In the last two posts I had started to write a little bit more about Japan and my five years there. I have so much I could write but had been reluctant to start because of the feeling of natsukashii. Loosely translated, it means the feeling of nostalgia. It suggests both a happiness and fondness for a memory but also a sadness that it is no longer.
The feeling of natsukashii has overwhelmed me almost every time I think about writing about Japan, so for the most part I just haven’t written about it.
Well it has now been a week since the horrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan and I have just been sick watching all the destruction on TV, yet I cannot turn it off. I have been very saddened seeing other disasters but this one has impacted me more than the rest because Japan is like a second home to me.
Strangely enough, being exposed to the hundreds of images of the devastation has sort of helped me deal with the natsukashii. I now feel like it would be wrong not to tell the funny/annoying/bizarre/endearing stories I have of living in Tokyo. It will be my modest tribute to the place that became such a part of me. So when an appropriate time has passed, when people are ready to see a side to Japan that doesn’t involve tremors, tsunamis, and radiation, I will finally be ready to share.
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