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Yuko and A Story of Love, Romance and ...Mystery

Page 6 of 11

I offered my sincere congratulations and meant it. Tamura-san and Natika were a perfect match for each other and I was happy for the two of them. I was still worried about Tamura-san's comment about not being able to help me with my search for Yuko and I asked him to explain what was troubling him. I could tell that he was trying his best not to offend me and his response was very carefully worded,

"It has been difficult for Natika and me because Natika's family feels that it was my fault that you and Yuko were able to get together and they are worried that it may be your intention to take Yuko to the United States. They believe that she belongs here in Japan. They also believe that if you do not want to marry Yuko you are only interested in having sex with her and that would be immoral."

I remembered the conversation I had with my friend and his Japanese wife back in the United States. I knew that there was no simple answer to this predicament and I did not want to be a problem for Tamura-san and Natika, nor did I want to create a bigger problem for Yuko either. Nevertheless, I asked Tamura-san if he knew how Yuko felt about the situation. Tamura-san became somewhat philosophical as he continued to discuss this issue:

"Japan is a divided country. There is the old Japan with all of its ancient traditions and there is the new Japan that is becoming a major economic power throughout the world. Japan's leaders are trying to integrate the old traditions with this new culture but the process is taking a long time. Many of Japan's older citizens are reluctant to change. Yuko's family is but one of thousands of families that are committed to the preservation of the past."

When I began looking for Yuko, I first returned to Tsuyama and I even visited the indoor mall where she and I had sometimes gone for lunch.

"Yuko, as you well know, is also committed to these ancient traditions and she has chosen a role that is more like the women of ancient Japan. She knows that she must sacrifice many of her personal desires. On the other hand, Natika and I are part of the newer generation and we believe in a strong Japanese economy. We also believe that the best way to integrate the past with the present is to allow it to occur naturally. It will happen through marriages such as Natika's and mine. That's the natural way."

By the time Tamura-san and I decided to call it a night my mind was bogged down with questions about what would be the right thing to do in the days to come. Most of my preconceived plans now seemed somewhat inappropriate and irreverent. I didn't want to cause any more trouble than I already had but I still wanted to hear Yuko's thoughts and opinions directly from her.

I was not very optimistic about her position. She had been quite emphatic-we could never share a long-term relationship because of the vast differences in our cultural backgrounds. Nevertheless, I had continued to hope that there might be some way to work out these differences. I also realized that I had been ignoring her decision without knowing just how deeply committed she was to Japan's ancient traditions and how that commitment might dictate the direction of her life in the future. One thing seemed certain: I could not expect any help from Yuko's family or from her friends. I was definitely going to be on my own.

During the week I acquired a temporary Japanese driver's license and reserved a rental car for the upcoming weekend. Early Saturday morning I headed for Tsuyama, Yuko's home town. Driving in Japan turned out to be somewhat more difficult than I anticipated. Not only because you drive on the left side of the road, but the oncoming traffic consists of an endless stream of trucks and often the roads are very narrow.