Tokyo Dreaming Quotes

“A heart divided cannot stand.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“It’s the climb that makes you appreciate the view.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“It's late, and my phone is in hand, note page open. I blink and see my father kneeling before my mother. People bowed to him, but he never asked me to.
I chew my lip and tap out a poem. For her. For him. For me.

I will keep you safe
gather around you like a
shield, like a barn in
a storm, like the fire around
the sun, let me shelter you.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“There is also a waka poem Akio penned for me:


Now I understand
It is all so clear to me
August wind, rain, sleet
I stopped believing in love
Until I saw the leaves fall


Poetry is kind of our thing. Originally, we were mortal enemies. Akio drove me nuts with his schedules, his overall gothic-novel vibe, and his eight inches of height over me. But now, our couple dynamic is fun-loving princess and gruff former bodyguard turned promising pilot who only shows his soft side to those closest to him. It really works for me.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“Just remember when you're asking what Japan wants from you, make sure you ask what you want from yourself, too. Don't bury who you are to become who others think you should be.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“Me
I've been trying to do the right thing for everyone but myself. But I think I've figured it out now. I'm going to stop trying to please everyone.


Noora
Yesss!


Me
Get ready for Izumi 2.0. I'm totally evolving.


Noora
What do you think your final form will be?


Me
IDK, probably something winged and glittery.


Then I add,


Me
I'm going to keep the clothes, though.


Noora
I feel like that's a given.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“Are you done fighting for me?" Humiliation inches up my spine; it bleeds through me at Akio's silence.
At last, he opens his mouth and speaks. "Never. I'll never be done fighting for you. How can I? I love you, and you fight for the things you love.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“How could I have expected to stay in your golden orbit forever? I should have known. We’ve been playing a losing game the whole time.”
― Emiko Jean , Tokyo Dreaming

