During my internship at Volkswagen in Toyohashi in 1994, I lived
I stayed with an elderly Japanese couple for several months. I had made contact through the German-Japanese Society in our region, with whom Mr. and Mrs. Ishikawa had maintained close contact for many years. Thanks to my Japanese studies, I flew there with great interest and some prior knowledge of the country, its people, and their culture. I was greeted by overwhelmingly warm and genuine hospitality and great respect for German culture. Japanese people love and appreciate German literature and classical music, but also reliability, precision, and punctuality. Our life together was characterized by a lively and constant exchange in conversations (in Japanese) with the help of pictures, books, and many personal stories. Especially during my stays in Japan, I also learned a great deal about my own culture and my country and was able to develop respect for it. The Ishikawa couple showed me their country and their culture with "head, heart, and hand." They took me to the Mikimoto Pearl Island in Toba. We saw dozens of pearl divers using large wooden tubs to retrieve shells containing pearls from the depths, and we marveled at the jewelry in the Mikimoto Museum. As we headed home to Toyohashi that evening, my host parents gave me this bookmark. They had secretly bought it in the museum to surprise me after the impressive trip. It is valuable to me not only because of the silver and the special pearl, but it also represents a deep friendship between two cultures, between young and old, between people who treat each other with respect, tolerance, interest, and warmth. Our later reunions in Japan and Germany, including at my parents' home in Wolfsburg, and later with my husband, were always filled with warmth. The bookmark always stays on my bedside table, and Japan and its people have accompanied me throughout my life.
