The Japanese Way Pt. 01

As I walked into the arrival hall, wheeling my trolley filled with luggage, I couldn't believe I'd actually had the courage to go through with it. All my life, growing up, I'd been a shy introvert that lacked the conviction to bring my dreams to reality. However, there I was, finally outside of my comfort zone and about to embark on an adventure.

I was to spend the whole summer in Japan via an exchange programme. I honestly couldn't believe how lucky I was for being granted the opportunity. I'd never before left the same all-American town that I'd been born and raised. Up until a few months before, I didn't even have my own passport. Everything was moving so fast but I was excited beyond belief.

I'd been waiting in the airport for at least half an hour by that point, nervously fidgeting on the spot in anxious anticipation of my host family coming to collect me. I'd expected them to be waiting for me but it appeared they were running late. I'd read about them a little when the offer had originally come up and we'd exchanged a few polite emails. They seemed almost as excited as I was at the opportunity. In the months since being accepted I'd been practising my Japanese; however, my progress had been minimal and I knew only a handful of phrases.

"Kon'nichiwa," I said out loud. I'd been practising the greeting during the flight over and finally I had mastered it. "Kon'nichiwa. Kon'nichiwa. Kon'nichiwa," I said over and over again in my American drawl, causing a nearby Japanese woman to stare at me curiously as if I was a malfunctioning robot.

"Kon'nichiwa," she finally said with a polite nod, before turning and leaving me all alone. As she waltzed away I noticed just how slender and diminutive she was. A quick glance around the arrival hall confirmed that the majority of Japanese women returning to their country were slim in appearance. The realisation led me to feeling out of place and vulnerable. I wasn't fat by any measure, but I was often referred to as 'big-boned' by my friends and family, particularly my wide shoulders and square jaw-line. I was slightly overweight, plump I'd like to say, but I wasn't about to go on a diet. Running laps of the track during gym class was never my forte either. I was more a shot-put kind of girl. I wasn't at all self-conscious about my weight as I'd always felt comfortable in my body, however, these Japanese women were ridiculously svelte to a model standard and for the first time in my life a few doubts began to seep into my confidence. I wasn't fat, but compared to these women, I absolutely looked like I was fat.

I looked beyond the waiting crowd behind the barrier, and noticed three women stood near the airport exit. I was completing the exchange with a young girl named Akane, but from our emails, I knew that she lived with her mother and younger sister. I was to spend the summer in Japan, and the next year, she was to come over to USA. The programme was marketed as a cultural-exchange, the sort that bordered on an au pair situation rather than an educational endeavour, though of course without any of the childcare responsibilities. I'd always been fascinated by Japan, especially as it was featured in movies and the like. Two of my favourites were Kill Bill and The Last Samurai, and I was hopeful that the reality of Japan would mirror those amazing scenes I'd witnessed onscreen. The opportunity had seemed a no-brainer and my parents had been all for it.

Akane was of similar age to myself, both of us being in our early twenties, though, from the photos she'd uploaded to her profile on the exchange web site, she looked a couple of years younger. In all of her photos she had long, dark hair and wore thick black-rimmed glasses. As one of the women near the exit matched this description, I figured this was probably them and made my way over. This was confirmed as I approached, as the pretty girl I reasoned to be Akane was holding a small sign with my name written on. Immediately I noted how petite they all were, and I must have stood a couple of inches taller.

"Kon'nichiwa," I said with a smile as I wheeled up with my trolley. "I'm Molly."

Akane looked even younger in person than her photos. I think it was a combination of the glasses and the braces lining her teeth. Her appearance was almost stereotypically nerd-like, though, from our discussions, I knew her to be a confident and popular girl. Her outfit certainly communicated that, as she was wearing a pink one-piece that branched into shorts. Her skinny legs led down to a pair of ankle socks and battered, old Converse with laces darkened to a dirty grey. "Kon'nichiwa, Molly," she said and she almost gave a little excited jump on the spot. "Welcome to Japan."

