BACK TO THE PARK

 March 30, 2024

Although we were still tired after our big adventure the day before, we were excited about seeing “our” park again. We had already noticed from our room how much bigger USJ had grown since it was built. We also knew ET, Back to the Future, Backdraft, Terminator-2, Western Stunt Show, Animal Actors, and other original attractions were long gone. ET was replaced by Spiderman, and it, too, closed the week before we arrived.

We had been in touch with Christiane Sentianin, the Area 3 admin in Hollywood, prior to our trip. She and Hunvey Chen had planned to visit the park on the 30^th. They told us what tickets to get. Yuki Nakamura and Mark Adams and his wife also planned on going the same day. We had bought our tickets and express passes for the same date and time as they had before we left home.

We went down to breakfast early, but not quite as early as the day before. Everything seemed to be back to normal. Regular length lines. No overflow restaurant. A full selection of items.

We knew the park would open at eight a.m. I had texted Christiane to see when they would get to the park. She said they planned to arrive about nine.

We returned to our room and got ready to go. We decided to go early in case there were any issues with our tickets. Fortunately, there were none. We carried our express passes for the most popular attractions. Our first scheduled ride was Mario Cart at 11:30, so we had lots of time.

We entered the park about eight-fifteen and found a table outside Boulangère on Hollywood Boulevard. From there, we could look down the street toward the entrance.

Christiane texted a couple of times to let us know where they were. Before long, I looked up and saw her running around the corner with her arms outstretched. Hunvey and Yuki were not far behind her. We hadn’t seen her in person since our last morning at USJ 2001 when we ate breakfast with her. (We have stayed in touch through email and Facebook.)

Christiane, Larry, Yuki, Lorna, Hunvey

Our next objective was to find our names on the windows in the park. With the replacement of some of the areas and attractions, several of our friends lost theirs, but all of ours are still there.

Larry is on the 2^nd floor, second from right (Bail Bondsman). I am diagonally above him (Tailor).

Christiane is on the yellow sign.

Yuki’s window is the one on the left.

Hunvey is on the window.

We then walked around the lagoon past Mel’s Drive-in. The vintage cars are still there, but we weren’t sure they were the same ones Cathy arranged for in 2001.

Next, we went on the JAWS ride. Since we had the express passes, we bypassed the long regular lines and got on the ride in just a few minutes. We checked to be sure Larry’s footprints were still on the beach. They are.

The sharks seemed to be missing their skins. They now look like painted metal. Not quite the same effect as the original, but they all were working.

We stopped at the restrooms opposite the ride and SURPRISE! When we built the park. 75% of the toilets were Japanese style (squat type) even though originally they were supposed to be 75% American. (Many discussions occurred about the type, but the Japanese ones took up less room and were cheaper.) Today, ALL of the toilets are American-style! In fact, every one we saw in the park was.

We went to Jurassic Park, but the ride was closed for refurbishment. However, there is a new rollercoaster next to it called The Flying Dragon. You hang on this one with your legs dangling, and it carries riders upside down, sideways, and facing the ground. Larry and I decided we didn’t really want to try it, but the other three did. I guess they enjoyed it, but as we watched it, I was glad we had passed.

It was getting close to the time for our scheduled ride on Mario Cart, so we headed in that direction. There, we met Mark Adams and his wife.

Lorna, Larry, Christiane, Yuki, Hunvey, Mark. Jessica

It was getting hot, and the access to the Mario ride was insane! We all agreed that it never would have been allowed in the US. To get to the start of the ride, we had to climb up and down about nine flights of stairs. By the time we reached the final queue, my knees were hurting. They handed each of us a headpiece—a heavy one. It was adjustable, but it slipped on my hair, sliding forward over my eyes or falling backward. (I never did get it to fit correctly.) When we finally reached the ride vehicles, they handed each of us a viewer glass that hooked onto the head piece, making it even heavier and more inclined to slip around.

Since I had absolutely no idea how the game was supposed to be played, I couldn’t figure out what to do, and I couldn’t see correctly through the view screen anyway.

I hated every minute. (The day before, we had been told by a kid that it was his favorite ride, and I could understand how it might be if the headset fit and worked and you knew how to play. But nothing worked for me.)

When we got out, Larry spotted an elevator, so we took it to get back down to the exit, where we met the rest of the gang.

We decided to go on Yoshi’s Adventure while we were there. It reminded me of the beginning of the Alice in Wonderland at Disneyland. Halfway through, I said to Larry, “What if they created a ride that did absolutely nothing?” By the end of the ride, we discovered that they had! It might have been fun for a child under four-years-old, but for anyone older than five, it was truly boring.

By this time (after 1:00 p.m.) we were hungry. We still had a wait before we could go on the Harry Potter ride, so we went back to the Discovery Restaurant in the JP area for lunch. Jessica and I held down a large table while the others got food. It was surprisingly good, and we enjoyed it very much.

We went back over to Harry Potter. We still had about half an hour to wait, so we found some shade and sat down.

