I’ve been living in Japan permanently — yes, as a permanent resident of the country — for ten years. Been here on and off — mostly on — for almost fifteen years.
My expectations have slowly come into line. There’s quite a bit different about life in Asia and since I live in farm country, much of that relates to . . . you guessed it . . . farming.
Simple example: Back in my home state of Michigan, I saw a lot of corn growing. Here they grow rice and soybeans. When I lived in California, it meant oranges. They grow some oranges here but also lots of persimmons! I really love persimmons, have even written about them.
Recognizing all of those fascinating differences, a recent development here really took me by surprise. I never expected to see anyone in Japan raising . . . [ drumroll ] . . . COTTON!
Yes, literally right near my house is the world headquarters for a new enterprise.
Not just plain old cotton, mind you, but ORGANIC COTTON.
There are several fields, all within walking distance, where they are growing the stuff.
Do they actually use cotton these days? I thought with all of the wondrous synthetic fabrics available now, using cotton and wool and the rest of nature’s bounty was confined to tribal communities in third-world countries with unpronounceable names.
Well . . . I was SO WRONG!
Turns out — my wife and some Google searches informing me — that not only is cotton still popular, it is much preferred by discerning folks, people in the know who look down their noses at apparel made from spandex, polyester, nylon, Gor-Tex, Dacron, polypropylene, acrylic and polyvinyl chloride. In fact, increasing numbers of health-conscious folks suggest it is the direct contact with the skin by these petroleum-based products which is responsible for the exponential increase in cancer, diabetes, immune dysfunction, allergies, and other “modern industrial” diseases. Is it a coincidence that these pathologies made a dramatic entrance front-and-center on the world stage at the exact same time as the massive, over-arching introduction of “chemistry” into all aspects of modern life?
These are certainly important questions. No doubt about it, the debates around pros and cons of technology will continue to rage on. Since there’s so much money being made, it’s doubtful we’ll ever get a straight reading on any of this.
Even so, I know exactly what to do!
I’m going to be the first on the block to own a brand new pair of organic cotton Samurai jeans! Better safe than sorry. If I can look sharp as well, even better!
