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lo Irinin in a 1apancsc Iunch wiIh a IickIcd IIun on Iicc
1hc 1993 IosIon MaraIhon was hcId on ^priI 33nd, IaIrioIs' Iay (a hoIiday in Mainc and
MassachuscIIs.) I |oincd Ihis naraIhon IasI ycar as wcII as Ihis ycar. 1hc IosIon MaraIhon in
sprin and Ihc lcw `ork CiIy MaraIhon in IaII, Ihcsc Iwo raccs arc Ihc rcaIcsI pIcasurcs in ny
IiIc in Ihc l.S. Sonc oI you nihI havc waIchcd Ihcsc raccs, oIIcn hroadcasI on 1V in 1apan,
Ioo. SiniIar Io Ihc lcw `ork CiIy MaraIhon, Ihc IosIon MaraIhon docsn'I havc a o and
rcIurn coursc wiIh a Iurnin poinI, huI iI has |usI a onc way coursc Iron onc pIacc Io
anoIhcr. 1hc sIarIin poinI is a snaII Iown in Ihc suhurhs oI IosIon, IopkinIon, and Ihc Iinish
is in Ihc ccnIcr oI IosIon. \hcn you IccI IhaI Ihc oaI is approachin aIIcr ahouI a 30
kiIoncIcr run, you havc Io IackIc wiIh Ihc Ianous IcarI Ircak IiII in IosIon which is
conin inIo sihI. 1his nanin oI Ihc hiII nihI sound a hiI cxacraIcd, huI you'II noIicc
whaI a Iouh hiII iI is aIIcr acIuaIIy runnin iI yourscII. Iunnin up Ihc hiII is noI so hard, huI
aIIcr rcachin Ihc Iop, iI'II cI arduous iIscII. `ou cIinh up Ihc hiII wiIh aII your cncry,
cncourain and sayin Io yourscII IhaI Ihcrc's no norc sIccp hiIIs aIIcr Ihis and IhaI now is Ihc
Iinc Io cndurc. ^IIcr a shorI hrcak whcn you'vc oI Io Ihc Iop and you Ihink Ihc rcsI is Ihc IIaI
coursc Icadin Io Ihc downIown oI IosIon, Ihc suddcn IaIiuc Ihuds inIo you as iI iI wcrc
waiIin Ior you Io conc.
1his IaIiuc rcscnhIcs Ihc niddIc ac crisis around 40. 1hc insIanI you rcach Ihc ac, whcn
you can havc sonc rcsI aIIcr cIcarin Ihc diIIicuIIics in Ihc 30's and Ihc 30's, Ihc crisis IaIIs
upon you wiIh a Ihud. (Sonc pcopIc nihI ncvcr undcrsIand how iI is wiIhouI acIuaIIy
cxpcricncin iI Ihouh.) ScvcraI cnIIc sIopcs in Ihc Iown, which arc Iar Icss cquaI Io Ihc
IcarI Ircak IiII in sIccpncss and IcnIh, sIarI IorIurin you. I IcII so Ihis ycar as wcII as IasI
ycar. IspcciaIIy Ihis ycar, Ihc rapid risc oI IcnpcraIurc cxhausIcd nc. My rccord oI Ihis ycar
was 3 hours and 3 ninuIcs, which was 7 ninuIcs sIowcr Ihan IhaI oI IasI ycar. IuI Ihc
sIarIin poinI is so crowdcd cvcry ycar duc Io Ihc narrowncss oI Ihc sIrccI, and iI Iakcs us ovcr
5 ninuIcs acIuaIIy Io sIarI runnin aIIcr Ihc Uo sinaI. 1akin aII Ihcsc Ihins inIo accounI, I
ucss ny rccord Ihis ycar is noI so had.
