I stayed with the Moriyamas from December of 1997 until March of 1998. I lived with Mr. and Mrs. Moriyama who I called Mama and Papa. Their elder daughter and younger son, Yukiko and Go, both lived at home. Papa was a smart man. He was fluent in Japanese, English, and German. He was also a neourosurgeon with his own clinic who was much respected in the medical field in the Kanto area. When I arrived in Japan his tenure as the Rotary Club President had just ended. His daughter Yukiko, 29, worked with him at the neourosurgical clinic while his son Go attended college in Tokyo. He also had another daughter, Eri, who was heavy into the entertainment industry. She had pictures with DJ Kool and was friends one of the best sumo wrestlers in Japan. One time when we were walking through Tokyo she ran into an English racecar driver she was a friend with. Now she is working with a Japanese TV firm in the LA area.
With the Moriyamas I celebrated Christmas. Japan is a Buddhist country so they don't really celebrate Christmas. Later I celebrated New Years with them. This was an interesting experience. They celebrate it differently there. Instead of partying like we do here in America you eat a special meal and travel to a shrine to pay for a prosperous year. In February, I traveled up to Nagano with Eri, Yukiko, and Go. Together we toured Nagano and then went to the Closing Ceremonies. This is and event that I will never forget. For all the Moriyama have done for me I can never repay them. They will always be in my heart.
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