Miki Amagi, where are you?
October 3, 2010 7:25 AM Subscribe
Japan person-finder filter: how likely would it be for a Japanese family to have remained at the same address (Kodaira, Tokyo) over the last twenty years?
In my teens I had a Japanese pen pal. Not much in common, but we sent letters back and forth for about five years in the late 80s.
Fast-forward two decades. I'm cleaning out the basement, sifting the archives. I'd like to return my penpal's letters, but her name is the same as an anime character. Google returns 100k hits, but matched with her suburb there are none.
In other parts of Asia I know people tended to stay very 'put' for years and years even in large cities. I understand things may have changed in the last few decades, of course. But is this the case in Japan? I'm thinking to just send the pile to the old address and hope for the best, though the prospect that the letters might just be dumped in the recycling by new tenants is unsatisfying.
Advice?
In my teens I had a Japanese pen pal. Not much in common, but we sent letters back and forth for about five years in the late 80s.
Fast-forward two decades. I'm cleaning out the basement, sifting the archives. I'd like to return my penpal's letters, but her name is the same as an anime character. Google returns 100k hits, but matched with her suburb there are none.
In other parts of Asia I know people tended to stay very 'put' for years and years even in large cities. I understand things may have changed in the last few decades, of course. But is this the case in Japan? I'm thinking to just send the pile to the old address and hope for the best, though the prospect that the letters might just be dumped in the recycling by new tenants is unsatisfying.
Advice?
Best answer: Also, do you have the Japanese characters she uses to write her name on an envelope or on an old letter? Get someone who can write them or photocopy and paste the ones she wrote onto the envelope you send her.
Those exact characters will help the post office find her if her family has moved.
posted by vincele at 7:41 AM on October 3, 2010
Those exact characters will help the post office find her if her family has moved.
posted by vincele at 7:41 AM on October 3, 2010
I'm thinking to just send the pile to the old address and hope for the best, though the prospect that the letters might just be dumped in the recycling by new tenants is unsatisfying.
Why can you not just mail a letter asking if the person still lives there or if they have any forwarding address? No reply means no, I'm sure they'll contact you if they are family. Perhaps you can use google translate or similar to cover any issues with English language (which I assume you communicated in before).
I don't think asking here is any use at all - no anecdotal or even government statistics will give you any definitive answer, and the delay for checking first is only minor, surely?
posted by Brockles at 7:58 AM on October 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
Why can you not just mail a letter asking if the person still lives there or if they have any forwarding address? No reply means no, I'm sure they'll contact you if they are family. Perhaps you can use google translate or similar to cover any issues with English language (which I assume you communicated in before).
I don't think asking here is any use at all - no anecdotal or even government statistics will give you any definitive answer, and the delay for checking first is only minor, surely?
posted by Brockles at 7:58 AM on October 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Could you perhaps send a postcard to that address and see if that's returned to you? Because if they've moved, the post office won't forward it after 20 years... Unless by a stroke of amazing luck they moved sometime last year and provided a forwarding address. The post office only forwards mail to your new address for a year.
I actually sort of agree with vincele that her family might still live at that address, though. Kodaira is in the suburbs and if your pen pal lived there in the 80s, chances are good that her father owned the house. But of course, even if that were true, it doesn't mean that they would definitely still be there, and this is all speculation based on nothing substantial, so, grain of salt etc.
posted by misozaki at 8:09 AM on October 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
I actually sort of agree with vincele that her family might still live at that address, though. Kodaira is in the suburbs and if your pen pal lived there in the 80s, chances are good that her father owned the house. But of course, even if that were true, it doesn't mean that they would definitely still be there, and this is all speculation based on nothing substantial, so, grain of salt etc.
posted by misozaki at 8:09 AM on October 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm thinking to just send the pile to the old address and hope for the best, though the prospect that the letters might just be dumped in the recycling by new tenants is unsatisfying.
What makes you think she won't do the same thing, if you haven't written for decades, didn't have much in common, and even you don't want to keep the letters?
I think the easiest thing would be to recycle them yourself if you don't want them.
posted by unannihilated at 8:17 AM on October 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
What makes you think she won't do the same thing, if you haven't written for decades, didn't have much in common, and even you don't want to keep the letters?
I think the easiest thing would be to recycle them yourself if you don't want them.
posted by unannihilated at 8:17 AM on October 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm with unannihilated. What's the purpose of returning the letters? I've only ever heard of returning highly personal (love) letters, not random correspondence. I might even feel offended if someone sent me my letters back. Not that I want them to cherish everything forever, but why make it absolutely clear that you have no intention of cherishing them at all?
posted by parkerjackson at 8:22 AM on October 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by parkerjackson at 8:22 AM on October 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
Sorry to post again, I agree with unannihilated and parkerjackson. I think your former pen pal would find it really baffling and get her feelings hurt to receive a pile of old letters. I'm sorry I misread your question, I thought you wanted to reinitiate contact.
posted by vincele at 8:33 AM on October 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by vincele at 8:33 AM on October 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
Instead of sending the letters to an unsure address (where they might get lost) why don't you send a letter explaining what you just told us. Then if she is there and she responds ask her if she would like the letters back.
Or scan them and put them up on the internet.
posted by Bonzai at 8:47 AM on October 3, 2010
Or scan them and put them up on the internet.
posted by Bonzai at 8:47 AM on October 3, 2010
Response by poster: I intend to put a note inside the package to explain to my old penpal that I thought she might enjoy seeing the snapshot of herself from twenty years ago, as expressed in English through her letters. And of course an update about my life and such, the twenty years fast-forward coles notes version. I have received my correspondence back in a few cases from friends & penpals and have found it very interesting to see my younger-self handwriting and even some of the envelopes and stationery I was using at the time. I wanted to provide my penpal with the same experience if possible - we didn't have much in common but that doesn't mean I didn't like her or was uninterested.
posted by Mrs Hilksom at 5:16 PM on October 3, 2010
posted by Mrs Hilksom at 5:16 PM on October 3, 2010
Best answer: To answer the question: in general, it's pretty likely in Japan. However in Tokyo, it's not as likely due to the higher-than-average movement of people. Also, while her parents may still in in Kodaira, she herself may have moved somewhere else in the intervening years, especially to go to school and then to work.
posted by armage at 5:39 AM on October 4, 2010
posted by armage at 5:39 AM on October 4, 2010
That sounds pretty nice actually. I'm sorry I poopah'd it before. I'd suggest writing her at the old address asking her whether she'd like them. If you don't hear back, maybe she's not interested or maybe it doesn't reach her, but at least you gave it a shot.
posted by parkerjackson at 5:44 PM on October 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by parkerjackson at 5:44 PM on October 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
« Older Tuned in, turned on, but dropped out. | Why aren't there more stainless steel toilets? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by vincele at 7:30 AM on October 3, 2010 [1 favorite]