How have you been? I hope everything is going well with you guys.
It's been another interesting year for us. Our 2002 started with the celebration of New Year's in Japan. Having taken advantage of good air fare as a result of 9/11, it was the first ever Oshogatsu (New Year Holiday) for Shota and Kenta and was the first one for Akiko and myself since 1983, when we left Japan. It was more fun since we took one of Shota's friends, Charlie, with us. Shota and we learned a lot by explaining him everything about Japan, including Japanese sentences, both good and bad. "Boku-wa Baka-da" (I'm a fool) became the most common phrase at Shota's school after the trip. Boys enjoyed skiing in Japan, too.
In February we went skiing to New Mexico, and Kenta was again ranked #1 in Louisiana (out of three skiers) and #1 in Red River Ski Area (out of two skiers). Hey, we like #1 no matter how many he competed against!
In May Kenta and I went to Japan first. Shota went to Colorado with Charlie's family (ask him about the deadly 18-mile hike), and Akiko was still working. Since I moved for World Cup (see below) and Akiko went to Kyoto and Europe (see below), we were in four different places at a couple of occasions. What a family!
This past summer, Kenta lived with my parents instead of Akiko's. He went to my Alma Mater (6th grade), and the principal was one of my own teachers some 30 years ago! Kenta adjusted well to the new environment, playing for two soccer teams during his short stay. One of his teams came 5th place out of 36 in a big open tournament, and he scored several goals as the right wing.
In the meantime, Shota decided to go back to his middle school (9th grade) in Japan. He stayed with Akiko's parents who moved to a new house and commuted to school by bus. Shota and Kenta must have appreciated living apart for the entire summer. All of sudden, he became a "Japanese," listening to Japanese music and watching Japanese TV programs. He even looks like a Japanese teenager with his hair dyed (see the picture).
Akiko stayed busy, helping Japan-Louisiana Friendship Foundation (Hattori Fellows) and her own students in their trip to Japan. She is still busy serving as President of Louisiana Association of Teachers of Japanese.
In summer, I worked for World Cup Soccer Broadcasting Team. Primarily stationed in Saitama Stadium, I watched four games there (including Japan vs. Belgium) and two more including the Final. It was cool.
It's been long, but Akiko and I have been happily (?) married for 20 years! To celebrate the anniversary, Akiko went to Paris and London......with her old friend. Her next trip will be to Vienna, according to her. Whether or not her husband comes along is a matter of debate in these days.
We had a nice twist at the end of summer in Japan. Jimmy Williams, one of Akiko's ex-students, is a San Francisco 49er of NFL (see the picture). His team had an exhibition game called Japan Bowl in August. He invited us to the game which we immensely enjoyed. We were one of the few groups in the stadium with signboards. Kenta's friends in Baton Rouge were so surprised to see us on ESPN for at least 3 times!
In the sport front, Shota skipped football this year, but played basketball and baseball. Being a 9th grader, he has been starting in every game for his high school varsity soccer team (ranked #5 in its division in Louisiana), paving a way to his first letter. Kenta is now a pretty good football player. He was a starting running back (no fumble during the season)/corner back for his team. His team was dominant with the record of 6-0 and the combined score of 150-12 against their opponents. He also played basketball, baseball, and soccer.
Akiko is deep into her reading habit, though she hasn't read one of my new books (Japan, Good Bondage and Bad Bondage, with Alan Miller, written in Japanese). She prefers novels to no-nonsense sociological analysis of Japanese society. I don't blame her. I will come up with a lighter book on family this spring/summer.
The past year was 10th anniversary of Yoshi Hattori Halloween shooting in Baton Rouge. We helped the TV crew along with Yoshi's mother, Mieko, who came here to shoot a documentary. Mieko and her husband have been involved in gun control, including Yoshi's Gift, a grant to promising gun control organizations in U.S. out of their son's life insurance payment. The whole thing makes us think more once Shota is getting Yoshi's age.
By the way, between all sports, events, and trips, Akiko and I still work and Shota and Kenta still go to their regular school and Japanese school (on Sunday). The last I heard, no one is failing in this aspect either.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS and NICE 2003, FOLKS!
From: Kamo, Akiko, Shota, and Kenta
(December 2002)