Anzac Day in Japan

Fan bought in Kyoto, Anzac Poppy sent from home in New Zealand

As one would expect, Anzac Day in Japan was a bit of a non-event. No national holiday, no Anzac biscuits, and no getting up at 5am to attend a dawn service. I had read online about a New Zealand themed pub in Umeda that I wanted to go to today, in order to celebrate a little bit of the Kiwi spirit here in Osaka - but couldn't get hold of them to check if they were still open. If anyone happens to know anything about the fate of Kiwis Pub, let me know, yeah?

Anyway. Although everyone in Japan seems to assume I'm American (including this Japanese news website, which featured one of my blog posts and described me as 'an American woman in Osaka'... grrr) - I am a New Zealander, and I wore my poppy with pride today. I've read a lot about the Anzacs, and one of the things that has always stuck with me is that, for a lot of the young men, going off to war was like their big overseas adventure. Japan is my big overseas adventure, too - but I'm lucky enough to be doing it on my own terms. So, from the land of the rising sun -

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.