The day I landed, I started realizing where I was. Japan: the Rising Sun land.
Land of poetry, cherry trees, kimono and so on. At least it was like that reading the book. A bit different was the information coming from the newspaper, which shows a land of fashion, noise, polluted and crowded (Tokyo).
I was really happy when I found out that the place where I was going wasn`t really like that. I found in Hasami a beautiful environment, beautiful landscapes and wonderful people.
My experience started at the Matsuo family, where I found two kind and wonderful “new Japanese parents”. I felt like part of the family from the start, even thought I had a couple of day getting used to the different tastes and habits.

Through conversations, improving day by day, we talked about almost everything and I discovered those little jewels invisible at a first glance.
With them I discovered the magic of the Shintoism and of the Buddhism, located in those beautiful shrines, named Jinja and Otera.
I could experience on my skin the ancient rituals and the mysticism filling the air of the shrines.
Everyone had welcomed me with pleasure and made me feel home, everyone from the neighbors to the Matsuo relatives, showed me the friendly sides of Japan, making me feel like home.
I was glad I found a Japan still bounded with the old times. For some aspects the second host family, Matsubayashi family, made me discover more rituals. Together we crafted the Kadomatsu (a welcoming charm for the shops) and we made the Mochi (rice cake).
With the two host family I had great experience, fun and joy.
They showed me the Japanese goods and they brought me to a lot of amusing places.
They welcomed me as a son, a brother and a friend.
Japanese people are very kind. Probably our different costumes collides is some small habit, but they wouldn’t notify it.
They are really very kind and hospitable.
I learned lot of things about the Nagasaki prefecture and the Japanese government. I also have been at the Atom Bomb Museum, event that I studied at school, and I was shocked. I guess at school my teachers didn’t have a very good idea of what happened that day
I could write a list of where I went, what I saw and what I felt, but it would be very long. It would be a diary.
Diary I wrote, to let a permanent track of where I went, of what I saw and what I felt.
I don’t think I could ever express what I felt in Japan, I miss that land.
Even now my eyes are wet, on the verge of crying, thinking about this experience.
I won`t forget this experience, it was all wonderful.
I think I will come back to Japan and pay a visit to these families. I hope they will come to Italy, so I could repay even a bit of their hospitality.
I’m very grateful to them for this possibility the granted me.
I’m really grateful to the Lions Club which one more time confirms his greatness.