay in a hotel for a week, while waiting for the family to move out. We conserved the rest of our money and tried not to tempt ourselves with shopping downtown. That week, I looked for a simple job that didnt take too much skill, but paid well. I went to several places and most looked at me strangely, only seeing a British man speaking Japanese and trying to act like he knew what he was doing. I bet
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it was hard enough for a Japanese country boy to get a job in Tokyo. Finally, I ran across a factory job which involved wielding metal parts together for military equipment. It sounded interesting and it paid well and the Japanese government definitely needed as many employees as it could get in order to build up its empire. I went in that week for an interview. An older Japanese man looked at me strangely. He must have thought why would a foreigner be looking for common Japanese work, but in my mind, I was Japanese as the rest of them. He asked me about my background and I told him a small portion of my life. He was surprised by my story and found it most interesting. He took me into one section of the factory where he had me test my cutting skills. I had never actually cut metal before, but I watched a few employees do it. I was always a quick learner, so I took up the torch and attempted to cut straight through the metal. Granted, being my first time, I was off, but I must have done better than I thought, because the foremen who was interviewing me seemed impressed.

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I was hired almost immediately and took an early morning shift. Nanako didnt have a job yet, but she was very resourceful, so I figured it wouldnt be long before she was able to bring money to the household. I started out in training which lasted a couple of weeks. I quickly learned how to cut metal for airplane wings for the Japanese Air Force and made enough money to support the two of us. Nanako grew bored at home and shopped with the little extra money we had. Luckily, I should thank her for one of those shopping sprees, for she happened to see a help wanted sign at a department store downtown. She was able to replace a store manager at a fine retail shop. She knew so much about designer kimonos and was so eloquent that everyone in the shop was charmed by her. I worked hard as I could for 3 years straight. My fellow employees seemed to respect me and even my foremen invited me to a few dinners every month or so. I had ideas and such about speeding up the process and I looked into part buying. Normally, a man was told just to do his job, but I think they wanted some foreign help. It was the idea of
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Japan to compete against the west by becoming the west. It was like fighting fire with fire. As Japanese as I felt, I didnt mind going against my homeland too much, so I worked hard to show my loyalty to my home. Soon, I was being asked for advice as often as twice a week. I was surprised and found myself in a strange position caught between normal factory work and running a business. Soon, my foremen told me he was ready to retire. He was fairly elderly and I understood he would want to stop this manual labor job soon. One day, he called me into his office and spoke the following words which I have translated to English. Sam. I have been impressed with your will power and hard work since day one. Youve been anxious to share ideas with the company without expectation or the promise of a new position. Yes, sir., I answered. I just want to see that the company prospers., I replied.
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As do I. Thats why, I want you to take over for me. Me? Sir, I dont know what to say., I said to him. Just say that youll honor my wishes., he told me. Of course. Ill make certain we make the best airplanes in the world. That month, I was granted a foreman position. I had less physical labor and was able to spread my ideas with everyone. The day I started my new job, I took Nanako and a few factory friends out to a nice dining restaurant. We ate the finest fish and talked about times. My foreman was quite pleased with me and went on about my skills. I told him more about my background and of course, how I met Nanako. He was delighted to meet her and said his wife shopped at her store before.
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The night went well as we went on and on about our lives. I was pretty excited about moving up in life and couldnt wait to go to work again. Each day, I helped a culture become independent and although I didnt like the way the government controlled all the territories and such, I realized Japan was indeed growing, so I decided I might as well help. Japan was producing more airplanes than ever before and finally, the Japanese could visit other cultures and spread their culture around the world. I was quite proud of my work and had learned a lot of mechanical skills working there. Although being an engineer was more time-consuming than a merchant, I felt like I had accomplished more in my life. My fellow employees seemed to think so as well. I was quickly invited to meetings about the company and we were discussing the future of the Japanese airlines. We discussed American airplanes and our competition. I personally thought it was great that the world could reach out to each other more
