"Of all the onsen, of all of Japan, you had to walk into mine..."

Happened to find myself in an onsen town this weekend. An onsen town is almost like a resort - building upon building as far as you can see (which isn't very far since this is a town we're talking about) and all of it either ryokan or onsen (Japanese-style inn and hot sprint, respectively. If either of these terms is radically unfamiliar, I would direct you to wikipedia for details). It's the kind of place that Japanese people escape to to be Japanese for a few days. They thrust off the shackles of work and home life and spend a weekend wearing yukata (think kimono, but much less elaborate) and eating traditional meals. I was just there for the day to take in the leaves and onsen and relax from a busy week of two days' work.

So eventually I found myself in the changing room of one such onsen. Looking around, I noticed that everyone had a small wash towel with them to either spread water around or hide their shame. I had a quick look around and didn't see from where they had gotten the towels. I thought that perhaps they received them when they paid for admission, but as I was not properly dressed at this point, I dismissed that as a thing past. By the time I was good and read for onsen-ing, I felt slightly defeated and confused, and so decided to ask someone.

A much older gentleman was changing beside me and I noticed that he had one, and so I gently tapped his shoulder and said, "Sumimasen. Sono taoru wa..." (Excuse me, but about that towel...). The gentleman straightened up and replied, "I brought this towel with me from my hotel," - IN PERFECT ENGLISH. Before my initial shock wore off and I could think of what to ask him next, he continued with, "What hotel are you staying at?" Instinct still held me and so - being in Japan - I replied with "Ichi nichi juu dake" (Only for today). "Oh, I see," was his reply, "If you were staying, they would issue you a towel. But I guess you're out of luck, I'm sorry." I'm still reeling that this man, looking older than my grandfather, was relaying this info to me in grammar and pronunciation that would make a British linguistics professor squeal with delight.

His curiosity continued on: "Where are you from?" "Tottori," I replied, at this point in English. "I see. But where are you from in the world?" "Oh. Canada." "Canada, eh? (He said 'eh', and not in a patronizing matter) Toronto? Vancouver?" "Toronto. Very near to it, in fact." "Ah, Toronto. I've been once. Only for a few days though. Wonderful city." All this while we were continuing the conversation from the changing room into the onsen proper and then into the bath itself. To be honest, I don't know what surprised those watching more: The African-looking fellow walking into the bath, or the Japanese man speaking perfect English. Whatever it was, we seemed to entrance everyone's attention. He explained that his English had become so good as a result of business trips. He had been working for a cotton import company for more than 50 years and in that time had been to more than 50 countries across every continent except for Antarctica. "No cotton there," he said with a laugh. He was by now chairman of the company and his son was president, running the show. He mostly just attends meetings, which isn't bad for a 79 year-old.

He eventually excused himself and headed out of the bath, leaving me to contemplate. Of all the people I could have spoken to in all of the onsen in the city, I happened to speak to someone who'd reply in pera-pera (fluent; natural) English - who also happened to be probably one of the oldest people in the bath that evening. Furthermore, I had taken an entire course of Japanese Business and learned about the runaway economy of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and here I got to speak with someone who was first-hand at the forefront of it. Add to it the stories he told me of being all around the world while historical events were taking place. It just goes to show that there are surprises under every nook and cranny, every corner that Japan can fit into its California-sized borders. I'm just glad that I gave him another chance to practice his flawless English.