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"Japan is a strange place" This time, the storyteller is Ms.Rachel Shiiba
from Maryland, US. Let's listen to her story of "heart in Japan"
The first visit to Japan for Ms.Rachel was days of college as a foreign student in Hiroshima.
"I really like HIROSHIMA. Their beautiful sea and mountains are look remarkably like
my hometown. It was surprising to me" After a while, she got married and decided
to live in Japan. But sometimes she got confused about the difference
between Japan and US. "Hiroshima-Dialect!"
"At the beginning, it's really hard to understand what they are talking about?"
In those days, one of the strangest place in Japan for Ms.Rachel is
"The Bank" In US, all paperwork signatures are written
by hand. So Ms.Rachel, one day in the bank, signed
her name just the same way as usual. Then,,, "I signed just as usual, then the bank officer
said to me "Please make the sign as exactly the same letters as the others." I was so
surprised because I've never requested like that. I think, Japanese "In-kan (a personal
seal)" is very convenient and it's really COOL!
While feeling strange, also accepting the Japanese style.
Ms.Rachel enjoys everyday of her life. "My dream is, to have my own "In-kan"
"My name in KATAKANA--character is too wordy to make "In-kan", maybe it's difficult to
get one but I want to own it!" In closing, here is Haiku-style message from
Ms.Rachel: "Getting own In-kan is Getting a place on
Japan", this is my "heart in Japan"