Japanese introduced to Chrissiesmeer

A book about Chrissiesmeer, its people and history, written in Japanese – why?

This is the obvious question one asks when meeting the sprightly 64-year-old, ever-smiling Teruyuki Tsujii, a resident of Tokyo, Japan.

Terry, his “Western” name, started a love affair with Chrissiesmeer as a result of a 30-year-old friendship with Prof Ton Sanders , a resident of Chrissiesmeer.

The two first met through correspondence, when Terry, a high school teacher, was studying through correspondence at the University of South Africa where Prof Ton was a lecturer at the time.

Ton retired to Chrissiesmeer after becoming fascinated by the town and has since written three books about its history. Over the years, the friendship continued and when Ton invited Terry to Chrissiesmeer for a visit 14 years ago, the fascination rubbed off on Terry and the proverbial writing was on the wall.

Terry became so interested in the rich history of Lake Chrissie and the role the town played in the Anglo-Boer War that he felt compelled to share the story with his fellow Japanese.

“The Japanese people generally don’t know anything more about South Africa than Johannesburg and Cape Town. There is so much more to South Africa and Chrissiesmeer with its quietness and slow pace of life is just one example. Unlike South Africa, especially the smaller towns, life in Japan life is extremely fast paced. In Chrissie one can relax and find oneself again and recover from the rat race,” Terry explained.

5 000 copies of Terry’s book, titled “Paradise in the World – Chrissiesmeer in South Africa” have been printed and the book is selling extremely well in Japan.

“It has been accepted very well by the Japanese people and their knowledge of South Africa, especially with regard to Chrissiesmeer, has been expanded,” he said.

Another book by Terry, “How to live”, is in the offing and was inspired by life in the quaint town of Chrissiesmeer.

“I want to teach people how to live a more relaxed life. Still work hard and be productive, but learn to relax as well.”

Terry is a man that lives by this philosophy, a fact that became evident during his interview with the Highvelder.

Still smiling, he related how an amount of R20 000 was stolen from his baggage at the OR Tambo Airport shortly after his arrival.

“I had just exchanged Japanese Yen for SA Rand and waited inside the terminal building where I thought it would be safer. When I checked again, the money was gone. This will, however, not make me negative. The smiles and hospitality that I receive and experience from South Africans more than makes up for the loss of the money,” he said.

He will be going back to Japan on Monday.

“But I will be back again soon,” he said.

In the early 1990s, Terry expressed his feelings for Chrissiesmeer on a sandstone pillar at the entrance gate to the Old Jail. The intriguing Japanese characters mean: “To Chrissie, with love.”

Chrissiesmeer and South Africa is indeed honoured to have a friend like Terry.