There's a house in Japan...

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here’s a house in Japan that sits on the banks of an undisturbed stream. Behind it is an onsen that bubbles from the geothermal activity deep below the house. When the winter snow falls gently over Hokkaido, it submerges the house’s garden under a thick blanket of white. At night, a deer emerges to take a sip from the stream. A squirrel investigates the nuts left out for him on the verandah. A fox tiptoes hurriedly on snow-clad feet. All that is left when first light breaks through is a flurry of tracks criss-crossing chaotically over a now-empty garden.

I miss this place a lot. I miss the serenity of the flowing stream. The cosiness of the toasty, warm house. The snowflakes that sprinkle themselves over this winter wonderland. But what I miss most of all is the person who lives inside that house.

My grandpa.

It’s a peaceful place to live for an 89 year old who runs the house all on his own. He can see the picturesque landscape put on a grand chromatic display of greens, then reds, then silvers as it moves through the seasons. He can bask in the nature that surrounds his house – the animals, the nearby woodlands, and the stream running through his own backyard. But what’s even nicer is when his family is there to share these joys with him. I think about you every day Ojiichan. How I wish I could visit you right now!

Last year was his 88^th birthday which is cause for celebration in Japan. 88 is quite a special number because its characters, 八十八, when arranged on top of one another, resemble 米, which is the character for ‘rice’. And since rice symbolises good fortune in Japan, turning 88 is quite a momentous occasion. Yone-no-iwai is the name of this celebration and we celebrated by visiting him over the New Year. I wish it could have lasted forever.

I remember waking up early one morning to make pancakes for him. The snow was falling softly outside. I couldn’t really read the instructions on the box so I put water instead of milk and added one too many an egg but the pancakes tasted great nevertheless. It was made with love, and that was all that mattered to my Ojiichan. Breakfast ended up being complete with heart-shaped pancakes and even one fashioned into an ’88’ for his birthday.

'88' shaped pancakes

I remember digging through his movie cabinet one day. There was a DVD emblazoned with the word, ‘Flamenco’. I got excited so I said the word out loud in a passionate Spanish accent, and then he repeated it with such incredible flair and with such bravado that my stomach hurt so much from laughter! I will never forget how much emphasis he put on that last syllable – “FraaaamenKO!”

There was also that time when he showed me a belly dance DVD and then he attempted a little belly dance right there and then. It made me laugh so hard I wanted to join in! We love our dancing DVDs and I love my Ojiichan!

One of the things I enjoy most about my grandpa’s house is the onsen (specifically, rottenburo). Picture yourself dipping into a thermal body of healing water surrounded by snow-capped boulders under a twinkling, starry sky. Just you against a backdrop of fir trees that are ornamented with icicles and tinselled with snow. As the snowflakes pile up on your head like a Santa hat, you wonder to yourself if there is anything more soothing than to relax in a hot spring and simply dissolve in a state of zen.

Frosted cobwebs above the hot spring

Onsen - outdoor hot spring

My Ojiichan gets to do this every day, and not just in the winter. Pure bliss. But one day, the wooden planks in the bathroom before the hot spring collapsed underneath me. The floorboards were getting softer with every splash of hot water. It was time to replace them, so we hit the local Homac and returned with fresh planks of timber and a new project at our hands! 

Immediately, we set to work but it didn’t feel like work at all when you’re tinkering away outside in this sugary, frosty, whipped cream-y wonderland. We all worked, even if it was minus 10°C and my fingers and toes were numb. But how can I complain when I’m working besides my Ojiichan and basically, in a living snow globe!! 

Inside a cave made of snow

A few days later, we were done! I’ll never forget the historic hi-five with my Ojiichan and how he tested the new floorboards under his feet, thought for a minute, then gave us the grandpa seal of approval!  Made with loving hands, my Ojiichan would never bathe in the same way again!

The finished floorboards

Ojiichan, one memory I will always keep close to my heart is when you taught me how to be brave. You teach me this lesson every day, but it was that day when we accompanied you to the hospital. 

You got two injections that day and you didn’t wince once. I was peeking at you from behind the curtain and you seemed so calm, talking to the nurses. I sat and waited for you to come out of the X-ray room. When you did, I gave you a thumbs-up and you smiled. Smiled like there was nothing wrong and everything was okay. When the doctor checked up on your cancer and said there was a 5cm lump in your liver. When they said you would be getting surgery soon. We spent a lot of time in the hospital that day and not once did you complain. Because you knew that with your loved ones around, that is all you could ever want. And even if we’re far, the love of family is all that truly matters in this world.

You teach me how to never complain. 

You teach me how to tackle each challenge with a smile.

You teach me that the tough times can make a family grow closer and make a heart grow stronger.

You teach me how to face each obstacle with a soldier’s heart and that an armour of love and faith will shield you from any fear.

You teach me that when we’re alive, we’re becoming stronger, and no matter what stands in our path, life is a gift and shouldn’t be worth complaining about.

Ojiichan, thank you for the wonderful memories and the lessons you teach me. 

You are an inspiration to me.

Let’s stay strong together.

I love you.

Love, Young and Unheroic

All photos by: Young and Unheroic

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