They introduced me to Mr. Bar Ba Ali. He is Bangladeshi, and his wife is a Japanese woman. They told him that I am from Tokyo. He started speaking in Japanese, so the two of us spoke in Japanese. He said with a smile, and I got to know a little about him. Interesting.
He arrived in Tokyo, Japan a year earlier than me in 1986. He studied at Shinjuku Japanese School and worked part-time at the American company Windy’s first kitchen in Shibuya. Mika Kimura also works part-time at his job. Kimura Mika is a native of Ibaraki ken, Iwai Shi., Bando. She studied at Shibuya-Ku, Aoyama Gakuen University, which is a Christian missionary school open from elementary to university. The two of them became friends while working together.
Ali’s regular job was lost when Windy’s shop reduced the number of foreigners working there. One day, Ali was coming from Shibuya Station when he heard his name being called from the other side, and he turned to see Kimura-san. They were talking well as they were riding the train together, and Kimura-san missed the station where he had to get off. Kimura-san is in a Christian school and is interested in Christianity, while Ali is a Muslim. Ali explained that Christ is accepted as one of the 25 Prophets sent by Allah, but the statement of the last Prophet Muhammad is more complete. He further explained that the Bible should not be violated, but the final Quran is more complete and accepted. While the two were talking, Kimura-san missed the station to get off, but Ali was there.
The train arrived at Shin-maruko Station near Kanagawa ken, Yokohama Station. They didn’t stop talking, and Ali invited Kimura-san to his home. He said he would cook and serve food from his work. Kimura-san also followed. Ali lived alone, and Kimura-san soon came to Ali’s house after becoming more friendly. Ali’s nickname is “Bar Bu,” and Kimura-san calls him by the nickname “Babu Chan.”
Finally, when they discussed the matter of getting married, Kimura-san believed in Islam. Therefore, in 1987, at the Japan Islamic Center in Yoyogi-Uehara, Kimura-san accepted the Imam, and they got married. Kimura-san was 21 years old, and Ali was 27 years old. Kimura-san continued her studies, and Ali changed to a Marriage Visa and worked hard.
After the wedding, they stayed at her parents’ home in Ibaraki. They lived upstairs, while her father, mother, and younger brother stayed downstairs. Later, the younger brother married a Filipino girl and moved out. The father passed away, and the 85-year-old mother is now the only one left. Even though her mother says she doesn’t want to, Ali is still sending money from Australia.
Kimura-san worked after school but later went to Cairo to study Arabic. Afterwards, she returned and left for Sydney, Australia in 1994. Ali worked at the Nikko Hotel Restaurant in Sydney. He obtained a PR Visa in Australia and later quit his job to open his own restaurant. He was able to buy a home and a car, and he was successful in business. Kimura-san studied Islam and wanted her children to be Hafiz of the Qur’an.
They have six sons and three daughters. All the children were given the mother’s Japanese family name “Kimura.” The five eldest have graduated as Hafiz. Of the four younger children, two are Hafiz, and the two youngest are still attending Arling School. Both mother and father only spoke Japanese at home, and all nine children can speak Japanese. They hold two passports, Japan and Australia.
The eldest son and the middle son were born in Japan, while the other seven were born in Australia.
Kimura Ibrahim, the eldest son, is married to a Moroccan girl, and the middle son is married to a Turkish girl. The daughter is married to Albanian Hafiz Malawi, and she follows her husband. The second son’s family lives in another house. He is from a large family who has already built a backyard in the house they bought in Fawkner. His eldest son’s family stays in the back house, while he lives with the children in the front house. His wife Kimura-san passed away in 2020, and now Ali has four grandchildren.
Kimura-san was able to try to convert her parents and her brother to Islam. Now they have a large house and yard in Japan. If the two younger sons graduate as mawlawi, they will bring them to Japan and establish a Musalla and open a halal food shop.
Ali can’t work now, so he cooks and takes care of the children.
Ali receives A$1500 every two weeks from the Aussie government for the kids and A$700 every two weeks for himself.
On Saturday night, April 29, 2023, he invited us to his house for dinner. It was me, Ko Shafee Bai, Indonesian Mawlana Sprudin, and his three young Indonesians. He invited everyone to come and called it “Barakad.” So we went in two cars. When we arrived at his home, I was surprised.
He served Japanese food: sushi, Tori karaage (chicken over), haron maki (over roll), and yaki udon (fried noodles). There was Japanese shoyu (soy sauce) and wasabi (spicy). There was so much food that we couldn’t even finish it.
I brought takeout for Ko Myint Htwe’s wife, Ma Khin Kyi, when she returned to Japan.
Oh, I am lucky. Ali’s food is delicious and flavorful. He is a good Japanese chef.
May Ali and his family be healthy and happy.
“Kimura,” may good fortune be fulfilled for the whole family.
May Allah bless them.
Comments