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I have just returned from a week-long business trip to the US. During the trip, I visited major universities and other institutions on the East and West Coasts. The Democratic National Convention was underway in Chicago, and news of Kamala Harris' nomination as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate was sweeping the country, highlighting the deep division in the country. Looking back, the US has always been amidst such chaos and turned it into energy.

About 40 years ago, I studied in the US. I still clearly remember the elation I felt when I arrived at San Francisco International Airport, got into the car of a friend who came to pick me up, and drove out onto the freeway under the clear blue California sky. At the time, Japan's economy was at its highest post-war peak, and it was in the middle of the period described as "Japan as Number One" by American sociologist Ezra F. Vogel. Even at that time, the sight of the West Coast city where I landed after an eleven-hour flight overwhelmed me as a Japanese visitor.

After about two years of research in the US, when the time to return to Japan was approaching, my then-boss seriously recommended that I move to the US permanently. With additional clinical training, there was an option of obtaining a medical license in the US, and possibly spending a financially privileged life that could not be compared to that of a Japanese doctor. My then-boss, a Japanese national, had obtained his medical license in the US as a young man from Japan, and knew the severity of the competitive society in the country. Therefore, the possible affluent lifestyle was not the reason for his recommendation.

We were both passionate patriots of Japan and concerned about the future of Japan. However, he told me, "I am skeptical that Japan will still survive for the next 100 years, but the US will definitely exist and will continue to be the most powerful and influential country in the world." The choice of what country to live in is critically important for survival. Thus, it was a realistic option for me and my family to take up permanent residence in the US, despite our sincere love for our mother country, Japan. My feelings went back and forth, but after all, given the many people waiting for me and the high potential for a promising future in Japan, there was no way I could make the decision to live in the US permanently, and we had to return home.

Since then, I have visited the US countless times. In each visit, I witness homeless people; feel close to the absurd gun-related crimes and the underlying deep-rooted racism; and observe the double standards in international politics—all of which disappoints me.

However, in the last 30 years, the gap in power between Japan and the US seems to have widened. During the recent trip, I witnessed the eye-opening development of the semiconductor industry in the State of New York, and the unimaginable growth of Silicon Valley on the West Coast. I was overwhelmed by the chaos of this vast country with its diverse ethnic groups, and the magnitude and dynamism of the energy generated from the chaos.

I remain a patriot, but every time I visit the US, my envy of this country only grows. My then-boss's concern about Japan's disappearance has fortunately not come true—at least in the forty years since—and it is unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future. But, how to coexist with this huge, energetic superpower without losing a little sparkle and pride in Japan is one of the biggest concerns for many Japanese, including myself.