USJ 25th Anniversary – Part 5 - Lunch With Our “Kids”

March 29, 2026

After breakfast, I prepared the gifts we were to take with us today and caught up on some email and other correspondence.

Yuko is the Japanese daughter we share with the Larsons. We had her for the first two weeks of her stay, and then she moved in with them. At the time, their daughters were close to her age, and we felt she would have a better time in a household with other young people. We were working full-time, so we only saw her in the mornings and evenings. However, we didn’t count on falling in love with her.

We became close quickly and have remained so ever since. When we lived in Japan, she visited us several times. Once she brought a couple of the other students who had been in her group in California with her. They usually spent a night with us.

She worked for Dolby for a time and came to California a few times for business. We picked her up each time and brought her home for a day or two.

She has always come to see us on each of our trips back to Osaka, even though she lives in Tokyo. And we always enjoy spending time with her.

Tomohito lived with our friends, Bob and Bernie Schweck, while he was in California. We saw him when we lived in Japan, and he lives near Yuko. She said she would come to Osaka to visit and bring him with her for this trip.

She suggested we meet at Umeda Station. We knew this would be a nightmare. When we lived in Japan, it was an enormous maze of several stories, both above and below ground. Trying to meet someone there would have been all but impossible. Fortunately, she talked to a friend of hers who suggested Taking a cab. So, we took their advice.

She selected Grigliato CUÓCA, an Italian restaurant in the Hankyu Hotel, right across the street from the station. I checked their lunch menu, and it sounded delicious,The cab was a great decision. The driver dropped us off at the hotel entrance. We went up to the 9^th floor, entered the restaurant lobby, and found Yuko and Tomohito right away. Why they never change, I have no idea, but we were glad to have recognized them instantly.

We were seated and made our luncheon selections. (You can see the lunch menu on their website.)

First, we were served an assortment of small portions five appetizers. Larry was in heaven! I ate a couple of mine, and then he finished my plate.

Then, we selected our pasta or risotto dish: Penne carbonara, Spaghetti with mackerel, Tagliolini with shrimp, or Saffron risotto with foie gras. I picked the carbonara, and it was delicious! Larry picked the risotto, and he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Finally, we had our choice of seven desserts: Strawberry mousse, Tiramisù, Panna cotta with sweetened condensed milk, Tea jelly, The day's ice cream, Fruits Pie [sic] Cherry-blossom flavored Mont blanc! We could select from a dessert bar, and we could go back if we chose to! (Yuka knows her dad very well!)

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and catching up with both of them.

Larry, me, Tomohito, and Yuko
Note the dessert selections!

We gave them our gifts, and they liked them. They had also brought gifts. Yuko had hot facial masks for Bob, Anne and Paul, and for us. She suggested we use one of ours before boarding the plane. (These must be popular in Japan right now because we had them in our room at the hotel along with the other toiletries.)

Tomohito brought fans and a beautiful firoshiki (Japanese wrapping cloth).

Anne and Paul had sent a note for Yuko, and Bob had done the same for Tomohito.

We lingered as long as we could, but we figured they would need the table, so we left. We said our good-byes in the lobby before we selected a taxi from the taxi rank just outside.

Our driver thought he was Super Mario. He gunned the motor and shouted, “Go! Go! Go!,” every time there was a straight section of road in front of him. Then he laughed. He spoke little Japanese, but he knew we were connected to Universal Studios Japan. Through broken English, we discovered he actually saw himself as Luigi, not Mario.

We made it back in one piece. The taxi rides cost us very little more than the train would have, and they saved us a great deal of time and frustration! (Note to self: when in doubt, take the easiest route!)

We rested a bit and then went out to walk around CityWalk for a while. We went into the USJ Studio Store and checked out the merchandise, but we didn’t buy anything―yet.

Returned to our room, watched a little TV (not much choice, though), and went to bed.

Another great day with people we love!

USJ 25th Anniversary – Part 4 - Visiting our Neighbors

 March 28, 2026 – Part 2

We returned to our room and got ready to catch the train to Takarazuka, where we had lived while we were in Japan.

