"O-baa-chans" in Japan never fail to surprise me. They are treasure houses of information. The other day, I saw 83-year-old Harada-san on the ferry as we were both coming home to the island. Harada-san and I are distant neighbors the way people are distant cousins. We don't see each other often, but when we do, we feel very familiar.
"Where have you been?" I ask her.
"I've been visiting my son in Fukuyama for 10 days," she says. "The city is so convenient."