I was on a flight from Shanghai to Tokyo. Unfortunately I accidentally chose the middle seat in the last row so I was feeling stuck in the Middle. It was a Saturday flight so the flight was full seemingly of two types of people. Business people returning home after a week of work and tourists eagerly starting their holiday on the weekend. I was in between two Japanese salarymen, one in particular looked the very typical salaryman type. Maybe early or mid 40’s. Even though it was Saturday he was dressed in his black suit with white shirt. He didn’t show any expression or smile. He really was the archetypal “sarariman”.
However just before take off I saw him take out a piece of paper from his satchel. It was a folded slightly crumpled paper. He looked at it intently for a while. I couldn’t help to look at it. It was a lot of hand drawn writing in Japanese, and even a cartoon style drawing of him. I saw in big Japanese letters the words “Papa”. I thought maybe he was passed this letter by his children because of fathers day. I felt so heartfelt sweetness to see this salaryman tenderly looking at the letter written to him. About half way during the flight I also noticed he took out the paper and look at it tenderly again.
Somehow the fact that this world weary overworked Japanese salaryman would carry this letter and look at it tenderly really touched my heart. I wish I could tell his family what I saw. But although he may have little time to see them in his busy schedule I saw that this father loves and is loved tenderly by his family.
Even straight Japanese “salaryman” have heartfelt sweet and soft moments.
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