Maya Moore, the author of The Rose Garden of Fukushima seems to think roses have special effects. Amazing coincidences keep coming up for her ever since she committed to writing a book in loving tribute to a world-class rose garden in Fukushima that no longer exists–owing to the nuclear disaster that occurred 8 kilometers away. Well, I met Maya for the first time today and I had this deja vu, like I knew her. We just picked up in midsentence. It was supposed to be an interview for a story I’m writing for the Japan Times about the subject of her book, the garden visionary Mr. Okada.
We circled all kinds of subjects until the end of our lunch, when I asked her about her NHK background and would she have a sister who also worked at NHK because more than 20 years ago a woman called Sarah whom, I have fond memories of, joined a creative writing workshop I was teaching… It’s such a small world in Tokyo. Yes, Maya is Sarah’s sister and she even remembered hearing about her writing lessons! I’ve always said that, and coming from New York where coincidences also occur regularly,the coincidences in Japan seem to me to have more substance, more heart, even more fragrance. Like this one.
The Rose Garden of Fukushima can be viewed and purchased on Amazon.co.jp