^nyway aII oI us conc Iron IosIon Io Ihis snaII, sIarIin Iown on hoard Ihc coachcs
charIcrcd Ior us runncrs, and wc waiI hcrc Ior Ihc 'Uo' sinaI aI noon. 1his IiIIIc, suhurhan
Iown, popuIaIcd hy sonc 3,500 pcopIc, concs Io hc ovcrIIowcd Ior a coupIc oI hours wiIh
Ihc cnIhusiasIic runncrs rcachin Ihc approxinaIc nunhcr oI ,000, who |oin Ihc racc Iron
cvcry corncr oI Ihis counIry and Ihc worId. IiIcraIIy iI is a hi IcsIivaI hcId oncc a ycar in Ihc
Iown. IopkinIon is a IypicaI rcsidcnIiaI suhurh IhaI onc can Iind anywhcrc in ^ncrica and iI
has noIhin ouIsIandin Iron a sIrancr's vicwpoinI: onc church, onc hih schooI, onc Iirc
sIaIion, and onc shorI nain sIrccI. ^IIcr passin aIon Ihc nain sIrccI wiIh a as sIaIion, a puh,
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a rcaI csIaIc acncy and a IIorisI , you'II Iind noIhin huI an cndIcss scrics oI cozy houscs wiIh
IronI yards. Ivcry housc Iooks wcII aIIcndcd and Ihc Iawn in Ihc yard is dcccnIIy Irinncd, huI
Ihcrc cxisIs noIhin Io sIinuIaIc your inainaIion. lciIhcr cxIraordinary orcous nansion
nor cxIrcncIy shahhy housc aIIracIs your aIIcnIion. 1his row oI houscs Iooks as iI Io insisI IhaI
Ihc nosI vaIuahIc virIuc in IiIc is noI Io aIIracI pcopIc's aIIcnIion. 1his connuniIy happcncd
Io hc choscn as a sIarIin poinI sinpIy hccausc iI is IocaIcd cxacIIy 3b niIcs or 43 kiIoncIcrs
Iron IosIon, oIhcrwisc iI wouId rcnain as iI iI wcrc dozin wiIh no sIrancr's carc, which Ihis
Iown sccns Io hopc Ior aIIcr aII.
IuI parIicipaIin in Ihc IosIon MaraIhon Ior Ihc IasI Iwo ycars hrouhI nc Io Ihis snaII
sIarIin Iown and avc nc Ihc chancc Io ohscrvc Ihis pcaccIuI Iown carcIuIIy.
^ncrica was in Ihc nidsI oI Ihc UuII \ar whcn I ran in Ihc IosIon MaraIhon IasI ycar.
Ivcrywhcrc I wcnI in ^ncrica, I saw ycIIow rihhons, Ihc SIarSpanIcd Ianncr, and paIrioIic
sIoans. II was noI cxccpIionaI hcrc in IopkinIon, which was sccninIy pcaccIuI iIscII. In Ihc
yard oI a housc ncar Ihc church, I Iound an
oId |aIopy, a ChrysIcr Iodc, wiIh 'S^II^M' painIcd on Ihc hood. lcxI Io Ihc car, a hanncr
was pIaccd. 1hink Ihc |aIopy is Saddan Iusscin and hanncr iI unIiI you IccI saIisIicd. Onc
hanncrin was onc doIIar. \iIh Ihc coIIccIcd noncy, I hcard Ihcy wcrc oin Io raisc Ihc
Iunds oI Ihc schoIarship Ior Ihc younsIcrs in Ihc Iown.
I don'I know who hiI upon Ihis idca, huI iI was raIhcr popuIar and cvcn whiIc I was waIchin,
scvcraI Iown pcopIc paid onc aIIcr anoIhcr onc doIIar, Iook Ihc hanncr, and hancd Ihc car
wiIh aII Ihcir nihI. I douhIcd whcIhcr iI nihI hc a suiIahIc spccIacIc Ior Ihc sIarIin Iown oI
Ihc diniIicd IosIon MaraIhon, huI iI was incviIahIc, I IhouhI, |udin Iron Ihc IacI IhaI Ihis
counIry was 'aI war.'
1his ycar I visiIcd IopkinIon, Ihinkin IhaI Ihcrc wouIdn'I hc such a Ihin any norc. IuI Io
ny surprisc, a siniIar car was pIaccd in Ihc sanc pIacc. I couId noI hcIp suspccIin iI was Ihc
sanc car, Ior Ihc shapc and danac dcrcc was quiIc siniIar Io IhaI oI Ihc car IasI ycar.
IrohahIy iI was a siniIar huI diIIcrcnI onc IcIchcd Iron soncwhcrc. ^ car IhaI had hccn
hanncrcd so IcrrihIy IasI ycar couId noI scrvc as Ihcir hanin IarcI aain. ^nyway I Iound
no ncssac painIcd on Ihc hood Ihis ycar. ^ hanncr ncxI Io iI and a sinhoard sayin Onc
Ioundin, Onc IoIIar onIy rcnindcd nc oI IasI ycar. II aIso IoId, |usI as I ucsscd, IhaI Ihc
coIIccIcd noncy was Io hc uscd Ior Ihc schoIarship. ^ runncr askcd a niddIc acd nan
sIandin asidc Is Ihis a 1apancsc auIonohiIc MunhIin Ior an insIanI, Ihc nan rcpIicd IhaI
ln...I don'I Ihink so. ^s Iar as I noIiccd, no onc hanncrcd Ihc car Ior onc doIIar Ihis ycar.
