A Japanese Education

When I came back to the bedroom, Mom was checking out her phone. I hesitated.

"Mom, I..."

"What time are we leaving tomorrow, by the way?"

I looked at her, taken aback. She smiled at me, innocently. I tried to gather my thoughts. "Um, we have a train just before seven at Shinagawa, and it takes about thirty minutes to get there, so I guess... to be on the safe side, we'd have to leave around a quarter past six, something like that."

Mom chuckled. "That's gonna hurt..."

"Well, you'll probably be able to sleep in the Shinkansen. You know, it's the bullet train, which means it's going to be a two-hour trip, and there's a Starbucks right in front of the train station in Kyoto. We'll make a stop there before we start any touring. That should ease the pain."

"Hm, okay... but still, I think I'm going to call it an early night. And so should you, your day must have been exhausting. I imagine you'll sleep like a baby tonight." She winked at me, and I blushed. But as I didn't want to face an embarrassing conversation, I didn't add anything, and just got ready for bed. I fell asleep right away.

*****

Tokyo is a great city, but for sheer touristic appeal, it's tough to beat Kyoto. Kyoto is the place where are gathered all the things that constitute our romanticized image of Japan: beautiful temples, zen gardens, fleeting apparitions of the elusive geishas, and a sense of quiet history still breathing around the corner. That's why I had organized a two-day trip there for Mom and me. There were a lot of things she could manage on her own in Tokyo, but any trip outside the capital became something of a challenge for someone who couldn't speak the language.

Getting started at six on Saturday was tough, but as I had expected, we dozed through most of the train ride. It took a long stop for some breakfast (and a hearty dose of caffeine) at Starbucks to get us somewhat functional. Two days was a short time to visit Kyoto, but I had some experience with the tour (thanks to two previous trips there with friends) and I knew how to make the best of it, using the tight network of buses that crisscrossed the city. We had a busy day ahead of us, but we managed to hit all of the major spots of the Western part, ending with the Silver Pavilion and the Philosopher's Path. In the evening, we strolled through the quiet alleys of Gion, the old quarter, but avoided the overpriced restaurants you could find there. Instead, we opted for one of the animated izakayas that lined Pontocho, on the other side of the river. We got a small table in the corner of the main room, which was occupied by a large group of very loud Japanese. Mom seemed delighted.

"So what kind of place is this again?"

I smiled. "It's an izakaya. Historically, those were sake bars, but they also offered things to eat while you drank. And little by little, it's become a special kind of restaurant where you can order plenty of different dishes. You drink, and you share. It's kind of a staple of Japanese parties, in fact."

Mom looked at the noisy group and smiled. "Yeah, seems that way."

A guy from the group noticed us looking, and I took the opportunity to ask him a question. I turned back to Mom. "It's what I thought -- this is a wedding party."

"A wedding party? here?"

I nodded. "Yeah, wedding parties are usually very formal affairs. Basically, you have to invite all the friends and colleagues of your parents along with yours, so you often end up with more than a hundred people. And then people make speeches, and the bride and groom make the rounds, and it lasts for hours. So once you're done with the boring part, you get rid of the fancy clothes, you gather your closest friends, and you head out to an izakaya for a real night of partying. And voila." I opened my arms, indicating our neighbors.

Mom smiled. "Oh, good. I somehow had this image of Japanese people always being kind of uptight and super polite..."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? Come on, we've been to Shibuya, remember?"

"Sure, but you said it was something of a special place."

"Well, I guess that's something that's common to a lot of Japanese people. They do have their crazy, human moments. And that's what I like about them."

Mom nodded, taking in the animated panorama surrounding us. "Yes, it's nice." She looked around a little more then turned to me, whispering: "Did you notice we're the only Westerners here?"

I smiled. "Yeah, that happens quite often here. In fact, the largest foreign populations in Japan are Koreans and Chinese, so they don't really stand out, you know? At least, not as obviously as we stand out in a crowd. But don't go thinking the people around you don't understand what you say, or you're going to be in for a surprise."

"Really? How so?"

