7. My children’s life after returning to Japan

Since then, my children have settled back into life in Japan. Once, during a summer break, I brought them along to a research conference in the UK. They had the chance to join a science workshop taking place at the university, freeing me up to focus entirely on the conference. They have also been delighted to accompany me when I take some visiting foreign researchers on tours around Kyoto, where they had fun learning how to greet people in different languages. It is possible that being dragged around to various locations might have initially been a nuisance to them, but over time, they have appeared to embrace the excitement of exploring new environments, meeting new people, and daring to take on fresh challenges. Now that the children are older, traveling for work has become considerably more manageable. My daughter just turned 16 today. I am beginning to think about preparing for another extended trip abroad, this time on my own.