Japan in My Childhood
As a child, I was exposed to a lot of Japanese culture. I listened to many Japanese pop songs, and I can still sing quite a few from the Heisei era. I also watched many Japanese dramas and anime β the ones that left the deepest impression on me were "Yo ni mo Kimyou na Monogatari" (Strange Tales of the Unexpected) and "1 Litre of Tears."
Back then, I was living the same ordinary middle-school days over and over. Japanese culture gave me a new kind of feeling β many works depicted ideals, human nature, and emotion in a way that made me feel Japan was a step ahead of us. As a teenager, I always felt that the sky above me wasn't really my sky β that I belonged somewhere farther away.
The Decision to Leave
Carrying that interest with me, I grew up little by little and worked a fairly conventional career, all while my understanding of Japan kept deepening. Somewhere along the way, I came to believe in Christianity. Then, at 31, right as the pandemic ended, I suddenly realized that if I didn't come to Japan now, I might never get the chance again. To return to the ideal in my heart and see Japan with my own eyes, I ended my old life and set out on a far less certain journey.
At first my Japanese was completely hopeless, so naturally I found my footing at a Chinese-language church. I kept working hard to settle into Japanese society, and prepared myself to spend the rest of my life here β while also facing the fear that political or work-related circumstances might one day force me back to my home country.
Matsudo and This Church
Later I moved to Matsudo, and to be a little closer to Japanese people, I came to this church. Fitting in has been slower than I imagined, and I don't speak the local dialect, but the Bible's teachings turned out to be very similar to my own past experience, so adapting didn't feel especially hard. Together with my own persistence and that original dream, I decided to stay here.
When I first started coming to this church, I rode my bike for 40 minutes to get here β the roads were confusing, and I often ended up taking the long way around. One time I passed by the Sakagawa river and found it beautiful. I don't know how many of you grew up in Matsudo, but seeing the water, the grass, the bridge, the shadows under the bridge, I thought β maybe all those flowers, plants, and shaded trees are hiding everyone's childhood "secret base." And now, I've wandered right into it. Of course, your real secret base is this Revival Church β and I've wandered into that one too.
Focusing on the Present
This world is constantly changing. AI is developing so fast it could replace human work, and China-Japan relations are quite poor right now. Simply put, China's weakness lies in its people β its institutions and systems are poorly structured. Japan's weakness lies in its natural conditions β a lack of resources and heavy dependence on the outside world.
These things do affect our lives, but I'd rather focus on the present, on daily life, and on all of you. We can't control how the world changes, but I can focus on what I'm able to do right now, and accept whatever consequences may come.
I'm so glad to be here with all of you. Thank you for having me, and I look forward to getting to know you.