Visit with Hisako

The first time Hisako had a conversation with a foreigner was two and a half years ago when she invited me to sit beside her on a crowded train from Nagahama, her hometown that I visited as the last stop on my summer trip. Within ten minutes, we had exchanged addresses and when my mom came to Japan, Hisako and her husband hosted us at their house.

This time is was the first time she had hosted a vegetarian, so she carefully thought out what to make for lunch and dinner. She is always so curious. She wanted to know all about our travels and took notes on the places we have visited, the cultures we have experience, and languages we have learned.

In the afternoon, Denise and I wandered around the small city of Nagahama. We visited the castle on the shores of Japan’s biggest lake, Biwa Lake. We passed the oldest remaining train station in Japan, walked around temples and shrines, visited the glass blowing museum, and stopped in a couple shops. In the evening, we went to admire 90 potted blossoming plum trees some of which are 100, 200, and even 400 years old! They were on display at a community centre with a pine tree garden.