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Memorable meeting with Milch family

2005-06-30

 Japanese minister visits area

By Kathleen G. Sutcliffe
(Staff Writer)

Highland Park: Thirty-five years ago, the Milch family opened their Highland Park home to a young college student from Japan.
Nobutaka Machimura, the former exchange student, returned yesterday for a visit-along with his wife, daughter and a four-limousine entourage.
Machimura, who spent a summer with Ruth and Robert Milch and their four children before attending Wesleyan University, is Japan's minister of foreign affairs.
Machimura, how is also a member of Japan's House of Representatives and
served as minister of education, has stayed in contact with the family through the years, and the Milches have paid close attention to their former guest's ascent through Japan's political ranks.
"We have a lot of pride in him," Milch said. "He's been a loyalvisitor."
Ruth Milch, who calls Machimura 'Nobu' for short, said she and her husband sensed his potential early on.
"He's a great guy. He was always very smart," Ruth Milch said. "M husband always felt he was special."
Ruth Milch confessed to a certain amount of parental pride at Machimura's accomplishments and said she attended a speech Machimura gave Friday at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
"He was talking about peace in Asia,"		 Milch said. "It was a wonderful speech."
Yesterday's visit was part of official U.S. visit by Machimura. He gave an address in Manhattan on Friday and will meet with leaders in Washington, D.C., today.
But yesterday afternoon was set aside for relaxing and reminiscing with old friends.
The group, consisiting of Ruth and Robert Milch, their son Edward, daughter Sue, and son-in-law Milton Sanders, dined in their North 9th Street home with Machimura, his wife and daughter.
The menu was typical American fare - chicken, green beans, rolls, rice and Jell-O mold.
Ruth Milch said the first thing
Machimura did upon entering the Milch's residence was show his daughter the room he stayed in during his summer with the Milches.
Machimura came to stay with the family several years after his older brother, a Rutgers student, stayed with the family.
Ruth Milch recalled bringing Machimura to the ocean and local parks during his summertime visit in 1969.
"We took him to the beach, anything a normal family would do in summer," Ruth said.
The group pored over old family pictures yesterday afternoon and shared stories.
"We didn't really talk politics," said Ruth.
Ruth Milch said she called the three-		 hour visit "wonderful."
"It was just so much fun," Milch said.


This article first appeared in the Home News Tribune, East Brunswick NJ, a Gannett Newspaper, and is protected under U.S. and international copyright laws.
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