I was confused for a moment as I glanced between the three of them, as they appeared like sisters and similar in age. "Kon'nichiwa, Molly," the tallest one said with a slight nod of her head. It was only when I heard her voice that I realised she was their mother. I was caught off-guard for a moment because she almost looked like she was the same age as me, but I was pretty sure that Akane had mentioned her mother, Saori, was in her forties during her emails. She was a youthful beauty, with flawless pale skin and not a wrinkle in sight. Even the way she dressed betrayed her age; a quiet black sweater, above a bright pink ankle-length skirt, from which a pair of old sneakers were poking out of the bottom. She seemed almost hip, if I had to pick a word to describe her, which was a far comparison from my own mother who dressed straight out of the nineteen-fifties with blouses and broaches.

The third girl, who appeared to be the youngest, though slightly taller than Akane, hadn't even looked up to acknowledge me. She was too distracted by her phone and for my entire walk over and greeting, she'd paid me no mind at all. It made sense of course, Akane had mentioned she was nineteen in her emails, so her world was probably boys and social media. I imagined the life of a teenager in Japan was pretty similar to USA.

"Matsuri-chan," her mother said with a nudge in the young girl's arm.

It was only at this point that she looked up startled from her phone and I was greeted with her sharp beauty for the first time. Her eyes were large and wide, at the centre of an almost heart-shaped face. Her black hair was the longest of the trio, descending straight down beyond her shoulders and breasts. Her style seemed relaxed, yet elegant, with a loose-fitting dress that came to just above her knees. As a result, her smooth, skinny legs were completely on show, with similar white ankle socks and Converse to her sister. Was this what entailed Japanese fashion? "Kon'nichiwa," she said in a disinterested tone, and following a lazy smile, she returned her attention to her phone.

I felt very out of place, as the three of them were extremely attractive, where as I was more of a plain girl. Sure, I could scrub up quite well when I put the effort in but I was nothing in comparison to the three Japanese women before me. Merely being in their presence was enough to rattle me and I suddenly felt uneasy about having to spend the summer with them. Flustered, I attempted to impress them with more of my learned phrases by saying, "Sayonara."

Saori dipped her head to the side with a questioning expression, then she glanced at Akane who returned an equally baffled look.

Matsuri, however, guffawed at my demonstration of Japanese terminology. She momentarily glanced up from her phone and rolled her eyes at me. "Sayonara, Molly," she said, before following it with another chuckle. "I hope you enjoyed Japan," she added in perfect English. "It is a shame you couldn't stay longer."

Akane and her mother began talking in Japanese in a flurry and the words were beyond my comprehension. Occasionally they would smile and laugh with Akane glancing my way shortly after. All the while, Matsuri shook her head while listening to the conversation.

"You don't speak Japanese, Molly?" Saori finally asked, again, in perfect English just as Matsuri had done. She looked genuinely confused.

"Umm, no, sorry, only a few words." I suddenly felt completely out of my depth. I had imagined that Akane had been using a translator for her emails and I hadn't even considered that the three of them would be able to speak English so well. I had figured that their English would be on par with my Japanese, and we would spend the summer hilariously misunderstanding and communicating via hand signals. However, it was evident that I was completely wrong. I felt ridiculous with my bumbling attempts at their language, while they had a perfect command on my own. Of course, it would make things easier knowing they could understand me, but still, it was flat-out embarrassing to arrive so ill-prepared.

Saori crossed her arms over her chest and looked me dead in the eye. "I suppose we will have to speak English all summer." She wasn't rude, but the disappointment was clear in her voice.

"It's okay," Akane interjected with a wide smile, fully showing off the braces lining her teeth. "I can practise my English all summer." She glanced at her mother with a little grin. "And I can teach Molly all about Japanese culture."

Saori appeared unconvinced. "I find it odd that you chose to come to Japan if you can't speak any Japanese." Eventually she sighed and shrugged. "Akane-chan, you will have to chaperone her everywhere. She will struggle on her own."

"Of course," Akane said with enthusiasm. She stepped towards me and linked arms. "We will be the best of friends. I'll take you all over Tokyo. When you return to USA, you will be an expert in Japanese culture."

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling the need to explain myself to the older woman. "I ain't very good at learning new languages."

Saori grimaced, then spoke in a monotone voice, "It should be: 'I'm not adept at learning new languages,' Molly."

"Including your own apparently," Matsuri added with a snigger. She rolled her eyes at her mother and shook her head in disbelief.

