On September 30, 2019 I boarded a JAL flight for Japan, arriving in Tokyo on October 1st.  It was the final step in a thoughtful plan.  The decision to leave America for Japan was a deeply personal decision reflecting what I believed was best for Keiko and myself as I faced the autumn of my years.

One year later, I want to share in a series of posts some personal reflections about leaving America and a new life adventure in Japan.

Part 1: Missing America? ––

“Do you miss America?”  A question I have been most asked in Japan and in e-mails from family and friends around the world.  It is a difficult question to answer and the opening Jung quote speaks to the complexity of my feelings that underlie the answer.

On a deeply personal level, I do miss my immediate family.  However, since life circumstances and living in Maine had already created a degree of separation and self-isolation from my family, the distance of 6500 miles may have strengthened those inter-personal relationships.

I realized that in today’s Facebook-reality culture, the term “Friend” has lost meaning. I really don’t have many friends; I have thousands of acquaintances; but few friends.

There is a marked difference between acquaintances and friends. Most people really don’t become friends.  They become acquaintances, people we meet, enjoy, and can easily leave behind. I say this because in a friendship you get to know the spirit of another person and friendship grows deep roots.

Over 76 years most of my “friendships” were or have simply evolved into acquaintances.  I know those that are true friends because it doesn’t matter what the physical distance or how much time goes by, we still connect like we just had spoke yesterday.

When in 2003 Keiko and I arrived in Maine from Tokyo we knew not a single person.  Being “from away” in a place with no roots or history, we developed a network of friends –– a close-knit  group brought together by our Japanese wives, neighbors on Crystal Lake who adopted Keiko and I like family, colleagues and students at the University of Maine who respected me as a teacher, and many professional associates, particularly from the entrepreneurial community, who valued my contribution to their enterprise activities.  I treasure the memories that made for a wonderful life in Maine, a place where I arrived as a total stranger at a difficult time in my life.

Beyond family and friends, on a less emotional level there is a small list of some things I do miss:

• Resting on Crystal Lake listening to the haunting cry of the loons;
• the ability to grill anytime;
• and White Castle hamburgers!

While there are times I miss FaceBook as a means of staying in touch with distant family and friends, I do not regret abandoning the social media platform as a communication method.

Along with the constant distraction of advertisements and unsolicited “news” that diminished the benefit and enjoyment of the contact with friends, I was outraged by the way the platform was being used to undermine democracy, human rights, privacy and public health. Zuckerberg’s failure to prevent bad actors exploiting Facebook and leveraging user trust to spread disinformation and hate speech, to suppress voting and to polarize citizens has confirmed my decision.

I now regularly hear from my family and occasionally from some friends through e-mail, FaceTime or Zoom video calls, or sharing comments on my blog.  PaulMyer.com is my little corner of the world.

In the one year since I left so much has happened in the United States.  Beyond the unrelenting human devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic, I am shocked by the social, political and economic chaos that dominates the news.  I can’t imagine what it is like to be living in America today.

Although I try not to be cynical, with political fear driving developments, even IF Biden wins and can assume the Presidency, it may take years for anything like normality (whatever that is in a post-pandemic world) to return.

On the global stage, American influence as a force for world peace and progress is now openly questioned by international observers and analysts who interpret current events as a sign of further American decline leading to the diminishing geopolitical, military, financial, and economic power of the United States.

So, do I miss living in America?  The simple answer is no.  I am grateful that I am not forced to face the distrust and divisiveness my family and friends must deal with in America today. In these extraordinary, sad and tragic days, I am safe, healthy and happy in my adopted homeland.

Another book full of extraordinary revelations about the Trump presidency, “Rage” by Bob Woodward, will be published September 15.  It is based partly on 18 on-the-record interviews between December 2019 and July 2020 with Donald Trump.

Among the pre-released excerpts and recordings of interviews is one that should capture the attention of Japanese officials.

In a discussion with Woodward, Trump called the U.S. military “suckers” for paying the extensive costs to protect South Korea. “We’re defending you, we’re allowing you to exist,” Mr. Trump said of South Korea.

Trump’s statement and sentiment reflects his cynical attitude about alliances and allies and is consistent with earlier indications that he also wants Japan to pay substantially more for U.S. military “protection.”

This is just one of many issues with the U.S.-Japan security pact and U.S. relations in general that Japan must address to protect its defense, geopolitical and economic interests in light of growing regional tensions.

Fan-Fitted Clothes

This summer as Japan experienced some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded, Tokyoites were eager to find ways to keep cool.  One answer: jackets fitted with battery-powered fans that circulate air over the wearer’s body!

While a counter-intuitive solution, the sale of fan-fitted clothing increased as everyone looked to beat the heat and became a popular fashion trend this summer.

