Old People are The Secret Treasures of Japan

I made a considerable amount of friends in Japan...most of them old.

Middle aged and young people couldn’t really care less about me. (They were polite but everyone kinda just minds their own business and lets you mind yours.) Here are six honorable mentions of the older generation that I ran into taught me things.

The Photographer

I spent my last day in Japan wandering Ueno and taking photos. While I was standing on the walk of Ueno park practicing my landscape shooting I happened to look to my right to see this man and his MEGA LENS CAMRA smiling over at me.

He waved me to come over to him and showed me some STELLAR pictures of he took of ME. He spoke NO english AT ALL but we more or less "chatted" for like 20minutes.

He works at a restaurant a couple blocks away and comes to this exact spot to take photos year round before his starts his work.

I wish he had an instagram because the photos he showed me on his phone were National Geographic Quality! His photos reveled the hidden things in the pond. Icy frogs in the winter. Cranes scattering blossoms in the spring. It was BEAUTIFUL.

Before leaving he bought me a drink from a near by vending machine and invited me to come to his restaurant later. Unfortunately I was never able to find it. (I guess that is what happens when you try to google a Japanese restaurant using english phonetics.)

His dedication to return to the same spot over and over again and not assume he had already photographed everything there was to see inspired me. If I ever return to Ueno I'll sit on the board walk again and hope he comes around.

The Angle Translator

This woman was a TREASURE to meet! While traveling Tokyo there was one Japanese phrase that I became very familiar with: "日本語は話せますか" or "Do you speak Japanese"

After awhile I began to be a TAD embarrassed that I had to respond 'no'. For the most part people were often very accommodating and willing to mime with me. EXCEPT for one man!

At a small street market completely covered in "DO NOT PHOTOGRAPH" signs, I met a shop owner who basically shut me down and turned me away as soon as he learned I didn't speak Japanese. I tried to point to the food I wanted to buy but he insisted he was confused. Finally I just stepped out of line awkwardly staring at the booth wondering how to get my food.

This woman was RIGHT behind me in line. Even though she ALSO spoke NO English she took the time to point and name each food idem so I could get back in line and successfully buy my food!!!

She and the shop owner taught me that helping someone has less do with your abilities and ALL to do with your attitude towards the struggling people around you.

The Missionary

We got stopped by a Buddhist Missionary in Shinjuku!

If I'm being completely honest I didn’t even know these guys existed! He was EXTREMELY friendly to us. He shared some of his beliefs and gave us a pamphlet in case we wanted to learn more.

It may sound odd (especially because I’m already a devote Christian) but I’m so grateful he stopped to preach to us. Its amazing there are people like him who go out of their way to share what makes them happy with others.

Missionaries of all faiths face HEAPS of hate and intense rejection every day. But they diligently continue because they want help make the world a better place. This is the best way they know how.

The Painters

We ran in to six from Yamashita who traveled to Kamakura to paint together. Unlike the photographer above they were not professional in their painting quality. But there is something so serene about a group of older gentleman just quietly chilling out together painting a shrine. They were also ecstatic when I asked for permission to photograph them.

They also asked if they could have a picture with us on taken on their phone. So we shared one of those 'trying to help your grandparent take a group photo with their IPhone moments'.

It was sweet.

The Tour Guide

I must have looked lost as I contemplated which exit to take out of Shinjuku station because THIS gentleman wheeled up to me and asked "Are you going to the Tokyo Metropolitan Observatory? I work there. Follow me!" So I did.

He directed me toward the entrance but before letting me go took me out into the front to get a better view of the structure. He also explained the architecture of the building to me.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Building was designed by Kenzō Tange (Sep 1913 - Mar 2005,)

who was known as one of the most significant architects in the 20th century. For good reason, his buildings look EPIC. I love it when people teach me things unprompted.

When I asked for a photo he smiled and said, "Yes. So you can put on SMS that you met a kind old man in Tokyo." So I did.

The Candy Traveler

Katsuko caught me vloging at a park but didn't see my camera because of where she was sitting. So she waited patiently for me to finish and walk toward her so she could ask why I just inspected the bush for 10minutes.

Katsuko is a world traveler. When she heard it was my last day in Japan she declared me as her guest and invited me to go to a sweets shop with her. She bought me a few Japanese snacks to take home to my family.

Then we just sat together sucking on hard candy and chatting. She told me about her travels, children and childhood. She asked me about my life and family.

Human connections as simple as this are something that I think most travelers and "people in general" don't realize we are missing out on. When we are out exploring we can be so focused on 'seeing everything'. When we are at home we can get lost in our jobs and classes. It's nice to just drop the rush to do something great and just enjoy the people along the path.

#people #travel #tokyo