"Well, there are those stories of guys acting like nobody on the subway can understand them, you know? And they start making some kind of rude remark about a pretty girl, and suddenly they get a rebuke in perfect English from said pretty girl. I don't know how much of it is urban legend, but there's certainly some truth to it. I've heard similar stories from French friends, and French is nowhere near as commonly studied here as English. "

Mom giggled. "Oh, I can see how that would be embarrassing. Okay, I get your point and I'll be careful as to what I say. Not that it'd be easy for anyone to eavesdrop on us in this noise."

I winced as a girl two tables from ours squeaked in one of those high-pitched voices. "I think you're right. Damn, I think I just punctured an eardrum."

She smiled, and looking at me, put on a serious face. "So I'm curious."

I smiled, preparing myself for another question regarding Japanese culture. "Okay..."

"Do you always cum that much? Because yesterday was sure very impressive..."

I think my heart must have stopped for a second or two. Then I blushed bright red and looked down at my plate, trying to gather my wits. Mom asked worriedly: "Hey baby, you okay?"

I swallowed and looked back up. "Yeah, I... I certainly wasn't expecting that kind of question."

Mom smiled. "I'm full of surprises."

I shook my head. "You sure are."

"So?"

"So?"

"Do you?"

"Mom, this is embarrassing..." She raised an eyebrow, a sure sign she wouldn't let the subject rest until she'd get her answer. I took a deep breath, and continued. "Um... okay, well, I guess it was a little more copious than usual. It had been a long time since I last... well, you know, and..."

She giggled. "I see. For a moment there, I thought you were reenacting one of the scenes from the manga. Like, 'Oh my God, there's so much of it...'."

"Well, know that none of all that's happened was done on purpose."

She chuckled. "It just came to you, right?"

"Ha ha. Very funny, Mom. Now, could we maybe talk about something else? Please?"

"Sure, sure. (she smiled) What about..."

But before she could finish her question, the guy I had asked about the party earlier stopped by our table, and explained they were having a toast for the newlyweds, and they wanted us to join. And of course, that next round was on them. We accepted, and very soon there was a lot of yelling and laughing and drinking.

By the second toast we decided to call it a night. We had already drunk a little more than what was reasonable, and while our friendly neighbors seemed to have plenty of partying left in them for the evening, we knew the next day would be another busy one for us. So we left after yet another round of congratulations, and walked to our hotel in the cool night. The hotel wasn't too far, in the direction of the train station. I had phoned in advance to confirm we would be there, and upon our arrival we got the keys to our room right away. It was a traditional Japanese place, with small rooms, tatamis, futons, and a set of showers and toilets on the same floor at the end of the corridor. As usual in such places, it was kept immaculately clean, and also yet pleasantly quaint. The neon lights above certainly played a part in giving this impression, but the TV set was definitely an antique, equipped with a coin-operated timer -- something I had never seen before, which surprised and tickled Mom to no end. There were two individual futons on the floor, side by side, and the standard set of yukata and belt on top of each of them.

We took turns going down to the restrooms and getting ready for bed. I switched the overhead lights to the dimmest setting, waiting for Mom to come back, and snuggled down under the thick cover. I heard her come in, lock the outside door to our room, then slide closed the second door that led to the room. She got into her futon, and giggled softly.

"What's funny, Mom?"

"It feels like some school trip, you know?"

I smiled. "Hm-hm."

"Are you sleepy?"

"Not really."

She giggled again. "Me neither."

"We probably drank too much."

"Probably."

"That's not very sensible."

"Definitely not. But then again, I'm done being sensible. Sensible is bo-ring."

I chuckled. Then I heard her move, and suddenly the cover on my feet was lifted and...

"Mom! What are you doing?"

"Shhh! Or we're going to get caught..." She giggled again.

I lifted the cover and looked down my chest... Mom was lying between my legs, looking at me with a mischievous look on her face. I couldn't help but notice how her breasts where squashed together in the yukata, showing a lot of cleavage. I shook my head. "What is this?"

She giggled. "I thought of that story, you know? From the manga... where they go on that kinda tour, and one of the girls creeps in the guys' room during the night... got me wanting to see how it was."

I hesitated. "O-kay..."

She pulled the cover down, but didn't move from where she was.

"For sure, they never said it would be so hot and stuffy under here."

I chuckled: "Yeah, remember they don't seem to dwell on that kind of realistic detail much..."

She seemed pensive: "I don't remember, though. In that story, was the girl the guy's mother? I'm a little confused with that."