Coming down in the elevator, a family got on. They had two boys. The younger one was dressed as Mario in blue overalls, red shirt, and big red Mario hat. The older boy was dressed as Harry Potter, complete with the robe, Gryffindor scarf, and round, black-rimmed glasses. He looked enough like the character to have played him. Yes, seeing their excitement reminded us why we spent close to three years building the park.

Our plan for the first day was to see our dear friend and neighbor, Misayo Igo, her daughter, Kazue, and her boyfriend, Takehiro Shigematsu.

We met Misayo-san and her husband, Akira, on the day in 1998 when we first looked at our mansion and decided it would be our home. (Those who have read our book, 31 Months in Japan: The Building of a Theme Park, will be familiar with her.) They owned a restaurant called Burger City just down the hill from our building. We were on our way to the airport to go home, and we needed to eat lunch. So, we stopped there.

Our relocation coordinator, Teri, told them we would be living in the building up the hill.

Misayo declared we would be friends. She wanted to learn English, and I wanted to learn Japanese. While we lived there, I spent quite a bit of time in the shop. I had my English-Japanese dictionary, and she had her Japanese-English one. But we didn’t rely on them. She used to describe it as communicating “heart to heart.” (Google Translate used the word “telepathy.”) We made lots of mistakes and laughed a great deal, but it made little difference. She was right. We did become good friends.

As soon as we knew we would be in Japan again, I contacted her. (Kazue is our translator.) Misayo always wants to set a date immediately for us to come for lunch.

So, this would be our first excursion on this visit.

We bought our train tickets and took the familiar route from the park to Takarazuka on three different trains. Fortunately, we had gone this way many times. However, some of the landmarks had changed. Only a few remained.

We got off at the JR Takarazuka Station—a new one since we lived there. We’d seen it two years ago and were amazed at the transformation.

As pre-arranged, Takehiro and Kazue picked us up in his car and drove us to the Igos’ condo. (We could have taken the bus, but they offered, so we agreed.) They live in the building right below ours, and we’d visited them often. We “shared” holidays with them. They joined us for the U.S. ones, and we joined them for the Japanese ones.

We entered, and Kazue called out to let her mother know we had arrived. She bustled out of the kitchen, ran to me with her arms open wide, and we hugged. It was as if no time had passed. We were once again best friends, and we were together.

Kazue had said we would go to a noodle shop for lunch because Misayo had prepared everything for shabushabu for dinner. Obviously, she wanted us to spend the entire day, and we were all for it!

We gave them the gifts we had brought. I had found a special scarf at Mission San Juan Capistrano. It had the swallows on it. We also gave them a copy of our book, Jewel of the Missions: San Juan Capistrano, because it is illustrated with beautiful paintings showing the mission.

They were delighted with these as well as the candle and Trader Joe’s bag.

She brought us a cup of tea, and we reminisced about all the good memories we had shared. I recalled going to Burger City and said how sad I was that it was gone. I also mentioned that her udon noodles were still my very favorite in the world. Next thing we knew, she had jumped up and started cooking them! Most udon noodles are cooked in fish broth. I don’t care for fish. She made hers in a vegetable broth, and they tasted fresh and really yummy!

So, instead of going to a noodle shop, we had Misayo’s udon right there.

I asked Kazue about her health. She had written that she’d had cancer, but that she was doing okay. Two years earlier, she had been diagnosed with uterine cancer. She had gone through chemotherapy and surgery. Her follow-up scans had been free of cancer cells. However, not long ago, her scan showed the cancer had returned. She was now doing two hours of chemotherapy three times a week. She said it drained her energy.

One of my dearest friends, Pat, had gone through something similar. But now, after the recurrence, she was doing well, and all signs of the cancer were gone again. No permanent guarantees, but she is busy living her best life. We talked about “chemo brain,” and I told her Pat said it was real. She didn’t realize it until she was through with her own chemo and could feel how much better she was able to think. I hoped hearing about someone else who had been through something similar would encourage her. I offered to put her in touch with Pat in case she had any questions.

They had met Pat’s daughter when she visited Japan. Our daughter, Kim, had come over with Tracy (our goddaughter) when she was fourteen. She and Kim had a great time. Kim had come the year before with my mother, and she had learned how to get around on the trains. On this second trip, she was fearless!

