"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."
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.