--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was the most ordinary thing in the…" description: "\"“It was the most ordinary thing in the world, but it felt like we were doing something illegal, lovers or something, because in Japan dads don't genera..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/ruth-ozeki-2896_hug-kiss_it-was-the-most-ordinary-thing-in-the-wo_2744502.jpg" --- # It was the most ordinary thing in the world, but it felt… ![“It was the most ordinary thing in the world, but it felt like we were doing something illegal, lovers or something, because in Japan dads don't generally hug and kiss their kids. Don't ask me why. They just don't. But we kissed and hugged because we were American, at least in our hearts, and then…” quote by Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/ruth-ozeki-2896_hug-kiss_it-was-the-most-ordinary-thing-in-the-wo_2744502.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/ruth-ozeki-2896_hug-kiss_it-was-the-most-ordinary-thing-in-the-wo_2744502.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/637/ruth-ozeki-2896_hug-kiss_it-was-the-most-ordinary-thing-in-the-wo_2744502.jpg) > ““It was the most ordinary thing in the world, but it felt like we were doing something illegal, lovers or something, because in Japan dads don't generally hug and kiss their kids. Don't ask me why. They just don't. But we kissed and hugged because we were American, at least in our hearts, and then we'd both step away really fast in case anyone was watching.”” [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes a secretive, American‑style affection in Japan, highlighting cultural clash and fear of judgment. **In simple terms:** American affection felt secretive in Japan. Key Takeaway Embrace cultural differences while staying authentic. Themes cultural clash family affection Mood introspective empathetic Type social personal When to use this quote - parenting - cross‑cultural relationships - social anxiety Key Concepts social norms privacy Questions to Reflect On - How do cultural norms shape affection? - What risks arise from hiding affection? A Different Perspective Fear of judgment can suppress natural behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“It was the most ordinary thing in the world, but it felt like we were lovers or something, because in Japan dads don't generally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/it-was-the-most-ordinary-thing-in-the-world-but-it-felt-like-we-were/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) > [“I could feel she was angry with me because of my gawkiness, because of my accent and my oilskin bag, bound with twine. 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I loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldyna-threesya/today-i-had-a-dream-that-you-were-with-me-i-kissed-you-you-kissed-me/) [Aldyna Threesya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldyna-threesya/) > [It isn't cause I do not wana hear your voice. It isn't that I do not wana be with you , or hugg you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b/it-isn-t-cause-i-do-not-wana-hear-your-voice-it-isn-t-that-i-do-not/) B > [Happiness starts with, one word. One joke. One text. One phone call. One song. One hug. One kiss. 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(Great love)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kipyang/sweetly-be-kissed-i-really-miss-every-hug-and-kiss-a-great-love-is/) Kipyang > [Your smile my smile your laugh my laugh your hug my hug your kiss my kiss your dream my dream one day we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria/your-smile-my-smile-your-laugh-my-laugh-your-hug-my-hug-your-kiss-my/) Victoria > [A hug,a kiss,and a call ,are one of the finest and expensive gifts from my heart to someone special like you on this special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-hug-a-kiss-and-a-call-are-one-of-the-finest-and-expensive-gifts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To those of you that still have their dads in their lives, hug them and kiss them and tell them you love them while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/to-those-of-you-that-still-have-their-dads-in-their-lives-hug-them/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [I only want 3 things: See you. Hug you. Kiss you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shruti/i-only-want-3-things-see-you-hug-you-kiss-you/) [Shruti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shruti/) ## More by Ruth Ozeki > [“Time plays tricks on mothers. It teases you with breaks and brief caesuras, only to skip wildly forward, bringing breathtaking changes to your baby's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/time-plays-tricks-on-mothers-it-teases-you-with-breaks-and-brief/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) > [“Everything seemed to grow blacker as I sat there, except for the fireflies whose tiny pulsing lights drew arcs through the dark summer air.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/everything-seemed-to-grow-blacker-as-i-sat-there-except-for-the/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) > [That's what it feels like when I write, like I have this beautiful world in my head, but when I try to remember it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/that-s-what-it-feels-like-when-i-write-like-i-have-this-beautiful/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) > [“Premonitions are coincidences waiting to happen,” he said, without looking up. “I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/premonitions-are-coincidences-waiting-to-happen-he-said-without/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) > [“As someone who has to teach for a living, I shouldn't be saying this, but the planet can do quite well without books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/as-someone-who-has-to-teach-for-a-living-i-shouldn-t-be-saying-this/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) > [Life is fleeting. 