Mr Shintaro Ishihara was the Goethe of Japan. I was his pupil, someone in the same profession, and his escort runner. In this chapter, I have woven together more of my private recollections, spanning as long as twenty-plus years, and "my unfulfilled promise" to him. ー Shin Ushijima
Chapter 3.3: Of Men and Women
Read other chapters in My Mentor, Shintaro Ishihara
Shintaro Ishihara had kindly visited me in the hospital.
It was at the beginning of February 2005. I was hospitalized for five days from February 3 to 7, and underwent surgery on Friday, February 4. Perhaps he visited immediately after that, either on Saturday or Sunday. That said, I had lost track of the days at the time.
My room was on the fifth floor of the Keio University Hospital in Shinanomachi, Tokyo. Surgeons had removed my gallbladder.
It was an entirely unexpected visit. Mr Ishihara was with Toru Kenjo of Gentosha. Mr Kenjo had called earlier ー could I have mentioned my hospitalization during that call? Possibly, but I have no recollection of doing so.
Nevertheless, I had not been informed that Mr Ishihara would visit me. If Mr Kenjo had mentioned it on the phone, I must have been dazed, because it did not register. In any event, it was immediately after my surgery.
Since they came together directly to my room, Mr Kenjo must have made a prior inquiry. It was still the era of flip phones, before smartphones became ubiquitous.
Meanwhile, I had no idea why Mr Ishihara, the Governor of Tokyo, had gone out of his way to visit me. However, it seemed he wanted me to win the Akutagawa Prize as soon as possible. So he came to urge me to get well soon and write the novel as quickly as possible because he expected me to win the prize. Was that how he encouraged people? I was clueless.
Yujiro's Hospital Room
My room at Keio University Hospital was on the same floor where the governor's brother, Yujiro Ishihara, had been hospitalized. When my hospitalization was arranged, I immediately asked Doctor M, who had taken care of the details, to "Please arrange for me to stay in the room where Yujiro had stayed."
After a while, Doctor M replied, "No, that room is already booked. So, I have arranged for you to get the room below it." As a result, I carelessly presumed at the time that I was in a room one floor below Yujiro's room. However, after I decided to write this book, I confirmed the location with Doctor M again and found out that our rooms were on the same floor. Dr M said, "Well, Yujiro's room was on the same floor as yours and very close by."
That means that Mr Ishihara came to see me on the same floor as the room that had been his brother's. I wonder how he felt about that.
Ishihara states, "The back room in the newly-built hospital ward faced the main street and its Venetian blinds were always pulled down to dissipate the bright light from the large window." (My Kid Brother, Gentosha Publishing Co, 1996, at p 411) A room fitting that description was next to my hospital room.
"I hastily returned to the hospital after taking care of what I needed to do for my friends," said Mr Ishihara. (P 413) That was the room he returned to.
Only Gallstones
It was quite careless of me, but before I started writing about my hospitalization, I didn't have the faintest idea that my room, where Mr Ishihara came to visit me, was located on the same floor where he had coped with a concoction of emotions during a traumatic and decisive time in his life. I should have known.
In my case, I was hospitalized because I was scheduled to undergo surgery to remove my gallbladder.
Since the previous year, I had had excruciating stomach pain. I went to see my physician, Doctor T, for consultation and medical evaluation. Seeing the results, the doctor told me with a grave look that my liver showed an extremely high r-GTP value, indicating an inflammation. Immediately thereafter, I was required to undergo a thorough examination, which revealed that I had gallstones.
As I was told this, my pain began to make sense. It was caused by gourmet food and fine wines, or overeating and excessive drinking.
But I have not always indulged in fine food and drink. Most of the time when I did so, it was as part of my job. Actually, now I never drink, not even a drop, nor crave for gourmet food, not even a bite.
Doctor T suggested removing not only the gallstones but also the entire gallbladder. However, I pleaded, "Please just break up the gallstones by something like shock waves. It's the current trend now, isn't it? As long as the gallstones are removed, I'll be fine." But Doctor T casually said, "No, your gallbladder must be removed together with the gallstones."
Still, I insisted, "No, no. Just remove the gallstones only. You can destroy and dissolve gallstones using sound waves or something like that, can't you? That would be good enough, wouldn't it?"
The Difference Between Kidney and Gallstones
"No, you're mistaken. That's for kidney stones ー we can't use it for gallstones. When stones develop in the gallbladder, it is the norm to remove the entire gallbladder," he said.
Being a layman, I could do nothing but acquiesce. "Ah, is that so?" That is how I ended up in the hospital to have my gallbladder removed.
Originally, my surgery was scheduled for Toranomon Hospital, with which Doctor T had a close connection. However, I had earnestly requested Doctor T to arrange a private room for me because I lived according to my own, self-centered sleep schedule in those days. As it turned out, just before my scheduled surgery, when the surgeon selected by Dr T had already been decided, he abruptly informed me that he could not promise a private room. According to the rules of Toranomon Hospital, a private room cannot be secured in advance. Only after hospitalization is a private room allotted to a patient.
