Seiko's Story Seiko's Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike ©Seiko&Mike LLC 2020 1

Seiko’s Story Seiko’s Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike

They Move in Together

• Seiko and Mike Meet, Christmas, 1967

• First Date, Part 1, Open Restaurant, Mid-Jan, 1968

• First Date, Part 2, Private Café, Mid-Jan, 1968

• Mike is Very Interested and Wants to Know More About Seiko

• Second Date, and“Marry Me” Mid-Feb, 1968

• 2nd Date. What Just Happened?

• 2nd Date, What Just Happened, 45 Years Later, Continued

• Mike Meets Seiko’s Family

• Seiko and Mike Move into A House in Fussa (Apr 1968)

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Seiko and Mike Meet, Christmas, 1967 Prologue Mike’s roommate, Alton, at Yokota Air Force Base, was dating Mieko and had a group photo on top of his dresser. Mike asked about the picture, and Alton told Mike it was the Meiji Shrine Client escorts, and Mieko, his girlfriend, was one of them. All of the girls but one were wearing grey pinstripe uniforms. Alton pointed out Mieko to Mike. One girl, however, was wearing a flowing white skirt and white sweater.

Mike asked about the girl in the center in white. Alton said that that was Seiko. He said Seiko and Seiko 1968, 23 years old Mieko were good friends, and Seiko was the manager of the girls.

Mike told Alton, “I would like to meet Seiko.” Alton got Mieko to arrange for Mike and Alton to meet the girls at Seiko’s house on an evening in late December 1967. They were delayed and did not get to Seiko’s house until about 9:45. Seiko met them at the door.

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Episode Begins Seiko’s appearance at her home was similar to her passport photo (left). Her hair was “up,” and she was wearing a white “house dress” with pink patterns. Seiko said, “ come in” (in Japanese), turned, and walked into the house. Mike followed Mieko and Alton into the main room.

Seiko turned to Mike, smiled, put her hand out to “shake hands” and said, “Hello, I’m Seiko.” Seiko looked into Mike’s eyes. Mike said, “I’m Mike. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.” and Seiko, still looking into Mike’s eyes, said: “I know.”

She turned to Mieko and said, in Japanese, “Mike is a good-looking man.” Mike understood what she said and said nothing. Seiko and Mieko spoke for a few more minutes. Then Seiko turned to Mike and said, “Good Night,” and walked out of the room. Mieko said she always went up to her suite at 10 pm to watch American TV on the Armed Forces channel.

Mike said nothing else the first time they met. He was surprised by how forward she was and shocked at the maturity and class of the “cute girl” in the picture. It was apparent that this was a strong woman, not a “girl looking for a date.” And Mike had no problem with the abruptness of her departure. They were almost two hours late, and they were interrupting something

©Seiko&Mike LLC 2020 3 Seiko’s Story Seiko’s Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike important to Seiko. Over the next few days, Mike could not get Seiko out of his thoughts.

Mike Says I did not understand what just happened, but if this is what “love” feels like, I like it. I never met anyone like Seiko in my life. This feeling is not “romantic” like in the movies. It’s not physical desire; it’s a desire to be with her. I know I can never “own” Seiko, but I want to be near her, in her presence. I did not realize it, but, for the first time in my life, I was with a woman of untouchable confidence, values that are not negotiable, and a love of being alive.

Seiko Says I am attracted to Mike. He is a handsome man. Mike looked at me almost like Papa, or the boss at the Mahjong Parlor. But there is a big difference. It seems like Mike is seeing “Seiko,” but he does not understand what he is seeing. It is very confusing. But if he does see “Seiko” then … I went back up to my bedroom, sat on my bed, hugged myself, and watched my path to America coming back to my life. And, if Mike is the man I feel he is, then my dream of freedom may also still be alive. If Mike chooses to meet me again, I will meet with him and learn more about who Mike is. And, of course, Mike is an American and I do want to go to America.

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First Date. Part 1. Restaurant, Tokyo, Mid-Jan, 1968 Prologue Mike contacted Seiko through Alton/Mieko. Seiko wanted to meet Mike at a cafe in Tokyo. At the time, Mike was teaching English at Harold’s School in Tokyo two evenings a week, so he caught a taxi to meet Seiko at 8 pm.

Episode Begins Seiko was at the cafe sitting with three young women. Seiko’s hair was like the photo. Seiko was wearing a pastel blue sweater and black pants. When Mike came to the table, Seiko smiled and spoke to the ladies. They got up, bowed to Mike, and then moved to another table.

Though Seiko understood spoken English, she had almost no experience speaking the language. Mike, of course, was not fluent in Japanese either, but he was able to carry a simple conversation. So, Seiko could ask questions in Japanese that Mike understood, and Mike answered in English, which Seiko understood.

Seiko asked Mike many questions about his family, his job, where he had lived before coming to Japan. He told her that, because his father was military, Mike had been in Japan as a child when his father was in Korea, and then spent three years in Germany. She was interested in the way the US military moved every two or three years. And Mike said,

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“Seiko asks a lot of questions.” And Seiko replied, “I know who I am. I want to know you!”

Seiko was fascinated that Mike had a job (delivering newspapers) at nine years old, getting up at 3 am every day. Mike started a lawnmowing business at 12 (one “employee,” a friend). He left home at 16 - the summer before his senior year in high school and finished high school while living in a rented apartment and working at night in a restaurant. He was drafted into the military the month after he turned 18 while attending college and working in the restaurant.

Seiko wanted to know more about Mike’s Job. He explained that he worked in a medical laboratory. He tested blood, urine, and other physical things. The doctors wanted to verify a diagnosis before prescribing treatment. Seiko asked how Mike became a laboratory technician. Mike explained that it was a sequence of schools. At each school, the top students were sent on to the next level. The clinical laboratory was the highest level. After finishing that one year of lab school, he went on to work as an intern at a large hospital for one year. Altogether, the training was about two years of school and one year intern.

Seiko asked about Mike’s family. Mike told Seiko that talking about his family was difficult for him, and he did not want to go into that subject. Seiko did not mention Mike’s family after that.

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First Date. Part 2. Private Club, Tokyo, Mid-Jan, 1968

Seiko and Mike stayed until the restaurant closed at 10 pm. Seiko wanted to go to a private club a short way from the restaurant. The club had dim lighting, and soft music was playing. The club was narrow with booths along the left side, and each booth had a curtain to provide privacy to the occupants. Seiko chose a booth and sat down. Mike went to the other side and sat opposite Seiko. Seiko got up and went around the table, pulled the curtain behind her, sealing the booth, and sat next to Mike. Mike turned to face Seiko, putting his left leg on the seat bent at the knee.

Seiko smiled and turned toward Mike, taking the same position in the opposite direction, facing Mike with her knee against Mike’s (remember, Seiko was wearing black pants this evening). Seiko asked Mike about when he was in Japan as a child. Mike said, “I was four and a half when we left, so I don’t remember very much.” Seiko asked what he did remember. Mike said, “I remember the ship ride back to the US. The name of the vessel was the Buckner, and I remember sliding on pillows through staterooms during a storm.” Seiko asked if he remembered Japan. Mike said, “We lived in Sendai, in a townhouse at the end of a row of townhouses. And I had a houseboy named Tadashi.” Seiko asked about a child having a houseboy. Mike reminded her, “I was four years old; I have no idea why I had a houseboy.” Seiko laughed and asked if he remembered what the houseboy did.

Mike said, “I remember a few things, but the only vivid memory with Tadashi was late in the summer of 1951 shortly before we left Japan. I

©Seiko&Mike LLC 2020 7 Seiko’s Story Seiko’s Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike remember running in a field across from my home, with Tadashi, chasing butterflies. It was sunny, and I remember seeing a butterfly flying out of the grass. Tadashi stopped me and told me that it was a dragonfly, not a butterfly.” Seiko smiled. Mike just said that his earliest memory was morning, in the summer of 1951, when Mike, four and a half years old, saw a dragonfly flying up out of the grass. Seiko was six years old, in a morning class, in first grade, on Monday, August 20, 1951, Seiko “woke-up” when Seiko held the book.” The dragonfly was Seiko’s symbol!

Mike had to leave before the trains shut down for the night. Seiko’s driver was waiting outside to take her home. On the train and for days afterward, Mike was getting more and more “interested” in Seiko. He thought about her almost all the time. He sent a note through Alton/Mieko asking to meet Seiko again. Seiko responded with a note that said she also would like to meet again.

Epilogue. Seiko was very curious about Mike. He was the first man in many years that met one of her criteria. He would take her to America.

But Mike was so different in so many ways. He seemed like the “pretty boys” that she met in the jazz clubs in Shinjuku. He talked about himself all the time, and he never asked questions about Seiko. But the “pretty boys” touched her or tried to kiss her. And if she chose to submit, they became more assertive and took control of whatever happened next.