Snashin an auIonohiIc wiIh a hanncr is, I Ihink, onIy an ouIIcI Ior sIrcss and iI nccds no
spcciIic rcason, huI now I'vc rcaIizcd IhaI wc nccd sonc norc pracIicaI noIivaIion Ior
hanncrin aIIcr aII.
II Ihcy had Iound Ihc words 1apancsc Car wriIIcn on Ihc hood oI Ihc car, sonc oI Ihcn
nihI havc paid onc doIIar and poundcd iI wiIh a hanncr. Or Ihcy nihI noI havc. I can'I say
anyIhin dcIiniIc ahouI iI, Ior iI is onIy Ihc naIIcr hascd on an assunpIion. IuI anyway Ihc oId
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car, waiIin Ior sonconc Io haIIcr iI, was Iincd wiIh sonc oninous aInosphcrc oI vioIcncc.
In Ihc aInosphcrc was invoIvcd 'soncIhin' ravc which cannoI hc IransniIIcd hy words or
cxprcsscd in ncssacs. 1haI is why Ihc niddIc acd nan hcsidc Ihc car had Io nurnur,
lo...ln.. aIIcr a shorI inIcrvaI Io Ihc qucsIion ivcn hy a passinhy runncr, insIcad oI
ivin hack a dcIiniIc, quick rcpIy IhaI lo, Ihis is noI a 1apancsc auIonohiIc. Ichind his
siIcnI inIcrvaI, I ucss, Ihcrc Iics sonc vauc consciousncss IhaI II is no wondcr cvcn iI' Ihis is
a 1apancsc car. Iis un... nusI hc Ihc words unspokcn and Ihc ncssac noI cxprcsscd.
UcncraIIy spcakin, ^ncrican's scnsc oI anIipaIhy shiIIcd Iron Saddan Iusscin Io Ihc
1apancsc cconony Ihis ycar. 1his shiIIin is vcry ohvious in any IicId oI Ihc ncws ncdia. 1hc
ncwspapcrs arc IuIIy Ioadcd wiIh Ihc IcIIcrs Iron rcadcrs and Ihc cdiIoriaIs dcnouncin 1apan
and Ihc 1apancsc. IuI avcrac ^ncricans, cxccpI Ior Ihc IocaI auIonohiIc workcrs, wiII noI
ycI pound on a 1apancsc car wiIh a hanncr. 1hcy arc |usI IisIcnin carcIuIIy Ior Ihc unIoId
words hiddcn in Ihc air and inIcrccpIin Ihc unwriIIcn ncssacs.
lcvcrIhcIcss, |usI onc Iinc I acIuaIIy cxpcricnccd soncIhin nasIy hccausc I an 1apancsc. II
happcncd whcn I askcd Ihcn Io swiIch Ihc car I rcnIcd aI an ^vis in IonoIuIu hccausc oI iIs
hrakc naIIuncIion. ^ cIcrk said Io nc, Iow can you Iorcin 1apancsc havc such an inpudcnI
Iacc, conin inIo our counIry IuI Ihcrc is no rcIaIion hcIwccn Ihc naIIuncIion oI Ihc hrakc
and Ihc IacI IhaI I'n 1apancsc, and Ihc words |usI IcII nc aI a Ioss. Sincc Ihis incidcnI, I'vc
hccn avoidin ^vis as nuch as possihIc, huI iI is a sIory IhaI happcncd Iivc ycars ao and has
noIhin inncdiaIc wiIh Ioday's risin anIipaIhy aainsI 1apan.
