By Jolene Farley
Beth (Bonnema) Sakurai, moved to Japan 40 years ago in 1962 as a short-term missionary with the Reformed Church of America.
"I just applied to be a short-term missionary and they needed someone in Japan," said Sakurai, whose family members were members of the Reformed Church of Steen.
Sakurai said she expected to remain in Japan only until 1966 when the term expired, and she didn't expect to still be living in Yokohama, Japan, today.
As fate would have it, she met her husband, Akira, while singing in a church choir in Japan. They later married and had two children, Naomi and Ken, and Sakurai continued her life in Japan as a teacher, wife and mother.
The Sakurais lived in the United States briefly after they married. Akira studied in the United States and accepted a position as pastor at the Baptist church in Truman.
After they returned to Japan in 1970, Sakurai began teaching English at the Soshin Girl's School, a Baptist institution in Japan. She continues to work with seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade Japanese students.
"It had been a number of years since World War II ended, and Japan was at the start of their very prosperous time," she said. "They realized that they needed English."
Most students learn English grammar from Japanese teachers, and Sakurai's job is to help them become comfortable speaking the language.
She said education is revered in Japan, and students and parents vie to be accepted into the best schools. All of the students in the Soshin School continue on to higher education.
Sakurai occasionally visits her relatives in the United States. She has been in Minnesota since July 16, and during this visit, she was able to attend her class of 1957 reunion in Hills.
"Every time I've been here (United States) for a few weeks and I have to go back to Japan, everything is miniature," she said. "Most cars are smaller and streets are narrower."
Sakurai said the most difficult thing for her to become accustomed to after she moved to Japan was living in a larger city.
"I'd always lived ... well... I was born and raised on a farm," she said.
Crowds are a part of life in Japan. There is no such thing as maximum capacity in public places. On trains people hang over each other with little regard for personal space. "If you can get in that car, you are welcome to try," she said.
Things are more expensive in Japan because many goods are imported, according to Sakurai. Meat and fruits aren't produced in Japan, and because the island lacks many natural resources, housing and fuel is expensive.
Many people live in small apartments, and owning a home is "a dream of many people," Sakurai said. Despite the cost of consumer goods, most of Japan is considered middle class.
Sakurai said she has always felt at home in Japan, even with the differences in culture, and she considers herself fortunate.
"Just being able to have another place to call home is a rewarding thing," she said. "I have friends and family there (in Japan) as well as in my own country."