Finally, it occurred to me that what makes us unique as Westerners, and moreover something that I think should be nurtured, is our "openness." Our home countries are places where inquiry is encouraged and consequently open dialogue. This trait is readily seen in almost everything we do from the conversations we have to our choices in restaurants. (Who has not yet complained about the lack of variety of food in Saitama?)

While it is true that some have opened their minds so far their brains have fallen out, the relevant sense of "open" that I mean is simply willing to hear another person out and see whether they have something of value to say - even if, especially if, it seems contrary to what one already "knows" - the will to experiment.

Of course everyone knows some Westerners who aren't very "Western" in this sense at all, but this quality does seem to mark out what it is to be Western. It is for this reason that almost everyone scoffs, whether for or against the military action in Iraq, at George Bush's use of "Axis of Evil" and other such "close-minded" rhetorical devices. It is for this reason that many Westerners, dare I say all, feel irked when reminded that they can never become a Japanese citizen. Even when they have nothing personally at stake, the thought of being excluded from public dialogue, i.e. voting and political forums, of being excluded from the conversation strikes a chord. Openness is the Western virtue, and it is why we are in Japan to begin with.

Here, far from home, it is easy to forget and become drawn into racism or meanness, the language barrier cutting us off from many fruitful discussions. Cultural difference is trying when you are the one who is culturally different. But Japan has many things to teach and to marvel at if you are open to them. Sakaba-chan's secular integrity is something the West could do well to learn in a time when people are losing faith in traditional sources of ethics and morality, and not finding it anywhere else. Once I return to Canada I will probably end up in University again. I possibly will be faced with a situation like Sakaba-chan's. Before coming to Japan I would have kept my mouth shut, but now. . . .