The June 26 Counterpoint article by Roger Pulvers, titled "Hearn the Western misfit finally found himself at home in Mejij Japan," prompted me to write. I was in Japan between 1946 and 1954, and have continued to be at home here since 1980.
I remain for practical reasons. I can get around quickly and easily, and meet all of my needs on a bicycle.
Thanks to a teaching credential and many years in Japan, I continue to enjoy employment.
Affordable national health insurance — criticized in my home country, the United States — is available to foreigners.
That I continue to be useful to students is also a significant reason for living here. My only regret is that many whom I knew in childhood are gone. Still, the young faces at their desks keep me optimistic and alive.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.