I¡¯ve been a father in Japan for far longer than I was one in England, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want to do it back there again. My son and daughter are in elementary school now, and fatherhood in Japan has been great so far ¡ª a learning curve, an eye-opener and a lot of fun.
One of the benefits that struck me early on was the ability to gain a Japanese-language boost simply from doing the dad thing. I¡¯ve acquired vocabulary I might never have picked up otherwise, such as the names of illnesses and medicines, terminology for school and education, and words my kids use for moods and feelings.
Not that I have mastered the language in any way, and I¡¯ll freely admit to having used my children as interpreters when delivery people have come to the door or if I haven¡¯t understood their doctor¡¯s diagnosis. But hey, that¡¯s to their benefit, right?
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