Ueo Muite

Years ago, I'm old enough to say that!, there was a beautiful number One hit from Japan in the early 1960's called "Ueo Muite" - known for marketing purposes in the USA as the "Sukiyaki Song" - a sweet and beautiful melody with whistling and all - a song that was covered my several other artists over the years, all successful - and it was the only number one hit from Japan ever in the USA billboard charts.
     Another popular song from from Japan, usually sung by children in the schools, is a folk song called, "Sakura" - I woke up this morning singing this to myself and remembering the months I spent living with a Japanese family (Nihon no kazoku) in Sapporo, Hokkaido, with the AFS exchange student program, never knowing what effect it would have on my future.  As part of the experience I spent 3-4 days living with another host family in Sendai, yes Sendai.  How the name of that beautiful city comes back to me these recent weeks.  The harbor was a fantasy land dotted with green islands like dabs on a painting, with blue ocean waters all around - a National Park to be sure, but I'm also quite sure that much of it was overcome by the tsunami of late.  And yet the people find beauty within themselves and with each other, sharing warmth, water, food, prayers and shelter and triumphing over the tragedy around them.
    So as I remember these songs and others, such as "Kimito Itsumademo" for which I still have the lyrics in the original handwriting of my Japanese host Brother, Kotaro Uchida, in both Nihongo (Japanese - and
Eigo (English-Ramanji), I remember the beauty of their faces, their homes, their friendship, their hospitality and yes - their Food! (By the way, the best kept secret for Sushi - the real deal!- is at a restaurant in Newington, NH called "Great Buffet II" - during the week at noon, all you can eat buffet for $7.99 plus beverage - just a quick plug!). 
   So for many of us in many places, Japan is more that a Headline or a Tragedy, it is a place for beauty and love and caring and with international support they will learn with the rest of the world how to overcome this terrible situation which has come upon them.  So as the athletes in Japan say, "Gumbate!!"  Fight on!
Larry