On the 27th, we left mainland Japan and flew down to the island Rie grew up on, Amami Oshima. We landed at the airport, but I always call it the Amami Community Center. Inevitably, anytime we hang out at the airport, we run into friends and relatives of Rie or her family. Rie’s mother picked us up. After running into other people she knew, we headed home.
I really like the family home in Amami. It has three small rooms, lots of sliding glass doors, tatami (reed mat) floors and lots of wood. The house is in a small village of about 100 people named Naze Gachi. Naze Gachi is crammed up against the hillside and overlooks a valley with many gardens and small farms. Less than a mile away, across the Oogawa River (small stream), is the bigger village of KoMinato. As the name translates, KoMinato is a small port. There are a few fishing boats there and a beach.
Every evening at 5pm, the valley-wide loud speaker reminds children to go home for dinner and to study. At 8:30 pm, the announcer reminds people to be careful with their gas cooking fires. Yesterday, after an earthquake in Indonesia, the announcer gave the tsunami warning. The periodic messages remind me of summers spent at a bungalow colony in the Catskills when I was young.
SatoGaeri means “to return to one’s home town” and that is exactly what it feels like every time I make it back here.
I really like the family home in Amami. It has three small rooms, lots of sliding glass doors, tatami (reed mat) floors and lots of wood. The house is in a small village of about 100 people named Naze Gachi. Naze Gachi is crammed up against the hillside and overlooks a valley with many gardens and small farms. Less than a mile away, across the Oogawa River (small stream), is the bigger village of KoMinato. As the name translates, KoMinato is a small port. There are a few fishing boats there and a beach.
Every evening at 5pm, the valley-wide loud speaker reminds children to go home for dinner and to study. At 8:30 pm, the announcer reminds people to be careful with their gas cooking fires. Yesterday, after an earthquake in Indonesia, the announcer gave the tsunami warning. The periodic messages remind me of summers spent at a bungalow colony in the Catskills when I was young.
SatoGaeri means “to return to one’s home town” and that is exactly what it feels like every time I make it back here.
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