I was totally at a loss. At the time, I was 55 years old and had never been hospitalized, not a single time. The time that I spent alone at night was invaluable to me. Without limitations, I read books and wrote manuscripts until I got sleepy. When I woke up in the middle of the night, I read some more, lying in bed with the light on. Or when the spirit moved, I rose from my bed and returned to writing manuscripts. That was how I lived.
If I were assigned to a communal hospital room, I figured I would be the cause of trouble for others. Also, I myself didn't like the idea. Therefore, a private room was a non-negotiable option. It was simply unimaginable to consider sharing a hospital room with others.
Keio University Hospital
Toronomon Hospital still wouldn't guarantee that they could arrange a private room for me, which put me in a spot. To start, I postponed the surgery, and then turned to my close friend Mr T for a better option.
Dr T's a friend I've been on good terms with for a long time, and he's well aware of the good and bad aspects of my lifestyle.
Mr T listened sympathetically to my explanation, saying he understood how annoyed I was. Then he told me he would like to introduce Dr M, vouching for his reliability and suggesting that I see him. He was even kind enough to take me to Doctor M's clinic in Nishi-Shinjuku to introduce us. Mr T had been seeing Doctor M for a long time and said that this was the doctor he could turn to when in trouble.
With Mr T as the intermediary, Doctor M readily agreed and lent a careful ear to this high-maintenance person, saying that he understood the situation.
"I got it. Then, I'll introduce you to Keio University Hospital, and I suggest you have surgery there. There are good doctors there, and I'll arrange a private room for you at Keio. So, please rest assured."
The Surgery, Not the Room
As he said so, I relaxed, believing that it would work out well. Getting a little carried away with delight, I pushed my luck and boldly asked, "At Keio University Hospital, there's a room where Yujiro [Ishihara] stayed. I want that room. Would you please arrange it for me?"
"Okay, let me check," Doctor M said, calmly accepting my request. Therefore, I was convinced that I would be able to stay in the room Yujiro had occupied while I recovered from surgery to remove my gallbladder.
However, Dr M let me know soon after that "that room is not available. But they'll be able to arrange a room for you on the floor below Yujiro's. I'd like you to settle for that room," he said. It seemed a shame, but there was nothing I could do. Persuaded, I agreed and asked him to proceed with the arrangements.
Furthermore, as I thought about it, what was important was the surgery, not the room. So, what was there to complain about? The hospital kindly arranged for me to have the room below Yujiro's, which was more than I deserved.
After the date of hospitalization was set, I went to see the room. To my surprise, I found that the bed was long and narrow, and overall quite small.
A King-Sized Controversy
Speaking to Doctor M, who made the arrangements, and Professor K, the director of Keio University Hospital, I told them, "Thank you for everything you've done for me. I really appreciate it, but I'm sorry, I haven't slept on anything other than a king-sized bed, even for a night, for the past 20 years.
"Of course, I occupy the entire bed alone. But I sleep on a king-sized bed, without exception, even when I go abroad or somewhere else in Japan on business.
"That bed is too small, isn't it? I don't think I'll be able to sleep. You may laugh at me complaining about such a trifle, but I'm quite serious. I'm an exceptionally sensitive sleeper, including to the environment in which I sleep. With a bed like this, I can imagine spending the whole night without getting a wink of sleep. So please, kindly arrange a king bed for me."
I pleaded with Doctor K while Doctor M was nearby, looking perplexed.
"No, I'm sorry, we don't have such beds in this hospital," said Professor K with an astonished look on his face. Perhaps he thought my request was totally outrageous. Thinking about it now still makes me feel really ashamed. In the first place, it is usually impossible to talk directly with the director of a big institution such as Keio University Hospital. This was all thanks to Doctor M's introduction.
I beseeched Doctor M, sitting next to me, asking him to "Please help me. Naturally, I'll shoulder all the costs incurred in connection with my request and never cause any trouble to the hospital."
However, Doctor K, sitting in front of me, was firm that it was not impossible. And trying to convince me, Doctor M added, "Mr Ushijima, it can't be done."
What Was I Thinking?
I was desperate, too ー I was 55 and had never even had a broken bone, let alone been hospitalized. The first hospitalization in my life would be an earth-shattering event for me. I've had a cold and run a fever. But, whether for injury or illness, I had never stayed overnight in a hospital.
Recalling the unsettlingly narrow bed that I had just seen, I imagined being carried to it after surgery, and then waking up from anaesthesia. Instantly, I would find myself lying on an unfamiliar narrow bed. Probably, I would not be able to get any sleep all night long, and I would feel overwhelmed with fear. People cannot imagine how sensitive I am to my sleep environment.
Then, suddenly, Doctor M explained, "Mr Ushijima, when a hospitalized patient needs to be transferred, it takes two nurses to lift the patient's body from both sides of the bed. A wide bed would make it too difficult for them to perform that job. Hence, the bed width is decided."
I buckled under, but thought they should have explained that from the beginning. Immediately, I withdrew my request for a king-sized bed.
Later, I heard from Doctor M that Professor K asked him, "Who the hell is that person?"
Being a mere lawyer, I caused much annoyance to the director of the prestigious Keio University Hospital. It was such an ugly scene that I made.
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(To read the book in Japanese, please visit the publisher's website.)
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Author: Shin Ushijima