I told them that Tracy was getting married, and they were very excited for her.

After a while, Misayo suggested we drive around our old neighborhood, so we did.

Our building looks pretty much the same, but another building has been built on the other side of our parking structure. A big building now stands farther up the hill. And yet another new building is being built beyond the new one next to ours. The area is growing.

Many familiar places are gone, replaced by newer and more modern structures. The little strip mall and the post office remain, but most of the stores have changed. The Co-op where we shopped is still there.

We went on to Kiyoshikojin Seichoji Temple, the local shrine, where we had gone often.

The Saturday before we left for Japan, our church (Community Presbyterian of San Juan Capistrano) had a one-day women’s retreat. We had just installed a gorgeous labyrinth, and the retreat focused on it. We were given quite a few options on how we wanted to approach it, and the event ended with each of us walking the labyrinth. I had been very moved by the experience.

Being back at the temple gave me the same peaceful feeling I’d had after walking the labyrinth.

As we entered, it looked much like it had the first time we’d gone when we took my mother. Just like that time, the sakura (cherry blossoms) were in bloom. I looked at the same beautiful tree under which Mom had sat in her wheelchair, and the memory was very sweet. (We had borrowed the chair to make it easier for her to go some of the places we wanted her to see. This was one of them.)

We went up the hill to the main shrine, where we washed our hands and purified our mouths using the long-handled bamboo cups. Then we approached the shrine itself and threw a coin as an offering. We bowed twice, clapped twice, and bowed once again. Then we prayed silently. Mine was for healing for Kazue.

This temple has several shrines, so we went on to a few others and stopped to pray at each one.

Along the way, Kazue, Misayo, and I cast sticks for our luck. We received them on a slip of paper. I got the best one as did Misayo. All of our prayers and wishes would come true. Kazue’s was a bit different. She would get her desires, but they would take some time. I remembered what Larry had felt when Pat asked him to pray about her cancer. He said he felt she would fully recover, but it would take time, and it would be a hard journey. It’s exactly what happened. This felt like an echo of that moment.

At one place along the way, there was sand piled around a tree. It stood in in a sort of wrought iron cage. We were told if you uncovered five coins buried in the sand with the long stick provided, you would have good luck. You were to take them home, and when your wish was granted, you returned them back to the sand to bless someone else.

Larry found three immediately, but he didn't want to take them with him, since he would not be there to return them. However, Misayo-san uncovered one and gave it to him for good luck. He put it in his pocket.

A few of the altars (shrines?) were up lots of stairs (very Japanese!), and I declined to climb them. (My knees were doing very well, but I didn’t want to press my luck. I had gotten shots in my bad knee not long before we left home.) So, we walked around the grounds on the level area and waited for the others.

I had amazing moments of pure Zen while taking in the peace and beauty of the place. The sound of a gentle stream running downhill. The breeze blowing through the trees. The glimpse of a small but perfect garden through an open gate. Every glance held a photo opportunity, which I simply enjoyed without having to capture it. I knew they were etched in my memory.

We sat in the shade while the other three finished making all the rounds. Then we started to leave.

But Larry suddenly went back to the last shrine. We watched him toss his coin of offering, bow, clap, and bow his head.

I turned to Kazue. "He is saying a prayer for you." I don’t know how I knew, but I was sure.

When we got back home to California, I finally asked him about it. He said he just knew that was where his "lucky coin" from Misayo was supposed to be because the luck only works when you give it away. He loves this family as much as I do.

On the way back, we stopped at the Hankyu Takarazuka station for something to drink. It was still filled with shops of all kinds. I remembered taking my mother to a little English tea house there, but I thought it was long gone. However, it was still there after all these years.

There were quite a few people waiting, so Kazue suggested going to the new Takarazuka Hotel.

It is beautiful, very elegant, and brand new. Just off the lobby is a small dining area, where we found a table. I ordered a diet coke, and Misayo ordered a regular one. Larry, Kazue, and Takehiro ordered the sweet “set.” (This is what combos are called in Japan.) They each selected a dessert and coffee or tea.

