A year before I met Dav, when I was living in Tokyo, loving my very own apartment and relishing a Tokyo lifestyle as a single woman, I bought a very nice piece of furniture for myself. It was an antique Meiji era chest of drawers with some unique elements not commonly seen, such as sliding doors between the drawers. The right side with drawers behind the locked door is also a nice detail. It was a significant purchase, solidified by my mom's approval with her excellent taste.
But then I met Dav, and although we discussed him moving to Tokyo, it made more sense for me to move to S.F., and I left my beloved tansu with my mom, then at my aunt's house, for all these years. I was waiting for a friend with an expat deal to move to CA so I could tuck my tansu in their shipping container. Having inquired the cost to do it myself, it was not worth shipping unless without some special arrangement.
Last year when my mom was here for Aila's birth, we happened to visit Kiku Imports near Japantown. My mom brilliantly simply asked if the owner, with his frequent importing, would be willing to help me bring my tansu over. He was very kind, and offered to do so at cost only (about $200) which is very generous. I still can't believe he did this for me!
Here is my tansu, and I can't be happier to be reunited. It was a bit weird to initially see it in my "American" home, almost like by having the tansu over here, it means I am rooted and settled here even though a part of me still identifies with living in Japan. Slowly but surely my life is building here, and it makes me a tad sad since my parents are in Japan...But it is so nice to everyday get to see my tansu.
remember this. cannot believe it's in sf now! such a long trip for this tansu from meiji to sf.
Posted by: mieko | 02/20/2012 at 03:29 AM