First developed in 2004 by a Tokyo-based company, fan-fitted clothing was originally designed for construction workers.  While the construction market remains the largest segment, the technology is now available in a wide range of products from high-street fashion to baby merchandise.  New products for golfers, fishing enthusiasts and other outdoor pursuits have become particularly popular.

As described by marketing materials “fan-fitted jackets usually feature two fans, one placed on each side of the lower back, which pump air around the upper body. The fans are connected to a lithium-ion battery, which slips into an inside pocket and can generally be used for around seven or eight hours before it needs to be recharged.”

I could not find a jacket in my size to try but noted that there is one particular feature of fan-fitted clothing that may not be to everyone’s taste. The technology works by constantly circulating air around the body, causing the garment to puff up like a balloon.

According to a manufacturer representative as reported in The Japan Times, “The clothes puff up because the cooling mechanism is effective. So, if you think too much about how it looks and try too much to make it slimline, it won’t be very effective. It feels coolest when you’ve got sleeves, so you have to think about how cool it will feel if you make something that doesn’t have sleeves. We’re thinking about how we can achieve the balance between what it looks like and how effective it is.”

The fan-fitted clothing industry is estimated to be worth around ¥15 billion in 2020, according to textile industry publication Sen-I-News. As recently as 2017, it was worth only ¥5 billion.  With weather experts noting the impact of climate change predicting that the heat this year is not an exception, fashion industry analysts foresee a growing market both in Japan and the global marketplace.

A Dedicated Face Mask Store

While wearing masks during the pandemic may be a divisive political issue in the United States, in Japan it is a growing business opportunity.

A new store in Tokyo is trying to add some fun and variety to the everyday necessity of wearing face masks during the coronavirus pandemic.

The store under Tokyo Station offers over 200 kinds of mask. One is designed to keep the skin hydrated and provide UV protection — for a price tag of less than US$5.  But there are also designer masks priced at more than US$900.

With traditional emphasis on famed Japanese customer service, shoppers can get help from staff in choosing designs that suit their functional need, fashion taste or skin tone.

The shop is operated by a unit of one of Japan’s biggest retailers. As the pandemic boosts demand, many firms from a range of industries have been entering the mask market, including electric appliance and menswear makers.

The following article by Kuni Miyake in the August 25 Japan Times summarizes the recent Japanese media coverage of the Democratic National Convention and Biden’s candidacy.  Miyake is president of the Foreign Policy Institute and research director at Canon Institute for Global Studies.

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Commentary: Japan’s Take on an Unusual Democratic Convention