Afternoon treat at the Hotel Takarazuka
Misayo, Larry, me, Kazue, Takehiro

We went back to their house and continued our reminiscences.

Just as when we had gone there with my mother and Kim years before, Misayo’s sakura tree was in bloom. We were assigned seats so that we could see the tree. Then Misayo brought over photos of her mother (whom I adored) and Akira. Both had passed away since we lived there, but she wanted them to share in our party.

She brought out the shabushabu pot and plugged it in. (Like sukiyaki, shabushabu is cooked at the table. Sukiyaki is cooked in a combination of shoyu or soy sauce, sake, and a little sugar. Shabushabu is cooked in water. Both include meat and lots of veggies.) Then she brought out platter after platter of food to be cooked.

Both are lovely ways to enjoy a meal. We each cooked our own food and truly enjoyed it. And all the time, we talked and laughed and remembered the good times we had shared.

Afterward, as she had each time we shared a meal at their house, Kazue sat down at her grand piano and played for us while we enjoyed the beauty of the tree outside of the window.

She played a Bach piece she said reminded her of the journey she was on. Afterward, I told her I could hear the tumult followed by slower, gentler sounds of rest and recovery. I understood why it spoke to her.

Then she played a lovely Dvořák piece. And she finished, as she had started on the evening we shared with Mom and Kim, with a “Fantasia on Sakura.” Toshi and Kae had also been with us that night, and this experience echoed that long ago evening. Now Kae was gone, but we would see Toshi in a couple of days when he joined us in Osaka.

All too soon, it was time for us to leave. Takehiro said he would drive us back to our hotel. We could have taken the train, but he insisted. Kazue came with us. They went out to bring the car to the door. Larry and I put on our shoes, and he went out to wait for the younger folks.

Misayo and I were left inside.

We hugged tightly, and she began to sob. I wept as well and held her close. I felt her sadness was more than just for our parting once again. I’d watched her being brave and confident for Kazue, but in that moment, being held by a friend, she was willing to let her anxiety show. Our embrace lasted a long while.

When we finally parted, I told her I loved her, and she said the same, although the words really weren’t necessary. Once more, our hearts connected in the same way they always have.

Just like when we left Japan for the last time as we returned home, Misayo did not want to go with us to the hotel. So, we said our farewells there.

Takehiro drove us right to the hotel, and we hugged Kazue and him goodbye.

It was a day full to the brim with blessings yet heartbreaking at the same time. It has taken me some time to process it, and I’m sure it will stay with me for a long while.

USJ 25th Anniversary – Part 2 - On the Road Again

March 26, 2026

The alarm went off at 6:00 a.m., but we were awake over an hour earlier. We decided to get up. Showered, dressed, stripped the bed, put out fresh sheets so the cleaner could remake the bed, and finished packing. (The cleaner was scheduled to come the day we arrived home.)

We had a quick cup of coffee and split a protein drink. Then we finished picking up, emptying the trash, and walking through the house closing windows and making sure everything was put away.

Our driver, Chris, (Christopher’s Car Service 949-870-7273) arrived at 9:00 as scheduled. Our flight didn’t depart until 2:20 p.m., but we had heard horror stories about delays at airports across the country due to the government shutdown and TSA not being paid. So, we wanted to get there extra early.

Since COVID, there are no airport shuttles from South Orange County to LAX. We used another service two years ago and were happy with them, but we decided to try Chris for this trip. He was great!

It was a quick drive to the airport. Not much traffic. Despite rush hour, we got there in just over an hour.

JAL has a direct flight from LAX to Kansai (KIX). The other airlines require a transfer. We took this same flight two years ago and loved it. We usually travel with one small rolling bag that fits in the overhead and one additional bag to go under the seat in front. Larry has a backpack, and I take a canvas bag. It holds my purse, computer, Kindle Fire, noise-reducing headset, neck pillow, and other items.

Our tickets included two checked bags at no additional cost. However, one each was more than sufficient.

We needed the extra space because we had to pack copies of our book, 31 Months in Japan: The Building of a Theme Park and omiyage (a souvenir brought for loved ones and close friends).

