I’ve been a father in Japan for far longer than I was one in England, and I don’t think I’d want to do it back there again. My son and daughter are in elementary school now, and fatherhood in Japan has been great so far — a learning curve, an eye-opener and a lot of fun.
One of the benefits that struck me early on was the ability to gain a Japanese-language boost simply from doing the dad thing. I’ve acquired vocabulary I might never have picked up otherwise, such as the names of illnesses and medicines, terminology for school and education, and words my kids use for moods and feelings.
Not that I have mastered the language in any way, and I’ll freely admit to having used my children as interpreters when delivery people have come to the door or if I haven’t understood their doctor’s diagnosis. But hey, that’s to their benefit, right?