"Um, I'm not sure..."

"Do you think that's something that a Japanese mother would do?"

She was looking at me with innocent eyes, but her smile was anything but. I felt myself tense, and she continued. "They have such high standards, those Japanese mothers, I sometimes really feel inadequate... (she shook her head) Honestly, baby, do you think I'm a good mother?"

My mouth felt dry. "Um, yes, Mom..."

"Are you sure, baby?"

I looked her in the eyes, and I nodded. "Absolutely sure, Mom..."

I took a deep breath. And slowly, very slowly, I pushed the waistband of my boxers down, unveiling my hard cock. She let out a moan. "Oh baby..." Her eyes were bright, covering me with lust and desire. My heart was beating like a drum in my chest. I took a deep breath, slid my hand down and gave my cock a long stroke. She was watching me intently. "Baby, this is beautiful..." I stroked it again, and pushed it down a little, towards her face. Mom moved. "Here, baby, let me take care of that...", she purred.

She took it in her hand, softly, and kissed the shaft at the base. Then, she moved upwards, nibbling, until she reached the top. She put her lips against the swollen head, and I felt her tongue flicking against the tip. And then, she engulfed me whole, and it was Heaven. Her mouth was ravenous around me, her moans echoing mine, and at some point her breasts must have been freed from the minimal confines of her yukata, as I felt them naked and pressing deliciously against my thighs. There was no way for me to resist all this stimulus for long, and I wanted to warn her, trying to slow her rhythm with my hand on her shoulder. But she moaned forcibly in response, as she seemed to increase her rhythm, determined to push me over the edge, when she lifted her eyes to look intently into mine. When I suddenly exploded all over her tongue, I felt her tense, and then all I could feel was her hand and her mouth milking me, asking for more. I had to stop her when it became unbearable, and she finally accepted letting my cock out, with a contented sigh.

I tried to catch my breath, and she moved up to lay alongside me. She was entirely naked, her generous breasts cascading against my arm. I looked at her, a little worried. "Mom..."

"Yes baby?"

"Are you... are you okay?"

"Never been better." She smiled and stretched like a very luscious cat. "What about you, baby?"

"I... I'm okay, I think."

She pouted. "Only okay? You're hurting my feelings -- I thought I was better than that."

I blushed. "Mom, that's not what I meant..."

"I know, silly..." she said with a giggle as she cuddled up against me. We lay that way for a long silent moment. And then I drifted away to sleep.

*****

When I woke up, there was a single ray of sunlight streaming from the window. Mom was still sleeping, naked next to me. In the soft glow I looked at her for a long time, transfixed by her beauty -- the serene loveliness of her face, the elegant sweep of her neck, and then my eyes lingered on her luscious breasts. The sheer sensuality of those generous curves was nearly overwhelming. Obviously, this wasn't the first time I was seeing Mom undressed since she'd arrived in Japan, but this was undeniably different. It wasn't the nudity of bathing and changing in close quarters, or even the silly flirtatious stuff Mom had been doing lately. Now there was no denying I was lusting after her -- and yet, the events of the previous night seemed like something out of a dream.

I stood up carefully, trying not to disturb her. I was still wearing the yukata, but the belt had come undone and it wasn't covering much -- and certainly not my morning erection. The sight of my hard cock, juxtaposed with the soft contours of my naked mother was so erotic it brought to my mind this sudden flash: what if I was to rub the head against her half-open lips, what if I pressed just a little, would she... would she wake up and meet me with a welcoming "kiss"?

I took a deep breath and tried to shake loose the cobwebs in my head. We drank more than reasonable the previous night, that was for sure. That certainly accounted for what had happened and... What we had done was wrong, and I was pretty sure Mom would agree with me on that. I readjusted the yukata, picked up my clothes, and without a sound, slipped from the room to take a shower.

Contrary to myself, Mom had never been a morning person -- I must have gotten that from my father's side. She had trouble waking up, let alone early, and when she finally did, she spent an inordinately long time getting ready, so much that she often ended up being late. After getting dressed, I checked the time and decided I'd let her sleep some more. So I got my tablet from my bag, and sitting in the little entrance to our room, I put on the headphones and watched an episode from a TV show. I waited until nine before I eventually went back in and pulled the curtains to let the sun in. Mom protested and pulled the covers over her head, but I insisted.

