Life is full of tough decision making process -5

Another enjoyment which I expected in Tokyo was several reunions. It was not formal reunion times for my high school and university, my friends gathered my close friends so that we could get together in dinner table. I was in English Circle in my university and Kendo, Japanese style art of steel, club in my high school. My wife and I met my friends nice restaurants in downtown Tokyo.

My friends, both boys and girls (old boys and girls?) were not much changed in their appearance in my opinion, but much advanced in their position in society and their companies. Most of them were higher than general manager class and their responsibility in their organization was high. It happened to be I was the only one who was in his own business in foreign country. Interesting enough, despite of their high position and large responsibility, they were interested in knowing what I am doing for living in the US. Poor my wife, who can not speak Japanese to the extend that she could catch up with our conversation, needed to concentrate only on eating during I was talking with my friends...

I asked some of my friends why they are interested in my business so much despite of their high position and responsibility. They answered me back in many different ways, but mostly 2 reasons. In our generation, US has been land of dreams and it looked cool permanently living and surviving in US. Almost co-existing with 1st reason, 2nd reason is the fact that all of them were not satisfied with being employed and looking for something they could be their own.

These conversations with my friends largely affected my decision later on...

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Life is full of tough decision making process -4

China trip was nice and pleasant and I have seen a lot of changes taking place there. My wife and I flew to Tokyo end of July. I noticed that Airport, buildings, cars, people's clothes were not much different from our last trip, which was last year in Tokyo. Therefore everything was not so much attractive or drew our attention.

Although the way Japanese young women dressed are kind of unique and very much Japanese like, even including Yukata-Kimono, Japanese traditional summer clothes, what we have seen in China was much more impressive than anything we come across in Tokyo, quite honestly.

-Image of Fireworks is not from Tokyo, unfortunately-
The picture was taken in Fisherman's Wharf 2008 in new year event
We went to several fireworks in Tokyo. My wife loves fireworks and we hoped that there were something which we can see something good in Japan. We went to 5 fireworks in total. All of them were very crowded and it took us more than 30 minutes to walk from nearby station to the event location. But, we enjoyed all of them and it was our conclusion that fireworks in Japan are most advanced and best organized. Even they had much of know-how to handle crowds.

Although we enjoyed fireworks a lot, I had some issues to be addressed in Japan which made my trip not so enjoyable...

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Life is full of tough decision making process -3

Let me talk a little bit more about China. This time, I did not go to Beijing. I did not visit to Shanghai. But, even medium size city of Anshan, close to Shen Yang and Ta Lian, the change was obvious. Good European cars, such as Volvo, Audi, BMW, Mercedes were easily spotted in city. People seemed to take taxis instead of using old crowded bus.

Young boys and girls were dressed in the way they like. They did not seem to be so much different from ones seen in San Francisco or Tokyo. Especially young women dressed much more fashionable than before. Even blue jeans they wear were more fashionable than just simple blue jeans like before. Many had decorations with flower or butterfly, or sometimes National flag like mark embroideries and were nice looking boots-cut. No Chinese stereo type guys clothes used to be half-sleeve white shirt, dark trousers, and black or brown leather shoes. More middle aged gentlemen were wearing polo shirts and cotton pants looked much better than before.

My wife shared same feeling as mine. She told me that her way of wearing American style does not stand out any more simply because everybody else wear like modern style.

My wife's family invited me for dinner for welcoming me visiting after relatively long time. Expensive restaurant on Saturday was full of family people taking their kids for dinner.

Chinese economic situation looked far better than US.

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Life is full of tough decision making process -2

The trip this time was not very exciting for me, from the very beginning. My mother was sick and going back and forth her hospital and home. My wife's condominium in China must have been sold due to too long vacancy. There were some job offers in Japan, but all of them must be in the office in Japan.

But, I have not been to China for more than 3 years. So, I was looking forward to visit at least to China. China was one of not many countries which were not very much affected by recession this time, as you know.

