Love Around the World 10: Japan

A/N - Most mature stories I've written have been about a younger man with an older woman. It's just the way my mind has worked when thinking of stories regarding the category. This could also be considered an interracial story though I've submitted it as a mature story. I'll leave it to the Literotica gods regarding as to where this actually ends up.

I've never been to Japan though it is certainly on my list of places to visit for the near future. I'm aware of its increasing popularity as flights from Sydney to Japan are constantly sold-out months in advance.

Previous stories in this series:

Love Around the World - Andorra (Mature)

Love Around the World - Bangkok (Interracial)

Love Around the World - Colombia (Transgender)

Love Around the World - Dresden (Romance)

Love Around the World - Estonia (Group Sex)

Love Around the World - France (Anal)

Love Around the World - Guangzhou (Interracial)

Love Around the World - Hungary (Incest)

Love Around the World - India (Interracial)

Australian / British standard English. There is a good chance of reading the following: lots of profanity, characters drinking, typos, and bad grammar at times.

Proofreading and editing suggestions provided by OhDave1. Any mistakes are still mine.

Comments are appreciated as always.

Feedback by email is always welcome. Enjoy chatting with anyone who likes my work.

*****

A younger man enjoys time with some beautiful mature women in Japan.

*****

This was the second time I was visiting Japan. The first time I'd flown out was during my time at university when a group of us took advantage of the longer breaks we had and spent a good month visiting all the important cities and historical sites that the country had to offer. We spent time in Tokyo and still didn't scratch the surface. The ancient capital of Kyoto couldn't be missed. Osaka is a gorgeous city that is increasingly popular with travellers. Hiroshima is a popular destination due to its recent history. Hiking at least part of the way of Mount Fuji is almost a pilgrimage. And that's only part of the itinerary we undertook. By the time we boarded our flight back to Sydney, the four of us had enjoyed the time of our lives but were absolutely exhausted.

I was returning to Japan a few years later. Still only in my mid-twenties, graduating from university and starting my career for a Japanese firm that was based in Australia. Aware of Japanese working culture, I'm glad they didn't bring that with them to Sydney! I'm not spending most of my life at the office.

One of the main reasons I'd been hired was the fact I could speak Japanese. Being a young and modern Australian, aware of our place in the world, I always thought that learning French or Spanish was pointless. I could have learned Indonesian, being they were our largest, nearest neighbour, but I'd chosen Mandarin due to China's rise of prominence, and I selected Japanese purely out of self-interest, which then worked out well considering the company I was then employed once I'd graduated university.

My itinerary was rather open as I had agreed to head off to Japan though I would still be required to work remotely. Given there was little time difference between Sydney and Japan, though we were in different hemispheres, I aimed to land in Tokyo and immediately head north to the Tohoku region, which I'd read was almost untouched by foreign travellers, before I had the idea of heading over to Hokkaido, which rarely saw many foreign visitors.

As I waited by the gate to begin boarding, I found myself chatting with a few travellers, most of them landing in Tokyo and choosing to remain there for a few days before they would catch a train to other cities such as Kyoto, Osaka or Nagoya before heading further west. None spoke of any interest in heading any further north than Tokyo.

The flight from Sydney landed at Narita Airport. I didn't mind that as I planned for one night in Tokyo before I caught a train heading north. My first port of call was Sendai, which would likely be the largest place I'd visit during my holiday unless I did end up stopping in Sapporo if I ever made it to Hokkaido.

I'd organised a cheap hotel in Tokyo close to the train station that would take me north the next day. Catching a shinkansen after peak hour was the perfect way to travel, the train covering the three hundred and sixty kilometres in only ninety minutes. Unlike nearly all of the other cities I'd visited the first time, Sendai felt more like a provincial large town rather than a bustling city.

Thoroughly enjoying the three days I spent in Sendai, it was the perfect entry to the quieter regions of northern Japan. I saw absolutely no other tourists out and about while I was in Sendai and knew there was even less of a chance of finding anyone but locals or domestic tourists once I was approaching Hokkaido.