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Mike talked like the “pretty boys” and appeared to want her, but he never touched her. And when she sat near him, he even blocked her from getting closer. But Mike looked at her. He looked at her eyes steadily. He seemed to want her, but he avoided touching her.

Seiko was avoiding thinking the impossible that Mike saw “Seiko.” In her whole life, only two people saw “Seiko.” The first, of course, was Papa. The second man was the Yakuza boss at the Mahjong parlor when she was 13. Even Mieko, her closest friend, never saw “Seiko.” If Mike saw “Seiko” then he would want to be with her, he would want to experience being with her. And he would know that he could never have her or own her.

Seiko decided that she needed more information. But she realized that she must live with Mike, possibly for a long time to get the essential information. But she could start with the easy to get information. She wanted to verify what Mike told her about his job. And how intelligent was he? Seiko asked Mieko to ask Alton what Mike did in the Air Force.

Mieko told Seiko that Mike was a lab technician at the clinic at Yokota Air Force Base. Mieko said that Alton told her he was in charge of the laboratory. Mieko said there were three people, but now Mike was the only technician, and he was in charge.

Seiko asked her mother’s doctor what a laboratory technician did. Dr. ___ said that there were many skills, and it depended on what his skill was. Seiko told her that Mike was in charge of the clinical laboratory at Yokota

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AFB, and he was the only technician. Dr. ____ was quiet for a moment. She said Mike must have many years of experience, or he must be intelligent. Seiko told Dr. ____ that Mike was 20 years old, and this was his first job after training. Dr. ____ said the training was one or two years of classroom and a one-year intern at a large hospital. Seiko said that was what Mike described. But Seiko told Dr. ____ that Mike also said that while he was an intern, he was on a research program under a scientist. Dr. ___ said that Mike must be brilliant, and she was surprised that Mike was a lab tech and not in school to be a doctor or an engineer.

Seiko decided that based on what she knew so far, Mike was the first candidate for a second date in her life! To determine if he could be the life- partner she was seeking. Her criteria were: he must 1) be a provider, care for Seiko and her children; 2) take Seiko to America, and 3) accept “Seiko.” But Seiko had been looking for so long with no 2nd date opportunities at all. Seiko decided that she was willing to compromise.

Seiko considered the package so far. Mike was a provider (always working since he was nine years old). He was going to America, intelligent, and good-looking. Based on how Mike treated Seiko, and she was pretty sure he saw “Seiko,” so it was likely that Mike would accept “Seiko.”

Seiko Saw her dream of becoming a Mama in America blazing back to life. And Seiko saw there was a chance that she could even be a free woman.

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Seiko realized that there was more inside Mike than what she saw on one date, but she decided that there was enough to choose, and “Seiko” would handle the consequences, whatever they might be.

The only question was if Mike, as her life-partner, would agree that “Seiko” can stay “Seiko.” Seiko decided that she would make sure that Mike understood her position before the topic of marriage comes up.

So, Seiko decided that Mike was her choice for a life- partner, and now it was up to Mike.

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Mike is Very Interested and Wants to Know More About Seiko

After the first Date, Mike was very interested in Seiko and asked Alton for more information. Alton said he only met Seiko a couple of times and had very little information about her. But Seiko and Mieko had been friends for several years. They were beautiful women, had wealthy families, wore stylish clothes, frequented nightclubs in Shinjuku and Roppongi, and went shopping in Shibuya. He said that there was some family problem with Mieko a couple of years ago, and Mieko said she wasn’t able to continue going out like Seiko was. Mieko said they still went shopping in Shibuya together a couple of times a month, but Mieko didn’t go to Shinjuku any more. Alton said that was all he knew about Seiko.

Mike was trying to figure out who Seiko was, so he asked Alton if he could Mike more about Mieko. Alton said there wasn’t much he could say. He met Mieko in a park in Shibuya. Alton was riding his motorcycle, and Mieko was sitting on a bench in the park reading a book. Alton stopped and “made a pass at Mieko,” and she responded positively. Mieko asked if she could ride on his motorcycle. She climbed on, and they rode into the hills above Shibuya. They stopped and looked at the view of the city. There was a vendor there, and they got snacks and sat at a table and talked. Alton said Mieko was very direct and asked him a lot of questions about who he was, what he did, etc.

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Alton said her attitude changed when he told her he was an Air Force serviceman stationed at Yokota. But she still wanted to ride with him on his motorcycle. Alton said he realized she was more interested in experiencing the bike than him, but she

Mieko? MIke Found this was beautiful, and he was attracted to her. Alton said Photo With Seiko's they started going out, but only a couple of times a Things, Looks Like Mieko, But Not Sure month.

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2nd Date, and “Marry Me,” Tokyo, Mid-Feb 1968 Prologue. For the 2nd Date, Seiko selected her favorite classical café in Shinjuku, the D’lambre just east of the Shinjuku train station. Seiko’s favorite café was the Lion café in Shibuya. But the Lion did not allow conversation, and it was in a rough area of Shibuya. She had Yakuza (Japanese “Mafia”) security guarding her in Shinjuku so she could go anywhere in that city.

Mike arrived a few minutes before Seiko. Mike had never been to D’lambre but had heard it was a beautiful café. He was surprised when he entered. A small counter was to the left of the door with a rack to hang coats, there were six tables along the left side, and six or seven people were sitting at the first three tables. The three tables at the back were empty. A “Papasan” at the counter bowed and took Mike to the end of the aisle of tables. He pointed to the next to the last table and indicated Mike should sit there. Mike sat and looked around. Next to the last table, there was an opening, and Mike got up and looked down a plush carpeted staircase. Mike went down, and the stairway opened into a surprisingly large room with a high ceiling. The room was full of booths covered in red “velvet” and lavish decorations all around. Mike saw that Seiko was not there, and, not wanting to miss her, he went back upstairs. He sat at his table and watched the entrance.

Seiko had been planning this night for almost five years. She had three objectives tonight. First, make sure Mike understood that she was a free

©Seiko&Mike LLC 2020 14 Seiko’s Story Seiko’s Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike woman and would not be constrained by illogical, to her, social values. Second, after her conversation with Dr. ___ she wanted to open the door to college and a professional career for Mike at the right moment in the future, and she chose to use mathematics as the key to that door. Finally, and this would be Mike’s choice, she wanted Mike to ask Seiko to marry him.

As usual, when her car pulled up to the front of D’lambre, two Yakuza were waiting. One, in a black suit, opened the back door of the Nissan Bluebird and gave his hand to Seiko to assist her in getting out of the car. The second man got into the front seat to ride to the Yakuza parking area with the driver. They would wait there until the man who stayed with Seiko called to say she was ready to leave D’lambre.

The man with Seiko escorted her to the door of the café.

Episode Begins.

The cafe door opened, and a tall, Japanese gentleman stood in the open doorway, looking slowly down the row of tables for a few seconds. He stepped into the cafe and continued to hold the door open as she entered. Seiko was wearing a full-length grey suede coat and a silk scarf with pastel-colored flowers. The cafe background music was “Greensleeves” (also known as “What Child is This”).

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People got up and gathered around Seiko. She seemed to vibrate as others called out greetings. The cafe ‘Papasan’ came from behind the counter and greeted her with a bow. Seiko bent down and gently touched his shoulder, indicating he should stand up. Seiko removed her coat and gave it to him. She was wearing a white sweater, a slim fitting dark blue skirt, and black flat-heel shoes. The man that held the door for her remained standing next to the door watching Seiko.

As the background music, “Greensleeves,” continued, Seiko turned and started down the cafe aisle to Mike’s table, looking steadily into his eyes as she approached. He stood and wanted to hug her, but chose to pull the chair out for her to sit down. The discussion touched on many topics, but Seiko was most animated on the subject of Sartre’s philosophy on human freedom vs. her perception of the restrictive nature of Japanese society, especially toward women, and the freedom of women in America. Mike watched Seiko as she spoke, noticing her expressions and gestures. At some point, Seiko said that she was president of the math club when she was in high school, and the discussion turned to the Pythagorean theorem.

Seiko was excitedly describing the redundancy of approaches to proving the theorem. As she was drawing a proof on a sheet of paper, Mike reached over and touched Seiko’s hand. Seiko put her other hand over his; they looked at each other. Mike said: “marry me.” Seiko said, “yes.”

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Epilogue The weekend after Seiko agreed to marry Mike, she told Papa. Papa expressed concern that she was going to marry an American serviceman for two reasons. Papa said that he wanted her to marry a professional, like a doctor or an executive. And Papa said that Seiko would be leaving Japan and her family. Seiko told Papa what Dr. ___ had said about Mike. (Mike must be very intelligent if he was running a medical laboratory by himself, and he was only 20 years old.) And she told him that Mike said his uncle and his father both held Doctorate degrees. She said Mike was still young, and he had to fulfill his service obligation anyway. Then Seiko showed Papa the geometric proof that she had been setting up when Mike proposed. She said she was trying to prove that Mike’s claim that geometric proofs were not redundant was incorrect. (Note: Mike had said no such thing; he just wanted Seiko to show him why she thought they were redundant.) Papa was fascinated and agreed to the marriage.