We took ten paperback copies of the book. On previous trips we had taken a few, and there was always more demand than copies. Larry packed five, and I packed five. (We sold two and gave away four. We brought home four.)

Omiyage is always a challenge. When we were living there, we usually brought back Universal-branded items for our friends and translators. Easy. This time, I got scarves for several of the “girls,” but they wouldn’t work for everyone.

I found some lovely and special small candles made by ScentsAbility before Christmas. I bought ten small ones for Christmas stocking stuffers, etc. However, they didn’t arrive until early February. This is a terrific nonprofit organization. You can read about them on their website. They were featured on the Today show, and I loved the whole concept. Besides, their candles smell wonderful!

I decided they would make nice little gifts, even though they added some weight. (But remember, we had lot of extra suitcase space.) I ordered some small scarves in Universal blue and some ½” white ribbon to tie them.

Then my sister-in-love mentioned that Trader Joe’s tote bags were considered stylish in Asia. A friend of hers had taken a few to the Philippines recently, and they were quite popular.

We checked all the local Trader Joe’s and were told the same thing. They come in without notice, and they sell out within a day when they do get them. Our local stores had none. Fortunately, I found some online. They were more than Trader Joe’s price, but definitely doable. I took eight of them plus tissue to fill them.

So, I had bags for the scarves and candles, and extra candles for others. I breathed a sigh of relief! They were a great hit. (BTW, several of the gals said they were considered like Gucci there.)

We checked in for our flight, got our boarding passes, and checked our two bags. I was scared about weight, but mine was only 35.5 pounds and Larry’s was under 30. Hooray!

Then on to Security. It may have been even faster than normal! We have TSA Pre-check, and there were few people in the line.

We went to our gate. (We like to get there early and would rather wait at the airport than wait at home.)

We had coffee and bagels while we waited.

JAL is nothing if not efficient. Boarding went smoothly. We like the seats in the rear on the sides with only two per row. More leg room and no climbing over other people to get to the bathroom. The only things we put in the overhead were our USJ team jackets. We always travel with them because we can have them cleaned and waterproofed. They came with the Universal Japan logo and our names on them. One of our team members located a shop that would add our names in Japanese (katakana) to match the English ones. Whenever we wear them in Japan, they get lots of notice.

We both put on our headphones, but I took my hearing aids out first. After a while, I knew they would hurt, and I could adjust the volume on my headset.

Since we would arrive in Osaka at 5:50 p.m., I wanted to stay awake throughout the flight so I could sleep when we arrived at the hotel.

I watched about 6 movies. Some I had wanted to see earlier. I was disappointed in a couple. So, I watched my current favorite, Rental Family, again. It got me in the right frame of mind for Japan, and I really like it.

We had a couple of meals on the plane. Always more than I can eat, so Larry picks what he likes of mine along with his.

This was the long flight (12 hours). While we flew, we crossed the International Date Line, so we lost a day and arrived on March 27^th.

March 27, 2026

We retrieved our bags and had our passports checked. (Our new ones have a bar code on the back. All we have to do now is scan the code and take a photo. They match us to the passport. Very quick and automated.) Customs was also quick and easy.

We had ordered a car service to take us to the hotel and had received confirmation before we left. We didn’t have to wait long for our driver to find us. We followed him outside and to the waiting car.

As we drove the familiar route to the hotel, we noticed many changes. Most of the industrial buildings are gone, replaced by modern structures. We saw much more English signage. But some places looked the same. As we approached the park, Larry recalled many trips on these roads, but now they are wider.

We arrived at our hotel, Hotel Universal Port. It is one of the original three hotels built just outside of the park. There are now quite a few others. It is the one we have always stayed at when we come back. It was originally the upscale luxury hotel—very fancy like the Ritz. However, they changed it to meet the needs of families. When we were there two year ago, it had been re-themed for the minions, and we loved it!

We had reserved a room with a queen-size bed. We got there after seven and gave them the reservation. They took us up to our room.

