"Ittekimasu~!"

3/24/10

Today was my last full day in Tokyo and I leave for Kyoto on a midnight bus. I worked in the office until about 2:30, and Mari and Naomi surprised me with a cake that we shared before I left to visit the Toei animation gallery. The gallery itself was small, but kind of cool, since it’s the studio that created wonderful series’ such as Cyborg 009, Galaxy Express 999, Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, and the series that first started my interest in anime and manga: Sailor Moon.

For this post, I figured it was time I showed pictures of the people I’ve been spending all my time with. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures of Glenn, who always made sure I was comfortable with the work I was doing and made me feel comfortable in the house, since he is American too. I am really grateful for the opportunity to work in his office, have lessons from the artists who work for him, and for getting to know him and his family.



This is Mari, Glenn’s wife, who always made sure I had plenty to eat and gave me equally great opportunities, like going to the elementary school. She helped me plan my travel from Tokyo to Nagasaki and gave me suggestions on where to go both in Tokyo and in my other stops along the way to Nagasaki. Always smiling and completely selfless, she made me feel completely at home and like I was part of the family. I also got to meet her father (pictured here) and her cousin. Both are just as kind as she is, and her father has an adorable way of speaking.


This is Naomi, Glenn’s assistant and my supervisor in the office. She’s originally from California and went to school in Minnesota. Super nice, and full of recommendations of great places to eat, she made working in the Japanime office really fun and was always able to answer any questions I had about the work I was doing, or Tokyo itself.



Here we have Okura-sensei and Saori-san, the artists who taught my lessons in the Japanime/Manga University offices. Okura-sensei is an excellent teacher, both in English and Japanese (though he’s very modest about his English speaking skills, which are excellent), and really assesses what his student doesn’t understand and remedies it quickly. He also knows the best ramen place in Tokyo. Saori-san is adorable, and very kind and fun. I feel blessed to have been taught by both of them.


Then there’s Emily, Glenn and Mari’s daughter. We didn’t say very much to each other, mostly me commenting on things she was doing or watching, or offering her something to eat or drink, or asking her about her favorite anime/music/etc. Still, I think we shared a silent bond and enjoyed each other’s company.


Plus we both have a low tolerance for heat/smoke from okonomiyaki grills.



Finally we have Chibisuke and Toranosuke (Chibi and Tora), Mari’s cats. Chibi lives in the house with Glenn and the rest of the family while Tora lives with Mari’s dad. While Chibi is rather aloof, he got used to me and found my lap to be quite comfortable when he was particularly sleepy. Tora is playful and loveable, and found me to be a great playmate when Mari and I came to visit.

All of these people have been wonderful to me, and I hope to someday convey to them how much this experience has really meant to me. I’ve never liked the idea of leaving a place, but I don’t think this is 「さようなら」. “Goodbye” is too final, and you never really leave anyone forever. This is only “I’ll go and come back.” Or rather, 「いってきます〜！」