The Samurai Guy

The Greatest Generation. This is what Americans call the generation that produced the soldiers of World War II and the women who supported them back home. Gods! The idea of a World War still seems impossible to me. Have we not grown weary of violence yet? I know this is a sensitive topic given Japan’s position during the war. Since I traveled beyond this time, there is not much i can say about this. Many lives were lost during this time and for that I cannot make any excuse. Brave Americans and soldiers from many countries died during that war. So did many innocents. So too did many innocent Japanese die in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These wounds run deep on both sides.

For a soldier, for any man who has seen the horrors of battle and war, there is a shared understanding. It changes you in ways that no one who has not been there will ever understand. I myself have had disturbing nightmares of past battles. Do not mistake this for weakness or cowardice, for only a fool does not respect the lessons of war. And only a fool takes a life without regard for the consequences. I honor these brave soldiers for their sacrifice, and I join them in their prayers for lasting peace.

The seat of power of the mighty United States. We have had a tumultuous relationship, you Americans and we Japanese. I truly hope we have found lasting peace. This nation’s capital is awe-inspiring. It seems I will not be able to see all the wonders of this place during my brief stay, but I will do as much as I can. Visiting all of the monuments honoring past great Presidents is haunting, as their deeds and words press upon me. Especially this wise and grandfatherly Abraham Lincoln. Thankfully, slavery has never been a major practice in Japan and was unheard of by my time. To subjugate a man in this way is dishonorable and unthinkable. Even conquered enemies are allowed to lead their lives as free men after swearing fealty. I read a story that Oda Nobunaga, a powerful daimyo after my time was presented a black slave who he then promptly freed and made the samurai Yasuke.

So much wisdom, knowledge, and learning can be found in Washington DC. Starting with the Library of Congress, then the National Archives, and finally the Smithsonian Institute. So much information and knowledge! I could spend a lifetime here. Surely, this is where I am to learn the purpose of my journey. I speed through the stacks of books at the Library of Congress. So many books! I must advise the Emperor that he must setup a similar system in Kyoto. The librarians had to push me out of the door each night as I spent every waking moment possible reading there. I also visited the National Archives where the words of the American founding fathers were available for all to see. This is truly a great nation to allow all the common people to share in this cultural history.

Finally, I began my trip through the Smithsonian system. When I am too old to fight and serve the Emperor, I will ask for permission to retire here, to live the remainder of my life in the books, recordings, and videos. My student spirit calls to me strongly here. I can hardly contain myself discovering knowledge more wondrous than the previous. This Air & Space museum seems impossible. Even though I have been on airplanes–which still remain a miracle each time–surely humans traveling to space must be trickery. Rockets and missiles have to be a child’s fantasy! What is a simple warrior like me to do with such mind-boggling ideas?

• Washington, DC, Capitol Building
• Washington, DC, WWII Memorial

This urban safari continues. Now I truly have seen the future and the past. These dinosaurs would have been unstoppable beasts in their time.

This part of my journey has certainly stirred the warrior spirit in me. First the alligators in New Orleans, now these gigantic whale sharks in Georgia. Their American caregivers are trying to inspire education and conservation to the public by making these colossal creatures available to view. The Georgia Aquarium even had several beluga whales and one of only four manta rays in aquariums around the world.

This aquarium is massive! This Bernie Marcus must have a fortune to rival even the Emperor, to give such a gift to Georgia and the people of Atlanta. I watched as parent and child alike had looks of wonder and amazement as they explored the aquarium. I myself was in awe as I traveled in a tunnel covered by millions of liters of water and the sea creatures swam around me. I spent the entire day lost amongst these fascinating creatures.

Music. Joyous and melancholy. Somber and lively. Songs of loss, of pain, and sorrow. Songs of faith, of love, and desire. It seems there is no limit to the range of feelings they can express with song, these people of the South. I remember seeing stories of the devastation that Hurricane Katrina left on New Orleans and the surrounding areas. To be here now and to see the strength and perseverance of these people stirs emotions deep. This is befitting the birthplace of jazz. Truly, if life could be expressed as sound, this must be it. Jazz is one of my favorite things I have discovered on this journey forward.