This is what we saw:

The beds (a queen next to two long twins shoved all together for a family) were on a raised platform about 6" tall), but they were set on the ground. I had just had shots in my knee and realized this wasn’t going to work! I was afraid if I ever got down into the bed, I would never be able to get up. And Larry would have been hard-pressed to get in on his side. Besides, the rocking horse and table were on the route to the bathroom. I could just see myself tripping over them in the middle of the night. (When you get old, you make trips during the night.)

The bathroom had an exceptionally deep tub like the one we had in our mansion in Japan. But we were 25 years younger then. It would have been a challenge today.

We went back down to the desk and explained why this just wouldn’t work.

They said there were no queen rooms left, but they found us a double (two twin beds pushed together). It was on the top floor. We discovered this was a decided perk! (More about that later.)

The bath in this room was just like the Japanese bath in our mansion. Our visitors will remember it. It is a wet room with a handheld shower and a tub. We could adjust the handheld so it could be used just like a standard shower. Success!

We had been up for over 24 hours are were tired. So, we went straight to bed. After all, we had busy days ahead.

USJ 25th Anniversary – Part 1 - Party or No Party?

Since March 31, 2026 would mark the 25^th anniversary of the opening of Universal Studios Japan, we wanted to get together in Osaka with other team members to celebrate.

Many changes have taken place in the past 25 years—including change of ownership. When we were there, a multi-national conglomerate (USJCo) owned the park. Today it is wholly owned by Universal Studios. Unfortunately, we were not able to get any help from them in any way.

All the people who planned the delayed 20^th anniversary party two years ago were too busy or out of the area and could not help us this time. I tried to make arrangements from here, but it proved impossible. So, I cancelled the event.

However, an angel named Atsuko Sera, Japanese born and bilingual, said she would see what she could do. She contacted the same hotel where the party had been held two years ago. They were willing to give us the same deal that we had then for the same price! (The only difference was that we had the room for two hours instead of three.) Fortunately, the exchange rate was much more favorable to us this time. The party was back on!

She and I coordinated the preparations and tracked the attendance. Two weeks before the event, we had 80 people who responded positively. This was the number we gave the hotel. (It was like a wedding reception where the number we locked in was the number we were responsible to pay for.)

Unfortunately, a war started two days afterward. Several people were stuck in places where they could not get a plane out. (One family was in Dubai, and the airport had been bombed.) Others were afraid to fly. A few had medical issues. We heard about long delays and cancelled flights at US airports. Still others just didn’t let us know their updates.

Fortunately, several who had not RSVPd were able to get to Osaka. We told them to come!

Sara-san (Atsuko) recruited a couple of friends to help with registration. She would be the MC for the event and do some of the translation. Fortunately, most of the speakers sent her their speeches for translation early!

It was a mad scramble, but we felt we were ready!

A SAD FAREWELL

 Sunday, April 7, 2024

After the terrific party on Saturday, Sunday took on a completely different tone.

We all got up and attended the church service. Silvia, Toshi, and Kim were warmly welcomed. Many of those in attendance had been at the party the day before and were still in a celebratory mood.

We returned a couple of hours later for a much more solemn occasion.

The time had come to celebrate the life of our Japanese daughter, and Toshi’s wife, Kae.

Unfortunately, some of the people who knew her were unable to attend, but quite a few of the church people and some of the folks who were part of our writing group came. (Kae and Toshi had sat in on our meetings several times when they were here visiting.) As always, the most important people were there.

Rev. Bob Schwenck facilitated the service since Pastor Leanne Strommen was out of town. This seemed appropriate since Bob not only knew Kae and Toshi from their frequent visits, but he conducted their wedding in the same church in 2003.

He threw Kim a curve ball by asking her to read the 23^rd Psalm. (He was supposed to read it, but he thought it would mean more if Kim read it. I had asked the family if they wished to speak several days earlier. Larry said he wouldn’t be able to get through it. So did Kim and Toshi.)

Kim got through it but with lots of emotion. Kae was her dear sister, and they were close.

I had known I wanted to tell everyone what Kae had meant to me and to our family. I’d spent many sleepless nights during the previous month trying to edit all the things I’d wanted to say about this precious member of our family. I finally decided just to speak spontaneously.

