Shockingly we woke up at 3:30p.m. When my daughter mentioned it is 7:30 a.m. in Japan, we started laughing. Our body sure enough well-adjusted to the time in Japan. No wonder why we never suffered from sleepiness or tiredness while in Japan. Now back to our own county in America, we have to deal with jet lag.

It was our last day of the trip to Japan.

We enjoyed the hotel buffe for breakfast.

We quickly walked (actually run) to a couple of stores to purchase our last-minute items.

After the shopping, we enjoyed the last-minute hot bath in Japan. I was glad the hotel allowed us to stay until 1 p.m.

After checkout, we headed to the airport. At the airport I was annoyed and irritated, but my biggest feeling that I felt at the airport was sadness. I was shocked to see there were a whole bunch of foreigners at the airport. I am not talking about the tourist but the workers. I felt scared that the country of Japan has been taken by the neighbor foreigners.

In the international flight, we took the middle seats. My next seat was vacant so that I could freely use the next seat’s table and space to extend my elbow and arms. I watched two movies; Planet of Apes, the Kingdom (2024) and Onmyoji (2024).   

At the local airport, when I saw my husband waiting for us, I shed tears. I felt so happy to see him again. I felt America where my husband lives is my home.

After we came back home, we took a relaxing long and hot bath, and comfortably slept in our own bed. I sent an appreciation prayer to all people whom we spent time with in Japan,

We work up earlier than usual and went for a walk. Although most of stores were still closed, some cafés were open serving a morning set for breakfast. We selected one of them and had their morning set. My daughter enjoyed the crispy roasted toast with fresh vegetables while I enjoyed some sweats for breakfast.

At 11 a.m., we went to Uniqlo store which we’ve been planning to visit during our stay. We arrived at the store a couple of minutes earlier than their opening hour. We were surprised to see there were already more than 10 people there waiting for their open. It was a Monday morning where people are supposed to be in school or workplace.

I purchased lots of new clothes, a hat, and a pair pf glove. I also purchased a bunch of unique socks and some winter tights. It reminded me of my late mom. She would purchase me lots of clothes. Every time she went to the cashier to pay for them, she looked happy. Now I know her feeling. It is mother’s pressure to purchase new clothes for their daughters by watching their big smiles in their faces, right?

We needed to go back to the hotel by 1 p.m. for my cousin’s appointment. He came to the hotel and picked us up by his car. He took us to the Chinese restaurant for lunch.

After the lunch, we went for another shopping. My daughter enjoyed browsing around the handicraft store. The store has 8 floors of all the art and handicraft items.

In the evening at 7 p.m., we went to the massage session. On our last night of Japan, I wanted to have a massage from the Japanese male massage therapist whom I have gotten used to his massage. My daughter made an appointment with her favorite female Japanese massage therapist. These two massage therapists were happy to be appointed by us and asked us to come back on our next visit to Japan. We promised we definitely would.

Our last dinner in Japan was sushi for myself and fired chicken for my daughter.

We had the hotel buffe for breakfast and wen to Highly-skilled workers’ event again.

In the afternoon at 2:30 p.m. we went to the oil massage appointment. I wanted to have a different style of massage session for relaxation. Sadly though, the massage store was owned by foreigners, which I was disappointed about. Their website looks just like that of Japanese, where their Japanese language is normal so that I couldn’t recognize it was owned by the foreigners.

In the evening at 6 p.m., we went for the Oden restaurant to have dinner together with my new homeopathy friend whom I met at the Congress venue.  After the dinner we went to the neighborhood shrine and chatted there for a while. It was a wonderful coincidence that my new friend lives close to my late parents’ house. We had good time to get to know each other.

We explored the new bakery and purchase some freshly baked bread for breakfast. Then we went to the tourist information asking for some advice. When my daughter mentioned the worker that she loves creating artworks, the worker recommended us to visit Highly skilled workers’ event. The event was only for these weekend. So we went there.

There were many different booths including foods and artworks. I purchased lots of miso, koji, and rice from the farmer vendors. My daughter attended several different artwork events.  We created our name plates, curved our original hanko, decollated the clock, and made a drink coaster. It was a great fun, which was way beyond our expectation. I appreciate the tourist information worker for her suggestion.

On the way back from the event, we stopped by at atelier to pick up our resin artwork.

At 8:30 p.m., we went to the massage session appointment again.

When we woke up, we felt hungry. It is rare for us. We usually don’t have any appetite in the morning. We decided to have the buffe for breakfast at our hotel. There were not that much variety of foods, but we both enjoyed their food. Even though it was a pricy breakfast, we would come back again.