My IrinccIon is a caIn rcsidcnIiaI Iown havin Ihc univcrsiIy Ior iIs ccnIcr and inhahiIcd hy
wcaIIhy pcopIc. 1hc pcopIc hcrc arc ciIhcr rich or inIcIIicnI, or hoIh, and Ihcy show no
apparcnI hosIiIiIy Ioward Ihc 1apancsc. IuI 1rcnIon, a IiIIIc way Iron hcrc, has a UM IacIory
in Ihc suhurhs and Ihcrc happcncd Ihc 1apancscauIonohiIchanncrin causcd hy Ihc IayoII
oI a nunhcr oI cnpIoyccs duc Io a Iarc scaIc opcraIionaI rcducIion. ^ Iuy ^ncrican raIIy
was hcId hy Ihc IacIory workcrs in IronI oI a 1oyoIa dcaIcr on IouIc Onc. 1hcrcIorc
soncIhin Iikc Ihis is acIuaIIy dcvcIopin in sonc arca oI Ihis counIry, huI iI docsn'I sprcad as
Iar as Ihis quicI, snohhish Iown oI IrinccIon. `ou can scc a IoI oI Mcrccdcs, Iorschc, Icxus,
Sauh, 1auar, and IM\ cars hcrc. lo oIhcr Iown has so nany Iorcin cars. IrinccIon is
indiIIcrcnI Io Ihc Iuy ^ncrican novcncnI.
1hc onIy anIi1apan ncssac I havc Iound in Iown so Iar is Ihc 1apanhashin sIickcr shown
in Iiurc ^. II was puI on Ihc hack shockahsorhcr oI a raIhcr oId hisizcd ^ncrican car. 1hc
car was ahcad oI nc whiIc I was waiIin Ior Ihc IraIIic sinaI Io Iurn rccn aI an inIcrsccIion
ncar honc. ^I IirsI sihI, I couId noI Iiurc ouI whaI iI was, Ior Ihc ccnIcr rcd circIc was Ioo
snaII. So iI Iookcd norc siniIar Io a 1apancsc hox Iunch wiIh a rcd pickIcd pIun on Ihc
ccnIcr oI ricc Ihan Ihc 1apancsc naIionaI IIa. II nusI hc Iikc Ihc Iiurc I, iI iI is propcrIy
drawn. II ivcs us Ihc ncssac SIop 1apan. Iiurc ^ shows noIhin huI no hrinin in a
1apancsc Iunch wiIh a pickIcd pIun on ricc. I douhI iI Ihc conpany scIIin Ihis sIickcr knows
Ihc 1apancsc naIionaI IIa corrccIIy, and Ihcy nihI havc nadc iI Ioo casiIy, drawin a rcd
circIc on a whiIc hackround anyway. 1his kind oI casincss inpIics soncIhin conicaI,
Ihouh. lo douhI Ihc sIickcr Iookcd norc hunorous Io nc Ihan Iiurc I. IuI ciIhcr way, iI is
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noI vcry arccahIc

1his way wiIhin a ycar, Ihc ^ncrican pcopIc's IccIin Ioward 1apan has hcconc worsc aII oI a
suddcn (I IccI iI's cIIin a IiIIIc hcIIcr in Ihc rcccnI onc or Iwo nonIhs Ihouh), and I'n oIIcn
askcd hy 1apancsc, Isn'I iI Iouh Io Iivc in ^ncrica \hcn rcccnIIy I was IaIkin Io a
1apancsc IcnaIc sIudcnI sIudyin aI a univcrsiIy in IcnnsyIvania, shc said Io nc In ny
chiIdhood I spcnI a Icw ycars in Ihc SIaIcs and aIIcr oin hack Io 1apan, I was sIiII in Iavor oI
Ihis counIry, huI Ihis Iinc conin hack hcrc aain and aIIcr Iivin Ior a whiIc, I'vc conc Io
IccI IhaI I Iovc 1apan aIIcr aII. Iow ahouI you, Mr. Murakani
^skcd hy hcr Iikc Ihis, I IccI quiIc puzzIcd how Io answcr hcr qucsIion. 1haI is hccausc I
Ihink Ihcrc is no rcaI hasic diIIcrcncc in our daiIy Iivcs, whcIhcr you Iivc in 1apan or in Ihc
SIaIcs. OI coursc, iI nihI dcpcnd on Ihc ac or Ihc sociaI sIaIus oI Ihc pcrson in qucsIion. II
onc Iivcs in a Iorcin counIry in Ihc carIy sIac oI IiIc, hc or shc nihI hc norc IikcIy Io hc
inIIucnccd hy Ihc cxIcrnaI condiIions and disIurhcd cnoIionaIIy. II is quiIc naIuraI. 1haI is Ihc
usuaI way wiIh youncr pcopIc. IuI as Ior nc, Ihcrc is no rcnarkahIc diIIcrcncc in Ihc aIIiIudc
oI cvcryday IiIc. Icrc in ^ncrica, you nihI nccI unpIcasanI scunhas who nakc you sorc
soncIincs. `ou nihI suIIcr Ihc invisihIc raciaI discrininaIion. 1hc harricr oI a diIIcrcnI
Ianuac, irriIaIinIy cnouh, nihI Icad you Io hc nisundcrsIood hy sonconc cIsc. `ou
nihI cncounIcr sonconc arroanI or sonconc Ioo sIuhhorn Io havc sonc IIcxihiIiIy.
