An Affair to Remember With Japan

About the Book

“Phyllis, this is a spectacular and fascinating memoir. Not only did I learn so much about you, but I learned a tremendous amount about Japanese culture and customs, especially about all the fine details of Japanese domestic life. Your memory, attention to minute yet important and interesting details – especially eating, sleeping, and bathing arrangements – passages about the bombing, and shipboard accounts are riveting. This is a moving, powerful, graceful, and loving tribute to the years you spent in Japan, and more importantly, to your ability to truly make the most of it.”

- Linda Charnes, Professor of English, Indiana University           

About the Author

Phyllis Hillerman Watt was born in 1927 in South Bend, Indiana. She attended Indiana University and then moved to California. In 1951, she signed a two-year contract with the Department of the Army to work in Japan during the Korean War and lived there until 1954. She returned to Japan in 1956 and remained there until 1960. She is a professional artist and has displayed work in art museums throughout Indiana – including Indianapolis, Ft. Wayne, and West Lafayette. She has held memberships in the Hoosier Salon, Indiana Artists Club, and Indiana Heritage Arts. She is also a signature member of the Watercolor Society of Indiana. She loves classical music and has been involved in two productions of the opera “La Bohème” at Indiana University’s School of Music.