[Spots] Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Hasedera Temple, and Kotokuin Temple (Great Buddha)
[Visitors] 33 JICA participants from 14 countries, with 5 each from Afghanistan and Brazil, 3 each from China and Vietnam, 2 each from Peru, Paraguay, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Nigeria, and the Philippines, and 1 each from Thailand, India, and Panama
[Attendants] 26 KSGG members and 10 observers
The first tour of JICA participants around Kamakura this year was held on a fine, but very cold day. The participants who came from warm, winter-free countries were surprised at the cold of winter, but looked very cheerful. At Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, some of them had a chat with a young couple, cradling a newborn baby of theirs in their arms. At Hasedera Temple in the afternoon, some participants from a Buddhist country, who were fascinated with the beauty of Hase Kannon, the goddess of mercy, chanted a prayer to the Kannon. Looking at Japanese apricot blossoms that had begun to bloom around the pond in early spring, they said, smiling, “Those are the blossoms telling the coming of spring, aren’t they? Among the participants, there was a male Brazilian Sansei, or third-generation Japanese Brazilian, who told us that his parents are second-generation Japanese Brazilians. He told us that his father was from Aichi Prefecture and his mother was from Ibaraki Prefecture, and that, as a child, he had heard a lot about Japan from his parents. He said that he had been to their hometowns several times. At the end of the tour, we visited Kotokuin Temple and took a picture of us all against the background of Great Buddha. In this way we finished guiding the participants around Kamakura; it was a pleasant day for me, too. A Cold Sweat and Nerves for the Next Chance
We got on Enoden at Fujisawa and, as we went by Koshigoe station, we could see the extensive scene of Sagami Bay through the train windows. The sunlight was playing on its surface and ships and sailboats far in the distance were silhouetted against the sky in the still of the morning. Unluckily, we couldn’t see Mt. Fuji, but I hoped that the JICA participants would surely enjoy its beautiful scenery instead. Our group guided 7 participants from Pakistan and Afghanistan. I thought what a nerve it is to guide foreign visitors, because I had never used English in business. Yet I tried to explain various things around us and received good reactions from them. Also, I was in a cold sweat when they asked me unexpected questions like “Where can I see a ninja?” and “Can I take a Japanese sword home as a souvenir from Japan?” Fortunately, our group leader suggested that each of us explain different spots, and I covered the Big Gingko Tree, the symbol of Kamakura. I wondered if I could get across its sad story to them that it had fallen down in the strong wind last March, but was revived in the form of its shoots by the zeal of Kamakura citizens. On the way back, I went to Sagami-Ono Station with JICA participants, and was given some polite thank-you words from a Pakistani who took the seat next to me by chance on Odakyu Line. I felt ashamed because I was not a good guide, but I also felt encouraged for my next guiding.
We received a thank-you letter from Mr. A. K, a Pakistani participant:.
Dear Good Will Guides, It’s a great privilege for me to be here in Japan. I really appreciate your well organized system and management to deal with all the peoples coming from abroad. I found every person in Japan very well committed and dutiful and very much polite and so much affectionate to everybody, although it is my first tour and I know I will never find any opportunity next time to come over here but I wish I could be among the peoples like you who are so committed and respectful. I must say you peoples are the most civilized nation in all over the world. I am very much oblige and I can not express my feeling and my regards in words. I must praise all of you for providing extra ordinary services to all of us which are unforgettable and the best with no deficiency.
Arigato Kind and Humble Regards, A. K. Pakistan