Nihon Ikimashio! Final Part

(cont’d from previous)

I had planned to leave Ono this morning for Kyoto and then head straight to Tokyo for my flight back. But the night before when I was having a delightful dinner with Kenji and Nomura sense, as we laughed and chatted, I decided that I would forgo my trip to Kyoto. I felt like I hadn’t seen enough of Ono this trip back and I also wanted a little more time with my friends. Kyoto can wait.

I stayed over at Nomura sensei’s place and woke up to find my breakfast (with a lovely note) on the table! It was a simple meal but home-made breakfast certainly warms the heart. Because I had slept in a little, I could hear the cicadas beckoning by the time I washed up. I was planning to cycle leisurely around Ono that morning. Unfortunately, I found the bike too high and could not find the tools to adjust it. So, I walked! I don’t think I have walked so much in Ono before (mind you, in the countryside, people drive and children cycle). But as it turned out, I saw so much more of Ono!

That night, I had dinner with Minoru, Akiko and Chiyo-chan. After that, they dropped me at Nomura sensei’s house for the night. We bade farewell, not knowing when we would see each other again. Although I couldn’t see very well as my eyes still had not adjusted to the darkness, as they drove off into the night, I waved till their car disappeared from my sight.

I had a nice chat with Nomura sensei that night. The next morning, she drove me to the station where I set off for Tokyo. I’m glad I spent an extra day in Ono, with more time for Ono, the nature, myself and my friends.

So my trip came to an end. As I recollect, I love Tokyo for its energy, vibrancy and craft shopping! But my biggest takeaway would be meeting my Japanese friends. And for all the delicious food, the best meals were the home-cooked ones prepared by my friends. It was funny how we kept saying that it’s been 3 years since we last met but yet, as we chatted, I couldn’t help but feel that the friendships hadn’t changed. We still chatted happily as we did before. To me, they aren’t just friends. They are family.

Okey dokey, we’ve come to the end of this series on my recent Japan trip. Thanks for walking through it with me, especially those of you who have left lovely comments along the way! I’m signing off till Tuesday as it’s a long weekend over here in Singapore. Enjoy your weekend too!