-Image of China, today-
Expensive Condo's were sold well and fully occupied.
Touching down on Sheng-Yan Airport and driving down the new highway connected to Beijing before Summer Olympic last year, I was clearly seeing the difference in China between 3 years ago and this year. 3 years ago, it was rare to come across other vehicles than dark red Volks Wagen, licensed and built in China. This year, there were a lot of European and Japanese cars, such as BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Lexus, Toyota, etc... Into the city area, there were high rise buildings were under construction here and there.

My wife's friend family invited us to their vacation. Expensive time share in resort area, more than $500 over night stay, was full of summer vacation families.

I was seeing what I had seen in 1960's and 70's in Japan, change in Tokyo that time was so remarkable. Only thing surprised me was the fact that high speed Internet system did not allow me to get access to many popular US Internet service sites, such as Blogger, Facebook, etc... I could not update my blog in Blogger since there was no access.

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Life is full of tough decision making process -1

I have not been posted my article for long time. And I apologize sincerely for the people who could follow my articles and commented many of them. There were several issues happening in my life and I needed to think deeply on what way I should go and how I could lead my family which includes my old mother who is 85 years of age.

I needed to think deeply if I should go back to Japan for taking better care of my old mother or should continue to stay in US. This decision making drove me crazy because I have spent a lot of time and effort to settle myself in US. Especially after my wife and I could buy our first house in California, this decision making process was tough.

I could not believe this is happening to me now, but for better selection of my future course, I visited Japan and China. I was in the middle of writing about a Japanese American family when I stopped posting my articles, but let me stop the story of Fujie for a while and let me start writing what happened to my family the summer in 2009.

I believe it will help some people having international background facing same kind of tough choices which I had. Also, again the decision making process was literally the process of "Filling the Missing Link".



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A Book "Poem of San Mateo" - 10

Fujie was totally correct in thinking there must be a way to bring herself back to US. The law banning Japanese immigrating to US had exceptions. That exceptions included family reunion. Fujie wrote to her sister. Fujie's sister also wanted her family back to US. Her plan was working.

Fujie's sister sponsored Fujie. That was how Fujie could come back to US. Later Fujie's sister and Fujie sponsored entire family so that their parent could come back to US. Of course her father's work record in Japan as a translator for US Army in Japan helped. She remembered nothing mattered for her father's illegal immigration. She was surprised on US Government made an issue on her father's past.

This picture is taken in San Francisco Parking.
Amazing to find something like this.
Even today, it was most practical to immigrate to US if you have part of family already living in the US Green Card Base or Citizenship. It was what I could do with my wife's help. My wife gave up her citizenship in China and sponsored me. I owe her what I could never be able to give her back. Skills and engineering technologies may work. But it was difficult to prove that you are the only one who could bring it to US, and next to impossible to show to Immigration that there are need for your skill in US.

Let's come back to Fujie, it was not easy for living in US, since her English was not as good as her father's. But she could have a job as a house keeper in an American family. She worked hard and studied English through her employer, she said mostly from their children.

Fujie met this guy, 2nd generation Japanese American who was looking for a date one day.

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A Book "Poem of San Mateo" - 9

Fujie, despite her desperate dream of going back to US, had a tremendous amount of problems. English. She spent most of her education ages in Japan. She could not speak English. She was a Japanese now, and Japan is the defeated enemy country for US. Japanese immigration to US was next to impossible. Ordinary people might have given up thinking about the difficulties they have had. Here another interesting facts for successful people is that they always face to tremendous amount of difficulties which cause usual people to conclude that is impossible.

After finishing this "A Poem of San Mateo", I read a book written by President of Toyota America, who established "Lexus" brand. When he started to hear somebody else say it was impossible, he started to think there is a chance. When he was told "NO" from buyers, he recognize real negotiation started. It looks like people successful for something are the ones who can manage difficulties and denials.

