Visit to Tamagawa, Part II: Reunions and memories

Life at Tamagawa University was more than a stroll through forested bliss, as I hinted at in my last blog. Memories of my students and colleagues are just as salient as those of trees--more so, actually. I was happy to relive some of those during my recent visit to Japan. My first tour of the campus last month was with former colleagues, and among the first people I saw were Hirobumi Matsumoto, now the director of the Center for International Programs, and Keiko Sato, a former student who also works there. Here we are in the lobby of Building 5. I first met Matsumoto-sensei when he was a student and I was a freshman teacher. As we are Facebook friends, I've followed his career with pleasure, seeing the gifts he brings to the university's evolving program. As always, a face-to-face reunion brings joys Facebook just can't match. It was a treat to see Ms. Sato for the first time in 6 years.

Soon afterwards I met Ethel Ogane-sensei, who I first met when she joined the full time faculty of the Business Department. She has her office in the new Center for English as a Lingua Franca now, and I was so happy to see her thriving there. Sylvie Suzuki-sensei, another former colleague joined us for a tour of the new center and later dinner at a local Italian restaurant.

For working teachers, it was that happy time of year just before the new school year starts and after the work of the previous one is finished. Graduations are in March in Japan, and the new school year begins in April, which continues to seem like the natural time for a school year to begin, just like the growth of plants.

Just a few days later I visited the campus again, this time with a group of students who were in my junior/senior seminar. They graduated in 2005, and now 10 years later, those who could make our date, came together for a reunion. Before I show you our group picture (alas, not inclusive) taken on April 2 this year, here's how they looked 10 years ago on their graduation day. (An aside: I always enjoyed graduation day fashions, with everyone appearing in beautiful colors and individual choices--something worth noting as the country is often stereotyped as conformist.)

And now jump to 2016. Here we are in front of the building where we used to study together.

Most are moms now--or will be soon. This year, Yoko came with her daughter, (and her husband) as did Shiori. Mami brought her two sons, and she'll give birth to a third child this year. Asami left her young son at home with her husband, but had pictures and stories to share. Rika and Maiko will both be moms later this year for the first time, and Hiroko will celebrate her wedding. Graduation was the start of new adult lives and now parenthood is giving those lives a new dimension.

Not all reunions took place on campus. Phil Rowland-sensei, who taught many of the same classes I did, met me at a coffee shop near the day care center where he was due to pick up his 3-year-old daughter, Haruko Sophie. I was happy to hear he's pleased with his courses and with his poetry. A book of his poems will come out soon and he continues to edit Noon, an online journal of the short poem. Regrettably, I didn't take a picture of him, and my hopes of doing so were thwarted when I walked over to the day care center with him. Little Sophie was feeling shy that day, so no pic was snapped, but I left with the tender mental image of Phil holding her, her bare foot dangling free, as he got ready to put on her shoes. A sweet parent he's become as well as an excellent colleague for his Tamagawa peers today.

Another reunion off-campus was with Renate Tamamushi, a retired German teacher who graciously hosted me for a week at her place, and Gillian Shaw, who taught English at Tamagawa for many years. We met at one of my favorite restaurant haunts in Shin-Yurigaoka: The Harvest, a buffet of local, organic dishes. Here we are, posing outside after a delicious and filling dinner.

A heartfelt thank you, one and all, for the old memories I share with you as well as the new ones made on this visit. For all those in the Tamagawa community who I didn't have a chance to see, thanks to you as well. Looking forward to next time!




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