Love Around the World 10: Japan

"Maybe I could teach you a few words?"

That made her smile. "Maybe later tonight after dinner. Maybe we could have a drink or two back at the guest house?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea."

We spent the rest of the day strolling around the city. The tree-lined boulevards were gorgeous. One of the main thoroughfares was completely pedestrianised. The entire city seemed to be green, and it was certainly nothing like visiting Tokyo, which was just tall buildings as far as the eye can see. By the time we were ready to finally stop and relax, she escorted me to Kokubuncho, which is the main entertainment district of the city. There was a slightly seedy undercurrent even during the daytime, Hinata guiding me away from certain establishments.

"This place opened in 1927," Hinata whispered as we waited for our table, "I hope you like oysters."

"You know they're meant to be an aphrodisiac?"

"That's a myth, Mark," she retorted with a giggle.

"Well, that's just disappointing."

The oysters were very nice though we did order a smorgasbord of food to enjoy. With our appetites for food satisfied, I was led by hand to a couple of bars where I was surprised when she ensured we sipped at some fine Japanese whiskey. I had always imagined whiskey being consumed by drunk Japanese businessmen after a long day at the office, usually in bars frequented by beautiful women looking to relieve those same businessmen of as much Yen as possible.

We were both still sober when we walked back to the guest house. Leading me inside and towards her bedroom, she turned to face me, resting her hands on my chest. "Will you just lay with me tonight?"

"I did say we could just cuddle." Pulling her a little closer, I earned a smile when I laid a soft kiss on her forehead. "I know what you told me this morning, Hinata. I don't want you to feel rushed, but I hope you never felt embarrassed this morning. I was flattered you were showing such an interest in me so quickly. It was unexpected."

"I did wonder what you thought of me when I was changing."

"Absolutely nothing negative. I thought your confidence was sexy."

Leading me by the hand towards her bedroom, she smiled at me when grabbing a couple of things before disappearing into the bathroom. I simply undressed down to my underwear and slid into the bed, waiting for her to reappear. Having removed the faint make-up and her hanging loosely down to her shoulders, she smiled shyly again as she slid into bed next to me, not hesitating in cuddling into my side.

"Hinata... I don't rush into intimacy. For as long as I'm here, if you just want company like this... I don't want to make love then leave..."

"You care that much about my feelings?"

"Someone like you deserves to be loved forever, not just for a few nights."

She was silent for a while before whispering, "You're not what I would expect from someone so young."

"I learned a lot with my ex-girlfriend. The regret I feel with her is that we didn't have the strength in each other, in our relationship, to make it work. But her family was relentless. I took it as a sign that perhaps we were just meant to be together."

Waking the next morning with her spooned against me, I tried to move away as I was achingly hard, feeling her move a hand to my thigh as reassurance it was okay. "Been a long time since I felt something like that against me," she said softly, "Can we just lie together for a while?"

"For as long as you want."

We only got up when our stomachs started to growl, and we obviously needed sustenance. After eating, she offered her hand again, gathering what we required before heading to the onsen. This time, she was not shy in disrobing completely before me though with her back towards me. Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled and turned around to show me her body in full for the first time.

Her breasts were gorgeous for a woman in her early forties. I guessed at around a C-cup, with brown nipples that suggested she wasn't only feeling cold. Her body was still trim though had the curves one would expect of a woman who'd given birth a couple of times. The dark patch of thick pubic hair wasn't a surprise. She had a fantastic pair of pins, her hands resting on her belly.

Figuring I might as well return the favour, I slid the robe off and lowered my underwear, watching her eyes widen slightly as she saw my cock for the first time. That smile that remained on her face only widened as I stepped towards her, offering her hand as we stepped into the warm water. As she washed me, it was perhaps one of the most erotic experiences in my life to that point, feeling her soft lips kissing me wherever my skin was exposed.

Returning the favour, I ignored her erogenous zones, watching her eyes intently as my fingers caressed her soft skin. We finally shared a kiss, and there was no missing the attraction we obviously had for each other as she did eventually straddle my lap, keeping my cock resting against me. Breaking apart, her fingers caressed my cheek as she never averted her eyes.

