I remember my first time in Japan, as I made my way out of immigration and into the airport after deplaning, I was greeted by our hosts who promptly asked us what we thought of Japan. My response: 'Nice airport, and you're not wearing swords so I think I'm safe.' I have found the Japanese to be infinitely sensitive to how others perceive them, if not just a wee bit overanxious at times. I have gradually come to value this sensitivity and to try to repay my kind Japanese hosts by reciprocating their infinite kindness to visiting Japanese here in the U.S.

One memorable experience in Japan was when I was an exchange student at Konan University in Kobe, Japan back in 1981. I happened to be walking lost through the streets of Kobe with a fellow American student who happened to be of Japanese ancestry, but spoke no Japanese. We stopped to ask an older man directions and as he looked at me dumbfounded that a foreigner had just spoken to him in Japanese, he turned to my fellow student and said 'Gaijin san wa nihongo ii nee!!' She turned to me and whispered, 'What did he say?' I said, 'He told you my Japanese is pretty good.'

'What should I say to him?' she asked.

'Say, 'ee, joozu nee!'' I said.

After the old man heard this from a mistakenly Japanese face, he proceeded to explain where to go. We thanked him and went on our way with another amusing story to tell our friends.

1998/3/6