When I
graduated from college in May of 1977, I was promoted to 2nd Lt. in the United
States Marine Corps Reserve. After a period of infantry and specialty training
in May of 1978, I was assigned to the Fleet Marine Force (FMF) at 2nd Marine
Air Wing Headquarters, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.
Since my days in college I had an abiding interest in the history and culture
of Japan and the other Confucian societies of North Asia. One day, while
discussing this interest with a fellow Marine Officer, he suggested that I
request to be assigned to Japan. I began to think about it and discuss it with
my wife whereupon I decided to make a request for orders to Japan.
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In June of 1979, I received orders to report to the 1st Marine Air Wing in
Okinawa, Japan and about that time I was promoted to 1st Lt. in the United
States Marine Corps Reserves. While waiting to proceed overseas, I began to
read as many books as I could about Japan and the Japanese people. My intention
was to learn and understand this new experience and to make the best of my time
when I was in Japan. I also began to study the language. Fortunately, my father
in law, at the time, was a fluent speaker and I was able to get some experience
with the Japanese pronunciation by listening to basic phrases and expressions.
 Suddenly, before I was scheduled to report to Okinawa my orders were
changed and I was directed to report to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni,
Japan. Little did I know at that time what was in store for me at this location
but I would soon enough come to regard this change of orders as a real
blessing.
                 In
accordance with my orders, I made plans for my family and arrangements for my
travel to Japan. This would be my first trip away from my home on the east
coast of the United States as well as my first trip overseas. After a stop in
Hawaii and a side trip to Australia, I flew from Honolulu to Tokyo, Japan. I
landed at Narita Airport in the first week of October 1979 and after passing
through customs, I made my way to the terminal area. Fortunately for me, most
of the signs were in English as well as Japanese but I was now beginning to get
the sense that I was in a different country where most of the people did not
speak my language. In any case, the helpful Japanese travel guides directed me
to the shuttle bus and instructed me to take that bus from the airport to the
local train station. From there they told me I would be able to take the train
to Tokyo, whereupon I would be able to get a long distance train to Iwakuni. My
recollection is that it was in the late afternoon when I began my journey from
the airport at Narita. The shuttle bus was a short ride to the train station
and when I disembarked I suddenly realized how "alone� I was in this new and
foreign land. I could not read any of the signs or speak enough of the
language. In due course, some young school girls asked me in English if they
could help. I told them I would like to go to Tokyo and then catch a train to
Iwakuni. They were kind enough to help me buy a ticket and they rode along with
me in the same car. Once I arrived at the Tokyo main station they told me it
was time to get off and said good bye. I was grateful for their help but I had
no idea what awaited me. It was late in the afternoon by that time and little
did I know what was going to happen
next.                                      Â
                As
I made my way up the stairs from the local train and into the main area of the
station, I was suddenly made well aware of the fact that I was "alone� and unable
to communicate. There was a rush of people and loud announcements as they made
their way to the various trains. I of course, realized that I had to get a
train to Iwakuni but I did not know the schedule or even how far away it was
from Tokyo. My father in law, who had lived in Japan during the Pacific War and
had been a student in a military school, gave me a basic lesson in the
geography of Japan before I began my travel overseas. However, as I stared at
the huge sign with all the trains and destinations, the only thing I could
understand was time since the Japanese rail lines use military time which of
course was very familiar to me.
