Japan is a country of jingles or tunes. One of my favorites is the Family Mart entry door chime. Every time the sliding doors of a Family Mart open, a Panasonic door chime plays the melody above. This blog post about Family Mart in China, explains the origin of this melody. I wonder what the employees of Family Mart think when they have to listen to the song all day long? Do they get tired of the tune? It brings back memories of our time living in Japan. Our kids love Family Mart, over 7 11 and Lawson’s in the Japanese Convenience Store market. There are many 7-second jingles in the train stations, with departure and arrival tunes and stores also play their own theme songs.
I also made a short video above of Nadia and I cycling back from the grocery store. There are many narrow alleys and roads in Japan, often dating back centuries to the Edo Period. This particular road in our former neighborhood is called Kyusaigoku Kaido. Kaido is the name of any historical trail/path/road. This particular road meanders from northern Osaka to Kyoto. I’ve taken it all the way to the Suntory Whiskey Distillery in Kyoto. I love the old wooden homes, lanterns, and Japanese-style gardens along the route. We rode it often when we lived here because it has less car traffic than the busier roads.
Finally, we are catching up with old friends. It is so nice to see them again and Nadia and I have fond memories of our time working at the Senri and Osaka International Schools of Kwansei Gakuin and living in Minoh. Fumie, Ritsu, and Izumi (sick yesterday) took good care of our family, helping us navigate Japan and the school as we adjusted to the distinct culture of the school and country. Kurt and Cari were close family friends of ours and Kurt was a trusted colleague on the leadership team. He always gave good advice and cared about the students. My heart was filled with happiness that all of them are healthy and still enjoying life. Until we meet again!
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