“That night, it's my turn to choose dinner. I know exactly what I want---McDonald's. French fries and Bai Big Macs are plated and served on priceless china inlaid with golden chrysanthemums. Melon soda and chocolate shakes are dumped into crystal goblets. The whole palace smells like fried food.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“He’s Christmas morning; a day at the beach; the first time I glimpsed Tamagotchi. Joy, joy, and more joy. A smile in the face of harsh realities.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“Gaman is one of those special words in Japanese that doesn’t have an English equivalent. It is the art of perseverance through tough times. It is a part of duty. A sign of growing up. Maturity.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“I will keep you safe gather around you like a shield, like a barn in a storm, like the fire around the sun, let me shelter you.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“It's true that I was an average, maybe below-average, student. But is there something I am unaware of? Do you really have to abide by a set of certain rules? Do you really have to be special to be loved?”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“I'm like an empty book. No one is interested in reading a blank page.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“We used to hide in
forests of green ribbons,
waiting to be found, now
we seek open spaces to
fill with our voices. See us.
See me. SEE. ME. Here I am.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“Eriku is a free verse. Passion, energy, and rhythm. But Akio... Akio is waka, carefully composed, controlled, polished, and elegant. There is something timeless about him. Everything would be---and was---so easy with Eriku. But he doesn't challenge me enough. Not like Akio does. Love is so many things. And for me, it's a push and a pull.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“I see you shrinking smaller and smaller. Giving
your time, your smiles, your
enegry. Yet, it is not
enough. They'll have your bones, too.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“It's a shame your mother didn't opt for something more extravagant," Akiko says, examining her nails.
"When you get married, please make sure there are at least some guests to see our dresses. This is a waste of Oscar de la Renta," Noriko adds, glancing down meaningfully.
"Thank you," I say sincerely. "For all you did for us. For my mom. For me." I regard them intently, liquid gathering in my eyes.
"It's not a big deal," Akiko says with a sniff, clearly uncomfortable.
Human emotions. So messy.
"Um," Noriko says to Akiko. "I think she's going to try to hug us."
Before they can object, I wrap them up in my arms, embracing them both. Akiko pats my back awkwardly, and Noriko is stiff. "I love you," I say, releasing them. "And I know you love me, too.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“... What happened to my promise to take your sorrows and buy them deep?... I saw your call. I didn't answer. Foolish me. I thought it is better to be lonely than to be insecure.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“You can wear a variety of clothing. But you should have one designer you favor. I suggest Amano."
"Ooh," Noriko hums. "I love him."
Ichiko taps out something on her tablet and hands me photographs of his latest runway show. "I see it now. You are a small-town girl who supports the local artist. An up-and-comer like you. That's your brand." She winks at me. "Amano's pieces are flattering with a nod to classical elements, but with a certain modern flair."
Women strut down a white runway. One wears a black silk furisode with flowing kimono sleeves and a lotus flower motif. Another sports a red evening gown with a matching capelet. Another, a turquoise fitted dress with a square neckline and beaded belt. All so pretty. I like.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“Eriku opens the door. Momo-chan drops from the car and lumbers forward. And oh my God, she is so cute I could die. Tamagotchi breaks from the leash and rushes toward her. I close my eyes. I should have put the imperial vet on standby. But then... it's quiet. I pop open an eye, then the other, ready to see carnage. Tamagotchi has rolled onto his back, and Momo-chan is sniffing his belly. Her thick tongue darts out, and she licks him. Licks him. Tamagotchi shudders, his body convulsing in what I can only describe as pure ecstasy.
"Well, now I've seen it all," Reina says, then wanders off.
Eriku smiles. "I think they like each other."
What an understatement. Momo-chan collapses onto the ground, and Tamagotchi curls up next to her.
"I have mentally and emotionally subscribed to Momo-chan's fan club," I say, walking toward the dogs.
Momo-chan rolls to her side. Tamagotchi adjusts too, lying in between her legs, his back curved against her belly. Just so many wishes fulfilled in one magical moment. I always thought I was a one dog kind of woman, but Tamagotchi and Momo-chan----sign me the eff up.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“I slip a piece of ramune candy from my dress into my mouth, letting it melt on my tongue. Sweets are a part of my fundamental essence. That and skirts with pockets. Observe how I've married the two.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“When news of our relationship broke, it was all over tabloids, how Akio wasn't good enough for a princess, how he had betrayed his family lineage, spurning his role as an imperial guard to join the Air Self-Defense Force and enter Officer Candidate School. He was painted as a shameless opportunist. But I thought the tabloids were past that. That Tokyo was past it. There is even Akio and Izumi fan fiction. Mariko reads it, but I don't. Well, maybe I've scanned the one where he is a werewolf and we live together in a magical forest full of fairies and talking toads.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“Are you really okay with the Shining Twins mentoring you?" she asks.
She means Akiko and Noriko. I told her the nickname a while ago. She'd never seen the movie. We watched it together in Japanese, which was somehow even more terrifying. She had to sleep with a night-light on for a month. I'm not sure she's forgiven me yet.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“His laptop makes a strange wheezing noise, and the screen appears with a picture of a Saint Bernard. It's a close-up of the dog's droopy face, a thin line of drool hanging from its left jowl. "That's Momo-chan," he says. Momo means peach in Japanese. "She is the love of my life."
I swivel my laptop toward him, showing him my screen. It's a photograph of Tamagotchi. His teeth are bared, and the picture is a little dark---flashing lights give him seizures. "Tamagotchi. The love of my life.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“This need for me to settle somewhere, on something. To make some choices about my life. What is the life I've dreamed of? Growing up in America, when I was younger, I didn't see many kids who looked like me in books, in video games, on television. What I did see were stereotypes---good at math, studying, working hard. Narrow versions of myself. Now, my world has expanded. I can have things at the touch of my fingertips. But there are still rules to abide by. Princess rules. What I can do and can't. Like my major. I may choose it but within certain parameters. Does life always come with constraints? Is that part of growing up?”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“So, where are we going?"
Eriku then turns onto the highway, one hand on the wheel, the other shifting gears. "I actually put a lot of thought into it. It was hard to decide on a place where we'd have maximum exposure but also enjoy ourselves. Somewhere the public can take us in, yet there's a lot of crowd control."
We pass a billboard with a castle and a princess dressed in an ice-blue gown. I shift in my seat. No. Way. "Are we going to Tokyo Disney?"
He smiles. "Life is a song, princess. Let's go make some fake-dating music.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“Forget Mount Shasta, my hometown, where the Rainbow Gatherers converge June through August to bask naked in the sun, live communally, and wear flowers in their hair. This year the summer of love is in Tokyo.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“will keep you safe gather around you like a shield, like a barn in a storm, like the fire around the sun, let me shelter you.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming

“In that case, maybe I will immortalize myself in one-eighth scale."
Months ago, I toured a startup specializing in personal clones. For 108,000 yen, roughly one thousand dollars, a clerk will create a 3D model of your head, then print it and attach it to the body of a doll. I'd teased Akio with a pocket-sized Izumi. He'd been appropriately horrified.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Dreaming