Jeepney Press #120 November - December 2022 / Dennis Sun

Editorial YOMU

by Dennis Sun

Yesterday, I was a guest lecturer for a Business Japanese class at Funabori Tower Hall in Edogawa, Tokyo. I gave a 2-hour presentation alternately speaking in both Japanese and English to foreign residents.

It was a very rich Japan when I first arrived here. The economy then was at its glorious peak. The economy has since slumped several decades later. And with the pandemic, inflation, and what is happening to our world now, everything looks so bleak...even for this rich country. I talked about how I survived and struggled in this foreign land and how I got to where I am today. Anyhow, once the presentation was over, they honored me with a long-standing ovation. I wasn't expecting it as I didn't give any musical concert of sorts. It was just a raw, simple but funny lecture about me, my life, and my journey in Japan. Perhaps it was to remind me I have been living here too long? Go back to my home country? Or venture into another strange land? Nevertheless, it was heartwarming to see their appreciation.

After the well-received presentation, I passed by the toilet in the building to rest and check my emails. Toilets in Japan are usually immaculately clean, especially in that building that had a peppermint fragrance inside. It was so relaxing just being inside so I wanted to stay for a while longer to rest and relish the moment. I usually carry 2 mobile phones—one for work and one for personal use. Inside the toilet, I placed my personal mobile phone on the shelf while I checked the messages and calls on my work phone. Then, I hurriedly walked to the train station to avoid the rush hour scramble after office hours. When I got on the train, I searched for my personal mobile phone to check my emails and messages and I realized it was missing. It dawned on me that I left it inside the toilet of the building.

I immediately got off at the next station and made a sharp U-turn back. I know I have heard of stories from many people in Japan losing items but found them later. Considering my current situation, I am well-positioned to test and judge whether that is true... at least in my case. Would I get my phone back? I was already imagining a 'What if it's gone?' scenario. The contact list, the photos, the apps, the points, the digital pay wallet, my train pass... There was no end to the whirlwind of thoughts in my mind. In any case, the phone is secured with a 6-digit password and a fingerprint scan of my right thumb. Therefore, it would be impossible to use the phone without them.

I arrived at the building and went straight to the toilet. Most people here ignore things left and forgotten. They leave them as they are so the person who forgot them can come back and get them later. Unfortunately, my phone was already gone when I went inside. I felt my vision getting blurrier and the world growing darker. But with a little spark of hope, I also know that some considerate people would take the forgotten item and hand it over to the police, office staff, information center, or lost and found areas.

Lobby of Funabori Tower Hall, Tokyo

There was an information desk nearby and I asked the nice and sweet lady working there. In one single breath and almost teary-eyed, I explained to her my predicament. She asked me to describe my phone which I did. Then, I cracked a joke and said that for the record, it is not the latest trendy and mega-expensive iPhone 14 so no one would be interested in my humble Android phone unless perhaps it happened to be the latest folding Samsung which it isn't. With a smile on her face, she told me my phone is waiting for me at the lost and found section on the fifth floor! It was a sigh of relief. Her voice was the most beautiful sound I have heard thus far!

Yes. After delivering an inspirational lecture, losing my precious phone, and finding it half an hour later which felt like half my lifetime, I still live and believe in the "Good Japan" that many people say and talk about despite these difficult and trying times. However, whether we are in Japan or elsewhere, we should always remain vigilant and cautious at all times.

Dennis Sun

Editor-In-Chief/Creative Director