Unlike my first trip, where I'd generally stayed in dorm rooms within hostels as it was the cheapest way to travel, I chose to stay in guesthouses run by locals. The one in Sendai was located in the suburbs away from the centre. And to my delight, it had an onsite onsen.

"I'm surprised to see a gaijin this far north," the lady who ran the guest house stated on my first day as I was returning to change before heading out for dinner, having introduced herself as Hinata. She didn't speak English, left thinking I'd impressed her at least a little bit when I'd whipped out my somewhat fluent Japanese when I'd been checking in, "Would you join me for tea, Mark?"

"I'd be delighted. Thank you."

I was aware of at least one or two customs when it came to the ceremony. Kneeling by the small table as she walked in with everything required, she carefully kneeled down opposite me, a shy little smile on her face as I watched quietly as just pouring the tea was an event in itself.

"What brings you to Japan a second time?" she asked.

"I wanted to visit parts of Japan that are generally overlooked by most tourists. I hoped that my knowledge of Japanese would make things a little easier for me."

"You won't find many people who speak English confidently this far north of Tokyo except for some hotels and tour guides."

"Are you local to Sendai?"

She smiled and nodded. "This guest house belonged to my grandparents. My mother and father ran it until they turned it over to me. They still live in Sendai though are now comfortably living in retirement."

"If they're retired, it leaves me wondering... I mean... Um... I'd never ask a woman her age..."

She covered her mouth as she giggled. "I appreciate the compliment, Mark. Thank you. If I may ask, how old are you?"

"Twenty-four."

"I'm easily old enough to be your mother."

"Well, colour me shocked. But I'll shut up now lest you believe I was flirting."

"I've not met an Australian before. If they're like you then I can only hope that I receive many more visitors from your homeland in the future."

Heading out for dinner a little later, Hinata had given me a short list of restaurants I should visit, particularly places that served local specialities that I likely wouldn't find elsewhere in Japan. When it came to wanting a drink, I was surprised to hear that Sendai was a university town so there were plenty of establishments where I could find a stool at a bar and enjoy a tipple.

Flirting with Japanese girls was always good fun. The stereotype that they are usually shy and reserved exists for a reason. With strangers, both Japanese men and women would be shy though always polite. When they learned I could speak Japanese, that was an avenue for conversation and learning about each other. Of course, being a man, I was interested in meeting women. And with Sendai being full of students, most of them want to enjoy a good time...

Karaoke. Yes, I ended up in a karaoke bar watching many cute young women having a good time singing very, very badly. After everyone had enjoyed a few drinks, a few jokes were flying around about the gaijin who could obviously speak, read and understand Japanese rather well. I had my eyes on this cute girl who was giving me the eyes nearly all night.

In the end, nothing much came of it as she simply enjoyed teasing me the entire time though she did take me into a dark corner to leave a kiss on my lips.

"If you were planning on staying here, then perhaps I would consider something more," she told me, "Instead, I'll leave another kiss before I leave for the night. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in Sendai, Mark."

I tried to be as quiet as possible when returning to the guest house, but I guess I wasn't as quiet as hoped or noise travelled quickly as I was still trying to get into my room when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I almost shit my pants before glancing to see it was Hinata, a sweet little smile on her face.

"Did you have a good night, Mark?"

"Made quite a few friends," I replied, "Karaoke. I swear everyone is obsessed with it."

"Would you like some tea before bed? It might help prevent you from waking up with an upset stomach."

"Hmmm. I have consumed a bit of whiskey and sake tonight."

Turning on a couple of lights, we gathered in the same room as before. Hinata returned a few minutes later. She had that same shy smile on her face once we'd served tea. I'd seen no sign of any husband or children. I just wasn't sure if it was a question I should ask.

"Do you have a girlfriend back in Sydney?" she asked. I guess she could read my mind.

"No. I've only ever had one serious relationship. Lasted eighteen months while we were at university."

I enjoyed the smirk that appeared on her face. "Was she Japanese?"

"No, she was Indonesian. Her name was Citra."

"Really? I had no idea Australia had a large enough Indonesian population."

