Kuromoji-ya Cafe ②

“Yes, there was, yes, there was. Now, you know, they have beautiful apartments, stylish interiors and, something like that, and they're supposed to be comfortable and air-conditioned. It seems that parents want their children to be able to play comfortably in their rooms. I guess that's the way people are now, or maybe that's the way they believe it should be, but I don't know if that is truly good for children or not, I don't know. Well, the form of happiness changes.”

I see. This is the first time I've seen a person of this age group who can say that happiness comes in different forms for different people here in Japan. The Current conservative government is firmly sustained by them because of their conservative minds.I wondered how she acquired that way of thinking.

“Well, I don't know what they think of it . But I prefer the old days, when we were all talking to each other in the neighbourhood and doing things in a lively way, even in the olden days. It suits my personality better.”
She continued, wearing gold Adidas trainers in the fashion of the youth.

She continued, "You know, they let us have dinner in the neighbourhood, too, right?

“No, that didn't happen to me.”
The other lady looks like a woman who could be featured in Halmeku magazine (The famous Lifestyle information magazine for women over 50s in Japan), with her grey hair pulled back elegantly.

I have decided to call them Mrs Adidas and Mrs Halmeku.

Mrs. Adidas
“Oh, really? (she laughs) We used to get the flour, you know, kneaded, rolled and baked like this."

Mrs. Halmeku soon reponded that “Ah, ah! Yes, I remember now. Yes, I remember now. It's not a big or special meal, isn’t it?. We used to have that kind of thing at our neighbour's house for dinner, right? “
Mrs. Adidas chimed in.

If you don't remember it, say you don't remember it. That is the basis of their communication, which I am jealous.  Mrs. Halmeku is a person who can say that. If you have lived in Japanese society for a long time, you will know that people are normally required to nod their head in agreement, and you should be prepared to be a Yes-Man; objections are not required most of the time. Anything is above the individuals, that is the unspoken law of Japan. Mrs. Halmeku seems to be a good match for me. It's getting interesting. Pretending not to be listening, I can't help commenting on their conversation secretly.

Mrs. Halmeku continues.
“Ah that makes sense. That's the kind of thing that made me happy in thouse times. Nowadays, there aren't many houses with attached gardens. There's a house, and right in front of it is a car park. There are only houses where you can't feel plants, flowers, insects, or anything like that. I hear they grow houseplants and stuff inside their houses."

It is often said that neighbourhoods in the old days were much closer than they are now, but I had never heard that in person. That sort of community really existed. I would like to hear more as I have no chance to get to know neighbours in the past era. But well, they seems to be changing to different topics. Oh well...whatever.

Mrs. Adidas
"Is it the one that you don't have to take care of? Is it that you can just water and leave alone, right? I don't know about the worth of it. How do they think of  educating their children’s cultivation of aesthetic sensibility?"

Mrs. Harmeku
"Is that what you want? I want to ask them if that's what they want. Well, happiness is different for everyone. There was a rerun on NHK (Japanese public broadcasting) of a program about neighbours in the countryside in England who planted flowers in their gardens to attract animals and insects. It was like a documentary. They did it beautifully, and foxes came. Yes, wild ones. When I saw that, I thought it would be nice. So I added a few pots in my garden. Then, insects come to it, and I think it's beautiful. No, I don't. I don't try to make such a gorgeous garden. But I just keep a few normal plants and flowers put in a line alongside the garden. Dokudami plants and other things have started to grow. It reminds me of the old days, and I'm starting to enjoy it, so I'm going to keep taking care of it."

Mrs. Harmeku has already started trying to do it herself. It is fantastic. She didn’t  just complain. I often see people who just say things, but there are not many people, regardless of age, who put them into practice themselves. And she does practise it and realise it. This lady is not just an old woman. And she says again that happiness is different for each person. It's like she's trying to tell herself as well. I might be too much serious thinker.

Mrs. Adidas
“Oh, that's a nice thing that you are doing. You know I grow roses too, don't you?"

The parfait I ordered has come just as my ears were taken by a rose that suddenly appeared out from Mrs. Adidas. The smell of cigarettes had subsided, and I turned my attention to the male customer, who was crazy about his lunch. Each ice cream is a size larger than it looks on the post online beforehand. They even have tangerines on their plates, which were not shown on the post. I wondered if I could finish it despite having just eaten curry in a Thai food restaurant before I came here. I popped a piece of tangerine into my mouth and went back and listened to the ladies chatting again.