Today is the birthday of a good friend-Mayumi. She has helped me in my quest to understand the beauty and culture of Japan. I have visited twice, and she has returned visits as well. The first gift Mayumi gave me was a toy forklift, a model of ones she would rent out, with her family business. She was no stranger to driving a truck, towing a trailer. When Mayumi visited here first time, she asked if she could drive my Silverado truck, to go to Taco Bell. I said “Sure,” and off we went. When she turned left to a side street that Taco Bell was on, Mayumi forgot that she was in America with right-handed road driving. She turned too sharp into the other direction of traffic. Thankfully there were no oncoming cars. She pulled into the parking lot of Taco Bell smiling, happy that she made the drive. I too smiled, happy we made it there alive.
The book “Floral Calendar of Japan”, was published by the Board of Tourist Industry, 1938. This “Tourist Library” book describes a different flower or plant celebrated for each month of the year. There is a pretty photo of Mt Fuji (then printed Mount Huzi) with blooming cherry blossoms in the foreground.
I have Ten books from the Japan Travel Bureau, as they are now called. Each “Tourist Library” book is on a different aspect of Japanese culture. When Mayumi and her Husband Junzo visited my library, Junso spotted the books on a shelf. He smiled looking through them-he used to work with the Japan Travel Bureau, as did Mayumi. If memory serves me correct, I believe that is where they met.
Mayumi has given me several wonderful books through the years. I will promote some of them during different celebrations, as they come up. While I have not studied Japanese, the pictures are outstanding.
I’ll end with a silly situation picture taken with Mayumi and my sister Sandy, during a visit we had in 2023. This one is from Great Falls (hah!), Virginia. Keep reading, not just for stories, but for helping understand different cultures (and friends) around the world.
Librarytomes 