ON THE ROAD TO: by Neriza Saito

The way of tea in Japan encompasses the whole idea of “Ichi go, Ichi e” or one moment, one meeting, which means that every experience we have in our daily life is unique and special, therefore it must be cherished. This was the belief of Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591), the master of “Sado” or tea ceremony.

Decades of living in Japan has taught me to appreciate the simple things in our complex world. Sometimes, I feel sorry for some of our “kababayan” who allow themselves to be slaves of time and material possessions. I am also one of those train commuters, like almost everyone inside the train, glued to my I-phone in the early hours of the morning. Or sometimes, while transferring trains, I fear that some of those impatient salaried workers might just knock me down the escalator or that some of the oversized suitcases of a group of tourists might hit my injured leg. People seemed to be rushing unmindful of others.

Services are the best in Japan and customers are never kept waiting. In some fast food chains, orders are made through iPhone applications, so by the time the customer

steps into the shop, the items are ready for pickup. In the slow paced and almost choreographic ritual of “Sado”, serving tea is an expression of purity. “Wabi” is the spiritual experience representing tranquility and refinement , while “Sabi“ is the material side that is decayed or worn out.

For the 100th issue of Jeepney Press, I would like to look back at the very first “one moment, one meeting“ I had with Dennis and Irene during a presidential reception in Tokyo in 2003. They were in the preliminary stages in planning the publication Jeepney Press. I felt honored to have had that moment of meeting two very warm-hearted and determined brother and sister, to document the journeys of Filipinos in Japan. I never imagined that it was also the start of my own journey of soul-searching.

The second moment was a reunion in Japan with Nanette Ochoa Fernandez, a classmate in my Theater Arts class way back when. She wrote about me in her article in JP. Soon after that, Dennis encouraged me to write a column here, so the first person I interviewed was my best friend, Noemi Itsukage.

It has been 15 years since then and what started as a 1/4 page column expanded to a 2-page spread. Over the years, I wrote about the lives, struggles and aspirations of migrants in Japan. Some of them are known to many of you: Henry Tabao, Malou Sato, Valentino Cabansag, Osti Wade, Susan Fuchizaki, Roman Santos Jr.,

The 3 Kings of Kansai — Alfred Valencia , Natalio Naguit, Tony Herrera, Consul General Senen Mangalile, the late Frank Catajoy, the late, Mely Kohno, Katrina Fujikawa, Toshi Delos Santos, Charlie, Helen Uede, Lucy Yamane, Prof. Jorge V. Tigno, Rose Kasai, Fiona, Wowie and Jamir of the Japan Foundation, Joy Miyagawa, Roterry Shimono, Olson Solon, Connie Fujiwara, Jun Silva, Kurt Takeuchi, Jeff Plantilla, Jenny Yoshizawa, Koji Ueno, Lyle Menecio, Ronilo Flores, the late Vicky Wakiyama, Prof. Masanao Oue, Prof. Galileo Zafra, Yosuke Shohara, Lorelei Cruz, Joy Yoshitomi, Ms. Leona Nepomuceno, Jorge Takara, Olive Kawaida, Emy Arai, Sabado Boys, Herbert Benzon, Dr. Jovelle Fernandez, Jorge Primavera.

In between those, some groups or communities were featured like the Kansai Nippi Tomo No Kai, the Knights of Rizal, Kansai Chapter, Senior High School Students of Uenomiya Gakuen, Chorus group from the Philippines and the Taka-tsuki International Association. Students majoring in Filipino at the Minoo campus of Osaka University were regularly featured with hopes that they can inspire more Japanese-Filipino children to speak their native language and be proud of their roots.

When the Osaka Asian Film Festival asked me to interview the directors and stars of the participating films, I trooped to the moviehouses, and wrote articles about “Walang Forever,” Iza Calzado’s “Bliss,” Mikhail Red’s Neo Manila and the latest in 2019 was Tanabata’s Wife. Crossing paths with Director Mikhail Red in a narrow alley on my way to the theater to watch Neo Manila was beyond my imagination. His famous father Raymond Red was a visual arts major at the Philippine High School for the Arts in Makiling when I taught there for a year. It was unimaginable how I could be talking face to face with the equally talented son of a movie genius. That was one moment in my life I would always be proud of. And then, there was Iza Calzado at the press preview of her movie “Bliss.” That moment when I asked a question about her feelings of coming to Japan and the influence of her late father Lito Calzado on her acting career, that made tears trickled down her face. Her boyfriend, and now her husband, Ben Winkle approached me after the press conference to express his gratitude for raising that question because “it meant so much to Iza.“ At the awarding ceremonies, she was awarded the Yakushi Pearl Award for her outstanding performance in the film and to my surprise, she called me personally and gave me the bouquet of flowers she received that night.

This year, I interviewed the cast of “Tanabata’s Wife “ with lead actors Miyuki Kamimura and Mai Fanglayan. Incidentally, one of the directors, Charlson Ong, helped us with the script of the musical I directed in 1995, “Ang Kalayaan sa Buhay ni Loretta Delia Rosa Tanaka“ where the leading role was played by Jina Umali, who coincidentally was also involved in the production of this film.

It seemed to me that people from my yesteryears are coming back in my life recently. During the G-20 summit in Osaka, we were invited by Prof. Makita of Ritsumeikan University to join a discussion for their art project. On their performance night, I met a “kohai” Teresa from my university who is now working on the JET program. We talked only for less than an hour but the rejuvenating experience of reliving my university days was great!

Then there was this talk we had on “ Windows on the Philippines “ organized by students of Prof. Lisa Rogers of Doshisha Women’s College, when going around the campus premises, I remembered the stories my department head at PNU, Prof. Naty Crame Rogers used to tell us when she was a fellow at Doshisha more than 40 years ago. Everything was coming back like time travel. It was indeed a chain of experiences somehow connected to a happening in the past.

One of those big surprises was a visit of Ambassador Antonio Villamayor, who served as Consul General of the Philippine Consulate in 2002 until 2006. He addressed the members of the Samasama Filipino Community with the same enthusiasm and energy as before when he and his wife the late Ma’am Inday used to host gatherings of the Filipino Community at his official residence. He was instrumental in transferring the Philippine Consulate General from its temporary office in Tenma after the Great Hanshin Earthquake, to the present office in the Osaka Business Park. He mentioned in his short talk to the parishioners of St. Mary’s Cathedral about the assistance of the Filipino Communities in Kansai to their various activities. Those of us who had this opportunity to meet Ambassador Villamayor again were inspired with his patience to listen to the stories of our “sweet and sour” experiences of living in Japan.

Had I not been able to have that “one moment, one meeting“ with Dennis and Irene, maybe I would not have been what I am now. And had I passed up any opportunity to meet the people I interviewed for Jeepney Press, perhaps, I would not have the compassion that I feel now because listening to the experiences of others encouraged me to meet all challenges that will come my way with an open mind.

So, for everyone, let me share this phrase: “He who searches hearts, knows what the mind of the spirit is. “