Buenos Aires and Osaka

Column for those involved with the post office

One of the furthest countries from Japan, Argentina. Its capital is Buenos Aires. It means good air. They have the Tango. Maradona grew up here. Visited mother in “3000 Leagues in Search of Mother”.

I went there. I got on the subway. I was struck with a strong déjà vu. Why does this feel so familiar? I looked around the train cart. Wait, isn’t this the Hankyu train from Japan?

Indeed it was. It was an old train from Hankyu railways. A Japanese train was spending its second life in “good air”.

I first rode this train when I was in the 4^th grade. The Osaka Expo was taking place. From Kyoto, where I lived, to Osaka, I rode this train. It was an event in 1970.

It was my mother and I. I still have the 2 tickets. The words “The progress and harmony of mankind” was printed on the ticket. Mankind always progressed. We thought progress was a normal thing. The future was bright. Flying cars filled the sky, people lived in space and underwater, and people communicated using telepathy. I thought, future, hurry up and come.

When we ask about the “future” to children today, they talk about negative things like nuclear warfare, acid rain, and refugees. To them, earth is on its path to destruction. It seems there are no progress or growth. In fact, since they were born, Japan has not grown. It’s not their fault they cannot expect much from the future. It is the adult’s fault. We have failed to show them the future.

Expo. We couldn’t get into the popular halls of USA or USSR. The lines were too long. Ultimately we were able to get inside of 2 buildings, the hall of nursery tales and the one that showed movies on a 360 degree screen. That was my only time at the Expo. Although it was only one-hour away, my mother or any other adults around me did not have the time to take me there multiple times and the school forbid us from going there without adult supervision.

　

We got back to Kyoto on the Hankyu train. We were exhausted. Right outside the station, we ate ramen. It was really good. I rarely got to eat out, so I remember it clearly.

Half a century ago, they showed the children the future. Mom, thank you. I haven’t been able to show the children the future yet.