In the late morning, we went to an atelier that we made an appointment to create a resin artwork. We spent three hours to create our artwork. It was really fun to create something in a new method that we never experienced. The instructor told us to come back tomorrow to pick up our artworks.

After the creativity, we went to the zoo. They had a dog show which was rare in the zoo. They introduced many different dog breeds and their unique talents and jobs.

For dinner my daughter had curry and fried chicken, and I had Takoyaki.

At night at 8 p.m., we went for a massage session. I had the same male massage therapist as the last time. He asked me to make an appoint with him on the next session, and I promised I would do so. I really like his massage and gentle attitude.

Today was a bank day. I went to 3 local banks.

The first bank was the local one where I run into a nice and supportive worker. She told me that my account is still active and I can use it without any issues.

The second bank was a mega bank where I was greeted by a nice male elder worker. He escorted to a young female worker for the detailed. This worker was not supportive. On every question I asked, she told me she needed to ask her supervisor and left her desk. She didn’t come back right away. When she finally came back to me, she responded me to a “No” answer. On another question, she did the same thing, and on my third question, I almost lost my temper. While the young not-supportive worker left her desk, I told the nice male elderly worker that I didn’t have any patience left for the young worker. I understood that she just did her job. She didn’t have any authority to answer my question in my preferable way. I know I should not get angry at her, but I couldn’t help feeling that way.

The third bank was the local bank that my mom created an account for me. I’ve never been this bank branch, but I’ve heard this bank name from my mom very often in my childhood days. I told the bank teller that my late mom left me this bank account but I don’t have the registered stamp with me. The bank teller was a young female who was very thoughtful. She listened to my story carefully and connected to their branch manager. The branch manager was a young man who is probably in his mid-thirties based on his face skin condition. Even though he is young, his hair was almost gone. This young man was extremely thoughtful and supportive. I felt he had known my mom for many years. He said he would help me this case even though it was against their rule, with the consideration of my situation. It was a sacred moment. When I looked into his eyes, I saw a bright light deep inside of his eyes. The eyes are the window of the soul. I could see his soul as bright, pure, and shining. Even though his appearance is  a bank’s branch manager, to me he looked like a monk with honest and pure heart. While I was explaining my situation, I felt my mom’s existence in spirit, so that I could not resist my tears shedding continuously. The branch manager was also filled with tears in his pure eyes. I am sure that he could feel my mom’s existence as I did too. With their kind support, I left the bank branch with a chunk of money cashed out from the bank account. I appreciate the branch manager and the bank teller, and not to mention, to my late mom for her love to me.

After all the bank tasks were done, we took a 2-hour massage session. One sad thing was though that the massage store was run by foreigners, which we didn’t know in advance.

After the massage, we went to a unique café. They had one otter and other small animals. The customers could freely pet them and feed the animals. My daughter was so excited about the new experiences with the animals.

For dinner we went to the Asian Indian restaurant which was my request. When I was small, my parents often took us to the Indian restaurant. I enjoyed their food. The restaurant owner and the chef were both friendly and polite. I definitely want to go there and eat their food again.

Same as always, my daughter enjoyed a freshly baked bread for breakfast.

We left the hotel room around 9:30 a.m. to head to the leather atelier to make it to the appointment at 10 a.m. It was still very hot and humid. When we arrived there, we were soaked wet with sweat.

We made a small pouch with leather. It was a fun creation by arranging the colored leather and decollations per our preference.  

After that, we went to the Donkihote and purchased a large suitcase.

We had a Monja-yaki and Yakisoba at the Teppan yaki restaurant. We enjoyed the food so much. It was our very first time to try Monja-yaki.

After we went back to the hotel room and put the suitcase to the room, we went to the Atoa. It was a recently built aquarium that I never been to. We had a great fun to walk around and saw their animals and exhibitions.

For dinner my daughter purchased a Domino pizza and I purchased a bento at the department.

At night, we went to the massage salon. A Japanese male massage therapist gave me a massage. This massage therapist, Ken-san, was really good. After his massage, the pains and swellings in my calves were completely gone.   

We left our hotel room around 10 a.m. and headed to my late parents’ house. When I saw the ocean view, I finally felt I was back home. The train stopped at Suma station for about 20 minutes due to the accident happened somewhere in Amagasaki area. I was not in a hurry so that I could enjoy watching the Suma beach, eating some rice snack with my daughter.

