Requesting help to find a long lost old pen pal in Japan, thank you.

[Yian_Chiang]

Hello! Any help is greatly appreciated! Long, long, very long ago before the arrival of the Internet and e-mail communications or instant social media connections (this was way back in 1988 when I was only 12 years old by the way, in 8th grade), I had signed up to be a pen pal to fellow Japanese students in Japan. I do happily recall writing dozens of letters (and receiving letters also, via snail "air mail" only, no Face Book or Instagram nor anything like that back then) to 4 seperate pen pals for a few years, and gradually lost touch (sadly), as life happens. However, fast forward 30 years later, I was hoping if there was any way (hopefully in this modern age?) to find old pen pals from Japan? Regrettably, I do not have any saved letters after all these years, and spent many years looking through my belongings to no avail, to have their addresses handy to write to them again to say hello! Ironically, after numerous attempts to dig deep in my memory, I was able to recall their names. Can I give out their names in this forum in hopes they or someone might recognize my name (or someone would recognize their names?). I will wait for a yes or a now from the Administrator or experienced members first. But for now, my information is: Chiu Yian Chiang, attended Kranz Intermediate School (class of 1988), in El Monte, California, United States. Thank you very much for any help or guidance!

 

[Toritoribe]

You can post their names here, but it's nearly impossible to identify them without any other information such like their addresses (actually, it's often hard to find those people even with their kanji names and full detailed addresses).

 

[Mike Cash]

If you remember the name of the organization through which you meet them and the organization still exists, you might try contacting them and seeing if they have any records which might help.

Or you could just try finding some new penpals and enjoy the experience all over again.

 

[Yian_Chiang]

Thank you so much, both to Toritoribe and Mike Cash, for the assistance. I will try to research which organization from my old middle school from which possibly the pen pals / pen friends connections were initiated some 30 years ago, though the odds may be slim, since websites (at least for this specific matter) were not yet around. as for the names of my old pen pals, if anyone may know them (or by chance, they themselves have stumbled upon this forum, that would be wonderful,), do let them know an old pen pal from the United States (from El Monte, CA) just wants to say hello again! Their names are (First name, then Last name) Motoko Ogishi, Ritsuko Nagai, Kanako Nomura, and Kana Maruyama. Arai City and Kanagawa and Chiba or Chibu seems to be fragments of the Japanese address components that stick out in my mind, but my memory is really bad, as it’s been 30 years ago. Thank you so much again, everyone, and have a great day!

 

[Toritoribe]

Unfortunately, there would be nearly no chance that they see this forum. Actually, native Japanese speakers are just a few here (I'd say less than 5 now).
If you don't know their kanji names, the possibility to find them is low, quite low. There was only one Arai city in Niigata prefecture. Kanagawa is a prefecture or ward in Yokahama city, and Chiba is either a prefecture or city.

 

[Yian_Chiang]

I understand. Thanks so much for the help, though!