My Life-Changing Decision: Traveling to Japan at 19

  Episode - 4   On a cold, unforgiving night, standing in a foreign country with nothing but a small briefcase in hand, I found myself experiencing something I had never even imagined: the true beauty of humanity. In that moment, I realized how selfless acts of kindness can transcend language, borders, and cultures. An elderly man and a young person had both given up their turn in the taxi to help me. They weren’t just being kind; they genuinely cared about my well-being. Their compassion touched me so deeply that my eyes welled up with tears of gratitude. The first impression I had of the Japanese people, which I had formed when I first arrived, was now becoming even stronger. Their hospitality, their willingness to help, and their dedication to human values taught me an invaluable lesson: love and kindness have no language but the language of the heart. The taxi moved slowly through the bitter cold, and I anxiously awaited the moment when I would finally reach my destin...

Part 3: A Nervous Welcome The moment of immigration was near. I stood about six feet away from the counter, my heart pounding with nervous anticipation. Suddenly, I noticed a signboard indicating that this line was for Western and European travelers only. Panic set in. My mind raced, but it was too late to switch lines now. Just then, the officer called for the next person. ” With hesitant steps, I approached the counter, handing over my passport and embarkation card. Inside, my heart was a storm of prayers: Ya Allah, please help me through this. The odds were stacked against me. A Pakistani passport in the wrong line at an international airport? The chances of deportation were nearly certain. The officer looked at my passport, then glanced at me for a brief, agonizing moment. Time seemed to freeze. But then, something unexpected happened—he smiled. “Welcome to Japan,” he said as he stamped my passport for entry and returned it to me. My knees almost buckled with relief. Those three w...

   Part II The flight was still three hours away from departure, and I found myself lost in deep thoughts as I leaned back in my chair. Memories of home, the fleeting moments of life, and the uncertainty of when or how I would return consumed me. But I reminded myself to stay positive—everything would work out, I thought. After a while, I got up from my seat and bought a coffee from a shop in the lounge to help me relax. Time moved on, and finally, the announcement was made for passengers to board the plane. I stepped onto the aircraft when my number was called. Our simplicity back then was such that I didn’t even realize the flight to Tokyo had a stopover in Bangkok. We had two tickets: one from Karachi to Bangkok and another from Bangkok to Tokyo. I had assumed we’d have to disembark in Bangkok, as Salim had mentioned meeting Akbar there. The flight took around four and a half hours, and we landed in Bangkok. Following Salim's instructions, I approached the immigration count...

  First Episode This is the story of my life, in which I have seen realities up close. I will try to narrate my story in simple language so that the reader can understand my emotions and feelings. We were eight siblings—five sisters and three brothers. I was the sixth in line, with two elder sisters and one elder brother, and two younger sisters. Our family lived in Karachi, Pakistan, and belonged to a middle-class background, standing on the edge of poverty. My father ran a small shop that barely managed to sustain our household. My eldest brother, after completing college, took up a job and commanded respect from all of us. We always ensured he had no complaints regarding our studies. As time passed, I transitioned from school to college and developed an interest in sports alongside my studies. I excelled at cricket, football, and hockey within our local area. Due to our limited resources, my other brother, who was older than me, was searching for a job. One day, we heard about a...

  第1話 これは私の人生の物語であり、私は現実を間近で見てきました。読者が私の感情や気持ちを理解できるように、簡単な言葉で私の物語を語ろうと思います。 私たちは8人兄妹—5人の姉妹と3人の兄弟でした。私は6番目で、2人の姉と1人の兄、そして2人の妹がいました。私たちの家族はパキスタンのカラチに住んでおり、中流家庭で、貧困の縁に立っていました。父は小さな店を営んでおり、家計をなんとか支えていました。 最年長の兄は大学を卒業した後、仕事に就き、私たちの中で尊敬されていました。私たちはいつも、兄が私たちの学業に不満を持たないように気をつけていました。時が経つにつれて、私は学校から大学へ進学し、学業と並行してスポーツにも興味を持ちました。地元ではクリケット、サッカー、ホッケーで優れた成績を収めました。 限られた資源の中で、私のもう一人の兄は私よりも年上で、仕事を探していました。ある日、日本で働くチャンスを提供してくれるという男性の話を聞きました。兄はその男性に会い、かなり興奮していましたが、幸運にも地元の造船所で仕事を得ることができ、日本行きの計画は終わりました。 これが私の物語の始まりでした。 兄の計画がキャンセルされたとき、私は思いました。「なぜ私は日本に行かないのか？」それは感情的な決断でしたが、私は自分ができるという強い意志を持っていました。私は両親に話をしました。母は即座に反対しました。「今まで一度も一人で外の街に出たことがない子が、こんな長い旅をどうやって行けるの？」と。しかし、何度も説得し、祈りを込めてお願いした結果、母は最終的に承諾し、父も賛成してくれました。 すべてが整い、ついに旅立ちの日が来ました。 それは1989年12月29日の凍えるような夜でした。私のフライトは午前5時に予定されており、午前1時には空港へ向けて出発しなければなりませんでした。私たちの家は狭く曲がりくねった道にあり、車は入れませんでした。メインロードまでの道を歩くのは母には無理だったため、母はメインロードまで一緒に来て、私を見送ることになりました。 メインロードで、母は私を強く抱きしめました。母の目には涙が浮かび、私も感情を抑えきれませんでした。母は泣きながら私のために祈り、私の頭に手を置きました。彼女の顔は悲しみと愛情が混ざり合った美しいものでした。母の涙は私の心に消えない...