2nd Date. What Just Happened?

For the next 45 years, whenever the story of the 2nd Date came up, it was always the same description. Mike was attracted to Seiko. He found her smart, funny, and confident. But, before seeing her that night, Mike had no intention to marry anyone. But now Mike knew he would never again find anyone like her. Seiko liked Mike and thought he would be the right partner, and Seiko wanted to go to America.

In February 2012, after his 65th birthday, Mike closed his consulting business and retired. Seiko and Mike started having discussions about their

©Seiko&Mike LLC 2020 17 Seiko’s Story Seiko’s Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike relationship, where they were, and where they would go next. In one of those conversations, in the sunroom, Seiko asked Mike, “what makes you excited?” Mike’s answer was immediate: “You!” And then he explained. Mike said he often thought about their relationship and his shortcomings in being a complete “partner.” Mike said he finally realized what the relationship must be. Instead of trying to “match” or change Seiko, Mike’s roles were limited to “care for (provide for)” and to “accept” the “Seiko” he married, the roles he had agreed-to in the partners-for-life agreement that Seiko had created five years before she met Mike.

Mike said that he realized that on that 2nd Date, what he saw, without realizing it for many years, was a “work of art” a “masterpiece” in the art of living. Mike loved the beautiful life that Seiko was creating, and he said that being there and watching as she created her life gave him great pleasure. Mike said that he felt a bit like a Lorenzo d’ Medici, a patron of Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, and Leonardo da Vinci.

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Seiko was thrilled by his answer and said that Mike “was the only person, besides Papa and one other* that knew who ‘Seiko’ was.” She left a thank-you card on his keyboard the next morning.

*The “other” that Seiko was talking about was the Yakuza boss of the Majong parlor in Shinjuku, where Seiko played starting at 13 years old. She skipped math classes one day a week with permission because she worked all the problems in her book the weekend before classes began. She played Mahjong with professional gamblers after she demonstrated her skills in a game the Yakuza boss set up to test her. The Yakuza protected her because she drew customers to the parlor. Though she consistently won, customers wanted to play at her table because she was “cute” and fun to be around.

Seiko scored with the top graduates in the mandatory testing after ninth grade to determine which high school she would be eligible to attend. Her score enabled Seiko to select any high school in Japan. Seiko picked Otsumu Senior High School, located in Chiyoda, near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, her Mama’s alma mater. After high school, Seiko attended Otsumu Women’s College and Otsuma University, also located in Chiyoda, where she studied French and Philosophy.

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Mike Meets Seiko’s Family Prologue Seiko explained to Papa about Mike after the 2nd date. Papa, an engineer, was fascinated and agreed to the marriage.

Episode Begins Seiko wanted Mike to meet her family. Papa, CEO of an electric power company headquartered in Nagoya, 2 hours by train from Tokyo, came home on weekends, from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon. They would meet on Sunday, two weeks after the 2nd Date.

Seiko’s driver took her to Yokota Sunday morning to get Mike. Mike was concerned that Papa would not accept her decision. When they arrived, the whole family, waiting outside, greeted Mike with enthusiasm. The photo shows the family at Yoko’s house on a different occasion.

Everyone went inside for snacks Yoko, Papa, Noriko, Ginjiro, Mama prepared by her sisters. Mike communicated well in basic Japanese, and Yoko’s husband spoke English well. Seiko changed to a kimono and told Mike that his suit was acceptable. Seiko and Mike sat on mats opposite Papa. The ritual was beautiful. Seiko told Mike that his performance was flawless, and Papa was pleased.

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After the ceremony, they returned to the main room for lunch, prepared by Seiko’s sisters. With Seiko translating, Papa said that Seiko was a strong, independent woman. He said she had told him all about Mike, and he was pleased with her decision. Then he said to Seiko that Mike should make his speech at the wedding an appeal to the extended family for understanding.

But, as Mike left the room for a short time, Papa turned to Seiko and said, “Seiko, do you understand what you are choosing?”

Seiko and Mike Seiko responded, “Of course, Papa. Why, what 1968 are you trying to say?”

Papa said, “Seiko, Mike is a very complicated and troubled young man. He is brilliant, and I can see he wants you intensely. He will be your partner in a way you do not understand. And I am afraid it is difficult to explain. You are establishing your relationship on an archetype of an essence that you, Seiko, control. If that archetype ever fades while you are alive, I do not know if either of you is strong enough to handle the consequences. On the other hand, if you both preserve it, Mike will ensure it survives long after the death of either or both of you.”

Seiko said, “Papa, you are scaring me. Do you think Mike is a dangerous man?”

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Papa replied, “No, Seiko, he is not dangerous. I believe Mike is the most outstanding choice you could ever make. I am saying that this is unexpected. We brought you up to be a joyful, adventurous, and independent woman. And that is what you have become. What is unexpected is that Mike sees the hero inside you, and that is what he wants to hold close. Let me say it this way. Without Mike, you would probably settle into a relatively normal, but joyful life. But with Mike, your future will be extraordinarily ambiguous and will contain many life-changing choices and unforeseen contingencies.”

Mike returned to the room. Seiko was standing now, she ran to him and hugged him closely.

Papa left for Nagoya, and Seiko took Mike up to see her suite. The stairs opened into a sitting room with a balcony. Seiko’s bedroom, to the right, also had a balcony. Stuffed animals covered her bed. Opposite her bed, Seiko had a TV, a stereo system, and a bookcase full of records and books. Seiko’s bathroom was off the sitting room.

Seiko and Mike returned to Yokota. Mike got out of the car at the gate, and Seiko went home.

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Seiko and Mike - The First Day in Fussa

Prologue. In mid-February, 1968, during their 2nd Date, Mike asked Seiko to marry him, and Seiko said, “yes.” During the five weeks, since the second Date, Seiko and Mike got together three times, all at the Nakano house and never overnight. They hugged, but the first kiss would be at the Fussa house.

Episode Begins. In early April 1968, Mike rented a small house on a canal in Fussa. The canal fed into the Tama river at a point several miles north of the Fussa house. The house was about a ten-minute walk past the Ushihama station to the main gate to Yokota Air Force Base and another 5 minutes to the clinic where Mike worked. The turnoff to the house was just before the Ushihama bridge and a few hundred feet down the road. The house was a part of a seven-house complex plus the landlord’s large home surrounded by a high iron fence in the center of the complex. Three of the houses were on the canal, and the house Mike rented was the center of the three.

The “road” inside the complex was gravel, and there was a single ungated entrance, which led to a loop around the landlord’s home, passing each of the seven houses. The gravel road was wide enough for parking for each of the houses, but Mike did not own a car while he was in Japan.

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Mike walked along the south wall of the house and into the genkan, a covered entryway where people remove their shoes and put on slippers. Mike entered his house and stepped up into the living room. There was a kitchen to the right and sliding glass doors (wooden frame) to the left overlooking the canal. The floors and ceilings were wood; walls were either light brown wood paneling or off-white plaster. The door to the bedroom was across from the front door. The bedroom had a double bed against the far wall, and, to the left, there was a dresser under a window overlooking the canal. The bath was to the right. The bathroom was Japanese style, with a sink and a single person tub against the east wall. A window above the tub faced the gravel driveway. The window was high and covered by a white curtain to allow for privacy. A door to the right led to a small room with a western-style toilet. Through the toilet room, another door opened from the toilet room to the kitchen.

The kitchen included a small, under-counter refrigerator, oven-stove combination, and a single sink. There was plenty of light from two windows, one facing the gravel road and the other overlooking the walkway to the front door. Also, in the kitchen and next to the entrance to the bathroom was a small washing machine.

The most delightful feature of the house was the deck on the west side over the canal. The patio was the length of the house with a wooden railing on the canal side. At the north end of the terrace, a concrete stairway led down to the path along the canal. The walkway was about eight feet below the patio. Seiko and Mike often walked hand in hand along the canal after dinner during the summer.

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Mike rented the Fussa house on a Friday and called Seiko at her home in Nakano. Seiko asked Mike several questions about what was needed, and Mike listed the things they would need. Seiko said that she would arrive around noon on Saturday with the items.

Seiko came with her sister Noriko. A small truck followed the Nissan Bluebird into the complex. Mike picked Seiko up and carried her thru the door. Seiko kissed him for the first time as Mike brought her into the house. Seiko immediately fell in love with her first house. She ran to the patio and leaned over the canal, smiled broadly and ran to the bedroom, the bath, through the two doors to the toilet, into the kitchen and jumped into Mike’s arms and squeezed tight.

