Journey To Japan

During the suitoro festival, residents light lanterns all over Matsue.

There were many moments like this for me in Japan, quiet little moments where I could clearly focus on the present, my own life and ultimately my place in it. Earlier that night during the toast portion of the reception, “Ochiai”, a government official and TOMODACHI from Matsue who had visited New Orleans in 2013, said “we want to see your tears”. I knew he was being funny, but the intent of his words hit me like a rogue wave and in that moment, I knew that all our hosts felt the same. How he explained it, visiting New Orleans was something that he’d never forget and that when his group left the city, they were all crying, overwhelmed by the experience. In an expression of “kind revenge”, Ochiai wanted to make sure that our group left Matsue feeling the same. Before arriving in Japan, we were given a dense daily itinerary that was delicately calibrated to allow us sample the various facets of Matsue in a short time. Each day, Ochiai went on, would not only be different from the preceding day, but would also build emotionally as the days went on. “Impossible”, I sipped in defiance to his challenge. “How could the trip get any better than it is now?”