Sonconc nihI hc aIways Iindin IauII wiIh you. ^II Ihcsc kinds oI hunan rcIaIionships nihI
IrusIraIc you Io sonc cxIcnI. IuI you havc Io rcncnhcr Ihc sanc kind oI Ihins wiII happcn
Io you in 1apan ncarIy as oIIcn as hcrc in Ihc SIaIcs. low I rccoIIccI scvcraI occasions in
1apan whcn, IrusIraIinIy, I couIdn'I cvcn nakc nyscII undcrsIood in 1apancsc. `ou wiII Iind
quiIc a Icw scunhas in 1apan, Ioo, as you know. I inainc IhaI Ihc pcrccnIac IhaI Ihcsc
nasIy, arroanI, spcakiniIIoIoIhcrs pcopIc occupy anon Ihc onc hundrcd nonscIccIivc wiII
hc aInosI Ihc sanc in hoIh counIrics, iI cxanincd carcIuIIy. 1haI is aIso Ihc casc wiIh Ihc
pcrccnIac oI Ihc kind or Ihc inIcrcsIin pcopIc.
II askcd whcIhcr I havc sonc diIIicuIIics in Iivin hcrc in Ihc SIaIcs as a 1apancsc, I wiII adniI
IhaI iI is Iruc. IuI I suIIcrcd various sorIs oI discrininaIion cvcn whiIc I was Iivin in 1apan.
IcIorc hcconin a wriIcr, I was runnin a har and coIIcc shop in 1okyo, and I cxpcricnccd
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disarccahIc Ihins oncc in a whiIc. \hcn I was Iryin Io Iind an aparIncnI, Ihc rcaI csIaIc
acnIs oIIcn rc|ccIcd nc hy sayin IhaI Oh, you arc in Ihc har husincss. lo, no, wc havc no
aparIncnI Io rcnI Ior Ihc pcopIc oI IhaI kind. Ivcn aIIcr hcconin a novcIisI, I canc across
Ihc siniIar rc|ccIions whcn Iindin a pIacc Io Iivc in. \c onIy rcnI Ior Ihc pcopIc who hcIon
Io Ihc hi conpanics IisIcd in Ihc Irinary 1okyo SIock MarkcI.. Conparcd wiIh Ihc
unIorivinIy scvcrc hisIory oI racisn aainsI Iorcincrs or non1apancsc in 1apan, Ihc
discrininaIion IhaI I cxpcricnccd nihI noI hc cvcn worIh IcIIin, huI iI is noIhin huI
discrininaIion aIIcr aII. `ou wiII noI Iiurc ouI how Ihc discrininaIion is unIiI you sIand on
Ihc sidc oI Ihc discrininaIcd.
lndcroin Ihis kind oI hardships in Ihc coursc oI IiIc wcakcns Ihc vaIuc oI aIIcrnaIivc
Ihinkin whcIhcr I prcIcr Io Iivc in 1apan or I prcIcr Io Iivc in Ihc SIaIcs. II I wcrc youn, I
wouId choosc onc Iron Ihcsc aIIcrnaIivc prcIcrcnccs. IuI as a naIIcr oI IacI, I'n noI so youn
anynorc and I'vc hccn Iraincd Io Ihink in a norc pracIicaI and skcpIicaI nanncr. My onIy
possihIc rcpIy Io Ihc qucsIion IhaI Isn'I iI Iouh Io Iivc in Ihc SIaIcs is II was aIso Iouh Ior
nc Io Iivc in 1okyo. I know quiIc wcII IhaI nohody cxpccIs such a rcpIy as ny answcr
Ihouh.
1OI I^UI
OIhcr ChapIcrs
^ Ion \ay Iron 1hc SIuIIcd Cahhac 1.
IrinccIon InIroducIion 3.