Finally, our scheduled time arrived, and we entered the queue. This one was fine, and we got on the ride vehicle. I loved it! We had gone on the one in Hollywood once, but it had stopped soon after we got on. They started it again after about an hour, but they ran the ride with the work lights on, so we couldn’t see the film and missed all the effects. However, Larry enjoyed seeing how all the mechanical devices worked. This time, we got the full story and enjoyed the ride.

After our very long day the day before, we were getting tired. We decided to go back to the hotel since it was late afternoon. The rest of our group decided to stay for a while longer.

We were still impressed with how terrific “our” park was, and we remained proud of our part in creating it.

When we got back to the hotel, we rested. We didn’t want to go anywhere for dinner, so we ate granola bars and had tea. Just what we needed.

We went to bed early anticipating a busy day on Sunday.

MEETING OUR “DAUGHTER”

March 29, 2024 – Part 2

We tried to rest a bit after our busy morning. Larry read, and I wrote my blog.

Our #3 Japanese daughter, Yuko, had made reservations at the Hard Rock Café for dinner at 7:00 p.m. We weren’t sure whether she would come to our hotel or meet us at the Hard Rock Café. We waited at the hotel until 6:45, and then we walked over to the restaurant. We had to hunt a bit. The actual restaurant is on the 3^rd floor, but we found it eventually. Yuko was there to greet us.

We had last seen her several years ago when a business trip brought her to L.A. We’d picked her up in town and brought her down to our house where she spent the night before we had to take her back.

This time we only had a couple of hours, so we wanted to make the most of them!

I had forgotten how noisy the Hard Rock was, or maybe it just seemed noisier because of my deafness. (The hearing aids magnify the sound, but it all runs together in a confused mess.)

We ordered and then caught up. We gave her the photos and note the Larsons had sent with us and talked about how they were doing. Then we caught up on our lives and Kim’s.

She had brought gifts for us: handmade soap from her mother and chocolates. Our bags were beginning to fill up with gifts! (Misayo gave us two bags of food and a beautiful scarf.)

What a joy to spend time with this special young lady. We had lots to talk about as we ate. We asked when she might be able to visit us again in California.

Right now, the exchange rate is not favorable for the Japanese. (This worked to our advantage, but the rate needs to improve before they will be able to spend freely again.)

Also, Yuko feels that her mother needs her to be near to take care of her. She also feels she has reached the maximum position in her company and it may be time for her to leave. So, her life is in flux at the moment.

We finished our meals, and the noise seemed to be getting louder. We decided to go to a nearby coffee shop for after-dinner coffee where we could talk.

Yuko, me, Larry (I look really tired. I was!)

We spent a bit of time talking until we noticed they were getting ready to close and we were the only ones remaining.

Yuko had to get back to Shin Osaka where she was spending the night before returning to Chiba the next morning.

As usual, the farewells were hard and accompanied by tears, at least on my part and Yuko’s as well. But we hope to see her again in California before too very long.

OUR JOURNEY “HOME”

 

March 29, 2024

Larry had set the alarm for 6:00, but we didn’t need it. In fact, neither of us slept much. We admitted we felt a bit anxious about making the train trip to Takarazuka, where we had lived while in Japan.

The sweet young lady had outlined an itinerary that required changing from the JR to the Hankyu line. It only allowed ten minutes to get from the JR Osaka Station to the Umeda (Hankyu) Station. I couldn’t remember much about the route, and Larry was afraid ten minutes wouldn’t be log enough to get there. He was also a bit concerned about the cash. I told him I had quite a bit of change, so we should be okay—at least on the first leg to Osaka. And we had a few small bills.

Since we couldn’t sleep anyway, Larry decided to get up at 5:30 and shower. I followed closely behind. We left the room at 6:30, when they begin serving breakfast downstairs.

We wondered where all the people had come from. The line for breakfast was jammed. And it didn’t appear to be moving. When we peeked inside, most of the tables seemed to be occupied.

Finally, they began to allow more people into the dining room. We were directed to another line toward another restaurant. We were assured the food would be “similar.”

We had learned about “similar” food when we were working at the jobsite and were introduced to “hamburger-be-similar.” (Not really hamburger and certainly not similar to what we considered a hamburger.)

However, since the main line wasn’t moving very fast, and we needed to catch an early train, we decided to accept the offer.

They clearly provided some of the same items offered in the larger restaurant, but several of my favorites were missing (like tomato juice and some of the fruit for the yogurt). Still, we were able to get a nice variety.

We would be visiting my dear friend, Misayo-san and her daughter, Kazue. Misayo is a terrific cook and had said she would fix us lunch. I knew there would be a variety of food offered, and it all would be delicious. So, I wasn’t worried about going hungry!

We returned to our room and got our “stuff” together for the day. Then we headed out on our “big adventure” for the trip.

We got to the station about half-an-hour ahead of our proposed schedule. We’d both rather be early than late.

We got our tickets to Osaka Station and found the train. All the signs said “Nishikujo.” It’s been so long we were afraid it might not be the right train, even though the platform sign said “to Osaka.”

A nice Australian family was waiting with us. We asked them, and they said it was the right train, and we had to change trains in Nishikujo. Whew!

