20/3 - Birthplaces

On this day we had a signifcant symbolic activity for the family, and in particular Zoe, indeed one of the most important of the trip, but not a usual tourist activity. We visited Eisei Byoin - the hospital in which Zoe was born over 11 years ago.

In the morning we visited Yoshida-san, who was now living in a unit just a couple of hundred metres away from the Shataku we had both lived in 11 years ago. First she took us along to NTT Musashino, where I had worked for 2 years, and just 10 minute's walk away. I had heard it had been rebuilt (it is a major establishment of multiple buildings, including tennis courts and a soccer field - the size of several large schools together) but was not prepared for just how much it had changed. I had heard stories that the new buildings were so high and their lights so bright that they frightened the local children at night and that local residents had complained. Now I could partially understand those stories - the place was all but unrecognisable ... Very slick and modern and cold. I was not able to enter (its a walled enclosure), which I knew in advance, and I was no longer disappointed by that fact. Seeing the new NTT (all my lab members had left many years before) left me cold and sadened. Sometimes we can't even see the past - never mind go back to it.

Then it was to our old shataku - our place of residence for 2 years in a 2LDK (Living room, Dining room, Kitchen) on the 3rd floor of building 7, of 12 buildings all clustered together. Despite a coat of paint the shataku was little changed - perhaps a little more worn around the edges. As we couldn't go into any of the units I don't think it made much of an impression on the kids, even Zoe for whom it was the first place she lived.

After a nice lunch at Yoshida-san's unit (4 bedrooms - huge!) we caught the bus along to Eisei Byoin in Ogikubo (a couple of suburbs in towards the centre from where we are/were). Though Eisei Byoin had been expanded through the addition of a new building the feeling was still the same - small, strict, and confined. We arrived in time to join the 2pm tour which we had booked to tour. This tour is for future mothers considering the hospital as their delivery place and is a 20-minute tour of the rooms and facilities for mothers. As said, we found it little changed (the one particular difference I note is that mothers in labour now have separate rooms - though there is still a delivery theatre (which we weren't shown) that mothers are wheeled into at the appropriate time). Anyway, for Zoe (and Maria and I) the poignant moment was seeing the nursery - just the same as 11 years ago - with its glass windows and curtains that are drawn back to reveal a room with over a dozen babies. I think it was pretty special for Zoe to see the place where she spent the first week of her life.

Then, rather than by-bus we travelled by train back to Kichijoji, where we grabbed some postcards (rather difficult to find unless you're in a tourist trap) and then some new shoes for Zoe - the others had soles that were too hard and due to all the walking were causing her pain. From Kichijoji we travelled home by "MOO" bus (which ther kids were rather excited about), and Matsubara-san dropped by to join us for dinner and a chat.