It is at times like this, when preparing to go to another country some time in advance, that I start to think of all the things that I know or am familiar with about that particular country. Well, my next destination is one that, at first glance, seems reasonable given my current geographical location of employment. On the other hand, however, my next destination has apparently been a part of my life since, well, since I can remember.
The year is 1986 or 1987 (my memory is a little foggy on the exact date) and my family has just driven over the border to Bemidji or Grand Forks or wherever is close to the Canadian border and, although I didn’t know what it was at first, I remember my parents putting the black cardboard box of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) – complete with Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt (and the laser gun) – into the trunk of our car. To be honest, I didn’t really know what it was at first, but the NES would play a substantial role in my childhood, thought my family never did move up to the Super Nintendo (probably because home computers were just coming into use at around the same time).
Still haven’t guessed? I’ll admit, it’s a tough one. You probably guessed we went to the USA to buy the game console with a game about an Italian plumber who eats magic mushrooms (the things I did not pick up on as a kid!). Here’s another:
I used to sneak up to my parents bedroom and watch WWF matches on my parents’ little black and white TV when I was a kid. It was roughly the time when Hulk Hogan wasn’t as big of a presence but instead, newer characters were in play, such as Razor Ramon, the Undertaker, Bret Hart and a couple of really fat guys named, Earthquake, Typhoon. Finally, there was one more fat guy who went by the name of Yokozuna whose specialty (although he was supposed to be a sumo wrestler) was basically sitting on a guy until he submitted.
Still nothing?
Ok, this one should be a little bit easier.
Imagine bouncing around your parents’ living room dressed in green and wearing a blue, red, orange or purple eye mask and pretending to be able to do back flips and flying ninja kicks and snapping quips such as “cowabunga,” “awesome, dude,” and “gnarly” before picking up your McCain frozen pizza with three fingers. I speak, of course, about the Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles who, as the story goes, were a bunch of ordinary turtles just scraping around when a bunch of green ooze dropped on them apparently a byproduct of some nasty science experiment. Lucky for them, however, they were taken under the wing of another mutant, a Rat named Splinter, and who taught them the fine art of karate and / or being a ninja. How did this rat learn how to do karate? Well, he, as a pet watched his master practise martial arts and, horribly, also witnessed his master get killed by one of his enemies. But through this very story, the turtles and their master, I was exposed to the code of the ninja and their practise of karate, all of which came before the Street Fighter franchise and its influence.
Any idea yet?
How about these: tamaguchi, manga, anime, Power Rangers, Peekachoo, Honda, Toyoto, Kawasaki, Sony, Panasonic, JVC, Fuji, or, finally, POKEMON GO!?
All that is to say that this country has been ubiquitous in its presence in terms of technology and entertainment not just throughout my life, but throughout so much of my generation’s lives. Although the country is currently in the news for its economic problems, the country continues to remain relevant and a contributer to the world stage by way of its culture, especially its food, and technology. They are even preparing to host the next summer Olympics in 2020. And so it is with a touch of excitement that I board the plane to my next destination.
If you haven’t guessed by now, well, my next destination is… Japan.