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As a Marine, I started to size up the situation and plan my options. Tokyo is a
large city and like many places people were going about their business without
regard to my problem, which understandably, was not apparent to them as they
rushed to embark upon a train. In the course of trying to decide what I should
do and as many thoughts ran though my head, I suddenly felt a tap on my
shoulder and heard in perfect English "Sir, can I help you?� As I was quickly
turning around I said "Man you sure can� thinking that the person behind me
must be an American. Much to my surprise I realized that I was facing a young
Japanese business man who was a little bit older than my age. He continued on by
saying "Where are you going?� I replied "Iwakuni�, whereupon he said "I am
going to Iwakuni also, do you have a ticket?� I said "No and I have no idea how
to get one�. In haste he told me "Look the last train to Iwakuni is leaving in
10 minutes, give me some money and I will get a ticket for you but we have to
hurry.� So, I reached into my pocket and took out all the Yen that I had
exchanged at the airport for US Dollars. The business man took the money and
disappeared in a rush.Â
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At that point my American skepticism began to set in and I thought to myself as
the minutes passed, "mister you have been conned�. The image of Grand Central
Station in New York City and some hustler taking advantage of a visitor kept
flashing through my mind. As I waited for this gentleman to return with a
ticket and as I contemplated the possibility that he would not return, I began
to think about the books I had read prior to my trip overseas. Dr. Suzuki�s
books on Zen Buddhism and Edwin Reischauer�s books on Japan came to my mind. I
started to focus on what they had both noted in their books. That the average
Japanese citizen lives by a code of honor which I knew is expressed in the
Japanese word "giri�. Finally, I resolved in my mind that this event would be for
me a random "experiment� which would test the veracity of those authors and
their statements about the code of honor and that if I lost all my money that
this would be the "price� of testing their claims about the Japanese
people.   Â
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           While in the
mist of my thoughts and as the time grew short, there suddenly reappeared that
young business man running at full speed while saying to me "Hurry the train is
leaving in 2 minutes there is no time to waste�. Instantly, I grabbed my bag
and began to run after him at full tilt. Down the stairs and around the corner
we went like two mad men and just at the last second, as the conductor waved
the red flag, we jumped onto the train. The train was the "Shinkansen� and as
we sped along we began to get to know each other better. My new friend Narishima-san told me, all the while speaking impeccable English, that he was a
salesman for the Yoshida Corporation and that his company was a famous maker of
dental office equipment. I related to him that I was an officer in the Marine
Corps and that I was traveling to Japan for the first time to take up my new
assignment at the Marine Air Station, Iwakuni. At one point as we raced along,
he alerted me to look out the window and in the evening sunset I got my first
glimpse of Fuji-san the iconic image of Japan.
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After sometime he said "You must be hungry after such a long trip?�, and when
the hostess came by he ordered some food and drink. Knowing that I had no more
Japanese Yen he paid the bill and I began to have my first taste of wasabi,
sushi, dried squid and Kirin beer. During our meal he said in passing, "By the
way the money you had was not enough to cover your ticket.� I apologized for
being short-handed but he dismissed it saying "how could you know ahead of time
what it would cost.� In due course we arrived in Kyoto. At that point my friend
told me that we would need to change trains and board a slow moving sleeper car
for the remainder of the trip to Iwakuni. As we settled into our sleeping
berths I began to review the events of the last few hours since I had arrived
in Japan and to understand what the honor code "giri� means to the Japanese
people. Soon enough I would learn the extent of the decency and honor of the
Japanese people, even though I already experienced more than any stranger ever
expected.              Â
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As the train rattled along in the night we made our way slowly toward Iwakuni.
I dosed off for a while but in the early morning I heard the voice of my new friend
say "Gijin-san we are almost at Iwakuni. It is time to wake up and get ready.�
I awoke and prepared myself along with Narishima-san. After we were finished we had
a cup of green tea and he said "I will be getting off at the next stop but you
must go on and get off at the following stop because it is closer to the
military base�. Then, without saying a word, he reached into his pocket and
handed me an amount of Japanese Yen whereupon he said "You do not have any
money but you will need to take a taxi to the military base so take this and
you can pay me
later.�                                 Â
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Needless to say, I was stunned and humbled by the kindness of this decent and
honorable man. That day I realized that I learned an object lesson about human
relations which has stayed with me for the all of my life. In addition, I
learned about the decency and honor of the average Japanese citizen. While
living in Japan I would have many other experiences which would re-enforce the
lessons I learned that day but none were as powerful as Narishima-san�s kindness to
a stranger who was "alone�.  Later during my time in Japan I was
able to on occasion meet Narishima-san and repay his money and kindness.
Unfortunately, since I returned to the United States in 1980 I have not been
able to contact him again. However, though we have not been able to meet,
I believe we are connected by the events of that day and if in the future we
were to meet once again it would be a reunion of old friends.  If it
is not to be and we never meet again, then I am sure the Karma of his good
works will live on forever together with my respect for and debt to the
Japanese people.
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