What does Irasshaimase (いらっしゃいませ) actually mean?

[3catwoman3]

1. Thank you for this interesting...

...link, yuiyoshida.

40 years ago last month, I arrived in Japan for a 2 year tour of duty at Yokota Air Base. I totally loved my time there, and immersed myself in as much of the culture as I could.

- Traveled everywhere by train.
- Made it to station 8 on Mt. Fuji before being driven back by thunder and lightning. I still have my Fuji stick.
- Went to the palace on the Emperor's birthday.
- Rowed down a river in the middle of cherry blossom season.
- Bought lots of woodblock prints.
- Went to a public bath a few times.
- Went to the ice and snow festival in Sapporo. Slept on a futon - best bed ever!
- Learned to use the trough-in-the-floor toilets - an interesting challenge whether wearing skirts or pants. I was always afraid something would fall in. Thank goodness for handrails.

I met my now-husband there. We were next door neighbors in the BOQ (bachelor officers' quarters) on base. We've been married 36 years.

When I got back to the US, it took me weeks, if not months, to stop bowing to people when concluding a transaction at a store.

To this day, if we go to a Japanese restaurant, the "Irasshaimase" welcome and the earthy aroma of a bow of miso soup have an instant soothing effect on me.

I would love to go back some day.