"I can't go out today. I put aside a few chores yesterday... Will you return in time for dinner?"

"Would you like to join me tonight?" I wondered.

"No... I was hoping you would join me. I love to cook."

"I'd love to join you. I know there are a few towns and villages nearby I can either catch a bus or train to... And I was serious about staying..."

She rested her head against my shoulder as I caressed her back. "Part of me would love that, Mark... But if you stay, I know I would start to feel things, and I know you would too, and that will just make it more difficult for us both. I haven't felt anything like this since before my husband left. I've felt invisible for so long."

We did eventually get up and return to our own rooms to change. Meeting up before I left, she kissed my cheek, told me to have a good day, and handed me a piece of paper with a list of places within a reasonable distance that I should visit. She was aware that I enjoyed nature as much as I enjoyed walking around a town or city.

Returning in time for dinner that evening, Hinata must have been busy as the time to eat approached the table was covered in a veritable smorgasbord. She insisted I take position next to her as she ensured something was always on my plate, explaining whenever I took a bite of something different. I insisted on helping her clean up afterwards before we enjoyed some tea as I wasn't bothered about not having something alcoholic.

Adjourning to bed earlier than previous nights, we lay on our sides facing each other as we talked about our lives. It was obvious to my ears that she missed her children terribly, but she did mention the many friends she had in the city.

"Not having seen them since you arrived will have them wondering where I am," she added, "I would introduce you but..."

"I won't be here the day after tomorrow." Taking her hand, I held it to my chest. "I would love to stay longer, but I think you're right about making things more difficult if I stayed."

Resting her head against my chest, I held her in my arms as I knew she was growing attached. So was I, in all honesty. I didn't care about any age gap. Before I'd met Citra, my Indonesian ex-girlfriend, I'd actually favoured meeting women older than me as I found dating girls around my age quite annoying. Women in their thirties had their shit together, knew what they wanted, and many were not interested in playing games. More than one single mother simply wanted some fun for a little while...

We must have fallen asleep in that position as we woke up the next morning having not moved all night. She kissed me softly before immediately turning away, pulling her back against me as I heard her sniffle more than once.

"Maybe I should sleep in my room tonight before I leave?"

"No. Please stay with me tonight."

"Are you sure?"

"I haven't been made to feel this special in far too long. I thought you would have... Before I began to understand you, I thought you would have just slept with me and then left."

"I'll take you out for dinner tonight. My treat."

"I'd love that, Mark. Thank you."

I did another day trip, and the time alone gave me plenty of time to think. I actually felt good about myself, the fact I hadn't taken advantage of an obviously lonely woman. The connection we'd established so quickly was a surprise. Different ages. Different life experiences. Different cultures. There was no doubting the physical attraction, but I was amazed at just how easy she was to talk to. And she seemed to find me interesting in return.

Returning to Sendai in the early evening, I'd let Hinata know ahead of time, so she was already dressed and ready for me when I walked through the front door of the guest house. I only changed into a nicer shirt before offering my hand and leading her out into the nighttime air. Anyone watching us together as we shared a meal together before enjoying a drink or two would have seen two people enjoying a romantic date.

Knowing I would be leaving the next morning, Hinata didn't want to remain out for too long before taking my hand and leading me back towards the guest house. As soon as we were in her bedroom, she was eager to kiss me while taking off my clothing until I was naked, returning the favour so she ended up as naked as I was.

"I can't make love and leave tomorrow, Hinata," I whispered, caressing her cheek as her eyes gazed up at me, "If we make love, I won't want to leave."

"You can hold me all night like this?"

"I can't think of a better way to end the night than holding you in my arms."

Cuddling into me, her head against my chest, she whispered, "Part of me wishes you could stay."

"Part of me wishes I could too."

Waking with her naked body pressed against me the next morning, the urge to just roll her over and make love was almost too much. When she woke up and smiled at me, we shared a soft kiss before getting up and heading out to the onsen.

