There's Only So Much You Can See From A Hotel Room

The Jinkawas - my wonderful host family

Friday was one of the most wonderful, beautiful, memorable, a whole bunch of adjectives, day of my life. I know that phrase gets thrown around quite a bit; I genuinely mean every word of it.

I only found out a few days before we flew out that we were going to be staying with a Japanese family one night, and this seriously scared me. It was also made even worse when I couldn’t get to meet my host family on Wednesday, when everyone else did.

However, I did get to meet my family on the day. Sarah, Ruby’s host mother, picked me up in the morning and she drove me to my host family’s home. As soon set foot outside of the car, my mother for the day, Jina ran up and hugged me. She spoke very quickly, and seemed extremely excited, and this instantly put me at ease.

We then got back in Sarah’s car, including Gina, and headed towards an ancient Samurai village, where we got to try on Samurai suits. On the way, we stopped at a 7/11 store, which are absolutely everywhere in Japan. When we got inside, she said to me “I will buy your lunch, because today I am your mother’.

I should really tell you, that when I was a child, my Grandparents used to take me to the ‘Royal Armories’ museum at home in Leeds. Weapons and armoured suits spread across 5 gigantic floors, yet I never got to get close to touching a piece of armour, let alone wearing it.

               

However, it was around 33 degrees, so it got rather stuffy under a full suit of armour. So much, that the back of my shirt was drenched in sweat (yes I know my suit clashes with my shirt, but I have a sword, so watch your words).

We then were taken into stall in the village, where we decorated candles. It was like being 7 again; we had to finger-paint with the glue!

Japan is seriously not built for tall people. Mind you, this was kind of for kids........

Later, I was back ‘home’, and gave her my gift. When you visit someone’s house, is it is often customary to give a small gift to my host, and so I gave her 2 boxes of Yorkshire tea. She then brought a map of Britain out, and I had to explain what Yorkshire was, which I think she kind of grasped.

I then went with her to her daughter’s school. I met Haruna, said daughter, and some of her friends too. After all the bows and hellos, we went inside, and I went to Parents Evening in Japan. I don’t even know. The teacher was rather confused by it too, but he did recognise Leeds though from the football team. Side note- they even do the shoes-off thing in schools. I was given a pair of slippers to wear, and there were like 5 sizes too small. Being tall has its disadvantages, you know. 

I then waited outside the school with Haruna and some of her friends, and waited for more of her friends.. Second side note- lots of fringes in Japan. Lots. They told me that they were taking me to the school's summer festival aaaaaand I didn't have a clue what to expect.

It was nuts. Absolutely nuts. They had cut off what was close to about a mile long stretch of street, and then decorated it with food stalls, games for children and they had a massive plinth, carried by about 40 men in what were essentially kimonos that cut off at the waist, with no trousers on

We ate lots of food and I was asked a lot about England. I tried a japanese pancake, which was 2 big pancakes filled with leaves, peppers and meat, and you get full after about 4 bites. I was asked about the new royal baby (congrats by the way, Wills & Kate), schooling, what's popular in Britain, basically asking anything so I could get an insight to British life. I kind of felt obliged, because they were doing the same for me with Japanese life.

My wonderful tour guides for the evening

I feel like a massive dick for forgetting names, the group of friends I was in that night were genuinely lovely. Even friends of friends, who were all weirdly dressed in kimonos were very friendly. I feel stupid for being scared at first, because everyone is warm, friendly, and just generally lovely. In Enter Shikari's song Juggernauts (great literary reference, I know), the last line of the song is 'the idea of community will be something displayed in museum'. I cannot stress how much that night proved it wrong.

Jina then drove us home, and I met my host father, Masaki, for the first time, as well as my brother. We shared tiramasu (traditional Japanese dish, right?), and then they pretty much threw a guitar at me... and I tried playing something they might know. I'm not very good with popular music, but I'm kind of guessing I did alright. Then the Jinkawas sang a Japanese song for me, and it was all really cheery and it felt really special. Soon after I went to bed.

Whatever I write, words will never do justice to how much I enjoyed this day, and how much I loved my host family. To take a stranger in, and treat him as one of their own speaks volumes about the kindness of the people I stayed with. I left them a letter to say thank you, and I mentioned that I hoped this wouldn't be the last time I met them. I hope to return the favour in the future if they ever visit the UK, and hope I could be as good a host as they were to me.

As I write this, I am on a train headed north to Ishinomaki, leaving Matsuda and the Hippo Family Club. Even though I only spent a few days there, I get the feeling I will always be able to call it my second home. Every person came back yesterday morning in love with their host family, and its not hard to see why. The community of Matsuda has been a blessing, from the priest and his apprentices at the Tozenji temple, to every single mother, father, sister, brother and even pet at the Hippo Family Club. I suppose this is a love letter to Matsuda and what's happened over the past few days.

Matsuda and your people, I love you. I will miss you very much.