After we all boarded, we discovered they had spent the previous day at USJ. The son loved Mario Kart and waxed poetic about how much fun it was. We knew we had express tickets for the ride and for Harry Potter, so we were looking forward to it.

We made our change without incident and got off in Osaka Station. We saw the JR line to Takarazuka and thought about taking it, but then we saw the signs for the Hankyu line. We decided to be safe and followed the young lady’s instructions. After all, she hadn’t steered us wrong—yet.

Made our way up a flight of stairs and outside. Up still more wet stairs to street level, and then over to the station. Then down more stairs into the bowels of the station. We located the ticket area and purchased our tickets to Takarazuka. As we were walking toward the tracks, I suddenly discovered I didn’t have my purse with me.

I went into total panic mode. This is NOT typical for me, but I had been under a great deal of strain before we left trying to make all the arrangements for Larry’s birthday party and Kae’s memorial service. Then we’d rushed to get to the plane, meet our transfer to the hotel, etc. once we got here. And I was already intimidated about taking this train trip.

Realistically, I knew I would get it back. This is Japan, after all. But I couldn’t remember where I saw it last. Was it on the JR train? In the JR Osaka Station? Had I dropped it somewhere along the way? I’d had my coin purse in my pocket when I took it out to pay for our last tickets. Where was it? And even if they found it, how would they be able to find me?

Thank God, Larry kept his cool. He kept saying, “It will be okay.”

We looked around for someone “official” to help. No sign of anyone. We finally saw a clerk at the Lawson Store. By now I was sobbing. I tried to explain what had happened.

The poor man answered, “Sorry. No English.”

I asked if there was anyone who could help.

He seemed to understand and pointed up the corridor. “Information.”

I saw nothing, but Larry took my hand and led me in the direction the clerk had pointed. Near the other end, I saw a sign with a blue “i” on it. Larry led me that way. I still didn’t see any official-looking people, but Larry had spotted a glass-enclosed booth around the corner.

We entered. The near clerk was helping someone else, but a dear young man motioned for us to come to the far end of the counter.

I was still crying when we approached—and I spotted my coin purse! He had been counting the money in it. (We assumed he was making an inventory of everything in the bag.) I then spotted my card case. It held my driver’s license, medical cards, and two credit cards. Miracle of miracles, my bag had already been turned in!

Of course, my tears increased. I pointed. “That’s mine.”

The young man, who spoke and understood English, just grinned and nodded. “Yes.”

He put the coins back in the coin purse and put it and the card case back in my bag.

He handed me a claim ticket to fill out with my name, location where we were staying, and phone number. I completed and signed it, and he handed my bag back to me with everything intact. (I would have expected nothing less in Japan.)

I thanked him profusely with many low bows. He just smiled.

Crisis averted.

Once I could breathe again, we made our way to the platform for Takarazuka and boarded the train. It was an “Express” meaning the train route ended in Takarazuka before it returned to Osaka. This did not mean it didn’t make a dozen or more stops on the way.

We arrived in Takarazuka about 9:30—half-an-hour early. The station had been completely transformed and enlarged since our last visit.

Hankyu Takarazuka Station

We both used the restrooms and were surprised to find that the new ones were 100% western style and very modern. A great change from the old ones!

We had to go up some stairs to reach the pedestrian bridge across the highway to get to the JR station. Since our last trip, it has been completely refurbished—including the addition of elevators at each end.

At the other side, we had to go back down to street level and tried the elevator. It worked very well.

When we left in 2001, fewer than 2% of all train stations had handicapped access. Today, that has all changed.

On the train to Takarazuka was a young man in a power wheelchair. When we reached his stop, the doors opened, and a train attendant put a ramp in place. The man in the chair rolled easily onto the platform. The ramp was removed, and the doors closed. Easy and quick.

We had also noticed many more wheelchairs on the streets and in our hotel.

Each time I saw one, I felt very proud. Because of our requirement for handicapped access in the park, our Japanese contractors became much more aware of the requirements. On this trip, we saw the results we helped facilitate. We felt very proud.

JR Takarazuka Station with Pedestrian Bridge

When we reached the street, we found a loading area and took seats on the low wall nearby. About five minutes later, a red car drove up. Kazue jumped out and greeted us. (They were early, too.)

Her friend, Takehiro Shigematsu, was driving. We had met him when we were here in 2011, and he has been a Facebook friend ever since. We are very fond of him. I told him we’re keeping him.

We drove up to Misayo’s home. When we entered, she emerged from the kitchen, just as she had in 2011. We both hugged and cried once again.

Years ago, she said we had made a heart-connection when we first met. It is still there.

We sat down, and she gave us tea. Another familiar part of our relationship.

We took her a small plate hand-painted with “Dana Point, California” and a scene of clouds and a seagull. It was a reminder of her promise to come to visit us in California. We would also love to have Kazue come back, and Takehiro is also invited.

We began a lovely meal, during which we reminisced and shared treasured memories.

Since our last visit, Misayo-san’s mother, Kuniko, has passed away. We loved this dear lady who opened her home to us and welcomed us as her own children. We had hoped to see her again sometime.