Hinata walked with me to the train station, hand in hand as I knew we both wanted that skin-on-skin contact for as long as possible. Waiting for the shinkansen to arrive, we sat in the waiting room, and she gave me plenty of hints and tips about my next stop, Akita. The train arrived right on time as expected. Hinata was doing her best to keep her emotions in check. That last hug was something else, squeezing her tightly as I whispered how much I'd enjoyed her company and that I would like to keep in touch with her.

"Please do," she whispered, "I'd like to hear about your adventures. I hope you'll love this part of Japan."

After one last kiss, gazing into her brown eyes as she returned that shy smile I was already used to seeing, I boarded the train and took my seat next to the window, blowing her a kiss before the train slowly started to pull away from the station. The train wasn't particularly direct to Akita as it headed north to Morioka before turning west towards the coast.

Arriving in the early afternoon, it was immediately obvious that the city was smaller than Sendai and it was noticeably cooler. Having arranged to stay in a more conventional hotel than where I'd stayed in Sendai, the inn I'd booked online offered slightly larger rooms than in other conventional hotels, but the main reason I chose the place was the onsen that would be found on-site. The two girls at the reception desk were obviously not used to seeing foreigners, both of them very pretty, one trying to take my reservation in very broken English before I had both of them giggling when I broke out my fluent Japanese.

"Where's the best place to eat and drink here?" I had to ask.

Both of them were eager to help me, finding a tourist map and walking around the desk, one to either side of me, as they were quickly making notes on the map of where I could go. I had them giggling even more when I not so subtly suggested where I could meet some pretty girls though not the sort one might assume a westerner might like to visit.

My first night was fairly quiet as it was obvious Akita was nothing like Sendai. I didn't particularly mind as the whole point of the trip wasn't about going out each night and getting smashed on liquor. I took it easy that first night, visiting one of the recommended restaurants for dinner before I found a small quiet bar to enjoy a drink or two.

Akita did have enough to see to fill a day, but I'd chosen it more as a base as it was central to numerous other places I wished to visit. Took a few photos during my day of sightseeing. I didn't miss the occasional stares at the foreigner taking in the sights of their city. More than one person, man or woman, walked up and asked why I was visiting them, earning wide eyes of surprise when answering in Japanese.

Enjoying dinner at a different restaurant that night, I chose to visit a livelier establishment for a drink. I ended up in, of all places, a Belgian themed bar as they had a live music band playing. Quite a few single women seemed to be mingling, most of them seemed to be at least in their late thirties or early forties. Being the only foreigner, I didn't miss the glances in my direction.

"Fuck it," I muttered to myself, finally getting up and walking over. There were six gorgeous women all watching me approach, falling silent as I had no doubt that they were expecting me to say something in English. "Good evening," I stated in Japanese, "Would you care to join me at my table?"

Cue lots of giggling but immediate interest in joining me, those who didn't have a chair grabbing one from nearby. Within a few minutes, it was obvious there was one woman out of them all who was very interested in me as the six of them shared more than one pointed glance before five of them thanked me for the invite and made their way over to another table.

"I guess we should properly introduce ourselves," I stated after a few minutes, "I'm Mark. And if you can't tell from my accent, I'm Australian."

"I'm Noriko," she replied, offering her hand which I accepted, "Australian? What brings you this far north?"

"Well, I read that Akita had the reputation of having some incredibly beautiful women. I can see that reputation is well earned."

That had Noriko laughing. "Ah, well, I guess it could be considered a bit of a myth. You've noticed it's a lot cooler here than in most of Japan? They believe that helps when it comes to our rather paler complexions, which some consider a standard of beauty." She sipped at her drink before meeting my eyes. "Let me ask you a question, Mark. How old do you think I am?"

"You know men cannot answer that question safely," I retorted with humour, earning a smile, "But I would say maybe thirty-two, thirty-three?"

"Very smooth, Mark."

"I'm being honest."

"I'm forty-four."

Glancing at her left hand, I quickly said, "And I think you're either single or at least not out with your partner tonight."

"I'm very single. Unfortunately, my ex-husband..." She paused and let a smile form on her face. "Let's not talk about ancient history. Tell me why you're here in Akita. I honestly don't think any of us have seen a gaijin here before. I mean, I'm sure we get the occasional westerner visiting, but considering no-one around here would speak much if any English..."