"Ummm." I was lost for words as everything suddenly felt incredibly hostile. I actually glanced towards the departure board and wondered whether it was too late for me to change my mind and return home. I felt attacked and demeaned and didn't like it at all. I couldn't believe how rude they were being, considering we had only just met and I'd been nothing but cheerful and friendly. Okay, I accepted it was pretty bad that I could barely speak any of their language, but still, there was no need for the arrogance and cruelty. I had to actually suck in a huge breath to avoid tears spilling from my eyes.

Thankfully, I felt Akane squeeze my hand and she was looking at me with kindness and compassion. "Don't worry, Molly," she said. "I will help you. By the end of summer, I am sure you will be proficient in the Japanese way!"

Akane nudged me aside and took over the trolley duty, directing us out of the airport while the three of us followed, mostly in silence.

It was Saori that occasionally asked questions, which were mostly the intrusively prying type. "What do your parents do for a living, Molly?"

"Um, my father is a garbage collector and my mother is a housewife."

Saori raised her eyebrows, followed by a slight nod of her head. "Would you like to be a housewife when you're older?"

"I'm not sure," I said in all honesty.

"Do you know how to care for a house?"

"Well, I do my share of chores back home."

"So, you are not afraid of work?"

"Not at all, I'm happy to help out around the house, ma'am."

This made the older woman smile and she hailed down a taxi.

Once we arrived at their home, which was far different to any I'd ever seen back in the US, Matsuri said something in Japanese to her mother, then skipped away down the street. I took in the architecture, there were lots of thin walls and triangular roofs. The garden appealed to me most, being well-taken care of with lots of little rocks, plants and trees. At its centre was a pretty pond with a few fish swimming along.

"Please could you bring your luggage," Saori said, which made sense since my bag was so heavy and I was the largest of us all there. She then said something to Akane in Japanese, and the girl nodded and beckoned me to follow with her finger.

As we entered the house, Akane kicked off her Converse and slipped her feet into a pair of old, fluffy slippers. I noticed Saori did the same thing, though she wore a pair of sandals. I was about to enter when Akane stopped me with a raised palm. "Shoes off in the house, Molly," she said. "It is the Japanese way."

I bent to take my shoes off, but realised there were no slippers for me. I was too shy to ask, so I just walked in wearing only my socks.

Akane led me upstairs along a hard-wood corridor while Saori followed behind us. "Mother room. Matsuri room. Guest room. Washroom," Akane said, with a dismissive point at each door. I glanced at the guest room and wondered whether I should leave my luggage outside while she gave me the full tour. When we came to a door at the end of the hallway, she spun and smiled. "And our room, Molly! You will be rooming with me."

"Awesome," I said with a smile. Being an only child, I'd never enjoyed the feeling of having siblings. I'd stayed over friend's houses a couple of times, but it never felt the same as I imagined it would with a sister. Plus, it was only ever for a single night. I was actually going to be having a sleep-over for the next few months and the thought was terribly exciting.

I turned to smile at Saori and she politely nodded in return. "You are welcome in our home, Molly," she said. "Akane-chan is excited to have you here."

Akane led me past an extravagant king-sized bed, to something on the floor. "This is where you will be sleeping," she said, as she gave the make-shift bed a kick with her slipper. It was one of those singular fold-out seats that had been covered with a sheet and had an old, misshaped pillow at its head. Messily thrown over the top was an unzipped sleeping bag.

I looked down at the offering. It was the sort of thing you'd expect in a vagrant shelter, not for a guest. For all intents and purposes, I'd basically be sleeping on the floor. I was hesitant to complain, after all, I'd only been in their house for a couple of minutes and I didn't want to insult their hospitality. However, this was just too much. "Umm, I thought I would have my own bed," I said. "That's what it said in the programme material..." I looked over at Saori who was leaning against the doorframe.

She raised an eyebrow then pointed at the sheets on the floor and shrugged. "Bed," she said, blankly. Before I could question any further, she'd already turned and left the room in a huff. I was immediately concerned I'd insulted her.

Akane's face dropped to a frown. "You don't like it, Molly?"

