“Oh my, you’re charming, aren’t you~? I’ve always thought that the Japanese way of life was so romantic, you know? Especially back before we had the internet and everything, I saw these movies and read these books and heard so much about it from one of my brothers, who went there once, and came back with so many wonderful little trinkets… I kept a Japanese lantern hunt in my bedroom for years and years, and promised myself that I’d go, some day.

"And, one day, when a terrible tsunami struck the coast of Tokyo, I found myself in a position to go along with the Red Cross on a relief mission. It was my first time there, and I barely spoke any of the language despite having taken courses at university, and it was while barking orders and moving sand bags that I met the young officer that would soon become my husband… 

"I guess you could say that I’ve always been a tad obsessed with Japan. Living there was a lot different than I expected, though, and I’m glad to be home in England now… but I’ll never forget – or regret – the time I spent there.”