Misayo prepared sukiyaki, just as she had the very first time we ate at her home in April of 1999 when Kim and my mother arrived for a visit. The Sakura tree outside of her window had been illuminated and in bloom. We’d enjoyed it as Kazue played spring music: “Fantasia on Sakura” and “Rustle of Spring.” This last one made me cry because, at the time, my mother could no longer play the piano, but when I was growing up, it was a song she played often. Kazue renamed the piece “Vera’s Song” in honor of my mother.

While we lived in Japan, I found a favorite song: “Le Rhone” by Katzuhisa Hattori. Kazue learned it and always plays it for me.

During our visit, she repeated the same three beloved songs. “Vera’s Song” made me cry again since my mother is no longer with us, but it reminds me of her.

Just as we always have, we loved sharing our fond memories and laughing over wonderful times.

Larry, Misayo, me, Kazue, and Takehiro

After lunch, Takehiro drove us past our old building. What a surprise! We used to live in the building highest on the mountain, but today, about five more buildings have sprung up around it. It is still there and as lovely as ever, but it is no longer isolated.

We next stopped at Koyoshikojin Temple. We had taken Mom and Kim there when they visited, and we made several other visits during out time in Takarazuka. On our first visit, the Sakura trees had been in full bloom. They were supposed to have been in bloom this time as well, but the weather had been too cold.

We observed the usual rituals: hand washing and bowing as well as tossing a coin and ringing the bell. Everything seemed familiar and yet not quite the same.

As we walked around the shrine, I finally spotted a Sakura tree in full bloom farther up the hill. It was the only one we saw, but it reminded us of how lovely the trees are.

We continued back down the hill toward town. We recognized few places. Only one or two of those we had known remained.

When we stopped at the Hankyu Station, we realized just how large it had become. The department store portion is about four times as large as it was the last time. The JR station had been replaced in 2011 when we were here, but the old Hankyu station had been the same. Now both are rebuilt and much more modern.

As we walked around, Misayo was busy shopping. Kazue also bought a few things. Misayo wanted to buy a bunch of treats for Larry’s birthday party next week. We tried to discourage her, but she still insisted on getting some sweets for us to share with our guests. We told her we had no room in our suitcases, but she would not be thwarted. (She is a true force of nature when she is determined to do something!)

Although we were prepared to take the train back to our hotel, Misayo insisted on Takehiro driving us all the way back. He is such a sweet young man. We feel honored to know him.

After more tearful farewells, we waved good-bye as they drove off.

But our day wasn’t over yet!

Although we were tired, we were to meet our Japanese daughter, Yuko for dinner at the Hard Rock Café. We needed a nap!

FIRST DAY IN TOWN

 March 27, 2024

We slept pretty well, but we woke at around 4:00 a.m. The time change caused us to be early for Osaka time.

We checked out the TV selections. No English stations, but they did have BBC. It was overdubbed in Japanese, but we could read the crawls and headlines. It was actually nice to be able to avoid some of the hyper coverage in the US right now.

I had added breakfast each day when I booked the room. Larry likes being able to start the day with a leisurely meal. We then usually snack for the rest of the day.

Breakfast is served between 6:30 and 10:30 a.m.

After a shower and dressing, we went down to eat.

The buffet room is on the second floor. Since our last trip, the hotel has been re-themed with the Minions. This was a great decision. The last time we were here, this was the upscale, elegant hotel. Now, it is filled with families, most with small children.

When we arrived in Osaka in 1998, only one of our daughters, Yasuko, was married. She and Toshihiro had a two-year-old son, Daisuke. Toshi was one of the few fathers we saw who actually helped take care of his child. At that time, mothers alone cared for the children while fathers went out to work.

Now, many fathers share the duties.

In 2011, on our ten-year anniversary of park opening trip, we saw lots of mothers and small children, but not so many fathers. Today, much has changed, and I think for the better.

Breakfast is a multi-station buffet. (It was much like the hotels we had enjoyed in England, Scotland, and Ireland on our last trip.) There are American choices as well as more traditional Japanese breakfast foods. One station had Chinese and Korean items as well.

We were both delighted to find two cappuccino machines. The hotel got extra points for those!

I stuck with “safe” items like scrambled eggs, croissant, yogurt, and fruit. Larry was far more adventurous. He was in heaven, and so was I. We each had the kind of meal we enjoy!

We returned to our room to brush our teeth and get ready to explore the area. Since it had been thirteen years, the City Walk area had changed a lot!

First, they have built several large new hotels. When we finished the park, there were only three, and we are staying in one of them. Now there are several others.

The most impressive one was this Art Deco one across from the park entrance, The Park Front Hotel.

USJ Entrance

I looked up the website for the hotel. All beds in this one are twins. Some of the rooms have spectacular views, and they are well-equipped to handle family groups. The architecture is gorgeous.

Everywhere here we see Mario items. All the kids (young and old) are running around sporting Mario hats (except those wearing Harry Potter wizard robes).

