My New Friend, Genke!

I know everyone thinks we’re freaks for our Japanese culture fixation, but it actually came in really handy on the shuttle out to Auschwitz. It was about a 90 minute ride, and the bus was “coach”-style (i.e. bucket seats in rows of 2), so my seat mate was a tall, thin, Asian guy with a thin beard and mustache, and a gray woolen “speedster” hat on his head (I’m not actually sure that’s what they’re technically called…but that’s what I’m going to call it). I introduced myself and he responded in perfect English. He told me that his name was Genke (“Gen-kee”), and that he is from Japan. “Really?!”, I beamed! And then we had a great conversation for the next 90 minutes. As it turns out, we really are freaks after all as I knew more about Anime, manga, Japanese culture and history, how to make sushi, and what to see and do in Tokyo than he did, even though he visits there often and is moving there next year to start with a company as a marketing and human resources guy. My favorite line was asking him if he had been to Edo Castle in Tokyo, and he responded incredulously, “there’s a castle in Tokyo?” He had never been by it. He’s pictured here just outside the Auschwitz Museum.