Japanese Brother Visits DC & PA, August 7-13, 2019

As a high school senior, Takashi Matsunaga and I spent our year together in Franklin, IN and graduated together from Franklin Community High School in 1972.  A few years later Takashi graduated from Nanzan University, Nagoya, Japan and returned to the US with his new wife, Michiko.  He was then attending Georgetown University and concluded his time there with a masters and PhD in English and Linguistics.  When Takashi contacted me in the fall of 2018, it was to begin our plans for him and Michiko to visit their old haunts in Arlington, VA, Washington, DC and to pay their respects at my (since 1971, also his) parents' gravesite in PA.

Takashi shares Shōchū with me.  This Shōchū is a Japanese distilled
beverage, 25% alcohol by volume. It is distilled from wheat.
Sort of a Japanese whiskey. Very unlike sake.

I saw this as a wonderful opportunity to play tour guide and travel host for my very infrequently seen brother.  We truly enjoyed our year together in high school, having a few rough rubs, but mostly an eye-opening, world-class, experience.  Takashi is a true genius, superb linguist who thinks in English as well as Japanese, AND he likes a good beer!  Of course, he is a terrific person to spend time with.  And his wife, with her constant smile, engaging conversation, and fun attitude, is an even more wonderful person!  In addition to seeing them when they were in the US during the 1970s and 80s, I took my Mother and son, Paul, to Japan in 2006 to visit with Takashi and Michiko.  In addition, Takashi's son, Tsukasa, and daughter, Kaoru, visited my family and me here in the US on different occasions.

Michiko, Kaoru, Mother, Murph, and Paul in Japan, 2006 at Kinkakuji

Due to the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max planes my original flight was canceled and Southwest had to rebook me.  So my new plan was to fly into Reagan Airport, take the Metro to Dulles and meet the Matsunagas there when their plane arrived.  All went well meeting in Dulles; we hired an Uber ride to our hotel in Fairfax, VA and had an easy afternoon and evening, given the 14 hours of flying Takashi and Michiko had just endured from Nagoya to Tokyo to Dulles.

Takashi and Michiko revist Arlington Towers (now River Place) after 38 years

Takashi and Michiko revist Arlington Towers (now River Place) after 38 years

Michiko and Takashi at Potomac Towers

The next day we rode the Metro to Arlington where Takashi and Michiko spent the first years while earning his master's degree from Georgetown University.

That's the Iwo Jima Marine Memorial across the highway behind
Takashi and Michiko, as viewed from Arlington Towers

After collecting his master's, they took up residence in a different apartment (Potomac Towers) to raise their son, Tsukasa, and give Takashi time to earn his doctorate from Georgetown.

Our day in Arlington was focused upon visiting their old apartments to re-live the past.  Since we were on our feet, we did a lot of walking, from Rosslyn Metro Station to River Place (was Arlington Towers) to Potomac Towers to Ben's Chili to Rosslyn Station.

Things have changed in 38 years!  Not that we were surprised, but the changes were notable.  Both dwellings are now very upscale, as almost everything is this close to D.C.  They were affordable for students on scholarships thirty eight years ago, but not these days.  Although nice and clean back then, they are absolutely luxurious today.

Matsunagas enjoy Ben's Chili Bowl in Arlington

After our walk through modern Arlington, we stopped for lunch at the Arlington version (opened in 2014) of a DC classic, Ben's Chili Bowl.  Although none of us remembered this iconic landmark, we were all impressed with the food.

We returned to our hotel in Fairfax and had a lazy evening, thoroughly tired from our 5+ miles of walking.

The next day Takashi and Michiko took the Metro to Georgetown University and wandered around campus reminiscing about their times together so many years ago. 

Local jazz band plays for tips outside the Vienna Metro Station

Meanwhile Karen was enroute to DC from Orlando and my mission was to collect her from the airport and meet with the Matsunagas after their morning of playing tourist and long lost alumni.  Karen and I caught up with them near the Rosslyn Station, swapped stories from the morning adventures and retired to the hotel.  Enroute to our hotel, we were fortunate to catch a local jazz band playing for tips outside the Metro station near Fairfax.

Saturday was a big day for us as we had a lot planned.  In the morning we visited the National American History Museum, then met with Harry and Narjes, friends from Annapolis, MD.  After coffee and pastries in the Hirshhorn Museum Cafe, we all scrutinized and savored the wide variety of modern sculpture, canvas, video and canvas art works.  Dinner was at Zaytinya, Narjes' favorite restaurant.  None of us were disappointed and in fact were thrilled with our experience!  Narjes and Michiko compared notes as both are big fans of vegetables and fine cooking.  As might be expected, we ordered, ate and enjoyed much too much and were happy doing so!  And we still took home doggy bags!  Saturday proved our best day yet, and every day has been terrific.

Michiko and Karen at the Hirshhorn Museum

Karen, Michiko, Takashi, Russell, Margaret, Fusheng, John

Sunday morning we picked up a rental car for our trek to Bloomsburg, PA where my parents are buried.  We met my siblings, Margaret, Russell, and John, and Fusheng, Russell's partner,  then made our way to the gravesite to pay our respects.

Takashi explores the Rupert Bridge

Since I only spent 3 summers in Bloomsburg, between college terms, I never knew much about the high school or town, certainly not as much as my siblings.  They provided a very nice tour and guided exploration of the new high school renovations and Town Park, including a recently renovated covered bridge.

Takashi, Michiko, Fusheng, Russell, Margaret, Murph, Karen, John at Turkey Hill

Dinner and many memories were celebrated at the brewpub at Turkey Hill.  We did have a new-to-us experience in the Bloomsburg grocery store the next morning when we crossed paths with a robot scanning the aisles!

Takashi, Michiko, Marty, and Karen

Marty's backstory

Thankfully the return drive to DC was uneventful, but we still had a terrific evening in store. 

Harvey, Pam, Karen, and Michiko

Michiko, Karen, Harvey, Murph, and Takashi

My fraternity brother, Harvey, lives just outside DC and invited all of us to join him and his wife, Pam, for a dinner fresh from Harvey's smoker.  The fantastic smoked ham and veggies were nicely complimented with delightful craft beers, smooth bourbon and lots of college recollections.  Our memories may have adjusted our retrospection, but the evening was stupendous.

The next morning Karen and I said our farewells and gave our hugs to the Matsunagas, professing our pledge to visit them in Japan.

Although our own DC adventure ended with a flight the next day, Karen and I took advantage of the extra time and joined Harry and mutual friend, Bobby, for an evening of baseball at Nationals' Park.  The rain held off for the evening so Karen and I returned safely to our hotel and made the flight easily in the morning.



If only the airlines and weather cooperated, we'd have been home on time.  The first leg went well but mechanical delays pushed our departure from Atlanta back a couple hours followed by another couple hours delay due to thunderstorms in Florida.  (Gee, Florida never has thunderstorms in the summer  .  .  .  only every day!)



But our whirlwind adventure with Takashi, Michiko and my siblings and friends could not have been any better!

Harry and Bobby at the Nat's game