"Wake up, sleepy head... we've got some visiting to do today."

"Hmpfmmm..."

"Mom, come on. It's nine already. And checkout is at ten, remember?"

Her head popped out. "Ten? Isn't there a law against that? I was having the best of dreams..."

I shook my head, smiling. She frowned, noticing me for the first time. "How long have you been up already?"

"Hm, hour, hour and a half, I think. I already took a shower."

"This is not the way I raised you, where did I go wrong?"

"Mom, if you don't step out of the bed right now, I'm going to have to pull the cover off, okay?"

"And now threats... who are you, you demon?"

I smiled. "Mom, I'm serious... and we'll go get coffee and a nice breakfast afterwards."

"You promise?"

"Of course."

"Okay."

Reluctantly, she stood and then seemed to realize she was naked. "Where did my yukata go?" she puzzled. "Oh yeah, here it is... must have been a crazy night." She put it on, and with her hair unruly around her head and her little overnight case in hand she absentmindedly walked past me heading to the shower... I shook my head, smiling at the familiarity of the scene, and started to pack our things up.

A shower and coffee can work miracles. By the time we finished breakfast Mom was wide awake, looking radiant, and ready to start our second day in Kyoto. My little schedule had us going to some of the most iconic locations in the city, from the Golden Pavilion to the famous zen garden of the Ryoanji to the Nijo castle with its famous 'nightingale floors'. The weather was nice, though it became a little hot in the afternoon. We had made good time so far, and we took the luxury of visiting one last major temple close to the station, after we bought some ice-cream for the walk to the train. Mom started to eat it lasciviously, making little purring noises, earning some surprised looks from passers-by. I rolled my eyes.

"Mom... what are you doing? Could you behave a little, please?"

She smiled, whipped cream on her lips. "Hmmm... I love ice-cream. Besides, I didn't hear any complaints last night about my... mis-behaving."

I stopped in my tracks. "Wh- what?"

She looked at me with wide, innocent eyes, nibbling at her cone. I blushed furiously, she smiled again. "You heard me perfectly well, baby."

I looked around, suddenly feeling very much exposed. Mom chuckled. "Don't worry, no one's paying any attention to us. (she grabbed my arm and encouraged me to walk again) Relax, baby. There's only us, there's no need to freak out."

I swallowed. "I... I wasn't sure you would remember it. I mean, we both had a few glasses too many last night, and..."

"And you thought you had taken advantage of my inebriated condition?"

I hesitated. "Something like that... I don't know, really."

Mom smiled. "Didn't it occur to you that it might have been the opposite? That I was the one who had taken advantage of you being drunk?"

I looked at her and frowned. "That seems unlikely, considering what you... what happened, I mean."

"Oh, not at all. I certainly wanted it -- and you were so hard and yummy...", she nearly moaned.

"Mom!"

She giggled. "Sorry baby, I tend to get very enthusiastic about certain things, and sometimes I get carried away.". She skipped a little, and continued. "But I'm feeling so great today! I'm so happy, happy to be here with you. Coming to Japan was the best idea I had. Fuck you, James! Fuck you!" She laughed, earning again some stares.

Her good mood was contagious, and I couldn't help but smile. "So you don't think it was wrong to..."

She cut me off. "Oh, I sure do. What we did was wrong, is very wrong. But I'm done following those stuck-up rules, and denying myself. This is naughty, but it is fun, and I wanted it so much. (she smiled) And besides, I only want to be a good mother, and this is how Japanese mothers behave here. When in Rome..."

I shook my head, unbelieving. "But Mom, I told you the stuff in those mangas wasn't..."

"Shhh. I don't really care. When I just got here, you told me how being a foreigner in Japan allowed you to behave however you wanted, because Japanese people generally assumed that foreigners behaved strangely, right?"

"Hm-hm."

"So this is how I want to be. I want to take care of you, baby, and be the very best mother for you I can. (she kissed me on the cheek) What time was our train again? Shouldn't we hurry?"

My head still spinning with what she had just said, I checked my watch -- and gasped. Our departure was less than fifteen minutes away, and even though we were just in front of the station, I knew there was a long way to our platform. I grabbed Mom's hand and we started to run.