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often and faster. If my father had been alive, he would have taken airplanes instead and could have even been home faster from his travels. Perhaps I could have journied with him if he hadnt died. Well, you cant move forward if you backtrack, so I continued to work long hours without trying to change things. Perhaps it was a mistake not to think about my work schedule or the nights I spent away from Nanako. She was upset that we didnt have time to have children together and she seemed to think I had married my work. I liked being useful and felt powerful linking the world together, but she was right. I spoke to management a few years of earning my newest job title, and they told me that this was the worst time to ask. They needed to start making modifications to the planes our company was building. These modifications including adding machine guns, and bomb bays. I understood the Japanese military wasnt completely modernized yet, but I didnt get into this business to manufacture military planes. I wanted to continue to build planes for transporation. I hoped that maybe one
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day I would visit England again in one of the planes I helped build. I didnt like where the business was headed, but at the time, a lot of people were getting military jobs. It was like a job boom. I didnt want to give up my position, so I talked to Nanako and told her to give me just 3 more years or so. She relunctantly agreed and I told my bosses that I would help make the parts. I continued to work while guiding employees on how to construct some of the new models and such. The men seemed to enjoy building these new planes more than regular transportation planes and that worried me. One day, I was at a meeting when my fellow employees were complaining about supplies and such. They said that because of the war going on in Europe, metal, oil, and other supplies were becoming a rarity to them. Japan was still not a major recognized country to the world and many citizens seem to be upset over such. At a time of boom in everyones lives, many countries had economic problems. England and
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other European countries had been invaded by Germany due to their lust for power. I felt sick when I first heard the news. I couldnt believe England was about ready to submit to such lust. Japan didnt seem to think too much of it which surprised me. In World War I, some of the men from the village left to help the major powers of the United States when they were in trouble. Now, only the U.S. stood between Germany and world conquest. It seemed the U.S. was indeed winning, but Japan seemed upset about it. Sometimes I would hear employees complain about the lack of oil that we needed for our factories and how much the U.S. would keep taking. They demanded more things from other nations during the time of their nation building. I wanted Japan, the land that raised me to be strong, but I didnt want them taking power from other countries. Nanako and I both grew scared of the government ideas. In 1942, war raged harder than ever, and the men at the factory grew angrier. My bosses forced me to work more hours to produce more military planes. I hadnt build a normal
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airplane in ages and I felt the joy of my job being drained away from me with each war plane I built. Eventually, you could hear about the military action all of the time. I didnt like where things were headed and Nanako agreed. Women no longer shopped at her store due to both saving money back, and because of her democratic ideals. Perhaps some agreed with her, but they were too afraid to speak out about it. It was nearing the end of 1942. The military was taking over a number of businesses including ours. They wanted direct management over the manufacturing process and although I was able to keep my position, my opinion was valued little. One day, Nanako and I discussed leaving Japan. Hardly any Japanese ever left their society and I hadnt traveled in ages, but we realized it was not a place for our ideas or morals. I knew it would be too difficult to resign from my position in a time of such turmoil, so Nanako and I planned to leave without any indication.
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Winter, we found a boat leaving for America. There were hardly any boats still traveling between Japan and other countries and since England was in such danger, I knew we had to make a new home that neither one of us truly had experience in. Nanako knew some English, but not as much as my sister as my sister learned it to teach me Japanese and since I already spoke it well when I met Nanako, there was hardly any reason to speak it with her. Within a week, we arrived upon Californias coastline. We didnt have proper papers, but we explained our situation and America understood. They seemed to be fearful of my wife, who was true Japanese, but were glad to see an allys face. I didnt exactly feel British any longer, but I didnt feel as Japanese as I once did either. We found a place in San Francisco to live where we tried to enjoy ourselves for several months. When the government found out I helped produce military planes, they were miffed, but decided to use me to their advantage. I made a deal with them and would work 5 years, helping them develop better planes as well as divulge Japanese secrets I had learned.