"There's a growing Indonesian population in Australia. Her parents emigrated when she was but a baby. We met during our first year together at university and quickly realised we had an attraction."

"You speak of her like it's in the past?"

"Well, we are no longer together. Indonesia is majority Muslim though somewhat secular about it, depending on where you are living. She wasn't a particularly devout Muslim. Observed Ramadan. Didn't eat pork. Drank though. Her parents were a different story. Didn't particularly like her dating a non-Muslim, and once they learned I was pretty much a complete non-believer, they did their best to break us up. It eventually became too much for her and we chose to part ways."

"And no girlfriend since?"

"Nothing long-term. I'm not exactly sure what dating is like in Japan. It's certainly become more liberal in certain areas. I've never been interested in one-night hook-ups. I have had what is called a friend-with-benefits arrangement with a couple of girls though that's on the proviso we're still exclusive."

"Things like that do exist here. Younger people favour using dating apps to meet up."

"And someone of your maturity?" I wondered.

"I'll be honest, Mark. I'm not really that interested in dating any longer. I'm sure you're curious since I've asked about you. I was married when I was younger for over a decade. We divorced five years ago. He was more than aware that my parents would hand this place down to me and I intended to keep it in the family. He spent years trying to convince me to leave Sendai. He finally chose to leave on his own."

"Any children?"

"They attend university in Tokyo as they decided to live with their father once they were old enough to decide where they wanted to live. I had my children rather young."

"I'm sorry they're not here for you."

"No need to be sorry. My daughter visits me at least once every couple of months and calls me nearly every night, even if it's only for a five-minute conversation. My son is far too busy living the good life, so I don't see him as often though he calls me often."

"And your ex-husband?"

"Oh, I have nothing to do with him any longer."

Finishing our tea, she escorted me to my room, thanking me for joining her again for tea. "I wake up early in the morning and will be in the onsen should you wish to join me," she said softly.

"Oh..."

"Would you be embarrassed? You'll find this far north in Japan that mixed bathing is nothing irregular."

"Not embarrassed. I would have just assumed... Never mind..."

I'll admit that I slid into bed that evening a little aroused. There was no missing that Hinata was quite an attractive woman. Not sure what it is, perhaps something in the air or the water, but it was another sort of stereotype that Japanese women seemed to age rather gracefully. They could enter their fifties and even their sixties and still seemed to retain a youthful visage. Hinata was in her forties and I'm sure many wouldn't have believed it.

Waking early the next morning, I slid on a robe and walked out to the onsen where Hinata was already sitting back, steam rising from the hot water. I tried not to blush when removing the robe before sliding into the water to join her. It was rather invigorating as it wasn't exactly a warm morning, the sun barely over the horizon.

"Thank you for joining me so early," she said softly, "I hope my nudity doesn't shock you."

"I'm not lying when I'm saying that I can't see all that much."

"Well, I consider that a slight disappointment," she teased, "Have you been to an onsen before?"

"A couple of times during my previous trip."

Sitting in silence as I let the hot water do its thing, I didn't miss Hinata slowly but surely sliding closer to me. Given I was the only guest, I wasn't surprised that she was showing some interest in me. I wasn't expecting anything more than perhaps some flirting. Turning to face her once she was close enough, that same shy smile formed as she sat up enough that her breasts were exposed. She didn't have the largest chest in the world but there was no missing she was somewhat aroused.

"What do you think?" she wondered.

"I'm wondering what is going on, to be honest."

"I'm not sure what I'm doing myself. What I know is that you've been respectful and a pleasant guest. I wasn't sure what to expect when you made the booking. I've never had a gaijin as a guest."

"I'm honoured that I'm your first. Do domestic guests get this sort of treatment?"

She shuffled closer, her brown eyes lifting enough so they were constantly looking at me. "No, but that's because I'm rather ignored by most men nowadays. Once I hit forty..."

"How old are you?" I had to ask.

"Forty-one."

Resting my hand at her hip made her shudder as we continued to just gaze at each other in silence. There was no missing her arousal and I was nursing one hell of an erection at the same time. "I'm only here for another couple of days," I whispered.

