The night in KASUMIGAURA

 

 In 1988, I was a freshman at university. During the summer vacation I travelled around east Japan by bicycle.

 I spent one night in Tokyo then started to travel towards the north east of Japan. My next goal was the youth hostel in KASUMIGAURA in IBARAGI prefecture.

 When I was on the road I saw a young man wearing a shirt on which was written “Anti-nuclear power plant”. He was riding a bicycle in the same direction as me. I thought he might be an interesting fellow. So I followed him for a while. But his riding speed was too slow, so I overtook him. Then I arrived at the youth hostel before sunset.

 In those days, local youth hostels were like conversation salons where travelers could enjoy talking about various topics. I was also enjoying myself there.

 Somebody asked a middle aged person:

“What kind of work do you do?”

The person answered:

“I work at a nuclear power plant.”

I remembered the anti-nuclear guy I had overtaken during the day. So I told him:

“I saw a person wearing an “anti-nuclear power plant” shirt today.”

The power-plant-guy answered:

“I know some people have such ideas about nuclear power plants, but…”

He started to explain fluently why we need nuclear power plants.

Most of the travelers listened to this explanation with a smile. It had been two years since the incident in Chernobyl, but most of the people in Japan, including me, didn’t think about that problem so seriously.

 After dinner and a bath we had time to relax and chat again. Then the owner of the youth hostel said to us:

“One guest who was supposed to stay here tonight has not arrived. I can’t clean the table and the bath.”

We answered:

“The guest must have cancelled. It is already late”.

The owner said:

“No, he called me and said “I am on the way from Tokyo by bicycle. Don’t close the gate. I will definitely arrive there tonight.”

 I remembered the anti-nuclear-guy again, because I had also left Tokyo that morning. On the way the guy was the only bicycle-traveler I overtook. So I said:

“The guest could be the anti-nuclear-guy I saw.”

Everyone laughed and said.

“It will never happen.”

Finally the guest arrived by bicycle. The guest was indeed the guy wearing the anti-nuclear-plant-shirt I had seen. Everyone in the hostel was surprised.

 The anti-nuclear-plant guy went to the bath. Most of worried about what would happen tonight, but an optimistic traveler started live coverage of the situation to us:

“The greatest match of the century is coming soon! The challenger, the anti-nuclear-plant-guy has finished his bath. He is putting his clothes. What kind of shirt? Of course it has the slogan “Anti-nuclear-plant”! The champion, the nuclear-plant-guy is prepared to engage the enemy!” 

The worker from the nuclear plant turned pale and said:

“First of all, I did not to want to work for a nuclear plant. It is just my job. I didn’t have choice”

 The anti-nuclear-guy came to the living room. He joined our circle. He explained the purpose of his trip. As an anti-nuclear-plant action, he planned to visit all the nuclear plants in north east Japan by bicycle, wearing the anti-nuclear-plant-shirt.

 The tension in the living room was extreme.

 I was eighteen. Of course I was reckless and a greenhorn. I pointed at the  nuclear plant worker and said:

“He works at a nuclear plant!”

After a long silence, the anti-nuclear-plant-guy said.

“I am so happy to meet you. I started my travel because I wanted to listen to people like you!”

 I can’t remember what they talked about after that, but the hostel became a salon again. I guess all of us enjoyed talking.

 About thirty years has passed. The nuclear plant worker has been able to climb the career ladder. The anti-nuclear-plant-guy may be a leader of an anti-nuclear-plant movement. It was in 1988, long before the incidents in Fukushima.

 If they met now, could they talk gently like that night? I don’t know.

Picture by kathygold