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ACCOMMODATIONFUKUSHIMAJAPANANDBRITAINHAVEALOTINCOMMON:WE’REBOTHSTUBBORNLYINDIVIDUALISLANDNATIONS;WE’REBOTHPOLITETOTHEPOINTOFSELF-SABOTAGE;WELIKEGOLFANDWHISKYANDBEER;AMERICANSMAKEFUNOFOURTEETH...THELISTGOESONANDON.THEBRITISHENVYALOTOFJAPANESECULTURE.EVENTHOUGHWE’RETHEONESWHOBROUGHTTRAINSTOJAPAN,THESEDAYSWE’DKILLFORTHERAILNETWORK,ANDIT’DBENICETOGETANEWGADGETTHEYEARITWASACTUALLYMADE.BACKHOME,SUSHIRESTAURANTSAREOPENINGALLTHETIMEANDJAPANESECARSDOMINATETHEROADS.BUTFORALLTHAT,THEREISNOT,TOTHEBESTOFMYKNOWLEDGEANUKEQUIVALENTOFBRITISHHILLS,ONEOFTHESTRANGESTPLACESWE’VEEVERVISITEDONTHISORANYOTHERTRIP.WHENISAYSTRANGE,IMEANUNSETTLINGFORKATYANDI,BECAUSETHEMOMENTWEPULLEDINTOTHEDRIVEWEWEREINBRITAIN.THEBUILDINGSWEREBRITISH,THELANGUAGEWASENGLISH,THECURRENCYWASTHEPOUND–EVENTHESIGNPOSTSTOTHECARPARKWEREEXACTLYASTHEYAREATHOME.BEINGCONVINCINGLYBRITISHISPRECISELYTHERAISOND’ETREOFBRITISHHILLS,AHOTEL/EDUCATIONALFACILITY/TELEPORTINGDEVICEINFUKUSHIMA.BEFORECOMINGHERE,WE’DWORRIEDTHATITMIGHTBETHEJAPANESEEQUIVALENTOFMEDIEVALTIMES,BUTACTUALLYIT’SSOMETHINGFARMOREIMPRESSIVE.THETUDORHOUSELOOKSJUSTLIKEATUDORHOUSE,THEOXFORDREFECTORYLOOKSJUSTLIKEANOXFORDREFECTORY,THEPUBLOOKSLIKEITWOULDDEFINITELYSERVEITSPURPOSE...THEWHOLEPLACEISFLAWLESSLYCONVINCING.NONEOFTHATSHOULDBEASURPRISE,THOUGH,BECAUSEATEXTREMEEXPENSEEVERYTHINGHEREWASCONSTRUCTEDINBRITAINFIRST,DISASSEMBLED,SHIPPED,THENREASSEMBLEDINTHEFUKUSHIMACOUNTRYSIDE.THESITEISN’TANACCIDENT,EITHER:ITWASPICKEDBECAUSETHECLIMATECLOSELYRESEMBLESTHATOFTHESCOTTISHHIGHLANDS.ASTATUEOFWILLIAMSHAKESPEARESITSINTHECOURTYARDOUTSIDETHEOBSCENELYOPULENTMANORHOUSE.IT’SIRONICTHATANIMAGEOFTHEPLAYWRIGHTSHOULDBEHERE:THEBUILDING’SINTERIORSAREHEAVILYLADENWITHENGLISHOAK.SOMUCH,INFACT,THATTHERECONSTRUCTIONOFTHEBARD’SOWNGLOBETHEATREHADTOBEPUTONHOLDBECAUSEBRITISHHILLSHADORDEREDSUCHAVASTAMOUNTOFTHEWOODFORITSOWNCONSTRUCTION.SHAKESPEAREHADTOWAIT,ASHESTILLDOESNOW,JUSTOUTSIDETHEFRONTDOOR.BRITAIN?GREAT!ANDSOMEWORDSONRADIATIONDAY18OCTOBER3RDTENEI,FUKUSHIMA.UNSURPRISINGLY,SUCHPEDANTICATTENTIONTODETAILWASN’TCHEAP:THETOTALCOSTOFMAKINGTHISFANTASYACHUNKYGREATREALITYWASSAIDTOBEAROUND£60MILLIONOR¥7.1BILLION.NOW,KIDS,STUDENTSANDFANSOFALLTHINGSBRITISHCOMEFROMACROSSTHECOUNTRYTOEXPERIENCEIT.PERHAPSTHEBIGGESTCOMPLIMENTWECANPAYTOITALLISTHATIFWELETOURMINDSWANDERFOR,EVENAMINUTE,WEGENUINELYFORGOTWHEREWEWERE.BUTTHEN,MUNCHINGAROASTBEEFDINNER,BEINGSERVEDBYNATIVEENGLISH-SPEAKERSANDPOPPINGINTOTHEPUBFORASHAMBOLICGAMEOFSNOOKER,YOUCANPERHAPSUNDERSTAND.ALTHOUGHTHEREWERENOSHORTAGEOFDISTRACTIONSATBRITISHHILLS,ISPENTTHISAFTERNOONWORRYINGABOUTMYBROTHERWHOCURRENTLYLIVESINAMERICA.HEISNOTAMERICAN,NOTQUITE,BUTHEESSENTIALLYLEADSANAVERAGEAMERICANLIFE:HEGOESTOCOLLEGE,HEEATSFOOD,HEDRINKSABIT.HEISANEXCEPTIONALPERSON,BUTHISLIFESTYLEISPRETTYAVERAGE.ANDTHAT’SWHATGAVEMESUCHCAUSEFORCONCERNBECAUSEASANAVERAGEAMERICAN,HE’SBEINGEXPOSEDTOAROUNDTHREEMILLISIERVERTSOFRADIATIONAYEAR.THREE!HEREWEAREINFUKUSHIMA,SUCKINGUPALOWLY1.4AYEARANDMYBROTHER,RUNNINGAROUNDTHEHILLSOFNORTHCAROLINAISBEINGBLASTEDBYANUNSEENMENACE!WORSE,WEWENTTOAMERICAFORSIXWEEKSTHISYEAR–WEATEAMERICANFOODANDAMERICANFRUITANDDRANKHORRIDAMERICANWATER.WHOKNOWSWHATTHATCOULDHAVEDONETOUS?WE’RE88KM(54MILES)FROMTHEDOOMEDFUKUSHIMANUCLEARPOWERPLANTANDWE’REFARSAFERTHANWHENWEWERESUCKINGDOWNHOTDOGSINFRONTOFTHEWHITEHOUSE.THESEAREINDEEDUNSETTLINGTIMES,SOMUCHSOTHATWECOULDSCARCELYENJOYOURLUNCHOFFUKUSHIMATEMPURASOBA,MADEWITHFUKUSHIMAVEGETABLES,COOKEDINFUKUSHIMAWATER.“MYPOORBROTHER!”ITHOUGHTWITHBUCKWHEATNOODLESSLAPPINGOFFMYCHIN.“WHATAFATE!”
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