The truck driver brought in boxes of items, several sitting mats, and an old futon! Seiko wanted to bring the futon to put on the patio. When Mike raised one pad against the wall, the other two futon pads were on the floor. Seiko and MIke had a fantastic cushion for two to sit. That old futon became a place for watching sunsets over the canal, and for communicating to create a beautiful life together.

In the evening, Noriko left in the Bluebird with the driver, and Seiko and Mike finished arranging furniture, put their things away, and Seiko fixed dinner.

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The first night started with Seiko teaching Mike the nightly ritual of the Japanese bath. She began by completely undressing in front of Mike, and then putting on a white cotton “bikini.” Seiko then told Mike to remove all of his clothes. Mike hesitated for a second or two. It was just long enough for Seiko to say, “tonight, Seiko will have Mike, after tonight may be different.” Mike disrobed completely, and Seiko told him to sit on a small bench next to the tub. Seiko proceeded to soap up a heavy terrycloth mitten, which she to use to wash Mike from head to toe, not missing an inch. The final step was to rinse Mike down with warm water from a short hose.

Seiko told Mike to stand and get into the tub. She saw that Mike was ready for something other than a bath; Seiko looked away after several seconds. And Mike stepped into the hot water. Seiko then proceeded to remove her “bikini” and perform the soapy terrycloth mitten ritual on herself.

After Seiko had rinsed off, she told Mike it was her turn in the tub. (Sadly, the tub in the Fussa house was only big enough for one person.) So, Mike got out of the water and immediately reached to touch Seiko. She lightly touched his hand, and he stopped. She signaled toward the door to the bedroom, and Mike went through as Seiko got into the tub.

A few minutes later, Seiko got out of the tub and picked up a towel to dry herself. Mike started to go into the bathroom to dry her off, but she looked at Mike and simply held her hand up, and Mike backed into the bedroom again. After she was dry, Seiko took a yukata hanging on the wall. Mike did not have a yukata or anything else on. Seiko went toward the bedroom door

©Seiko&Mike LLC 2020 27 Seiko’s Story Seiko’s Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike as she put the yukata on and signaled for Mike to sit on the bed. Mike did so as Seiko moved in front of Mike, He raised both hands toward her hips, but Seiko just gently pushed his hands back. Then Seiko knelt in front of Mike.

Through the rest of the evening, Seiko would not let Mike touch her with his hands, and he did not push or force.

Mike thought he had plenty of “experience.” A girl two years older than Mike lived with him for 18 months in his apartment in Florida after he left home at 16. In Japan, he had lived with a girl in her house for a couple of months. Mike had “been” with a clinic nurse, an officer, for several weeks sneaking into her quarters. But this way past that.

There was never any detailed discussion about that first night, but afterward, Seiko said simply, “both Seiko and her Papa told you that Seiko was an adventurer and an independent woman. Mieko and Seiko had many wonderful adventures in Shinjuku.”

Seiko considers the “First Night with Mike

After Seiko and Mike “finished” that first night, and Mike was sleeping, Seiko got up, put on a coat, lit a cigarette, and went out to lean on the railing over the canal. The light of a brilliant full moon flooded the empty field across the canal. The field had once been a productive rice paddy but was now vacant to make way for new development. Brambles, weeds, and stubby trees now covered the field.

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Seiko gradually realized the consequences of what she had done in choosing Mike. The ambiguities usually involved in making a significant choice were beginning to appear. There were positives and negatives. And Seiko had already gone through the positive consequences after the first date.

Seiko was not sure if her Papa was alluding to all of the negatives, but, tonight, Seiko found one. Mike was not a Steve, and definitely not a Phillip in the bedroom. Mike was more like a child with a new toy. She would definitely “finish” with Mike because that was his objective in the bedroom “game,” to bring Seiko to “finish” again and again.

No, there was something else going on here. Seiko desires Mike, but not the way she desired Steve or Phillip. With Mike, Seiko is the subject. And in the Seiko and Mike relationship, even when Mike appears to be the subject, Seiko will always be in control, the subject. That is because, though they share values, Mike’s demonstration of those values, compared to Seiko, is so diminished by his “tapes,” primarily low self-esteem. But he is so captivated by “Seiko ” (his “Howard Roark”) that he will do anything to stay with her.

So, Mike’s case is unique. The essential “other,” the core value, in Mike’s life, is “Seiko!” Seiko sensed that Mike saw “Seiko” when they first met. So, he would want her, keep her, and know he could never “own” her. And the result was, with his core reality to take Seiko “home” to America, to provide for, and to accept “Seiko,” she desired to have Mike more than any other man in her life.

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Seiko realized that there was another difference with Mike. With Steve, Philip, and Jon, Seiko felt the connection of two human beings moving forward into their respective futures, joined for these few moments. But, when she made love to Mike, Seiko felt a transcendence into a glorious future that could only be limited by her self-imposed boundaries.

The mutual attraction between Seiko and Mike was so deep and so intense because he committed to provide-for and to accept “Seiko.” And she committed to staying “Seiko.” In other words, both Seiko and Mike were, and are, absolutely committed to preserving “Seiko.”

So, Seiko will accept Mike’s immature, childlike behavior, and she will perform the “duties of a wife” whenever Mike wants her. And, even as she thinks “duties of a wife,” Seiko will usually be the one to initiate making love. Seiko wants the feeling of transcending into her future that she gets when she physically joins with Mike.

Mama Frequently Visits Seiko and Mike in Fussa

Mama was a frequent visitor to the Fussa house, and Mike came home for lunch as often as possible. He always knew Mama was there because her driver was in front of the house, standing next to the limousine talking with curious neighbors.

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They had a stereo set-up (in the cabinet behind Seiko and Mama) with reel-to-reel tapes (this was 1968) holding the major popular tunes of the fifties and sixties. Seiko and Mike talked a lot, danced, and walked along the canal in the evenings. Many nights they walked to the “Airman’s Club” on the base where there was a different band every day playing popular dance numbers. Seiko and Mike drank mixed drinks, danced, and simply enjoyed being together. Seiko was well-liked and quickly got to know all of Mike’s friends. They often came to Seiko and Mike’s house in Fussa for an evening of cards and dancing.

Mike worked at the clinic on base and was often “on-call” for emergencies. One of Seiko’s favorite memories was sitting in the base movie theater with Mike and their friends when suddenly a “tape” rolled across the bottom of the screen during the movie, saying “Airman Marton, report to the dispensary immediately.” Of course, Mike had to leave (an ambulance picked him up so Seiko could not accompany him). One of Mike’s friends took her to the clinic, and that was when she saw the laboratory where Mike worked and saw what he did. She later jokingly told Mike that she thought he said he worked in a “lavatory” and could not figure out what he did in a restroom.

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Note: Seiko knew he worked in a clinical laboratory because after the first date in mid-January, 1968, Seiko asked her mother’s doctor what a clinical laboratory technician did. The doctor told her that it depends on the technician’s specialty. Seiko said it was only Mike, and he was in charge. The doctor told Seiko that Mike must be intelligent because there are so many things a technician must be able to do, even in a small clinic.

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Seiko with Mike in the Fussa House, The First Five Weeks

• Seiko Creates the “Bad Tape” Metaphor

• Mike Wants to “Set the Record Straight” About Mike and His “Bad Tapes”

• Seiko Sees Mike’s First “Bad Tape”

• Seiko Sees Mike’s Second “Bad Tape” But Feels Confused

• Seiko and Mike, The Games They Played; The Games Begin

• Seiko Takes Mike to Shinjuku to Play Pachinko

• Seiko Takes Mike to Collect Their Pachinko Winnings

• Seiko Explains What Happened When They Picked Up Their Pachinko Winnings

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Seiko Creates the “Bad Tape” Metaphor When Seiko and Mike moved into the Fussa house, Mike brought his stereo system. It included reel-to-reel tape drive, receiver, amplifier, turntable, and speakers. Mike also brought the tapes he created playing records on the turntable and recording the music. Mike recorded several vinyl records on a single tape.

The first weekend in the house, Mike showed Seiko how to record her records to tape and gave her some blank tapes. Seiko started recording her albums to tape and ran out of blank tape. She went to a shop in Fussa (about a three-minute walk) and showed the proprietor a box from one of the blank tapes Mike had given her. The owner said those tapes were costly, and he

©Seiko&Mike LLC 2020 34 Seiko’s Story Seiko’s Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike did not sell them. He told Seiko that he could sell tapes that would work and were much cheaper. Seiko bought the tapes, took them home, and recorded several records on the tape. When she hit playback, she could hear her music, but it was “messed up” by noises, like people talking in the background.

When Mike got home from the clinic, Seiko demonstrated the tape and asked Mike what she did wrong. Note that Seiko did not say “it doesn’t work,” or any other “transfer of blame.” Then, and for the remainder of her life, Seiko always assumed responsibility for everything. The music had recorded (you could hear it over the noise). He looked at the box, the labels were in an unfamiliar language, and Seiko also did not know what language it was. But, stamped on the carton was the label “MEMOREX.” Mike said the tapes were used before and not erased properly. And Seiko said “so those are ‘bad tapes.’” Mike laughed and said the tapes were probably ok when they were new, but now, anything recorded will still have the past recording. So, if you record something on the used tape, the old stuff on the tape will mess up anything you record.

