A few days ago, the Emperor and the Empress of Japan left Japan for India.
The Prime Minister of India and many other people warmly welcomed them.
Last year these two countries celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of their diplomatic relations.
Therefore, the government of India had hoped for their visits to India, and so had the Japanese counterpart.
This event reminded me of my father's story of his trip to India three decades ago.
He suffered from many diseases he had never encountered in Japan, such as diarrhoea and malaria.
They were always trying to overcharged him.
Even some police officers were smoking marijuana.
He boasted that he could keep on speaking ill of India even for a day.
He also added, however, that he couldn't help hoping to go there again someday.
"India was a mysterious country," he said, "It took me less than an hour to begin to speak ill of it after I arrived its local airport, but at the same time, I gradually came to love it."
Today India is no longer what it used to be.
Its GDP is getting higher and higher, and it's now well-known for its information technology industry.
But I guess its mysterious side still remains.
What are the Emperor and the Empress seeing there?
I hope that they will enjoy their trip and that India and Japan's good relationships will last for a long time.
December 2013
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