I thought about how much our Kae would have loved the Mario hats. She loved anything silly and funny. I look around, and I see her everywhere. Many of the young girls resemble her (although none are as beautiful as she was). But then, I am biased. This morning, I spotted the chef in the restaurant at a distance—just the white coat and hat. For a second it looked like Kae in her Cordon Bleu chef’s coat and toque. The last time we were here, Kae and Toshi joined us for a few days. We will see Toshi next week, and I miss Kae terribly.

We walked around City Walk and looked into some stores. It was quite cold, so we stopped for coffee and to warm up a bit. Then we returned to the hotel.

Shortly after we returned, the housekeeping staff arrived to clean. We read and answered email while they worked.

We made a second trip out later on, just for a walk. Everything seems so familiar yet strange. They have added a lot to City Walk, and some places have changed. It resembles City Walk in Hollywood.

Back in our room, we made cups of tea and ate granola bars.

Larry lay down and was asleep by 4:00 p.m. I gave up by 5:30. We’ll see how tomorrow goes. No agenda.

ON OUR WAY

After a while, we were offered lunch. We could choose from sukiyaki (beef with scrambled eggs and peas over steamed rice) or teriyaki salmon (with mashed potatoes, broccoli and carrots). I usually don’t eat beef or salmon, but the mashed potatoes and veggies sounded good. I figured Larry would eat the salmon. He suggested we each order a different entrée. I could eat the parts I wanted, and he would finish everything else.

Oh, my goodness. What a terrific and abundant meal!

I had the salmon. I tried a taste and had to reassess my previous dislike of it. With the teriyaki sauce, it was delicious! The potatoes and veggies were every bit as good as I had anticipated. Larry enjoyed his meal as well. (I saved more than half of the salmon for him since I knew he would love it. He did.)

In addition to the entrée, both meals were accompanied by a tiny green salad with fat-free Italian dressing, and a separate cup with a one-inch cube each of watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, and honeydew melon. In, addition we each had a small serving of soba noodles with Jell-o and other strange bits. (It reminded me of some of the items on the “salad bar” at the jobsite.) Finally, there was a small container with salami and potato salad.)

I ate my green salad and about half the entrée. I also received a lovely roll. I ate half of it and gave Larry the remainder. He ate all the rest of my sides as well as his own. (He loves all kinds of Japanese food. I am much pickier!)

At the end of the meal, the cabin staff circulated with small containers of vanilla ice cream. A sweet ending to an impressive meal.

After lunch, I began to watch movies. The first was Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. I couldn’t decide whether or not I actually liked it, but the acting was terrific. The plot was very confusing, and some of the characters actually had several different personas. I was glad I had watched it on the plane and not in the theater. Later in the flight, Larry watched it, too. I think he liked it better than I did, but he agreed with my assessment of the acting.

Next, I watched another film I had meant to see some time ago, The Fault in Our Stars. Loved this bittersweet story.

I followed it up with Sweet November, an even older film. This one, I hated. The acting was okay, but the story was stupid and the characters’ motivations and chemistry were lacking.

I ended up switching from Disney music to the flight route for the remainder of the trip.

About an hour before landing, we were served dinner: pizza, another mini salad, and fruit yogurt. I ate the piece of pizza and about half the yogurt. I skipped this salad. Good but too much food.

7:00 p.m. March 26, 2024

We landed about an hour late. Turbulence had slowed us down and caused us to swing away from a direct approach from the south to an arc allowing us to reach the airport from the west.

Disembarking took a while, as did customs. However, they have streamlined the process since we were last at Kansai International. Of course, it has been thirteen years!

Larry slept for a while through the flight, but I was unable to do so. (I have rarely been able to sleep on a plane.)

Once in the arrival lobby, we were supposed to be met by a transport company to take us to the hotel. Larry had made arrangements before we left home. No sign with our name on it.

Fortunately, they called him to make sure our driver had arrived. He hadn’t. But at least they knew where we were.

By this time, I was getting punchy. So, I sat with the luggage while Larry set out to locate the driver. It only took a few minutes, but I had hit the wall.

I managed to follow them to the familiar parking structure (not everything is different) and poured myself into the van. (I’m getting too old for those long flights!)

After a nice half-hour-long drive, during which I recognized very little in the way of familiar places, we arrived at the hotel at about 8:30 p.m., a day later than we had left California because of the international dateline. (We’ll catch up when we return home.)

Hotel Universal Port

They were ready for us and had our room—with a king-size bed—waiting.

We are on the 13^th floor with a great view of the park entrance. This room seems smaller than the one we had last time, but it is non-smoking and very nice.

We didn’t take long to drop our luggage and get to bed, exhausted from the flight and busy day.

We’ll check out the area tomorrow. Fortunately, we have a couple of days at the beginning of the trip without planned activities since the end will be packed.

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS

6:00 a.m. March 25, 2024

The alarm went off, but we were already awake and ready to get going. We had been planning this trip for months.

In 2021, the 20^th anniversary of the opening of Universal Studios Japan, we were unable to return to Japan for a team reunion because of Covid. For two years, we talked about getting together for a delayed reunion, but for one reason or another, it didn’t happen.

