25 years

In 1981 Sacramento and Matsuyama became sister cities. 

I was a Freshman at Hiram Johnson High School. 

My grandmother was very active in the sister-city program in part because I was so enamored of Japanese culture.  We would get exchange students during the summers. 

 

In 1982 the word went out that there would be a High School student delegation to Matsuyama.  My German Language teacher gave me the application, saying it seemed like something I would be interested in.

No one else from my school submitted an app, so I was chosen as the representative from HJHS.  I made my first trip to Japan with the student delegation and then took off on my own after the tour to visit exchange students who had stayed with us in Sacramento.

I was 16, spoke practically no Japanese, and was running around more or less on my own.  Kind of a crazy thing I guess, but then my parents had often been very hands-off and usually unaware of my whereabouts most of my kidhood.  It was a grand adventure for me…and granted, Japan is a relatively safe country.

We brought a group high school students (Megan’s Grant High School students) to Matsuyama a few years back, and in retrospect, I was sort of amazed that I had managed to make it around Japan mostly on my own.  I was also happy my experiences taught me a great many things that would prove to be helpful in subsequent years.

Wow…and Grant High School started a sister-school relationship with a school here this trip.  Gosh I miss all the youth group members.  I miss the Grant High kids dancing.  Heck…they’ve all graduated or are all graduating from universities now.

We played reasonably well this evening and got great audience feedback.  I think it still surprises folks that the wadaiko we play is comparable to folks they are used to seeing more regularly.

For me it’s a small way to give something back.  Over the past 25 years many people here in Matsuyama and at least as many back home in Sac have more often than not gone out of their way for me so that I could learn more about Japanese culture and so that I could pursue my dream of becoming a Taiko drummer.  I can’t thank them all, I guess, but I can keep working diligently.  It’s not just me…it’s everyone who has helped along the way.  That’s what comes onto the stage whenever I play…that’s one of the reasons it can be so moving.

I sure am one lucky buggah!