How Do You Say Kosher in Japanese?: A Journey of Identity, Faith, and Renewal

In the small Japanese town of Tamagawa, I was simultaneously a celebrity and the loneliest person in the world. When I arrived, I was feted like a star. I had top billing in the town newsletter and received a welcome dinner hosted by the mayor, but at the same time, living by myself for the first time, in a foreign country no less, I struggled to cope with major changes in my life as well as events that happened on a larger scale. Over the two-year period when I lived in Japan, I (mostly) accepted my gay identity, tried to be just kosher and Jewish enough to satisfy my ancestors, and began to come to terms with the tragic events of 9/11, which happened a scant month into my sojourn. I persevered through it all with my newfound understanding of Japanese concepts that helped to guide me and the kind and generous people that I met along the way. In the end, I emerged from my experience a more reflective, self-aware and optimistic person, one who was eager and capable of handling my challenges back in America.