However, several of our Japanese coworkers realized the following:

1.     The 25^th anniversary would not be until 2026.

2.     We are all getting older.

3.     Some of our members were no longer able to travel.

4.     We had already lost too many team members.

5.     We missed each other!

So, they proposed holding a construction team reunion in Osaka on March 31 of 2024. It sounded like a great idea to us! We had been planning this trip for months.

We talked to Julie, our travel agent at AAA, about this as soon as the date was set. Flights were expensive, and not many seats were available, even months ahead. Those that remained were very expensive. However, she found us a direct flight from LAX to Kansai at a good rate—on JAL, one of the better airlines. We booked the seats.

Since Covid, no shuttles come as far south as our house from LAX. We loathe driving down there. We would have had to leave a car while we were gone, and only the outer lots are reasonable enough anyway.

Julie found a company to provide door-to-door service. Not inexpensive, but well worth the cost. We had used them for our trip to Europe in 2022 and were quite pleased.

Our Japanese team members had arranged for a special rate for rooms at the same hotel where our party would be held, but by the time I inquired, only single rooms were available. (No queen or king beds. Just twins, anyway.) So, I did some research and discovered we could get a double room with a king bed at the same hotel where we had stayed in 2011 when we had returned for the ten-year anniversary.

This hotel is right outside the park entrance and adjacent to City Walk. Not cheap, but very lovely. We booked it.

We had spent the previous week packing and washing and putting together omiyage (the gifts expected in Japan). We would be seeing friends as well as at least one of our Japanese “daughters.” And, of course, we’d be seeing some of our close work friends. Omiyage is always a challenge, but I felt I had found some good things.

Now, it was time to get the show on the road!

We were ready to be picked up at 9:00 a.m., and our driver was right on time.

The trip to the airport was surprisingly uneventful, and we arrived about three-and-a-half hours before our plane was to depart.

No hiccups in checking in or getting to our gate.

We had split a protein drink about 6:30, so by eleven o’clock or so, we were hungry. I took a walk and located a little bakery stand. We had a chocolate croissant each and a coke zero to share. (Yes, I know…)

Boarding was handled efficiently, and we took off as scheduled: 2:15 p.m.

In the air, we settled in for our twelve-and-a-half-hour flight.

We had bought along our noise-cancelling headphones, as usual. I had my iPod with me so I could zone out to my favorite music. I had hoped to get a little sleep, but I was not successful.

As soon as we were under way, I checked out the entertainment choices—quite extensive with lots of movies available.

Then, I looked at the music choices, and I found this:

Thirteen Disney songs, many from more recent films. I pointed it out to Larry, and he began to listen as well. As we headed west, he took my hand, and I had a big grin on my face. I was in a very happy place.

We were on our way back to Japan—probably for the last time—and we were ready to be there.

Friendship

We were each allowed to choose a card with a random word for meditation at church recently. I first picked the word “Weaver.”

“That’s really not me’” was my first response.

The pastor said, “Then pick another.” So, I did. The second was “Friendship.”

However, “weaver” kept haunting me, and I realized how these two words perfectly intersected in my life.

You see, one of my closest friends in grammar school and high school, Marie [Stratton] Cole is a weaver. She taught herself to make pine needle baskets using the ancient techniques of the Native Americans. She collects her own pine needles, dries them, dyes them using the organic dyes, which have been used for hundreds of years. Her creations are in museums and galleries in the Pacific Northwest. I own four of them, and each is a small masterpiece.

I think she sent me the first one, called “Childhood Memories,” for a milestone birthday years ago. This precious gift sits on my desk, where I see it every day. It is about four inches in diameter, and the tiny stitches form a pattern that perfectly illustrates our friendship. The two colors intersect, then separate, then come back together—just like we have. I always think of Marie as close to the natural world. She loved camping and being out in nature. Today she and her husband live in a remote area of Oregon and is content to listen to the birds and be among the trees. In contrast, I’m a bit of a hothouse flower. I don’t like getting my hands dirty! In the two colors, I saw us clearly: Marie in the grounded brown, and me in the beautiful blue. (My house is decorated in this color.)

We were together in high school, sharing many interests. After graduation, we went our separate ways.

Marie was a bridesmaid in our wedding.

Wedding Party: Victoria Hanner, Marie Stratton, Kathleen Murphy, Me, Larry, Virgil Thomas, Patrick Tedford, Jim Tedford

After we both married, we lived close to each other. When Star Trek began on TV, both of our husbands were obsessed. We met every Wednesday night at alternating homes for dinner and to watch the show.

Her husband enlisted in the Air Force, so we were separated yet again. However, he was being stationed in Colorado, where we were living at the time. Their housing wasn’t ready when they arrived, so they and their baby daughter, Maretta, stayed with us and our four-year-old for a short time.

We returned to California, and Marie continued to move around. But she often returned to see her mother. Whenever she was in town, we went to see her. Not only was she one of my closest friends, but her brother, John, was Larry’s best friend through school, so their mother was a fixture in our lives.

