Although I loved Japan and its rich culture, I felt that I didn’t fit there. I didn’t want to wear the typical colour for my special kimono, and the matching slippers were too small. My mother experienced challenging times in her early life due to World War II and tuberculosis, but she found the spiritual strength to regain her life and passed it down to me. I wish I could have spent more time with my mother, but she is gone now. However, a pair of silk slippers are left with me.