Armed with an 11-year-old boy with a Yamaka I went to fight in the Japanese bureaucracy.

Many years ago I traveled in Colombia and met a guy who told me his life story, and they weren’t a easy one . Prison time there, arrested there and eventually he ended up in jail in Japan, he told me it was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through. 

One day he felt he couldn’t be there anymore, he’s going to freak out! A Chabad guy came and visited him and bargain him books in Hebrew. He told me that this little visit gave him enormous powers to survive prison.

Ever since I heard this story I knew I had to visit a prisoner in Japan.

Armed with an 11-year-old boy with a Yamaka I went to fight in the Japanese bureaucracy.

The Japanese don’t really give to visit prisoners in jail unless it’s family, lawyer or a religion man.

I requested the help of Rabbi Benjamin of Chabad House in Tokyo, luckily he was glad to help me

He took my passport, send documents and filed a request to allow me to visit in prison

After the forms have been received, he asked his 11 yeas old sun to go with me and talk for me because they don’t speak English and needless to say I don’t understand a word in Japanese.

We have arrived at the jail and the little boy who had a lot of motivation to allow me to visit the prisoner spoke, explaining, argue show documents, all in Japanese. 

After discussions, explanations, submit forms and some phones are allowed to visit the prisoner as “Rabbi Peleg”

The prisoner is 66 years old , with Israeli and u.s. citizenship. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. 

The man could be my father and grandfather of many of you. The conditions in prison are terrible and difficult in the Japanese prison, specially for strangers.

When he saw me a big smile came on his face even though he really didn’t know me, I just think he was happy to speak English and that someone comes to visit him.

He’s got a family and kids in Holland but in Japan he is alone.

There are not many things I can do for him, I brought him books in English and a donation from Modani.com so he could buy fruit and stamps to mail people because it’s his only way to communicate with the world!

When I left he thanked me from the bottom of his heart it was easy to see that his spirit refinement. 

So if you are in India, Thailand, Colombia, United States, Germany or Panama and have a few free hours and need to do something good, go visit a prisoner in jail it will make a big different for him. 

Shabbat Shalom.

 Lonely Peleg &Modani- diary of a nomad.