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Opinion

It's a small world

I'ｖe just returned from my honeymoon in Italy, where we stayed in the beautiful town of Amalfi, at the Hotel Santa Caterina, where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stayed during the filming of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," which was quite exciting.

The hotel was stunning, and perfect for honeymooners! I was amazed at how peaceful and charming the town was. I was also amazed to find that several of the other guests at our hotel had quite a strong Japan connection.

There was a man from Switzerland who had spent many years visiting Japan on business, as he is part-owner of a wedding ring company: In fact he said that his company creates the most popular brand of wedding rings in Japan. He also writes a lot of articles and assists in the publishing of a trade magazine they produce, so of course we had quite a lot in common and we ended up talking a lot about publishing in Japan.

There was also an American man who worked for a recruitment company that specifically placed people in Japan, and he had been on several business trips here over the years.

But even more surprising were the two men who were staying in the room next door to us. An American man and his father were taking a holiday together, and it turned out that the son had actually lived in Japan for nine years. And yet even more surprisingly, he had spent some time in his early years in Japan working part-time in one of my favorite Roppongi bars.

You would think that a holiday in a remote part of Italy would mean that you would meet very few people, let alone non-Japanese people with a connection to Japan. It is a small world indeed!

I still often think of Japan as an unusual and exotic place to live or visit, so I think I am always surprised to meet non-Japanese people in other countries who have been to Japan before. But I shouldn't really be surprised: With so many people travelling so much more now, both for business and for pleasure, we are bound to encounter people who have been to the same countries that we have. It made me wonder if the same thing would have happened 20 years ago though, when we travelled less, and there were fewer Westerners in Japan.

Bumping into people with that Japan connection overseas always gives me a bit of a glow inside. Almost invariably you can see the fond memories flick through people's minds when they realize you live in Japan. If they have only ever visited Japan before, then you get the sense that they would love to have spent some time actually living here. And if they have lived in Japan before, then the connection deepens as they are keen to mention old friends and hang-outs, and try to find mutual acquaintances. It gives you a topic of conversation that can last for hours, and for me, gives me a bit of comfort in talking about Japan, which is now familiar and like home to me, while in strange surroundings.

(512 words)

Discussion: Have you had encounters like this before with people from your home town or prefecture? Would the kind of encounters Caroline had in Italy have occurred 20 years ago?

Shukan ST: Nov. 4, 2005

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Opinion It's a small world By Caroline Pover I'ｖe just returned from my honeymoon in Italy, where we stayed in the beautiful town of Amalfi, at the Hotel Santa Caterina, where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stayed during the filming of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," which was quite exciting. The hotel was stunning, and perfect for honeymooners! I was amazed at how peaceful and charming the town was. I was also amazed to find that several of the other guests at our hotel had quite a strong Japan connection. There was a man from Switzerland who had spent many years visiting Japan on business, as he is part-owner of a wedding ring company: In fact he said that his company creates the most popular brand of wedding rings in Japan. He also writes a lot of articles and assists in the publishing of a trade magazine they produce, so of course we had quite a lot in common and we ended up talking a lot about publishing in Japan. There was also an American man who worked for a recruitment company that specifically placed people in Japan, and he had been on several business trips here over the years. But even more surprising were the two men who were staying in the room next door to us. An American man and his father were taking a holiday together, and it turned out that the son had actually lived in Japan for nine years. And yet even more surprisingly, he had spent some time in his early years in Japan working part-time in one of my favorite Roppongi bars. You would think that a holiday in a remote part of Italy would mean that you would meet very few people, let alone non-Japanese people with a connection to Japan. It is a small world indeed! I still often think of Japan as an unusual and exotic place to live or visit, so I think I am always surprised to meet non-Japanese people in other countries who have been to Japan before. But I shouldn't really be surprised: With so many people travelling so much more now, both for business and for pleasure, we are bound to encounter people who have been to the same countries that we have. It made me wonder if the same thing would have happened 20 years ago though, when we travelled less, and there were fewer Westerners in Japan. Bumping into people with that Japan connection overseas always gives me a bit of a glow inside. Almost invariably you can see the fond memories flick through people's minds when they realize you live in Japan. If they have only ever visited Japan before, then you get the sense that they would love to have spent some time actually living here. And if they have lived in Japan before, then the connection deepens as they are keen to mention old friends and hang-outs, and try to find mutual acquaintances. It gives you a topic of conversation that can last for hours, and for me, gives me a bit of comfort in talking about Japan, which is now familiar and like home to me, while in strange surroundings. (512 words) Discussion: Have you had encounters like this before with people from your home town or prefecture? Would the kind of encounters Caroline had in Italy have occurred 20 years ago? Shukan ST: Nov. 4, 2005 (C) All rights reserved