When I first met my husband what I was not looking for, but found, was someone who shared my love of Japan. His best friend lived there and he’d been visiting Japan for decades. I had lived in Japan twice as a military dependent, and also visited many times. We both had a strong connection with Japan.

Due to pandemic restrictions and our lack of business or family status, Japan had been off limits for us until reopening in October, 2022. We happily planned a two week trip that would put us there in cherry blossom season. We knew it would be crazy with tourists and we found more than we’d ever seen before. Even though the mask mandate had been lifted, most Japanese citizens continued to wear them in public places. We found a high correlation between “maskless-ness” and obvious tourists. It made sense, but it was unexpected. We discovered several other things we weren’t expecting as we wandered the cities of Yokohama, Osaka and Nagasaki.

Quiet moments while sight seeing, in spite of nearby crowds: a monk praying at the monument in Hypocenter Park, Nagasaki; school children waiting for instructions from their teacher in Yokohama; and a business man admiring a plum free in full bloom in Kaiko Hiroba Park(Yokohama.)

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