I told about how I had only given birth to one child but how we had acquired quite a few others through the years. The first foreign student in our home was with us that morning. Silvia had arrived the week after we moved into our new home in Dana Point in 1987. She was followed by Yuka, Yasuko, Yuko, Fumiko, Yoshiko, and another Fumiko. Our last one came in the spring of 1998. Kim hosted a student, Ikue, and her neighbors, the McKinneys, hosted another, Kae. Because they lived so close, the three girls spent a lot of time together—much of it at our house. (I always said we got three for the price of one with this group!)

My mother provided quite a bit of their transportation since Larry and I and Kim were all working at the time. She fell in love with all three of them. She couldn’t remember their Japanese names, so she referred to them by their characteristics. Ikue was “the little one” since she was short like Kim. Fumiko was “the funny one” since she had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh. Kae was “the pretty one.”

1998 California – Kae, Lorna, Ikue, Fumiko

Later that summer, we moved to Osaka, Japan to build the Universal Studios Japan theme park. During our stay, we saw all but one of “our kids.” We saw Kae and her then-boyfriend the most often as they visited us about once a month.

When we returned, Toshi worked for a company which required him to make trips to the US. Whenever he came, he tried to extend his trips to spend time with us. He sometimes brought Kae with him.

Even though they were legally married in Japan, they wanted their wedding in California. So in 2003, they were married in our church.

Wedding 2023

They continued to visit us whenever they could, and our home in Dana Point became their second home.

On our anniversary in 2010, the phone rang at 3:00 a.m. Toshi was calling from the hospital. Kae had collapsed and was not expected to survive. All we could do from the distance was promise to pray for her. And we asked the church prayer chain to join us. Despite the “less than 5% chance” her neurosurgeon gave her of surviving, she not only recovered by thrived. And she (and he) credited all the prayers for the miracle.

A couple of years later, she became a Cordon Bleu chef. The next time she visited, she prepared a beautiful four-course meal for us and our friends.

Chef Kae

In April of 2022, she was supposed to start a class toward completing her master’s degree. Instead, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and entered the hospital.

By June, Toshi began talking about bringing her home to California one last time. However, her doctor would not clear her to fly until October. As she entered our house, she smiled at me. “Mom, I’m home.” And for her, this was the place she considered “home” more than anywhere else.

On December 20^th, Toshi texted me that she had lost consciousness. A few hours later, he called Larry. “She’s gone.”

I suggested perhaps he could bring her ashes here and spread them at Dana Point. He told me he had a note in her writing making this request.

And this was the day.

Even though Toshi had initially said he couldn’t speak, he changed his mind. His words were articulate and heartfelt as he described this beautiful soul.

Then Rev. Bob read a scripture and a poem he had written for her.

We then showed the memorial video about Kae. https://youtu.be/RJw-NYz3dBU

Following the service, we gathered at our home for a small reception. Then we proceeded to the marina to board a catamaran to take us out to sea so we could spread her ashes.

Larry had reserved the small catamaran, and fourteen of us went out beyond the breakwater just before sunset. Just as he had for my mother and my brother, Larry released her ashes into the ocean.

I had taken a basket of roses to the church for the service, and we tossed them into the water. https://youtu.be/lUBfjQ-eSYk

Larry’s brother and sister-in-love, Casey and Lucy, could not join us, but the rest of us went to dinner at the Wind and Sea in the Marina. We had kept our promise to Kae.

 

The Rest of the Week

On Monday, we spent time with all three of our kids.

Silvia, Toshi, Lorna, Larry, Kim on our front steps

We delivered Toshi to the airport for his 7:30 a.m. flight on Tuesday morning, after which, Silvia, Kim, and we went to breakfast at Mollie’s in San Juan Capistrano (Kim’s favorite breakfast pace).

Then we went down to the Outlets in San Clemente, where Kim and Silvia bought a few gifts to take home with them.

We ate an early dinner at Harpoon Henry's and then went to the point to take a photo.

Silvia, Lorna, Larry, Kim at Dana Point

Silvia was supposed to have left on Wednesday, but there was a mix-up about her flight time. She was supposed to fly to Hong Kong for a couple of days to visit a friend. However, it worked out okay since her friend was ill. Silvia’s travel agent was able to book her on a different flight leaving on Thursday afternoon.

