The Notebook

“I am not going to take your cable service if you don’t have NHK World channel”. The cable guy gave me curious look. People ask about sports channel, movie channel, discovery channel. Why on earth this ‘Bangla” man is crazy about NHK! Watching the question in the eyes of Mr. cable guy, my younger boy replied “Baba loves Japan.”

Yes, I love Japan. Madly, I would say. My love started many years back, with a Japanese film festival held in Dhaka. Those beautiful Japanese films took me to the people, the culture, values and places of Japan.

My real life experience of Japan came much later though, with the JDS scholarship for master’s course in 2006. I stayed there from July 2006 to October 2008. Those two years. So many friends. So many fond memories!

Nihongo

After being selected for JDS, we enrolled in the Japanese language training course . First two months in Dhaka, the next two months in Osaka. Japanese language is called Nihongo. We got wonderful Nihongo instructors. Very serious and dedicated. Thanks to their heartiest efforts, we learned a good deal of the new language in just four months. The four months of language course had an enormous impact on our lives in Japan. It helped us in shopping, in traveling, in visiting health facilities.

Once I was lost in Yamaguchi city and needed to ask for the direction. I approached several passersby with the English greeting “excuse me.” Every one of them passed me in quick steps without responding. Surprised, I guessed that might be my asking. So when I approached the next person, I tried Japanese greeting, “sumimasen…”. That did the magic. The person stopped, listened to my broken Japanese, and walked with me for almost thirty minutes to lead me to the destination. Such is the power of language!

My advice to students, who wish to study in Japan: learn at least basic spoken Japanese before departing for Japan. This will surely pay you off.

Sensei

I enrolled in Yamaguchi University. Upon reaching Yamaguchi city, my first job was to meet my supervisor. Supervisors are very important in Japan. They have far-reaching influence on a student’s career. Supervisor’s recommendation is a must for job application. One can hardly expect a good job without it.

My supervisor was Mr. Mizuki Nakama. Supervisors and teachers are called sensei in Japanese. My seniors warned me that Mr. Nakama was a kibishi (strict) sensei, that he was tough on deadlines, very demanding about works etc. etc.

My seniors advised me to carry a gift for the supervisor on the first meeting. The people of Japan have a refined taste. So, when you present anything to someone of Japan, make sure that it is aesthetically wrapped.

I knocked his door with a souvenir and a fearful curiosity. The gentleman opened the door was a welcoming person with a compassionate innocent smile. After brief introduction, he enquired about my education and job back in home, my family, my initial impression about Japan and my housing arrangement in Yamaguchi. He asked me to freely contact him anytime should I need any help. I liked my sensei instantly. Over my next two years, he was my guide in Japan.

Nakama sensei is a very charming personality. As I was always sincere about my study and research, I never saw his ‘kibishi’ part. He is a wonderful human being. We gradually became sort of family friends. Mr. Nakama and his family travelled Dhaka several times by now. He never misses to visit my family whenever he comes to Bangladesh.

The secret of winning your supervisor in Japan is very simple: be sincere in your work, try not to miss assignment deadlines and be straight. I found that Japanese people are too gentle to say ‘no’ on one’s face. They prefer indirect style of communication, as part of their politeness. Even when they are annoyed about the missed deadlines, they may not express their displeasure directly. Students may take a note on this.

Tomodachi

Tomodachi is a Japanese word for friend. You cannot discover real Japan unless you have Japanese friends. The primary condition for making a Japanese friend is to speak Nihongo, at least to a workable degree. The best part of my Japan days were my friends: Suzuki, Tagami, Masaki, Chiho, Machiko, Sasabe, Asuka, Mr. Kotao, Mr. Kimura and many others. They took me to places and parties, to shopping and to clinics, helped me read brochures and signboards, explained me Japan: its cultures, treasures, frustrations and hopes.

Suzuki was in the car-trading business. Every time he made a test drive of a Jaguar or a Ferrari or a Porsche, he would certainly call me to accompany him. We traveled so many places together.

On one of my semester breaks, I was travelling home through Kansai. I wanted to reach Kansai by road to have an experience of Japan’s bus system. Masaki arranged that; he accompanied me in the long journey from Yamaguchi to Osaka, took me to the airport and waited until the take-off.

When my family visited Japan, my tomodachi drove them to different cities, places and spots, restaurants and malls.

“What are the special dishes of your place?”

Every time I met someone new in Japan, he or she would ask me what special food I had in my city. At first the question seemed a bit strange to me. Then I gradually came to understand the meaning of the question. In Japan, different regions have different special dishes. For example, Hiroshima has Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake)(Hiroshima style), Osaka has Okonomiyaki of Osaka style, Toyama has Shiroebi (white shrimp), Shimonoseki has Fugu (the puffer fish). Some dishes such as Tempura, Soba, Yakitori (grilled chicken), Yakizakan (grilled fish), Onigiri (rice ball), Sukiyaki, Sushi and Sashimi are common everywhere.

Most Japanese cuisines are distinctly different from Bangladeshi dishes in flavor, taste and process. It was not easy to take Japanese dishes in early days of my stay. As time passed, I started to like them. And finally, I fell in love with them. My friends now know that nothing makes me happier than being treated at Izumi or Samdado (the Japanese restaurants at Dhaka). I greedily wait for invitation from Japanese embassy or its officials so that I can have a taste of Japanese cuisine!

The Best Vacation

If someone asks my two boys, “what is the best vacation you ever had?” I bet they will answer “Japan”. My family could not stay with me in Japan due to my wife’s job and my boys’ schooling. But I wanted my family to visit the beautiful country. The staff in JICE office helped me a lot in arranging their visit.

My family visited Japan in 2007 and stayed there for a month. They loved everything of it; the landing at the Fukuoka Airport in the middle of night, the mid-night travel by Jumbo taxi, the visit to the historic city of Hiroshima, the Fugu (puffer fish) dishes of Shimonoseki, evening walk at the University campus, time with the family of professors and friends, Akiyoshi-dai (the largest karst plateau in Japan), the Akiyoshi-do Cavern, the temples, the apple-picking festival, everything.

The Notebook

On the day of return, my friends in Japan presented me a notebook with signed notes from each of my friends. “Keep it. The notebook will remind you of us”. They said.

I didn’t tell them. I don’t need the notebook to remind me of them.

I am the notebook. They are my pages. They are my part.

How can one forget his own part? Even for a moment?