Fujie did not give up. She thought there is a way. She studied legal system that time. She talked with American Generals who visited her father. She determined that if her sister still living in US wanted Fujie to join back to her, Fujie would be able to come back to US.


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A Book "Poem of San Mateo" - 8

People make a decision or take an action which does not make sense that time, when we look back and think about it once again, we are surprised by the fact that we made a right decision and took a right action. It look as though we were driven from invisible power. I think there are a lot of things which we need ourselves involved in decision making or action taking. But there are some certain things that we cannot control. It may be a right course of action to go "Let it Be". In many cases, it turns out to be OK. This is not easy to explain but some people know it from their experience. Some may call it miracle. Others call it coincidence. I call it "Higher Guidance".

Picture: Night in Japan Town, San Francisco.
Teijiro's family went back to Japan and survived the war. Fujie was 18 years old and thinking seriously about going back to US. Alas, Japan was the defeated enemy country and Japanese immigration was totally banned that time. Teijiro, the father became famous in US stationed army because they used him to be an interpreter and translator because his English was prominent among other Japanese who could communicate with US Marines one way or the other.

Fujie gave up going to college and studied texture design women clothing in Tokyo. Her dream became same as her father's old dream. She needs to go back to US where she was born.


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Fill the Missing Link

A Book "Poem of San Mateo" - 7

There is no justification for war, in my opinion. War separate people, from loved ones, change people's destiny, sacrifice people's lives including survived ones. My father was one of them. He survived the war, released in Singapore, came back to Japan. But, he was quite sick for almost entire life of his. He was a smart man, but he could not use his intelligence in his work or for his life. All because he was sick. All because the war made him sick.

For the people who immigrated in the US before World War II, the situation must have been even more complicated. Teijiro thought that he could never be able to come back to US once returned back to Japan partly due to war, even either side wins. He would not be admitted to reenter into US because he was an illegal immigrant. He must have driven crazy from thinking all about this. But he decided to go back to Japan. Upon his decision, he did what most of Japanese would never have done. He asked all the members of his family including his 3 daughters if they hoped to stay in US or go back to Japan with him.

As a result, 2 older daughters decided to stay in US. Teijiro, his wife, and young Fujie had gone back to Japan. This interested me a lot. If Teijiro, as majority of Japanese house hold husbands, has asked, or ordered entire family to go back to Japan, they would have. And, then there might not have been a way for Fujie to return back to US.


Picture: Japan Town, San Francisco. Street Names are written both in English and Japanese. I do not know other place like this in US.



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Fill the Missing Link

A Book "Poem of San Mateo" - 6

One dark night, Teijiro used rope tying his ship to pier to secretly landed on Seattle. Japanese people living there helped him to hide, fed him, even gave local clothes to him so that he did not stand out and caught by immigration.

He succeeded in settling down in California. I always thought that Japanese living here in States do not help new Japanese residents. They always to sell expensive Japanese stuff to newer people and force sightseers to buy in their souvenir shops. But, those days Japanese Americans helped their followers to settle. This part was almost like reading suspense book "Master of the Game".

Picture: Another Japan in San Francisco
Another thing is about illegal immigration. Though I have no intention to promote illegal immigration, but I heard about this Japanese woman who came to US with sightseeing visa base and never went back to Japan. She wrote she could do it if she gave up to go back to Japan. So, there are those kind of people even today, even from Japan. I do not know her in person, for your reference.

Teijiro worked in a plantation owned by a Japanese American and married with Japanese woman who his mother in Japan recommended. In this book, his daughter, Fujie, explains that Teijiro's wife, Fujie's mother, needed to marry with another Japanese immigrant who could legally go back to Japan, bring her US legally, divorced this person, and finally married Teijiro. How complicated! I thought it sounded like watching the movie "Green Card".

Teijiro and his wife worked hard. They could get their own house in San Mateo. They had 3 daughters including Fujie, the youngest. Then the war broke out.


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http://vur.me/shawfunami/SF
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Fill the Missing Link