We were able to spend a little more time with her and enjoyed it. Then, on Thursday, we drove her down to LAX with plenty of time before her flight.

Since we had all day Friday to spend with Kim, we got her a ticket to Disneyland and spent the day with her there. We all enjoyed both parks, as always.

Saturday was her day to do laundry and repack for her trip home to Texas. She had a 7:45 a.m. flight out of John Wayne, so we got her there by six. She had an uneventful trip.

The house seemed quite empty when we returned. We had thoroughly enjoyed having all three of the kids with us. After the very busy week before, we were determined to rest and relax for a couple of days.

Post Script

As Toshi requested, we made arrangements for her to have a rose bush planted in the church's memorial rose garden. We talked about getting one called Yokohama, but we discovered this Japanese hybrid can not be exported to the US. Instead, we agreed on Disneyland Floribunda since the trip to Disneyland was on her bucket list and we had made it happen for her.

Last week, the bush was planted, near the arbor where she took pictures on her last visit and right next to "Grandma" where she would have wanted to be. The marker is on order and should be in place when Toshi visits next.

Kae's rose bush

Kae will live in our hearts forever, and we will think of her each time we visit the rose garden.

THE BIG EVENT

 Saturday, April 6, 2024

The big day had arrived.

Toshi got home in time to change his clothes and help load the car with everything we needed to take to the church by ten a.m.

We had gone with a surfer theme. Our goddaughter, Tracy, had created the invitations, and her mother, Pat, created all the table decorations.

There were two cakes—one chocolate and one vanilla. Woodies and vans were in evidence.

Heather Taylor arrived shortly after we did. She created a photo booth with an ocean background that looked a lot like Doheny. She had also brought a printer, and her son, Eric, made prints for everyone who wanted them. (These were the “party favors” for our guests.)

Our caterer (Chef Freddie) arrived with his team to finish preparation of the lunch. And Pat and Bruce brought the centerpieces and helped arrange everything. (The church sexton had set up all the tables the evening before.)

Thank goodness Toshi was with us. We had brought a video of Larry through the years to show. There was a TV, but we didn’t know how to set it up. Thankfully, Toshi figured it out.

Silvia and Kim helped me pass out the colorful leis we had brought for everyone.

Chef Freddie set out a lovely salad bar, and at noon, everyone who had arrived was encouraged to help themselves. Freddie had assured us there would be plenty of food with some left over afterward. He was right!

Our guests entered, were greeted with leis,  and found seats.

Meanwhile, we plugged in the PA system, so we could make announcements.

By about twelve-thirty, most of the guests had arrived. Chef Freddie announced the menu, and his servers brought the food to the tables.  Lunch consisted of chicken breast (stuffed and non-), roasted vegetables, rice pilaf, mushroom gravy, and delicious fresh rolls and whipped butter. Yummy!

A few more people showed up during food service, and we had more than enough food for everyone plus large containers to take home. (We are still finishing off some of the chicken we had frozen.)

Next, we showed the video we had prepared. https://youtu.be/4cop9YkI8nE

Everyone enjoyed looking at all the old photos and Larry narrated part of it.

His oldest friend, Scott Campbell, had planned to surprise him by attending. However, a business trip interfered. He sent a letter, and Lorna read it. His account of a couple of incidents was slightly different than Larry’s recollection, so he had to clarify.

Several times during the party, we requested that people have their photos taken, and most did. Everyone seemed to have fun with the idea, and Eric made lots of prints for our guests to take home with them. (IF you were a guest and did not get yours, please let us know.)

I put some of the photos on a video for you to see: https://youtu.be/MHG-wE44mBU

I had asked Larry’s brother, Casey and his best friend, Bob Schwenck, to speak about Larry, and they both did a wonderful job. https://youtu.be/oFXkolkDCKQ

Cake was served, followed by a toast (with sparkling apple juice).

Most everyone had a picture taken with Larry. All our kids took great pictures with him and each other. These will provide great memories of a terrific event.

Too soon, it was time to call it a day, and we bid our guests goodbye.

The whole day was a fitting tribute to a wonderful man, husband, father, and friend.