"I've never done anything like this before," she whispered back, "All I know is that I want to cut loose and enjoy something, even if it's only for a day or two."

"Any other guests coming to stay?"

"Not for another couple of weeks."

"Want to shut up the place for a day and spend it with me?"

"You mean that?"

"Well, I'd love your company, and I guess having a local to guide me around would help too."

What I didn't expect was for her to move enough that she could straddle my lap. There was no missing that she was naked. I'd kept some underwear on as I wasn't sure if I should have arrived naked or not. I knew some onsen would request customer keep their modesty while others took a more liberal approach. Running my fingers up and down her back, she shuddered at my touch before our lips finally met. Feeling her press down onto my erection earned a soft moan into my mouth as my tongue slid into her mouth.

"Mark... I've got to be honest with you about one thing," she said upon breaking the kiss, "I haven't had sex since my husband left me."

"What? You're joking?"

"I've felt invisible for so long. But I saw how you looked at me from the moment you arrived, and then last night, I felt something too... And I wondered..."

"I just thought you were a beautiful woman. I'm not shy in allowing myself to gaze upon a beautiful woman, and I'm not shy in expressing what I think about a woman either."

We kissed again, another moan as she seemed keen on rubbing herself on my erection though was holding herself back. When I broke the kiss to move down to kiss her neck, the moan she released suggested I was doing the right thing, my hands continuing to move over her body, down her back towards her arse and back up before moving around to gently grasp one of her breasts.

Moving my lips back to hers, the next kiss left us both breathless by the time we broke apart, the gaze in her eyes one of unbridled lust. If I suggested then and there that we should return to my room, I don't think she would have hesitated. I thought I'd leave the ball in her court.

"We can either move this to my room or we can pause here and resume this later tonight?"

"You will come to my room tonight?" she asked, a slight blush forming as she glanced away, looking rather adorable.

"Even if it was just to snuggle in bed. I don't want to rush into anything, and although we're both feeling something right now, I don't want you to feel any regrets."

"You are too kind, Mark. I would love to join you today. Let me wash and get dressed. You should do the same. I will take you to some hidden gems of the city. We'll have a light lunch as I'll reserve us a table at the best restaurant in the city for dinner."

"With this sort of treatment, I might just have to extend my stay..."

That earned another soft kiss, her fingers caressing my cheek as her brown eyes gazed at me. "You can stay as long as you wish. Sendai can be your base to visit much of Tohoku."

Meeting around an hour later, she was dressed comfortably as was I, anticipating a long day of walking. What had me smiling was that within five minutes, she carefully took my hand in hers, glancing her way though her eyes were hidden by her sunglasses. For a couple of hours until lunchtime, she showed me the main sights of the city, promising me that I'd see a few hidden gems after lunchtime.

Lunch was at a quiet little sushi place, the food has exploded in popularity around the globe, and Sydney was now full of sushi places. That and bubble tea, which isn't Japanese but apparently is just as popular in Japan as everywhere else.

Strolling hand in hand away from the 'tourist' areas of the city though I noticed there weren't exactly a lot of old buildings around. That's when she squeezed my hand a little tighter. "My family has called Sendai home for generations," she explained once we'd taken refuge under a large tree, "No-one outside Japan would really know all that much about this city being bombed during the war. A quarter of the old city was completely destroyed. A couple of thousand people died. My family was fortunate that we didn't live in the centre."

"We don't have to discuss it if it's upsetting..."

"I only find what we lost upsetting. So much history of our city and culture was lost in a single night. I can only look around now and have to close my eyes to imagine what Sendai looked like before the war."

"I can look around now and see that it's still a very pretty city." Pausing, I shuffled closer and whispered, "And I think there are some very pretty girls in the city too."

She met my eyes and chuckled, bumping me with her shoulder. "I'm still sitting here amazed that I'm talking to a gaijin in my own language and the fact you're so fluent. I don't know a word of English, Mark. We were taught in school, but I just never needed to use it and I've forgotten everything over the years..."