Mission Accomplished

A ’Friendship Mission’ to Japan, with locals welcoming Canadian visitors into their homes, was a trip to remember

- Lillian Ross

To celebrate our retirement in 1992, my hus-band Reg and I joined a Friendship Mission group travelling to Japan. It was led by one Laverna Saloum, who had headed the mission to Japan for 28 years, held in April every year to coincide with the cherry-blossom festival season. Part of the group was from our hometown. It was planned that we would be billeted with Japanese hosts but tour as a group to destinations such as Fukuoka, Tokyo, the beautiful baths in the Suginoi Hotel, the town of Yoshino with its narrow streets on a mountain top, Beppu and Kyoto. We were to bring each of our hosts gifts. The “Canada” ball caps that Reg brought were a big hit.

One of our homestay people owned karaoke bars, which were a big hit. I sang with the ukulele I had slung over my shoulder throughout the trip, and the group from our town were fellow entertainers, so we entertained one and all with song and dance: one of the favourite songs being “All Around the World.”