Posted in: Journal On The Road, On The Road | By Robin

(I am Robin Modlin, a friend of Ana, Isa and Andrew for almost 20 years. I was invited to go on this trip to Japan to support my friends in their endeavor to raise awareness about organ donation, transplant and cystic fibrosis. I am also mother of another friend of theirs, 28 year old, Anna, who lives with cystic fibrosis and the hope of one day having a successful lung transplant.)

Day 6

I am writing about yesterday while on the JR express train to Sendai. And another personal note related to yesterday, the toilet seats on the train are heated too. It was quite a feat to lug all of the luggage, cameras, lights, etc. from the hotel, into cabs, through the Tokyo Station and onto the train. The crew is hot and sweaty and did their bit for the day already. Not really, the day is just begun.

Yesterday was my day 6 and Ana, Isa and I went to Shinjuku, the center of high shopping in Tokyo. We went to two department stores, Okakyu and Takashimaya. I definitely felt that I was visiting the Harrods of Tokyo. We went to the basement floor where a heavenly display of Japanese delights overwhelmed the senses. We got so excited and hungry. It was hard not to buy one of each but then we would have had to have a cargo van to hold it all. Instead we bought just enough to have a picnic lunch. With drool quickly forming in our mouths we searched for a place to sit and eat. There are no public places for one to buy food and then eat. The Japanese buy then return to work place or home to privately consume their food. We did not have this luxury. As Americans who find our own way we sat at a lonely spot on the ground in the subway station just out of the door of the luxurious food mart. We ooohed and ahhhed with our lunch, sushi rolls, rice pockets, and mmmmm. We had enough time to finish before a Japanese policeman came up to us to let us know this was not the place for such an affair.  Isa explained we were Americans and did not know, even though actually we did. He was kind. We got up and went on our merry way.

The train has just stopped only 15 minutes out of Tokyo because the wind of the typhoon is too strong. The overhead announcer said that we are to sit here for twenty minutes. We will be late arriving. But back to yesterday, Isa returned to the hotel to rest and Ana and I continued on.  We went outside to wander but the rain was to wet as rain usually is. We found shelter in Takashimaya department store. We took the escalator to the top to see the traditional Japanese kimonos and other attire. Going back down we visited the bottom floor of more foods. I was looking for treats to take home with me. I bought some yummy things. As we went down the escalator in this huge store, in the middle of the craziness of the city, Ana recognized Naomi’s mother. Can you believe that you can be somewhere half way across the world and know nearly no one but that one that you do know ends up crossing your path? I am sure we have all had these experiences especially when traveling, but it is always surprising and amazing. Mrs. Takeuchi was so delighted to see us she told us to stay put while she ran off with purpose disappearing into the mosaic of food counters. Finally she returned with two beautifully decorated bags of goodies for us. Ana said she was always this way, so generous and sweet. We accepted our gifts and said good-bye.

After more shopping, Ana and I needed a rest and had tea at a small French inspired bakery counter. Refreshed we headed over to a tall building that housed the law offices of Orrick in Japan. Andrew had a connection with this company and requested the use of a conference room to conduct filmed interviews of some of the interesting people we met here in Tokyo. I also had a chance to be interviewed to talk about the gift I am offering to the Japanese CF community.

My interview was at 6PM so outside the large floor to ceiling windows the lights of Tokyo were bejeweling the buildings and painting the night. Marc asked me to share about the Healing Flags I was bringing to present to Mr. Adachi and Rumiko in Sendai. The flags were decorated by members of our CF community with images of beauty and compassion as a way to connect with this isolated CF group. There are only a little more than 35 people diagnosed with CF in all of Japan. Certainly there must be more but just not properly diagnosed. Rumiko is a mother of a teenage CF patient who passed away in 2004 and Mr. Adachi is the father of an 18 year-old son who is quite ill with CF. There is little knowledge about CF in this country and there are not some of the essential medications that are crucial to surviving and perhaps thriving. Marc is good at asking the right questions in interviews to make you feel the heart of the matter and of course I had a teary experience.

Sitting in the lobby of the law offices we visited with other interviewees and had very interesting discussions including explorations about spiritual understandings of death in Japan. The crew and especially Marc were so please with the material they filmed. Afterward we all had another incredible dinner celebrating the trip in Tokyo. Then, back to the hotel to pack and sleep and rise early for the train to Sendai. We went to sleep not knowing how the typhoon would affect our trip or the turn out for the concert. Since this is the next day that I am writing this on the train we do now know that the center of the storm will hit Sendai at 6PM the time the concert is to begin. So, we will see. We all hope that it will not interfere.

Robin