Finally, Marie moved to Oregon, and we remained in California.

However, we always stayed in touch, both through email and phone calls, but also through her mother.

In 2014, our class from Alhambra High School celebrated its fiftieth reunion. We asked any class members who created unique items to donate one or two for a silent auction. (We donated several books.)

Marie sent this charming basket, obviously created just for the occasion. It features the school colors and our graduation year. Several people bid on it, but Larry knew how much I loved it. Even though I already had one of Marie’s masterpieces, I was very taken with this one. Unbeknownst to me, he kept an eye on the bidding and outbid everyone else. It is my favorite memento from the event. This one is about four-and-a-half inches tall and four inches in diameter. It sits in a place of honor on the etagere upstairs with other high school memorabilia.

The following year, Larry and I celebrated our fiftieth anniversary. What an amazing surprise to receive a box in the mail from Marie!

Inside was this beauty called “Connecting Links.” This matches the colors in our living room perfectly! It is four-and-a half inches tall and four inches in diameter. It is a perfect metaphor for our relationship.

During one of our visits to her in 2003, Marie’s mother, Millie, told me she had begun to write her memoir of growing up in Alhambra, California. I said when she finished it, I would edit and publish it for her. Her son, John, worked on it with her for several years prior to his death from cancer in 2016. Each time I spoke with her, I asked how it was coming. She always said she was still working on it.

As she aged, her eyesight grew worse and her typing less accurate. She went from typewritten pages to the computer, but she was afraid she would lose her work when she closed the file. So, she learned to rename each chapter with the current date appended as soon as she opened it.

After she turned 100, she decided she was finished. We went to her house, collected all the typewritten pages, and copied all the files onto a flash drive. Then, I had to go through the chapters, combine the ones that went together, and try to decipher what I thought she meant.

Fortunately, her mind was sharp. If I had a question, I called her, and she always had an answer. Where there were holes in the manuscript, I did research and filled them in. Her caregiver and one of my friends read the chapters to her as I finished them, and Millie gave me notes—always thoughtful and interesting.

By 2020, I was nearly finished, but I still had one or two questions. As always, her answers were quick and to the point. Three days later, she passed away at the age of 102.

Despite my promise to publish the book, her daughters decided they just wanted copies for family members, so I sent the files. (Marie’s younger sister, Judi, passed away a couple of years ago. I still would like to have the book published. I know quite a few people who would enjoy it. But as long as they are reluctant, it will remain on my computer.)

To thank Larry and me for completing her mother’s book (Larry created a beautiful cover), Marie sent us this gorgeous piece, “Chaparral Hills.”

Her inspiration was the chaparral-covered hills around Los Angeles. The white pearl plants are reminiscent of the pampas grass readily found in the area. This holds a place of honor in our china closet.

Each time I look at these beautiful works of art, I am reminded of my friend, Marie, and our treasured friendship. So, both words—“Weaver” and “Friendship”—were appropriate and perfect for meditation.

Remembering Kae

 

Kae Komiyama came into our lives as part of a homestay. In prior years, we had hosted five other young ladies from Japan and one from Spain for this six-to-eight-week English-intensive program. Our close friend, Terri, was the coordinator and teacher. Students were housed in individual homes and became part of their families for the time of their stay. In our case, they have remained part of our family.

For this group, our student was Fumiko. Our daughter, Kim, who lived about five blocks away at the time, hosted Ikue. And her neighbors, Ceil and Keith, hosted Kae. I said we got three for the price of one in this group because they spent a great deal of time together—often at our house.

My mother was living with us at the time, and she often provided transportation for the girls. She couldn’t remember their Japanese names, so she identified them by their personal characteristics: Fumiko was “the funny one,” because of her ready sense of humor. Ikue was “the little one,” because she was short like our daughter, Kim. Kae was “the pretty one” because she was beautiful. Mom adored them all.

L-R: Kim, Kae, Ikue, Fumiko, me

One evening, they fixed dinner for all of their host families. Another evening, they put on a fashion show. Kae and Fumiko wore my formal clothing, and Ikue wore Kim’s. Kae’s host mother did their hair and makeup. Such fun memories!

Ikue, Kae, Fumiko

Being silly with Dad: Fumiko, Kae, Ikue with Larry

It was hard to say goodbye to this group, but we hoped we would see them again when we moved to Japan the following August.

Saying Goodbye: Kae, me, Ikue, Fumiko

In April of 1999, Kim and Mom came to visit us in Japan. We would spend a total of 31 months there building the Universal Studios Japan theme park. While they were there, we celebrated Larry’s birthday, and Kae and her then-boyfriend (and future husband), Toshi, were in attendance.

Kae, Toshi, Kim

Larry blowing out his candles

During our time in Japan, they visited about once a month. They arrived with no agenda except to be with us. Although we saw all but one of our Japanese daughters while we lived there, we saw Kae and Toshi the most.

We returned to California in the spring of 2001. Toshi had a job which required him to come to the US a couple of times a year on business. He always tried to extend his trips so he could spend a few days with us. He sometimes brought Kae with him.