"One of the receptionists at my hotel did try some English but it was obvious she never spoke it."

"We all learn in school, but somewhere like Akita, there would be no real use to keep practising it."

"Anyway, as to why I'm here, I read that Akita was a pretty place to come visit, but also a good place to base myself to visit other places. And as it's a much smaller city than others in the region..."

Time seemed to pass slowly as I offered to buy her a couple of drinks as we discussed our lives. I explained that I'd visited Sendai and had made a connection there. I was rather surprised she wanted to know all about Hinata, and I think I earned brownie points when I explained the connection that we'd had but that it never turned physical.

The bar was quieter when she finally shuffled closer. "And what do you think about me?" she asked softly.

There was no doubt she was beautiful, very easy to talk to, and I hadn't missed the fact she'd undone a couple of buttons of her blouse. I was left surprised by how forward she was, always of the opinion that I'd find the women more reserved. I think the fact I could speak the language so there were no misunderstandings certainly helped.

"Well, as I said earlier, I did read that Akita had a reputation for beautiful women..."

"Did it mention anything about how some of those women can be left feeling rather lonely?"

"How long?"

"I left him four years ago. I was feeling rather lonely for a lot longer during our marriage. He wanted a subservient housewife catering to his every whim. Never mind I'm educated, capable of better things, and that my role in life wasn't just to cater to his needs."

Leaning in to kiss her, I was pleased she was immediately receptive to my advances. I didn't kiss her too long, aware public displays of affection were a bit of a no-no in their culture, but the smile on her face suggested some interest. "Would you like to call it a night now or..."

"Mark, I'm not sure what you know about women in our culture, but a lot of what you've probably read is incorrect, based on assumptions and outdated ideas. I'm forty-four, not a porcelain doll, and I do wonder what a night or two with a foreign man might be like. Can't be any worse than my ex-husband. I'll just try not to overthink too much..." She paused and finished her drink before asking, "How long are you here?"

"Five nights."

"Want a local girlfriend for five nights? At least it's not a one-night thing, and we can both enjoy some time together."

"Been a while, I'm guessing?"

"Most men my age are not interested in women of my age. They're too busy chasing younger women in short skirts."

"Then I think it's time we finish our drinks and we can head back to my hotel or..."

"Your hotel is fine. If I wake in the morning and I'm feeling good about things, you can come to my place tomorrow night."

Walking hand in hand towards our hotel, she was rather short compared to me, perhaps even shorter than Hinata had been. The lone receptionist glanced my way and smiled as I led Noriko to the elevator. I could sense some nerves as we rode upwards, pausing outside the door to my room and glancing her way. "I can escort you home if..."

"It's just been so long," she whispered, "It's a little nerve-wracking, the idea of being with a new man, and the fact that man is so much younger than me..."

Turning to kiss her earned a smile before I opened the door to my room and escorted her in. Slowly undressing her as we kissed was a lot of fun though she was clearly still nervous, feeling her shaking slightly as she eventually ended up in just her bra and panties before me.

"Wow," I whispered, running my fingers across her body, "Just wow."

She was eager to get my shirt off in return, her fingers running up and down my bare chest before she worked on jeans as I slid out of my shoes and socks. Given I'd been aroused for quite a while, she didn't hesitate in taking down my underwear, watching her eyes light up in delight as my cock came into view.

Helping her to her feet, I easily took off her bra, freeing a larger pair of breasts than I expected, earning a moan of pleasure when my fingers took a hard nipple and gently applied pressure while kissing her. Moving onto the bed, I had my hands moving all over her body as we made out, finally breaking the kiss, only to move down her neck towards those magnificent breasts.

She moaned again as I took one of them in my mouth, gently sucking and nibbling at one nipple then the other, loving the noises that escaped her as I focused on her breasts for a couple of minutes before slowly kissing down her body. Reaching around her belly button, I could almost smell the scent of her arousal as she spread her legs wider for me, using my fingers to feel how wet her panties were.