And then Seiko said, “that’s just like people if they remember bad things, then no matter how much good happens, it will always be messed up by the bad memories. They are starting with ‘bad tapes.’”

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Before Continuing; Mike Wants to “Set the Record Straight” About Mike and His “Bad Tapes” The following is critical to understanding Seiko’s Story and where Mike is “coming from” throughout. Mike, deep inside, worshipped Seiko, she was untouchable! Mike, tapes in charge, had a problem being around Seiko! “Seiko” was the person Mike wanted to be but never succeeded.

Mike once met a “Seiko” when he was ten years old.

MIke’s parents had hundreds of books in the living room of their home in Colorado Springs, and Mike was fascinated by the book about Frank Lloyd Wright, the architect.

Mike got up a three am every day to deliver newspapers and was home before six am while the rest of the family was still sleeping. One morning, Mike was sitting on the floor in the living room, looking at the Frank Lloyd Wright book about buildings. He heard movement in the house and quickly got up and went to his bedroom before his father came out.

A few moments later, his father yelled, “Mike, get out here.” Mike went back to the living room, and his father was pointing at the book on the floor. Mike went to pick it up, and his father grabbed his arm and threw Mike down next to the book. His father yelled, “when will you learn to put things back where you got them?” Mike replaced the book and went back to his bedroom, where he stayed until his father left for work.

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Mike came out and went to the living room. On the boomerang-shaped coffee table, there was a book that was not there before. It was “The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand. Mike sat down and started reading. By the time he finished the first page, Mike was “hooked.” He read the novel in about two weeks, and Mike reread the book many times over the next several years.

Howard Roark was the man Mike wanted to become. “Seiko” was the first person that immediately reminded Mike of Howard Roark.

Mike knows he has “bad tapes.” Despite his tapes, in his entire life, Mike has never physically harmed any woman, man, or animal!

Mike has never had a successful relationship with any woman. The girl who was with Mike in Florida for 18 months stayed because Mike saved her life. It was 1962. She had been raped, forced to have and then give up her baby, and was self-hating and borderline suicidal. Mike’s tapes saw a beautiful, vulnerable girl and took advantage of it. Eighteen months later, he was drafted. He told her he would come for her when basic training ended in six weeks, and they would get married. He called when he finished basic training, and she told him she found someone and was engaged! After 18 months of Mike, she found someone else in six weeks. In Fussa, he went to the Japanese girl’s house and found a box with his things outside the door.

Mike felt he did not deserve Seiko from the first time he saw her. She was so far above Mike in every dimension of being a person. But Mike wanted to be near Seiko; he wanted to be in her presence; Mike wanted Seiko!

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Seiko Sees Mike’s First “Bad Tape”

One day the first week in Fussa, Mike got home in the late afternoon, and Seiko told him that the landlord came to the house during the day and told Seiko to tell Mike that he was going to double the rent. He said he set the first rent because Mike was from the base, and he knew enlisted service members did not make much money. And the landlord knew Mike was getting married to a Japanese lady. The landlord said he changed his mind about the rent when he saw the Japanese lady’s mother was wealthy (The landlord saw Mama’s limo when she came on one of her visits.)

Mike was furious and, before Seiko could stop him, he charged out of the house. He came back a few minutes later and said the landlord’s wife told Mike that her husband was in Tokyo on business and would be back the next day. Mike stayed in a bad mood for some time (probably over an hour). Seiko looked at him for a few minutes and then went on doing what she had been doing before.

Later, Seiko told Mike that she was familiar with the reaction. She had seen it in Yoko’s husband, but never in her Papa. They didn’t say anything else about it that night, and Mike got past his mood.

The next day, as Mike was leaving Yokota, Seiko was waiting across the street. Seiko said she went to the landlord. He told her that he gave Mike

©Seiko&Mike LLC 2020 38 Seiko’s Story Seiko’s Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike a low rent because he knew service members did not make much money. But then he saw Seiko’s mother’s limo and knew the Japanese lady that Mike was marrying was rich. Seiko told him her mother was angry that Seiko was marrying an American and would not give them anything. He relented and said to tell Mike the rent would not change.

When Mike went to the landlord in October to check out of the house, the landlord told him that Seiko paid the extra rent the day she came to see him. He said Seiko was a rich lady. When she opened her wallet to pay the additional rent, she had many ¥100,000 bills (about $300 each). Seiko had already gone back to the Nakano house to get ready to go to the airport to meet Mike in San Francisco; they did not see each other again for three days. Mike did not say anything.

Seiko Sees Mike’s Second “Bad Tape” But Feels Confused

Later that first week, Mike came home; Seiko was in the kitchen standing at the sink. Seiko called out the traditional Japanese “welcome home” [おかえりなさい] [Okaeri nasai], and Mike came up behind her and put his hands on her hips, started pulling her dress up, and whispered in her ear “any time, any place.” Seiko did not move for several seconds as Mike continued. Then she relaxed and began to participate in doing what she enjoyed.

Afterward, Seiko wanted to talk. She said that she was happy that they had been talking about their relationship over the past six days because she wanted to talk about something she usually would only discuss with Mieko.

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Seiko said that she was thrilled when Mike touched her and began something she enjoyed, but Seiko was shocked and confused when Mike said, “any time, any place.”

Seiko said they had talked about what each of them expected in the relationship. Seiko said she was sure that, even though there had been no discussion, Mike knew that Seiko was an experienced woman. Seiko waited for Mike to respond. He finally said that he guessed that the first night, and since then, he became sure. Mike was hesitating; he had no idea where Seiko was going. Seiko said nothing and waited for Mike to continue.

Mike was silent for several minutes. Finally, he said, “you know I lived in an apartment when I was 16 in high school. You didn’t know I had a girlfriend that lived with me. She seemed to want to have sex almost all the time. I was 16, and she was 18. She wanted to start even in public places, and at some point, I said ‘any time, any place’ and she liked that and started saying it to me in “interesting” places, movie theaters were the scariest for me. I don’t know what else to say. I enjoyed it and, sitting here with you; I have no idea what it means between you and me.”

Seiko was quiet. She looked at Mike and said that it sounded exciting, but she was confused because it seemed like Mike was putting a “rule” on their relationship. Seiko said she did not understand how that fits into her role as Mike’s partner. Seiko said it should be an agreement by each of us. But then her confusion was increasing, because even if she wasn’t interested, when Mike started, she got excited almost right away.

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Seiko was quiet. She was disturbed. Mike stood, held his hand toward Seiko, she got up, and they went out onto to patio holding hands, leaned on the rail over the canal. And they were quiet.

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Seiko and Mike, The Games They Played; The Games Begin

Prologue. Seiko and Mike are in the Fussa house in the spring of 1968. Mike began to think about Seiko’s response to Mike’s “any time, any place” remark. Seiko was a player. He knew from the way she handled the first night in the Fussa house through the bathing ritual. And, after expressing her problem that “it sounded like Mike was putting a rule on their relationship,” she said, “it sounded exciting.” Mike felt that her comment was an opening for him to figure out how to set something up that would require mutual agreement before activity could begin.

Episode Begins. Mike was moving toward a win-win game of some sort, and he set parameters for the game: no physical danger, the game must “push” boundaries to be “exciting,” and the game must be “fun” for the winner and loser. Mike wanted it to be flexible, so the game could be a “bedroom” game or outside, not necessarily related to sex. Mike already knew Seiko was physically active, she jogged every day, she was a gymnast, and she did yoga. He also knew Seiko was an existentialist, so Seiko would, to some degree yet unknown to Mike, be willing to test social boundaries. Mike was pretty sure that she had a firm value structure, but had almost no idea what was in her value structure. The only hints he had so far were Seiko did not like rules; she was a free woman, and her eyes were wide open (she was awake).

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Mike felt that the only games worth playing were those that were “fun” for both of them. And, preferably, each party learned something about both players. And for outside games, there may be others involved, but they were not players in Seiko and Mike’s games.

The game had to have a common, to both of them, exchange vehicle. The most obvious to Mike would be money, but he had no idea how Seiko might feel about that. If the exchange were so small that it was just symbolic, that might work.

Mike was going to set up the first game tonight. Seiko took her bath first and was doing yoga in the bedroom when Mike came out. Usually, they would put on their yukatas and sit on the patio, and talk, and they would tonight, after the game. Seiko, still undressed, was standing on one leg with the foot of the other leg against the knee of her standing leg (crane position?). Mike walked in front of her and acted like he was inspecting her pose. Seiko dropped her foot and looked at Mike and asked: “what are you doing?” Mike said, “I was just wondering how good your balance is.” Seiko didn’t say anything but put her foot against her knee again. Mike said, “I bet I could knock you off balance with one finger.” Seiko said, “of course you could, just push, I’m standing on one leg.” Mike had the opening he was looking for to start adding rules of play for this particular game. “Ok,” he said, “no pushing, anything else?” Seiko put her foot down and looked at Mike closely. She said, “no touching here, here, or here.”