Even more than the Netherlands, 80% of New Orleans sits below sea level. It is one of the busiest ports in the United States and is the second largest producer of energy in the U.S. This is why it was so baffling that their President let Katrina wreak the havoc that it did. Further, 40% of the seafood eaten by Americans comes from here. Louisiana attracts the greatest chefs from around the world and combines culinary traditions from: Caribbean, African, Spanish, French, Italian, Creole and Cajun cooking.

I thoroughly enjoyed the airboat trip we took in the bayous and swamps. These giant lizards you call alligators are fearsome beasts. They look like fanciful drawings I have seen of dinosaurs. I wanted to jump in to see if it could best my steel, but the tour guide raised such a fuss I got back into the boat before I could find out. Some other time perhaps.

• New Orleans, Louisiana, Bayou
• Atlanta, Georgia, Georgia Aquarium
• Atlanta, Georgia, Fernbank Museum

Rectitude (義, gi)
Courage (勇, yuu)
Benevolence (仁, jin)
Respect (礼, rei)
Honesty (誠, makoto or 信 shin)
Honor (誉, yo)
Loyalty (忠, chuu)

Sin City. Whatever your heart desires can be had in Las Vegas. I wandered through the casinos in disgust. Gambling, *pagh*! A weak vice. If a man is going to gamble, then let it be on the battlefield and serving a greater purpose. I cannot deny, however, that this is a lively and exciting place. It does not seem to sleep. Indeed, I seemed to lose all sense of time. Restaurants with the finest chefs. Stores gleaming with jewelry and riches. Marvelous shows with music, drama, action, and humor. I wonder what our great kabuki theatres could do with all these lights, sound systems, and technology.

There seemed to be three kings that ruled Las Vegas. They were known as Wayne Newton, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis, although Elvis was the one most people called the King. He must be a most magnanimous king for I saw him everywhere, and he seemed able to alter his appearance slightly. I have heard that he even presides over some weddings. Such a benevolent king to be so accessible to his people.

I wanted to venture away from the casinos and see more of the locals. The further I traveled from the Vegas Strip, the more the glitzy veneer vanished. Despite the exorbitant display of wealth and excess not a few kilometers away, these people were leading lives of good, hard-working people. Things seemed more sparse and harsh the further I traveled. This heat! Gods! How do these people live in the middle of the desert like this?

There is no experience that could have prepared me for my first sight of the Grand Canyon. Even our most sacred Mt. Fuji seems an improper comparison. While Mt. Fuji feels otherworldly and transcendant, this Grand Canyon is earthly, awe-inspiring, and defies all words. Surely, only the hands of the Gods could create such a thing. The park rangers tell me it was done by thousands of years of erosion by the Colorado River, but surely even water cannot do this. Mightier hands guided this creation.

No pictures I share with you will ever capture this experience. They will fail to express to you just how big, vast, and deep these canyons run. Huge evergreen trees look like dotted ants against this landscape. The scene is awash in red, rust, copper, and earth tones. I am humbled by these deep canyons.

I sat for hours in meditation atop one of the cliffs. In the distance I heard bald eagles and peregrine falcons on the hunt, echoing off the canyon walls. The wind whispered through the canyons and the trees gently swayed in the breeze. My breathing slowed rhythmically and deeply and I found myself traveling to Sensei. This was the first time this had happened unbidden. Sensei and I spoke about what I have seen on my journey and he assured me that things were going well. While it has been an incredible journey so far, I failed to see the purpose. Sensei said I had to stop resisting and open my mind to everything that was happening to me on this journey. The truth would slowly reveal itself to me. I suppose all I can do is put my faith in Sensei and trust it will work out.