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Namamugi, My Old Neighborhood

Memorial to the Namamugi Incident, as it used to look, with the huge Kirin Beer factory in the background (Photo by Grassman)

June 10 - Recently I visited Namamugi, in Yokohama's Tsurumi Ward. I thought I would enjoy revisiting the place where I spent my first year in Japan as a high school exchange student. Leaving the familiar train station called Kokudo (National Road) Station on the Tsurumi Line, I began my walk toward my old home. Soon, however, I became confused. Was I supposed to turn left on this narrow street or go straight? Nothing looked familiar. All the wooden single-family homes had been torn down and replaced by high rise condominiums.

Finally I arrived at the corner where I once lived. Or at least I thought so. My old home with its rice store on the first floor had disappeared. In its place stood a modern ferroconcrete structure. The milk shop across the street had been replaced by an apartment building. The small shop next door where a nice old lady sold cigarettes and candy had also disappeared. Was this really the place where I lived for over a year?

In desperate search of something familiar, I continued my walk to the historical marker for the Namamugi Incident of 1862. I was confident I could still find that site, as it lay beside the highway. Along the way, I noticed that my old post office was no longer there. The bicycle shop and the camera store had disappeared too.

Here's the good old Asahiyu bathhouse, same as ever.

When I arrived at the site of the Namamugi incident, I discovered workers and trucks busily constructing a bridge over the highway. Where the marker once stood, a small sign said "Due to road construction this historic marker has been moved to a new temporary location." How discouraging! Was nothing the same?

Suddenly I saw a familiar sight. An old man walking toward me was holding a small plastic wash basin. A small towel hung around his shoulders. I walked in the direction from which he came and spied a familiar sight. A small trail of smoke was emerging from the tall chimney of the Asahiyu bathhouse. A few minutes later, as I was soaking in the hot bath, I thought how nice it is to finally rediscover a familiar sight in the town where I once lived.

Until next time,

Jim

COMMENTS

Your recent essay (Namamugi) is great. Things change so fast in Japan too except for the politics.

How did you learn the Japanese language? As a high school exchange student, I presume you had some fluency then, but it seems like a young age to have such fluency in a comparatively difficult language. I try to learn in the US, in fits and starts with tapes, etc., but don't seem to make much progress. I think a part of it is natural talent. I think it also helps to live in the country in which the language one is trying to learn is natively spoken.

When I first came to Japan, I spoke not a word of Japanese. I was fortunate to have some great teachers at my Japanese high school, and my Japanese host family was incredibly patient in explaining the language and culture. It helped that I started studying Japanese at a young age. Best of luck to you in your language study.

Jim, How nice that you went back to where you spent your high school days. To recollect your memories is one fovorite thing that a grown ups do. I, myself was an exchange student in Pennsylvania and Maine. I used to go back there often untill the 911 incident. Now it is even harder because of the earthquake. Please take care of you and continue the good work you are doing for both the US and Japan.

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