Mike said “how far away is ‘no touching.’” Seiko raised one hand, spread her fingers wide, and said: “this far.” Mike said, “six inches.” Seiko

©Seiko&Mike LLC 2020 43 Seiko’s Story Seiko’s Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike said, “yes.” And Mike said “100 yen (about 25 cents) if I can get you to lose your balance. If I can’t, then I give you 100 yen. Here are my 100 yen, let’s see yours.” Seiko was getting interested. She got her purse and took out 500 yen. Seiko said, “500 yen.” Mike said “deal” and put 500 yen next to Seiko’s.

Seiko got into her pose, and Mike walked behind and lightly slid his pinky along the instep of her raised foot. Seiko immediately fell over sideways and laughed. Mike picked up 1000 yen. The Games Were On!

Seiko Takes Mike to Shinjuku to Play Pachinko Prologue. Shinjuku was Seiko’s town. She had been playing Mahjong in a Shinjuku Yakuza (Japanese “Mafia”) Mahjong parlor since July of 1958 when she was 13 years old. After she escaped an attack outside the parlor, the Yakuza arranged to protect Seiko when she was in “their town.”

In August 1963, when Seiko was 18, Seiko and her friend Mieko, began to “adventure” in Shinjuku and Shibuya. In Shinjuku, Seiko frequented the classical music café (kissas) D’lambre and many jazz café’s; her favorite jazz cafes were “Dug” and “Pit Inn.” Both were near the east entrance to the train station. Seiko learned the concepts of “strong women” and “pretty boys,” which she used in Part 2 of the First Date with Mike, in the jazz cafes. D’lambre was also the café that Seiko chose for her 2nd Date when Mike proposed, and Seiko accepted.

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Episode Begins. Seiko invited Mike to spend a Saturday evening in Shinjuku to play Pachinko, then have dinner at a cafe. Pachinko is a popular game in Japan, a cross between a slot machine and a vertical pinball machine. The player buys a basket of small metal balls, carries them to a vacant machine, pours the balls in a tray, turns a small handle, and a ball ejects at the top of the playing field. If the player holds the handle down, the balls will continue to come into play at a rapid pace. The balls fall through a maze of pins that knock them around, and a flapper or two that the player uses to deflect balls as they fall. Adding to the “fun” is balls hitting balls on the way down. A ball may enter a winning zone and pop out and then keep on falling toward a chute at the bottom. If the player wins, the ball (plus any winnings) goes back in the tray; otherwise, the ball goes into the machine. At the end of playing, the player collects the balls in the tray and redeems them at a prize counter.

Mike knew the game (simple to play), but on the train to Shinjuku, Seiko gave a unique perspective on the game. Seiko said that the game was like life. The vertical playing field means the balls fall due to gravity. Seiko said, “the gravity in Pachinko is like time in real life. The ball falling is like my clock keeps ticking. Seiko is like one of many balls falling through the playing field. Seiko chooses to ‘jump’ and begins her journey. There are pins (obstacles) everywhere, and soon there are other players (balls) all over the place. Seiko chose to jump. Now Seiko will handle the obstacles (pins and players) staying focused on one thing - to be ‘Seiko’ handling every obstacle, every encounter with

©Seiko&Mike LLC 2020 45 Seiko’s Story Seiko’s Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike another person, and occasionally get a winning situation, pop out, and continue her journey.”

Seiko Takes Mike to Collect Their Pachinko Winnings

When they finished, Seiko and Mike put the Pachinko balls they won into baskets (half the size of a shoebox). Seiko gave them to the man standing behind a counter. The wall behind him full of prizes like you might see at an arcade; stuffed toys, etc. He reached under the bench and gave Seiko about ten matchboxes bound by a rubber band.

Mike followed Seiko as she left the Pachinko Hall and walked across the street into an alley. About 20 feet down the alley, a man was standing just inside an open door. Seiko approached, and the man stepped aside to let Seiko and Mike pass.

They were at the top of a concrete stairway wide enough for four people to use, there was a metal railing down the left side and concrete wall on the right side. A line of people was standing along the handrail, mostly young, men and women, many tattoos and the air heavy with cigarette smoke. Seiko proceeded to pass everyone and walk down the stairs signaling Mike to follow to the second landing, 10 or 15 steps further.

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There was a window in the wall opposite the last steps. A young woman was standing at the window and another behind the glass sitting down.

Seiko went across the landing, and the lady behind the glass stood up and waved her arm, signaling the woman standing outside to step back. She moved aside as Seiko went to the window and slid the matchboxes under the glass. The woman behind the window bowed to Seiko and passed the Japanese currency to Seiko. Seiko nodded, turned to Mike, signaling him to follow her back up to the alley.

Seiko Explains What Happened When They Picked Up Their Pachinko Winnings

Mike was stunned (and a little bit scared) that Seiko had just gone to the front of the line, and no one in the line said or did anything to stop her. Seiko told Mike that she was always treated that way in Shinjuku. Seiko said she had been playing Mahjong in Shinjuku since she was 13.

Seiko knew that the parlor was owned by Yakuza (Japanese “Mafia”) before she went there. Seiko said the boss heard about her ability from one of his regulars, and they decided to let her “try-out” to come there to play. Seiko said she demonstrated her skill in a game that the boss set up with some of the regular players. The boss

©Seiko&Mike LLC 2020 47 Seiko’s Story Seiko’s Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike watched her play and then had a meeting with the players and a couple of his men. Seiko listened as they discussed what they would do. They decided to try her out and see how she handled herself. They kept her because, even though she always won, she was an asset. Men wanted to play at her table. They thought the tables where she played were more fun, and she was cute. (Few women played, and most were older business owners.)

Seiko said that after three weeks of playing one afternoon a week, one of the players followed her outside and attacked her. Seiko said she broke away by getting out of her jacket, and she ran back upstairs to the parlor. The boss saw her condition, quickly got her story, and told two of his men to go and take care of it. Then he had a short telephone call (with other Yakuza bosses, Seiko believed), and they jointly decided that Seiko needed protection. They gave her a phone number to call whenever she was coming to their town, Shinjuku, whether to play or not. She was to tell them when she was coming and her arrival point. And they would protect her in their city.

By now, they had gone down the street to the cafe for dinner. Mike asked how they protected her, and Seiko turned her head and nodded toward the bar. Mike looked, and there was a tall Japanese gentleman in a dark suit. He was watching them, and when Mike turned, he smiled and nodded. And Seiko admitted to Mike that she took advantage of the power. Seiko said it was a significant asset when Mieko and Seiko started “adventuring.” Seiko used the phone number of the Yakuza “security” and always called ahead to tell them she was coming, just as she had done tonight and before their 2nd “date.”

Seiko is Married, Seiko Tells Mike About “When Seiko Held the Book”

• Married, American Embassy, Tokyo, Wednesday, May 1, 1968

• Mike is Surprised by Assignment to Texas by Oct 1968

• Seiko Tells Mike about “When Seiko Held the Book”

• Seiko Returns to Fussa - Life is a Journey

• Seiko’s Mama Visited Their Fussa Home the Next Day

• Seiko Sees Mikes 3rd “Bad Tape,” Shows How She Will Accept Him

• Seiko and Mike, Walking and Talking in Shinjuku

• Seiko Tells Mike She Wants a Partners for Life Agreement

Officially Married, American Embassy, Tokyo, Wed, May 1, 1968

Seiko and Mike were “officially” married at the American Embassy in Tokyo. (The “big” wedding would be on August 25 at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. Details when Seiko’s story gets there.)

May 1 was a communist holiday in Japan; protesters filled the streets around the American Embassy. The Japanese police had created an open path to the embassy gate for visitors, so Seiko and Mike had no problem getting through to the embassy.

Waiting in lines and signing documents took most of the day, and Seiko, totally unfamiliar with American (or Japanese) bureaucracy, could not figure out what was taking so long. After lunch in the cafeteria, Mike asked the next “interviewer” when Seiko and Mike would be married. The lady looked through the pile of documents and pulled one out and showed it to Seiko and Mike saying, “when did you sign this?” Mike answered, “about ten this morning.” And the lady responded, “that’s when you were married.”

Mike is Surprised by Assignment to Texas by Oct 1968

Before they were married, Mike made arrangements to extend his assignment in Japan for one year. The clerk told Mike that the extension was “a sure thing” because it would save money for transferring someone else. But, to get the extension, Mike would have to extend his obligation to the Air Force for another four years. Mike “re-enlisted” for another four years and simultaneously submitted his request to extend his assignment in Japan for one year. But Mike had been misinformed.