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With a novel, you can write the whole thing on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/it-was-really-a-means-of-production-problem-it-costs-so-much-to-make/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) > [My mind is like a gyre, and odd juxtapositions happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/my-mind-is-like-a-gyre-and-odd-juxtapositions-happen/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) > [“Adjunct teachers are the professorial equivalent of the migrant Mexican farm laborers hired during harvest. If you can get a good contract at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/adjunct-teachers-are-the-professorial-equivalent-of-the-migrant/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) > [She missed the built environment of New York City. It was only in an urban landscape, amid straight lines and architecture, that she could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/she-missed-the-built-environment-of-new-york-city-it-was-only-in-an/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) [Explore all 145 Ruth Ozeki quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) ## More Hug Kiss quotes > [I only want 3 things: See you. Hug you. Kiss you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shruti/i-only-want-3-things-see-you-hug-you-kiss-you/) [Shruti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shruti/) > [To those of you that still have their dads in their lives, hug them and kiss them and tell them you love them while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/to-those-of-you-that-still-have-their-dads-in-their-lives-hug-them/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [A hug,a kiss,and a call ,are one of the finest and expensive gifts from my heart to someone special like you on this special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-hug-a-kiss-and-a-call-are-one-of-the-finest-and-expensive-gifts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Your smile my smile your laugh my laugh your hug my hug your kiss my kiss your dream my dream one day we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria/your-smile-my-smile-your-laugh-my-laugh-your-hug-my-hug-your-kiss-my/) Victoria > [“Sweetly be-kissed, I really miss every hug and kiss- A great love is. (Great love)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kipyang/sweetly-be-kissed-i-really-miss-every-hug-and-kiss-a-great-love-is/) Kipyang > [That's a gesture of endearment in some cultures. Some hug, some kiss, some set each other on fire in small patches of woodland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-stroud/that-s-a-gesture-of-endearment-in-some-cultures-some-hug-some-kiss/) [Jonathan Stroud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-stroud/) > [“It was the most ordinary thing in the world, but it felt like we were lovers or something, because in Japan dads don't generally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/it-was-the-most-ordinary-thing-in-the-world-but-it-felt-like-we-were/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) > [Hug them, kiss them and tell them that you love them. Don't miss the chances that life is giving you to spend with people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/click/hug-them-kiss-them-and-tell-them-that-you-love-them-don-t-miss-the/) Click > [We are so young but yet so comited, we say I love you, we hug, kiss, make out like crazy,we promised to keep our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-so-young-but-yet-so-comited-we-say-i-love-you-we-hug-kiss-make/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Happiness starts with, one word. One joke. One text. One phone call. One song. One hug. One kiss. And stops with one mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anmol-andore/happiness-starts-with-one-word-one-joke-one-text-one-phone-call-one/) [Anmol Andore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anmol-andore/) > [It isn't cause I do not wana hear your voice. It isn't that I do not wana be with you , or hugg you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b/it-isn-t-cause-i-do-not-wana-hear-your-voice-it-isn-t-that-i-do-not/) B > [There are times that we fight, we cry, we argue. Those are erased by moments we make up, we hug and we kiss. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-times-that-we-fight-we-cry-we-argue-those-are-erased-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The simple things in life like a smile, a hug, a kiss are priceless treasures. Enjoy the simple things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moores/the-simple-things-in-life-like-a-smile-a-hug-a-kiss-are-priceless/) [Sarah Moores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-moores/) > [You Are The Beat To My Heart. You Are the Bear Of My Hug. You Are the Kiss To My Lips. You Are The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-are-the-beat-to-my-heart-you-are-the-bear-of-my-hug-you-are-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The oddest thing to me has been when people come up to me, and they don't say anything, and they just put their arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-march/the-oddest-thing-to-me-has-been-when-people-come-up-to-me-and-they/) [Chris March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-march/) Browse all 50 Hug Kiss quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It was the most ordinary thing in the world, but it felt like we were doing something illegal, lovers or something, because in Japan dads don't generally hug and kiss their kids. Don't ask me why. They just don't. 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