Saturday, August 25, 2012

In the Presence of Okaasan*

I've heard it said that Japanese children are the most docile on the planet.  While I would agree they are some of the best-behaved children I've ever seen, I think you have to zoom out a bit to see what's really going on.  There you will see a mother who is completely present with her child.  She's not texting or talking on the phone; she's not reading or watching TV; she is right there, and that is all the child needs.  Mother and child eat together, with mommy working the chopsticks; they walk down the street together holding hands; they have long conversations that are apparently very, very funny.

Especially cute are mother and daughter, and if you are lucky enough to catch three generations of Japanese females together--grandmother, mother, and daughter--you will know you have just witnessed human devotion at its zenith.

These two kids just met in the waiting room of a shinkansen terminal.  The little girl is with her grandmother, her mother having stepped away for a moment; the little boy is with his dad.  The little boy has a toy that fascinates the little girl, and I just couldn't resist:



* "Mommy"


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