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In 1943, Japan showed its true nature, by attacking Pearl Harbor. I was shocked to see a peaceful society I had been living in turn to utter chaos. In order to keep their society modernized, they struck back against the U.S. who could not release any oil to Japan. I felt like the U.S. needed the oil and hoped Japan would understand that a country fighting for the world would need it the most, but they never backed down. My employees back in Japan just sneered when I tried to back the U.S. I was quickly becoming an outcast there. It was strange that it took 40 years or so for them to realize I wasnt one of them. Nanako was extremely fearful and one day received a telegram confirming her right to be afraid. The telegram read: We regret to inform you that all of your relatives had been slaughtered by the Japanese military due to their lack of actions in convincing more citizens to join the military. She was depressed for a month, knowing that she had no family to go back home to. I worried about mine back home. It was extremely difficult to send and receive messages in wartime and I
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didnt hear from them until 2 years after the war finally ended. They didn t know our address, but Mr. Tanaka, his wife Kasumi, and Kimiko knew we had fled to America thanks to a secret informant. Not being of critical importance to the government, my family back home was alive. They sent a message with our names on it which was finally delivered to our home. I was pleased beyond belief to hear from them. Nanako was also grateful to hear from her in-laws. We were still afraid to head back home and had started a life in America that we had enjoyed. We had 2 children in 1947, a boy and a girl. Nanako cared for them both while I finished my airplane duty for the U.S. government. I eventually got sick of manufacturing weapons so as soon as my 5 year contract was up, I never signed back on. I worked as an electronics merchant selling radios and other things so I could keep up with the news around the world. I was good at my job and I made quite a bit extra percentages. Sometimes Nanako would bring the children down to the shop where they
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would entertain customers while they waited for my attention. I liked selling pieces of the world, especially televisions. In 1955, when the children turned seven, I sold the store after being hired by a television manufacturing company. I was good an engineering and I had some know-how of televisions, so I was a perfect fit with the company. Now, I would be making tools of communication instead of weapons like I had always wanted. I was finally successful in what I wanted to do and I got to see images of the world without ever leaving my chair. I think my father would be proud. I hoped the world would focus on things like talking and discussions and to my disbelief, in the late 50s Japan was actually turning away from war and began a great companionship with the U.S., manufacturing cars and even television sets. It was like a dream to see Japan at peace again and although independent, they started to mimic America in many ways. Citizens had more rights, Japan respected certain aspects of its own culture and it wanted to spread branches of peace. I know many Americans were still frustrated with them, but human beings arent always that different. Some are just mislead or misunderstood.
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In 1961, my wife and I decided to visit home again. We found it hard to find, having its name changed, but we found the family still there, except Mr. Tanaka. He had passed away two years before we came. Kimiko still had some trouble contacting me. She said he longed to see me again and called me his son on his deathbed. She said I would have be proud. I reminded him of his son who was brash and a quick learned and would have stood his ground and left home if he had to. He knew his son lived through me and I felt honored to be such a strong link to my foster father. Kasumi cooked us more fancy meals while we were there, but Kimiko tried to help as much as possible with her getting up in her years. I, fifty years of age, was no spring chicken, and Nanako as well, wasnt either, but she would never know that for I would never tell it to her face. We spent two weeks there using up my companys vacation time. It was nice to see the place where I learned family can be more than just people with the same blood type, where patience can be a virtue, and where feelings can be the strongest force in ones self.
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Nanako took longer to learn that, but I fell in love with her just the same. Our lives were still in America, where we would raise our children in a free country and where they could grow up to make any decision they wanted. Indeed, I love the freedom democracy had spread during the war and my eyes tear up on the 4th. I still drink tea and eat biscuits regularly and carry an old fashioned pocket watch with an image of Big Ben inside, but deep inside.My heartlies in Japan.

THE END

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About the Author Philip James Hanan is a 24 year old author originally from Bartlesville, OK, now living in Lexington, KY. My Heart Lies in Japan is his debut fiction novel. He has been fascinated by Japanese culture and anime for years and decided to make his debut by writing about Japanese life. He has a mother, grandmother, brother, and cousin nearby in Lexington as well as an aunt and cousin in Ft. Wayne, IN.

Previous Publications: Living in Shadows, A poem listed in Immortal Verses Poetry.com. Also available on Compact Disk, Sounds of Poetry Poetry.com

Awards: Directors Award for Drive Me Crazy Song Lyrics Contest for Paramount Group. Editors Award for Living in Shadows
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