While he was an intern at Wilford Hall Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, in 1966, he had worked with Dr. Ken Cooper researching to support the creation of “Aerobics.” Dr. Cooper published his book in 1968, and Aerobics became the foundation of Air Force fitness programs. Because of Mike’s record supporting research on that program, the Air Force assigned Mike to a team researching the Air Force Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) Program at the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine in San Antonio, Texas.

The Air Force notified Mike in June of his re-assignment to Texas. He was to leave Japan on October 4, 1968, and report to the Laboratory in Texas by the end of October. Mike’s departure date was one year earlier than expected and less than four months away.

Seiko Tells Mike about “When Seiko Held the Book” and Her Commitment

Mike left work immediately after he got the transfer orders and went home to tell Seiko. Seiko was quiet for a few moments and then told Mike that she had to go “home” to tell her mother, and she went to call a driver to pick her up. Mike was unsure about what was going on with Seiko. After she called for a driver, Seiko sat down and told Mike to sit also.

That was when Seiko told Mike the story of “When Seiko Held the Book.” After Seiko finished, Seiko told Mike that she would be back the next afternoon. Seiko said that she made her choice when she agreed to marry Mike. She said it would be difficult because she knew it would hurt Mama and would disrupt Papa’s plans to have a “real Japanese Wedding Ceremony” for his youngest daughter.

But Seiko had committed to handling all consequences when she chose Mike. And she would not be “Seiko” if she did not honor her commitment.

Seiko Returns to Fussa - Life is a Journey

Seiko called Mike Friday night and said she was at her family’s home and repeated that she would be back the next afternoon. She called again on Saturday morning to tell Mike once again, that she would be back in the afternoon.

Seiko’s driver dropped her off at their house in Fussa in mid-afternoon on Saturday. Mike met her outside the front door as Seiko was telling the driver to go back to Nakano. She went to Mike and hugged and kissed him, and they went inside. Seiko sat at the dining table, and Mike sat opposite her. Seiko took a small paperback book out of her purse and set it on the table. Seiko said it was a Japanese - English dictionary that she picked up to make sure that she was communicating correctly. The conversation that followed went through several evenings, and this is Mike’s “very condensed version” of what Seiko said.

The “full version” of what Seiko told Mike is in the several pages after “When Seiko Held the Book” at the front of “Seiko Before Mike.”

Seiko said that life is a journey forward through time. She can never go back, but she can choose the next step. Seiko said that she chose to marry Mike and to go to America. She said that she did not know where her journey would lead, but that Seiko would never regret her choice.

Seiko’s Mama Visited Their Fussa Home the Next Day

Seiko’s mother came to Fussa to visit the next day, Sunday, the first time Mama came on the weekend. Her limo and driver in front of their house caused quite a stir among the neighbors. Though Seiko and Mike were often driven back and forth to the Nakano house, it was in a black Nissan Bluebird, a nice car but not a limousine.

Mike had met Mama many times at their home in Tokyo and when she visited Fussa. Mama was always gracious and kind to Mike, and this was no different. She came into the house and sat down. Seiko translated when her Mama spoke. Mama said that she was surprised that Seiko would be leaving sooner, but she already had accepted that Seiko was going to America. And she said that Papa was already coordinating with the Meiji Shrine for the wedding and would have everything set within a couple of weeks.

The photo shows Mama and, in the background, Seiko is fixing snacks in the kitchen. The front door is open.

Seiko Sees Mikes 3rd “Bad Tape” & Shows Mike How He Will Know She Accepts Him

Monday morning, after getting his transfer orders, Mike was setting up his routine to start bringing in patients to draw blood for tests the doctors ordered. The doctor responsible for overseeing the lab came into the lab and told Mike to get started on documenting the procedures Mike used to manage the lab. He said Mike’s predecessor was not as effective as Mike, and he wanted Mike’s approach documented for future lab supervisors. Mike told him that AF procedure documents contained the procedures, but the doctor would not listen. He said those procedures did not work. He repeated that Mike was to record his methods. Documenting the procedures was not necessary, but Mike had no choice.

Later he got a phone call telling him that the extension he signed did not correspond to the dates on the orders to Texas and that he needed to go to the finance office to it fixed. And during lunch in the office writing procedures, Mike got a call telling him that his transfer orders did not match the documents for Seiko to go to America with Mike. Seiko’s documents were for 1969, the original date based on the extension, rather than the accelerated date of 1968. He had to go to the personnel office to get the documents fixed, or Seiko could not go at the same time Mike was going.

The lab procedure could wait, but he must finish the specimen tests and figure out how to go to the finance office and personnel office before they closed. Frustration was mounting rapidly. He decided it was more important to bring Seiko than figure out what it meant that the orders did not

©Seiko&Mike LLC 2020 55 Seiko’s Story Seiko’s Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike match. So, Mike tested specimens that had time limits. Then he went to the personnel office to get Seiko to America with him. Seiko had to be there to re-sign the agreement. So, he decided to come back Tuesday so he could tell Seiko to come to the base. He headed for finance, and they said the issue was with headquarters, and he must fill in the form for the fix request, or his paycheck would stop in October. Mike completed the form and headed back to the lab. It was now after four, and he was already late going home, but Mike had to run the specimen tests. Mike got home two hours late, and when Seiko asked, Mike exploded with the story, and somewhere Mike implied, this would not be a problem if he did not have Seiko. Now he saw Seiko’s response to “bad tape 3,” transfer blame to the nearest target.

Seiko looked into Mike’s eyes (with those big brown eyes), said nothing, just watching as he kept on. When he finally got frustrated with her response/non- response and turned around, Seiko just said: “Do you want dinner now?” He went to the bedroom and lay on the bed like his father used to do. Seiko did not follow him.

Seiko and Mike, Walking and Talking in Shinjuku

Prologue Seiko and Mike had been married at the American Embassy in Tokyo on May 1, 1968. Now that they were married and Mike officially was not living on base, he requested more time off from on-call duties at the lab. The Tachikawa hospital lab, a 20-minute ambulance ride from Yokota, handled the evenings that Mike requested. Since Mike’s lab was supposed to have three technicians that could rotate, the management at both locations agreed, and a technician from Tachikawa was assigned to stay at Yokota on weekends.

Seiko wanted to spend time with Mike in Shinjuku. She told Mike that she had spent much of the last five years in that city, and Seiko had developed part of the philosophy of her life based on what she learned at Otsuma University and in Shinjuku. Though Seiko created the core tenets of Seiko’s Way before she was ten years old, Seiko based her ground rules for a partner-for-life relationship on her interpretation of existentialism. Those interpretations were amplified by her discoveries of the cover-up of Japanese nationalism before the defeat in August 1945. And then, the decision by Seiko that the occupation by the Americans and the implementation of “democracy” was just more government taking over people’s lives and bodies. Seiko crystalized these concepts during her years at Otsuma University and in the jazz kissas and motion picture theaters in Shinjuku.

Episode Begins Seiko and Mike took the train on the following Friday night and stayed at a hotel a short walk from the east entrance of the Shinjuku train station. The next morning, they had breakfast at a nearby café. After breakfast, Seiko and Mike began to walk the streets of Shinjuku. Seiko talked, Mike listened and learned. (Mike has accurately restated the facts and interpretations made by Seiko over the following two or three hours. He cannot repeat her exact words.)

Seiko said that after the war, the American occupiers ignored the suffering of the Japanese people as they brought their films showing glamourous people living in beautiful mansions in Los Angeles and elsewhere. Seiko’s generation, born near the war’s end, was “shielded” from the nationalistic rhetoric that continued to the surrender of the Japanese in August 1945. The American occupiers first blacked out that rhetoric in the school textbooks, then the books were rewritten.

During those years, Seiko watched her American sitcoms from the time she was about ten years old until the night she met Mike in December 1967. She came to love the concept of America, and she never got over that first love.

Seiko told Mike that, for her generation, everything began to change around 1960. Seiko’s generation (she was 16 in 1960) was just finding out about the Japanese nationalistic approach during the war. Seiko said she learned that after the war, there was a great deal of cynicism about the way the Japanese government had demanded that the Japanese people be

©Seiko&Mike LLC 2020 58 Seiko’s Story Seiko’s Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike willing to sacrifice their lives and their bodies for Japan. She said that the government’s demands came to a climax with the kamikaze at the end of the war.

The 1960 Anpo riots were, in part, precipitated by the concern of millions of Japanese that Japan was headed toward another pre World War II nationalism. The defeat of the liberal agenda when Kishi used brute force to ram the treaty through the Japanese Diet by having the members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) carried out of the building to keep them from voting was a defeat for the liberals but also a wake-up call to the government. Kishi resigned, but the liberals had lost.