Last week’s “gathering” was the most unconventional Democratic National Convention I’ve seen since 1976, when Jimmy Carter (“who?”) was nominated and later elected president. Then a student of American politics at the University of Minnesota, I never dreamed that national conventions would be as hollow and “virtual” as the 2020 DNC.
Well, in a sense, the convention was not virtual. Bernie Sanders, Michael Bloomberg, John Kasich, Cindy McCain and Colin Powell, who took part, are all real. That said, many in Tokyo found this year’s DNC as real virtuality, since neither participants nor viewers online seemed to have felt the pulse and passion of a national convention.
Editorials in Japanese newspapers last week were naturally ambivalent. Liberal papers, like the Tokyo Shimbun and the Asahi, sounded rather descriptive and neutral with headlines like “Biden needs to unite his party of various groups” or “U.S. presidential election requires debate to overcome fragmentation.”
The Nikkei, Yomiuri and Sankei, on the other hand, were more normative and even demanding with such headlines as “We welcome Biden’s emphasis on allies,” “Is Biden’s anti-Trump cause enough?” and “U.S. presidential candidates must compete on a strategy to protect the international order,” respectively.
Many in the United States may wonder if Tokyo, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in particular, prefer Trump to Joe Biden because the former is more friendly. My friend Daniel Sneider at Stanford University wrote to me that Tokyo, still hedging its bets, “should not go down with the sinking Titanic of Donald Trump.” Rest assured! Many of us are not that naive.
I find Tokyo’s view of the 2020 U.S. presidential election as essentially fair. Major newspapers and foreign policy pundits, to varying degrees, are more critical of Trump than Biden. While watching from the sidelines, Tokyo seems to be well-informed of what is happening in the 2020 U.S. elections. The following is my take.
The Asahi’s editorial said, “In the past 3½ years under the Trump administration, which prioritizes its own base and pays less attention to other groups, domestic power struggles have intensified” and that “such politics of division led to the America-Firstism that has undermined international confidence in Washington.”
The Nikkei said, “We hope U.S. foreign policy will put more emphasis on alliances even if Trump is re-elected.” Even the most conservative Sankei was critical, saying “the Trump administration often makes light of the allies and friends of the United States” and “should not forget its important role in leading the global democratic camp.”
Despite the liberal media frenzy in the United States, the Japanese media seem to be more sober and cool-eyed. The Tokyo Shimbun said that “as compared to the enthusiasm of the Trump supporters, Biden supporters lack fever and passion. Many of them seem to support Biden simply because they do not wish to vote for Trump.”
The U.S. media almost unanimously praised Biden’s acceptance speech as one of the best speeches in his political career. I agree. However, this is simply because Biden has never been a great communicator. In the world of real virtuality, at the most important moment in his public life, he rose to the occasion.
Moderate papers in Japan were more straight-forward. The Nikkei, for example, said Biden’s position on allies “is a welcoming sign for Japan, whose foreign policy is based on the security alliance with the United States. It will be more effective to deter China’s maritime expansion if Japan, the U.S. and Australia are united.”
The Yomiuri went further and said that “Mr. Biden’s return to alliances and international cooperation is welcome. But if he only returned to the policies of the Obama administration in which Mr. Biden was vice president, the United States would not be able to restore its leadership in the international community.”
The Sankei raised tougher questions. “What we want to ask Mr. Biden as presidential candidate is not only his basic position vis-a-vis China, which seeks to expand its hegemony, but also his determination to confront China in close coordination with the allies and friends of the United States.”
Its editorial went on to say, “While Mr. Biden advocates a tough China policy, he cannot be free from responsibility that the Obama administration allowed China to build artificial islands in the South China Sea. In addition, the Democratic Party has been half-hearted vis-a-vis Taiwan, which fights unification pressures from Beijing.”
In a nutshell, the conservatives in Tokyo want Washington to continue its current China policy regardless of who is elected Nov. 3. For Tokyo, the Trump administration has been a good partner, not because Trump has a grand strategy in East Asia, but because he and his team have always been tough with China.
The late Chinese strongman Deng Xiaoping used to quote the old Sichuan proverb, “It doesn’t matter whether a cat is black or white, if it catches mice it is a good cat.” Tokyo’s view is basically the same. This means “it doesn’t matter whether a cat is Republican or Democratic, if it catches mice it is a good president.”
That said, one of the things many Tokyo media often fail to understand is that foreign policy has not been and will never be a major issue in U.S. presidential elections. Any focus on China now is just Trump bashing away in a bid to win more votes, while Biden wants to prove he is 200 percent tougher than Trump on China.
It is still late August. Opinion poll numbers mean nothing. The odds between Biden and Trump will be narrower by October. For Tokyo, no time is more critical than now when it comes to its national security. Japan, unlike China or Russia meddling in U.S. domestic politics, is just holding its breath and keeping its fingers crossed.

It is the height of an extremely hot and humid Japanese summer. The pandemic has caused much human and economic misery, postponed the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, and led to the wholesale cancellation of summer festivals, concerts and the elaborate fireworks displays.

Covid, however, has not been able to forestall a distinctive feature of Japan signifying the end of the rainy season and beginning of summer –– nature’s daylong noisy cicada orchestral concert!

The appearance and many distinctive sounds of the short lifespan cicadas have a special place in Japanese culture.

As a new resident of Japan, I was not certain about the huge number of cicadas all making this noise at the same time. However, Shuhei Nomura, senior curator for the zoology department with the National Museum of Nature and Science, set the Japanese context in a recent Japan Times article saying that “There are lots of them and they’re noisy. But if they weren’t there, it would feel kind of lonely. Japanese people think of cicadas as a symbol of the summer.”

Cicadas — known as semi in Japanese — are a superfamily of insects with around 2,000 known species worldwide. Cicadas live for several years underground as nymphs before emerging in summer. Once above ground, they shed their exoskeletons to complete their transition into adulthood.

While adult cicadas live for only about a month before they die, they certainly make their presence felt during their short lifetimes. Males produce a call seeking to attract mates that borders on deafening.

There are 35 species of cicada in Japan, but each one is completely different. Each species varies in terms of shape, size, color, habitat, behavior, and the call noises they make. Different species of cicada call at different times of the day and are known to evoke certain emotions in humans.

According to experts, the species that people like best is the one that calls when the sun is going down and the day has cooled off. They are called higurashi. I admit it is pleasant when I take Toma for an early evening walk; it is a comforting sound and a nice feeling; the heat has gone down and it’s a little more comfortable.

Another observation I have made about cicadas is the apparent fascination of Japanese children have for them.

While adults may not be so keen to get a close-up look at cicadas, children are much more enthusiastic. Catching the full-grown insects in nets as well as collecting the discarded shells of cicada larvae is a popular summer pastime.

Visit any park and you will find kids out with parents and grandparents, seeking the capture and containment of prized insects. Standard equipment, a net in hand along with a magnifying glass and a cage or jar to keep the insect in.

I subsequently learned that the activity and writing insect diaries was also a summer school project.

Although the cicadas are too common to be considered rare treasure, the Japanese children competitively hunt for other summer insects, particularly the wildly popular rhinoceros beetles or stag beetles.