One day in late October of 2003, we received a message from them. They had been married in Japan. Like many other countries in the world, they went to the city hall, filled out the paperwork, and left officially married. The wedding, however, was a separate occasion.

“Mom, we want to have our wedding in Orange County. We will arrive on December 28.”

They wanted an American wedding. What the heck was that?

We had a few questions.

Church or at the park where Larry’s brother had been married? Church. (When our kids stayed with us, they attended church with us on Sundays, despite the fact that the Japanese don’t really practice any religion.)

The pastor was Larry’s best friend, and they had met him several times before. They wanted him to marry them. Religious or secular ceremony? Religious.

They didn’t need a license since they were already married, but they insisted. They wanted one stating that they were married in Orange County. Toshi had already done his homework and found that he could complete all the paperwork online and pick up the license in Santa Ana. They went straight from the airport to the city hall and picked it up.

Kae’s brother was coming with them and he would be Toshi’s best man. Kim would be Kae’s maid of honor. I mentioned that here, it was traditional for the father of the bride to walk her down the aisle. “Do you think Dad would do it?”

Silly question. Of course, he would. But he no longer owned a suit. When he left the engineering company where he’d worked for over 30 years, he donated all of his suits. We had to rush out and get a 3-day suit so he could be the father of the bride. (Kae’s father had died when she was quite young. I think I identified with her because I had lost mine at a young age, too.)

The wedding came off without a hitch, and it was beautiful.

Mom, Kae, Toshi, Dad

On our anniversary, September 4 of 2010, our phone rang at about 3:00 a.m. Toshi could barely speak because he was so upset. “Kae collapsed. She may not make it.”

“We’ll put her on the church prayer chain, and we will pray for her, too.”

Of course, I went to pieces as soon as we hung up.

She’d had an aneurism. The neurosurgeon who treated her (the best one in all of Japan) later told Toshi he would have given her less than 5% chance of survival. However, Toshi posted a picture on her Caring Bridge site on her birthday, October 16, of her jumping on her bed. Her doctor could not explain how she had recovered with only slight impairment. He called it a miracle.

Of course, I was worried about her until the following March when we went back to Japan for the 10^th anniversary of the opening of USJ. Kae and Toshi came down to Osaka and spent several days with us. It felt so good to hug Kae and tell her how much we loved her. Even more important, we got to see how well she was.

A couple of years after her aneurism, Kae attended culinary school at Cordon Bleu in Tokyo. With a lot of help from Toshi, she graduated. Quite an accomplishment!

In 2015 when they next visited, she brought her chef’s coat and toque and cooked a gorgeous four-course dinner for us and four other couples. Magnificent!

Chef Kae and Ruth

She wouldn’t have been able to handle the fast-paced schedule in a restaurant, but she started her own cooking school at home. She taught private lessons to small groups of women and thoroughly enjoyed it.

They continued to visit often, and we kept in touch through email, text, and Facebook.

Then in April of last year, when she was supposed to be starting a college course toward her MBA, Toshi sent me a message: “Kae might have pancreatic cancer.”

Unfortunately, she did, and Toshi fought to get her the treatment she required. I assured him I had two prayer chains praying for her with some of the same people who had prayed for her before.

She underwent surgery and chemotherapy, and more experimental treatment Toshi researched. He wanted to bring her to see us, but her doctor would not clear her for plane travel following surgery to place a drain.

Meanwhile, Toshi’s father died, so he had his hands full dealing with that and caring for Kae.

She was finally cleared to fly, and he brought her on September 29 for ten days. She still had a drain in place.

After we returned from the airport, she came in the front door, looked around, smiled at me, and said, ”Mom, I’m home.”

This both touched me and broke my heart because I knew more than anywhere else in the world, this truly was her home, and we truly were her family.

They were joined a couple of days later by her best friend from high school, Ayumi.

This was Kae’s “bucket list” trip. She had about six or seven items she wanted to do while she was here. And she did all of them and more, including a final trip to Disneyland.

She looked much better by the time they left. And she was happy.

Kae with wig at the church where they were married

A couple of weeks later, I received a message from Toshi. They had been to see her doctor, and he told them she probably had only four to six weeks left. His last line, however, really broke my heart: I’m sorry. Mom. I couldn’t save her.

On the morning of December 20 at about 10:00 a.m. our time, Toshi messaged me: Kae loses consciousness…hope she comes back. I began to pray for both of them and continued throughout the morning.

We went to Larry’s brother’s house for lunch to deliver his family’s Christmas presents. I had the ringer turned off on my phone, but Larry’s was on. He had an incoming call. “I don’t recognize this number.”

I did. “I know the country code. It’s Toshi.”

“She’s gone.”

I had been thinking about what would happen afterward and suggested he might think about bringing some or all of her ashes here to spread in the ocean off Dana Point, her true home.

“I have a written note from her. This is what she wants.”

So, he will bring her back this spring and we will take her out to sea after a small memorial service at the church where they were married and many people prayed for her, both when she had her aneurism and this past year. She’ll be with Grandma, who truly was the only grandparent she had.

We will love her always. She was truly our daughter.