Meanwhile, Japanese artists found French and Italian films. First Germans, during the war, then Americans after the war, occupied both countries. Their representations of the French and Italian films were more authentic to the Japanese in their situation. Simultaneously, the philosophies of Camus and especially Sartre’ came to Japan. Seiko said that she first learned about existentialism when she was 18 at Otsumo University. But, it had already become a foundation for both the students and the professors at the University. And Seiko found the writings of Simone de Beauvoir, especially “The Second Sex,” and “The Ethics of Ambiguity” to be directly applicable to her situation as a female in Japan.

Japanese intellectuals and the young people grasped and extended the idea to negate the pre-war Japanese idea that its citizens should give their bodies to the state. With existentialism, each person owned their body, not the state or anyone else!

Seiko said that she was not interested in the political rhetoric or agenda of left or right. Seiko said the only thing that she was interested in was to live the only life she had as a free woman. Seiko said the only constraints on her life would be to accept and take care of the consequences of the choices that she would make. She said that she would make choices that rationally adhered to the values she chose to guide her only life.

As Seiko and Mike walked down the streets of Shinjuku that early Saturday morning in July 1968, Seiko showed Mike the posters at the entrances of the theaters, clubs, and even homes. Posters that were suggestive and even pornographic describing the films showing inside. Seiko said that she regretted that Mike did not understand enough Japanese to be able to watch and understand. There were no English subtitles, and there were no examples in the English language. Seiko did admit the sexual nature of some of the films was to attract audiences drawn from theaters to television.

Seiko said avant-garde filmmakers, centered in Shinjuku in the 1960s, amplified the idea that each person owns their body. The filmmakers produced cinema, which dealt with the many dimensions of what that means. One aspect was the concept that marriage, by law, says that the husband owns the body of the wife and vice versa (the government calls the crime adultery). Another dimension was the body as a vehicle for the pleasure of the owner of that body. That in opposition to the body is an object owned by the government.

Seiko said the concept of kamikaze and the representation that it held of the state owning a person’s body became so offensive to her that she embraced the counter-culture exemplified at her University and by her associations from 1962 to 1967 in Shinjuku. Seiko said that she, and she alone owned her body and the life her body was living. Seiko said she alone would choose what, when, and with whom she would use her body for her pleasure.

Seiko said that she desired and chose a partner for sex only if the man was committed to something important to him as a human being. And the man displayed behavior that was consistent with her values: life, freedom, responsibility, reality, and commitment.

Seiko said that she frequented the jazz kissas where the counter- culture were expressing their ideas and listening to the jazz, the “soundtrack” of the counter culture that she joined. She said that many did not allow talking; she spent many hours studying, thinking, and watching others. Seiko said she would occasionally “connect” with someone silently and then meet outside to talk. Seiko told Mike that the opportunity to exchange ideas became yet another major factor in her evolution as a woman.

Seiko and Mike continued to walk, now mostly in silence. As noon approached, Seiko guided Mike toward “Dug,” the most representative of the counter-culture jazz kissas. The entrance to the Dug was a door in a building along a small side street about a five-minute walk from the east entry to the Shinjuku station. Down a flight of stairs, there was a relatively large,

©Seiko&Mike LLC 2020 61 Seiko’s Story Seiko’s Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike compared to Mike’s experiences with cafes in Tokyo, restaurant. Along the right wall, there was a scattering of tables and chairs, and to the left was a large, very complete bar.

The walls were either dark wood or brick. Floors, ceilings, and the bar were dark wood. Most of the lighting was dim except for a few brighter hanging lamps over the bar.

There were no performers when Seiko and Mike arrived, and Mike was not familiar with the music playing over the sound system. Seiko said they were playing a Miles Davis song, Nefertiti. Seiko went to the bar and ordered lunch and guided Mike to a table on the other side of the bar. There was a small stage with a piano and a double bass on a stand. A waiter brought a plate of little sandwiches and two cups of sweet coffee.

Seiko whispered talking was usually not permitted in Dug. The idea was to enjoy the music, the ambiance of the café, and your thoughts. Seiko and Mike sat in silence, listening to several more songs. They left about an hour later and caught a train from the Shinjuku to Fussa. There were many stops, and they spent the one hour trip in silence with Seiko and Mike holding each other.

Seiko Tells Mike She Wants a Partners for Life Agreement, Formal Wedding at Meiji Shrine

• Seiko Tells Mike She Wants a Partners for Life Agreement

Seiko Tells Mike She Wants a Partners for Life Agreement

Prologue. In the episodes “Seiko Before Mike,” “Seiko defines her roles as friend and wife, and established her criteria for a Life-Partner when she was 17. This episode reinforces what Seiko decided five years ago.

Seiko’s philosophy that she was “free to choose what Seiko would do” actually began in the episode “when Seiko held the book” in 1951 when she was six years old. It gained strength over the years as “Seiko” took over what Seiko would do.

Then with her studies of Sartre’ in college simultaneous with her “adventuring” in liberal jazz kissatens of the 60s in Shinjuku and their “strong woman” concept, Seiko became adamant!

Episode Begins. The staff at the Meiji Shrine gave Seiko, and Mike “sample” marriage vows to be blessed during the ceremony. Neither Seiko nor Mike was

©Seiko&Mike LLC 2020 64 Seiko’s Story Seiko’s Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike religious. They decided the sample vows were ok, but Seiko strongly objected to “to be faithful to eternity.”

Seiko’s “demand” was not a surprise to Mike. Seiko had been firm, even during their 2nd Date, before Mike proposed, that she was a woman free to make choices for herself. Seiko had always been adamant that she would never submit to values that were counter to her rights as a free woman.

To sign, Seiko said Mike must agree that those words mean “Partners for Life” and no other “socially acceptable” meaning or constraints. Seiko said that those words assume that she “values” an irrelevant social standard of conduct. Seiko said that she was a free woman and would not “give up or negotiate away any value that she held to conform to anyone else’s values.” Seiko said she absolutely would not give up experiencing the pleasure of any relationship that was unrelated to her role as Mike’s life-partner. She said that she had experienced passionate feelings in the past and had never let those feelings sway her from performing her committed role. Before Mike, she was committed to finding a life-partner that met her criteria. Now, her commitment was to Seiko and Mike’s life-partnership.

Mike asked if Seiko was willing to tell Mike her criteria for choosing a partner for sex. Seiko said, “certainly.”

Seiko reminded Mike; her pleasure came from behavior that was consistent with her values. Seiko said that she desired a man for sex only if he was committed to something important to him as a human being.

And he displayed behavior that was consistent with her values: life, freedom, responsibility, reality, and commitment.

Mike agreed and wondered if it goes both ways. Seiko said, “of course, if Mike is strong enough not to allow emotion to sway him from his commitments as my life-partner.” And 20 years in the future, both would discover that Seiko already had a “tape” that said Mike was not strong enough, even though there would be no evidence supporting that tape.

Mike said he understood and suggested that they continue establishing ground rules for the life-partnership. Seiko agreed. She said that her ground rule for Mike’s primary role was to be a provider for her and her children. Seiko said that her ground rule was to support Mike’s career as a provider no matter where it led. Seiko said that she based her final ground rule on knowing Mike had “bad tapes” and expected there would be more. She said she accepts Mike’s “bad tapes,” but Mike must never physically harm Seiko or her children. Mike agreed.

Mike wanted Seiko to agree that she would never let an outside relationship cause her not to be present (available) when Mike was not working. Seiko agreed immediately. She said that as long as Mike provides, she would always be there for him; she would never allow any non-partner relationship to interfere with their time to be together in their life-partnership.

Seiko and Mike spent several days drafting and rephrasing the final agreement but never formally documented anything. During their 51-year partnership, especially in the early years, there were several

©Seiko&Mike LLC 2020 66 Seiko’s Story Seiko’s Life 1.6 Seiko and Mike discussions, but the “final four ground rules” were memorized, restated again and again, and never changed. 1) Seiko and Mike, Partners-for-Life, 2) Mike provides, Seiko supports Mike providing, 3) Mike accepts “Seiko,” Seiko must stay the “Seiko” Mike married, and, 4) Seiko accepts Mike and Mike’s bad tapes. So, “written out,” the final agreement had 4 points:

1. They were together for life. If both adhered to the ground rules, no circumstance would ever be a cause to separate before the death of one or both.

2. Mike would always provide for, and support, Seiko and their children. Seiko would always support Mike’s career, wherever it might go.

3. Mike said Seiko must stay “Seiko,” the powerful, independent woman he married. Seiko liked the way Mike stated this criterion, and it “stuck” throughout their partnership. Seiko told Mike that there would be situations where Mike may have a problem with “Seiko’s” behavior, so he must always remember his definition of Seiko’s role. Mike said he understood and accepted “Seiko,” including the role she defined as long as it never interfered with their time to be together.

4. Seiko said that she knew Mike’s “bad tapes” and accepted them, and Mike must never allow those tapes to harm her or her children physically or put her in danger. Mike agreed.