Berkeley Memories, Earthquakes, and Izu Inspirations
Today’s guests are from San Francisco. They are originally from Taiwan, so I guess they are first-generation Taiwanese American. Simon said, “Our house is right near Oracle Park, the Giants’ home stadium.” I asked, “So, are you Giants fans?” “Well, not really,” he said. I couldn’t help but wonder if they were Dodgers fans, since Shohei Ohtani plays for them. I lived in Berkeley for about three months 43 years ago. I was attending an intensive English course at the UC Berkeley Extension. I was a big Warriors fan and often skipped school to go to Warriors games at the Oakland Coliseum. I still remember the games between the Lakers with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Warriors with J.B. Carrol. Talking to them brought back so many fond memories of those days.
On April 3, a major earthquake struck eastern Taiwan, the largest in 25 years. Local media reported that Japan provided the most aid, demonstrating the deep friendship between the two nations. In the wake of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, Taiwan offered over 20 billion yen in support, the largest amount from any single country or region. This year, following the Noto Peninsula earthquake in January, Taiwan again extended a helping hand, providing approximately 2.6 billion yen in assistance. The people of Japan are deeply grateful for Taiwan’s unwavering friendship and solidarity. We hope that the strong bond between our two countries will continue to flourish for many years to come.
The next day, they are going to Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture. Why Izu? They were so moved by reading Yasunari Kawabata’s “Izu Dancer” while they were in the USA that they decided to visit Izu, the setting of the novel, when they came to Japan. They are even more knowledgeable about Japan than most Japanese people.
Simon said, “If you ever come to San Francisco, please let me know. I’d love to show you around the city.” It’s been 40 years since I visited San Francisco with Naoko, and the city must have changed a lot. I still vividly remember the dazzling lights of the skyscrapers reflected in the bay from the Bay Bridge at night.