We arrived at my parents’ house after 11 a.m. Once we entered, I actually felt my parents’ existence in the house, welcoming us to their house.  

The first thing we did was to enter the alter room and sat down the butsudan. I saw my parents’ pictures next to the butsudan. I offered Japanese mantra and Hannya Shingyo and started talking to them. I talked to them out loud. I was 100% sure that they were with me and listening to me and talking to me. I could communicate with them normally as if they were still alive in the physical form.

My main purpose was to take my bank items including bank note book, ATM card, and bank stamps. I went to my mom’s small area where she kept her sawing machines and cashes. I found her wallets, but everything was empty as all the cash was already taken. My bank items were not there. Then we went to my dad’s office on upstairs. I could not find my bank items anywhere. I talked to my mom and dad in spirit to guide me. When I almost gave up, my daughter all of a sudden asked me if she could open the first drawer of my dad’s desk. I told her to go ahead to open. There, she found my bank ATM cash card right away. It was amazing that she could find it, even though it was her very first time to enter my dad’s office. Then, I naturally guided to one paper folder, where I could find my bank notebook. The last item I needed was my bank stamp. We entered the other room, and I naturally guided to my dad’s shelf. I was delighted to find my own box and found my bank stamp there. With the support from my late parents and my daughter, I could find all the bank items that I needed.

There was one more surprise for me. My brother put one bank note on the kitchen table. My name was written on the bank note. When I opened it, I saw the familiar handwriting of my mom’s. My mom kept some money for me and it was her last surprise gift to me. I was very sure that she was happy for me that I could receive it.

I was told via my attorney that my brother was fine that I would take anything I wanted from our parents’ house. Even my attorney suggested it would be the only last opportunity to enter their house and take everything what I needed. My daughter and I searched around the items that my parents left behind. My mom’s kimonos were untouched. My mom’s jewelries were untouched. I know my mom wanted me to take some, but on my second thought, I made my mind not to take anything. I just thought it was not right thing for me to take anything from their house.

We left their house without anything that was belong to my parents. I just took my own bank items only.

We stayed my parents’ house for about 2 hours. Deep inside, I was hoping my brother would stop by and say hi to us. I was actually planning to bring a gift to my brother. I purchased a pure sake that was made with chemical free rice. I wanted to leave the gift with a small note, thanking him to let me enter to our parents’ house. When I mentioned about my plan to my attorney, he had a sad look on his face. He believes my brother would not stop by because he doesn’t want to see me. Also, he would not appreciate my gift. So, I didn’t bring the gift to my brother. I am feeling sad that my brother was stubbornly cringing on to my parents’ money.

After we left my parents’ house, we went to the BBQ restaurant that my parents would take us many times in our childhood days. I am sure my parents joined us and enjoyed the food with us in spirit.

Then we went to the Maiko beach and walked on the beach area. I needed to earth myself, so I soak my bare foot in the sea. Thanks to Maiko beach and ocean, I could release my sadness of this current situation with my brother.

In the evening, we went to Meriken park and watched the firework show for 15 minutes.

On the way back to the hotel room, we found one massage salon. Since there was only one opening, I let my daughter to have a 30-minute massage.

When we came back to the hotel, I talked with one of the front desk clerks about our departure day. When I mentioned our flight departure is 6:30 p.m., she was kind enough to extend our check out time until 1 p.m. which was 2 hours longer than their normal checkout time. I appreciate her kindness and thoughtfulness.  

It was our last day in Tokyo area. We went for a walk in the neighborhood area. My daughter enjoyed eating a freshly baked bread as the breakfast.

I packed all the souvenir items that I purchased online to two cardboard boxes. I left one day clothes for us to a bigger suitcase, and packed the other clothes into another suitcase. I sent out the two cardboard boxes to the airport and one suitcase to the hotel in Kobe.  

Around 11 a.m., we checked out the hotel, and headed to the Shinkansen station.  

At the shinkansen station, I run into a nice elderly couple. They were also heading to Kobe and we chatted for a while.

Once we arrived at Kobe and checked in the hotel, the first place we went was the tourist information center. We found one brochure showing the fireworks. It says they will have a firework show starting from today Monday through Friday every night for 15 minutes each. The venue park was just one station away from our hotel, so we decided to go there. It says the autumn fair cerebration. We are lucky enough to watch the firework show every night during our stay.

For the dinner, we went to the curry restaurant as my daughter’s request. After enjoyed the curry, we walked through the shopping area to the firework venue.   

I felt comfortable to be back to my hometown.