I looked at her sad little face and was worried I'd offended her, which hadn't been my intention. "I mean, I suppose it's okay," I lied. "It's just not what I'm used to." I glanced at Akane's huge bed with the solid-mahogany frame that bordered its base and a mattress about a foot in thickness. I then looked at the tiny girl and imagined her snuggly asleep at its centre without a care in the world. I looked back to my bed and could already feel my back cramping from the thought of having to balance on that thing all night. "It's just a bit small."

"We have another room with a real bed," she said. "But, I just thought it would be more fun if we roomed together. We can gossip, watch movies and play games and stuff."

"I'm sorry," I said. I could detect an underlying genuine intention to her words and I felt bad that I'd thrown them all back in her face. What she'd suggested did actually sound considerate and fun. I imagined it would be rather lonely in a room all on my own. At least here, I could settle in and feel welcomed by her. "I didn't mean to sound ungrateful." I wheeled my suitcase next to my bed. "I can sleep here."

"You don't have to if you don't want to." She took a seat on her own bed, resting her butt on the wooden frame that poked out beneath the mattress. "I was excited and didn't consider you wouldn't like it." Her lip had seemed to thicken in a sulk.

"No," I said frantically. "I do like it. I swear, Akane. I'll be happy to sleep down on the floor." I paused after I said the words and realised how they sounded.

"That would make me very happy," she said with a little smile.

I felt flustered an uneasy after accidentally offending her, and especially Saori. "Could I use the restroom, please?" I asked.

"Yes, you remember which it is?"

Once inside the restroom, I sat on the unopened lavatory and took a deep breath. It was nice to be alone for a moment as I seemed to be making a total mess of things. I fanned my hand against my neck, which was glistening in sweat from my mishap. I could tell that all three of my hosts were disappointed in my behaviour and attitude. I was trying my best, but whatever I decided to say seemed to be the wrong choice. I had big hopes about my time in Japan, but everything was going downhill rapidly. I had some kind of talent for accidentally offending them, despite my best intentions.

I splashed some water on my face and looked at myself in the mirror. "Come on, Molly," I said to my reflection. "You've been so brave so far. Don't give up now." These were just teething problems after all and things were always awkward in the beginning, right? I had a whole summer in Japan ahead of me! It was about time I let excitement take over rather than dwelling over my mistakes.

I walked back into Akane's bedroom with a renewed skip in my step. Positivity, that's what I was going to be all about from then on. However, my new attitude lasted a whole ten seconds before my eyes were drawn to the end of Akane's bed. She was no longer sat there, and was instead sat up in the middle and resting her back comfortably against a pile of colourful, fluffy cushions. But that wasn't what was drawing my attention. She had kicked off her tatty slippers and had her socked feet crossed up on a pillow. From the state of the thing I immediately knew it was my pillow. The soles of her white, ankle socks were darkened from the hours of sweat that must have seeped into them while encased in her old Converse. I just stood there, frozen on the spot, while I watched her grind her heel into my pillow, then change position and place both soles flat until they sank in. I pulled my gaze away to see that Akane was looking at me with a mischievous smirk on her face.

"Is that my pillow?" I asked, hoping that perhaps it was still a mistake.

"What do you mean?" she said without breaking eye contact.

"Why are you rubbing your feet all over it?" I reached out and tugged at the corner, but the pillow was clamped beneath her feet and didn't budge.

"Oh," she said, while grinding her toes into the pillow. "I didn't really think about what I was using. I just needed somewhere to rest my feet." She continued to rub her socks all over the top of my pillow and gave no impression that she had any intention of stopping.

"Oh," I said. I didn't really know what else I could say other than what I already had. I felt awkward and, on the spot, with all of the positivity I'd committed to suddenly evaporating. All the while, Akane held eye contact with me while continuing to drag her socked feet up and down the length of my pillow. That little smirk remained on her face and I saw her eyebrows raise behind her glasses, as if she was satisfied with my lack of action.

While I stood there uncomfortably, Akane reached down and removed each of her socks, all the while maintaining eye contact with me, waiting for my mouth to utter an objection. However, none came. Instead, I remained silent as Akane threw her discarded socks onto my bed, and continued kneading her bare toes into my pillow. I noticed her dainty feet were without polish, though seemed well kept.