Above is a pic from the soaking tub itself looking back on the the house/inn and beyond that the trail that comes down out of the forest. It's a magical place, really, and for a split second there I entertained the idea of offing the kind, gentle old woman who ran the place and announcing myself the new proprieter! HA! Who is king of the hill now, girlfrin'?! No, but really I was wondering how one obtains the priveledge of running such an establishment. Was it first come first served? Publicly owned somehow? Inherited? Does she own the land? Curious...

Thanks to all of you who have been reading my blog and have submitted a comment or have dropped me an e-mail. I really appreciate it. It feels great to know there are people out there keeping tabs on my and my experiences here in Japan.

I just discovered that I can insert multiple pictures per post so I’ve decided to start including a lot more pictures and smaller chunks of writing. I just figure that will be more appealing to the visitor and as they say: a picture speaks 1,000 words! Here is another pic from that fabulous “rotemburo” onsen that I found last weekend. Man that was a great weekend of solo exploring and discoveries… I can’t get it out of my mind! So here’s some pics to see what I’ve been thinking about. Enjoy amigos!

This is a pic of the onsen as you finish walking the steep, yet stunning, one mile trail. You see the structure on your left... it's is both a residence and an inn of sorts where one can stay for a good price. It has fantastic food, hiking trails up and around the clean crisp river, and an incredible, piping hot onsen to boot. I was only able to submerge in the waters for maybe 5 min at a time after which i had to sit up on the side, or risk a massive heart attack by dunking in the cool river. This river is cold, but not nearly as cold as the crisp waters of my other favorite swimming hole, Punchbowl Falls.

Since it was our school sports day on Sunday we had the day off today. I went exploring in the mountains in search of some swimmin' holes and an elusive riverside onsen. Mission accomplished on both goals- even ol' G-Dubya would be proud. Also, in search of the onsen I unknowingly took the wrong path (signs are written in Kanji, and that is still way outta my league) and came across this nifty waterfall. It felt good to find a little slice of Oregon for me to traipse about in :) It was a beautiful mile and a half hike up to this onsen, and this "rotemburo" (outside) riverside kind is my favorite. Jumping to and fro hot to cold sure makes you feel alive.

This is Mike from North Carolina. He loves to fish. He's a second year JET in Naruko, a town about 1/2 hour from me. Mark and I went to his town to enjoy an onsen (read below).

Here's Mark when he climbed Mt. Fuji

Onsen Magic:
Onsens, or Japanese baths/hot tubs, are an essential destination point when visiting Japan. They are, after all, an integral part of the Japanese culture. Before I continue, I must clear up a possible misconception: Japanese baths are not akin to the small personal hot tubs we see in western style homes. On the contrary, onsens are more like spas that we would splurge for in the US, however they are much cheaper here in Japan, more numerous, and simply more commonplace. Onsens are visited by men, women, there are even family sections to onsens. It is not common for onsens to be co-ed (or mixed), but there are surely usually sections for both men and women, and you will find mixed onsens every so often- it just depends on the establishment. Onsens, I believe, are more frequented by men in Japan since, like in the US, childcare responsibilities seems to fall upon the women. (just as in the US it is more common of the “guys” to head out and grab a couple of beers after work). This isn’t the man’s “right” so to say, it’s just the way it is. I have been curious as to whether the women’s section of the onsen is as big or as high quality as the men’s side, and I have yet to ask somebody, but I’m betting that for lack of space, they might get the short end of the stick  I just learned that sometimes it is the hours of access that is divided between men and women rather than the space, and that would solve any possible problems in physical location.

Often onsens are purposely crafted to be in harmony with their surroundings: alongside a river, overlooking a spectacular view, etc… Many onsens, however, can be found in a nondescript building in the heart a major city. So there are a multitude of variations that the onsen-seeker can consider to find his or her perfect onsen. Being the nature-lover that I am, I prefer the outdoor onsen, or, “rotenburo.” Fortunately for me, many of these types of onsen can be found in the region that I am living in due to the mountainous terrain nearby. This Saturday, I plan on doing some exploring on my own to find just such a place.

This past Tuesday, Mark, an Irish ALT and friend of mine in the next town over introduced me to my first onsen experience. This onsen was located about 40 minutes away in a little mountain town called Naruko. The town is in the bottom of a rive valley and has a good feel to it. Naruko being at a higher elevation than Ichihasama, the temperature there was a bit cooler than and it was a bit breezier. Mark perilously drove us through the mountains at Indy-500 speeds (yes, it was even fast by my standards). The roads are curvy two lane roads and were deserter except for the random semi-truck every so often. We arrived at Mike’s apt safe and sound and walked a short distance to the onsen. This particular onsen was a part of a hotel and Mark and Mike were good buddies with the owner, so he let us stay till about 9:30. Although I am still learning about the procedures for appropriate onsen etiquette, my understanding is that it goes as follows:
1. This particular onsen had a little machine where you press the button for what you want, like “Onsen: 1 adult” and the price pops on the screen, you put in the money and out pops the ticket. You could also order food (not to be eaten in the onsen), towels, etc… this way. These kinds of machines are popular in cities at ramen places, and Japanese fast-food places. I think they are very convenient and I really like them!
2. Next, head to the locker room where you will take off your shoes and put them in a cubby.
3. Step up to the changing area and where you strip down to your birthday suit and put your clothes in one of the big baskets. Nudity is always the norm at an onsen, unless it is family hour at a hotel or resort.
4. A courtesy towel is standard equipment at an onsen and if you didn’t ring one, you could buy one from the little machine I mentioned in step #1. These are just basic white hand towel, and they are used for a variety of purposes that I will start to mention here.
5. Next, with the courtesy towel deftly placed over your most private area, you enter the onsen area.
6. It is expected that you fully wash your whole body before actually entering the soaking area. This particular onsen had a number of showers surrounding the indoor onsen, but the cool thing is the showerheads are the removable kind with a hose, and they’re mounted a few feet off the ground on the wall over a little mirror. Also around each showerhead is a small stool, a bar of soap, and often some shampoo and conditioner for you to use. Have a seat and enjoy a hot shower. This is a fun social time to chat with whomever you came with and for self-conscious westerners there are no worries because as you face the wall and shower, your legs are placed so as to hide the family jewels from revealing all of their glory. Now you’re ready to head to the soaking tub!
7. Often there are a couple of places you can choose from, and the tubs are often different temperatures. This place had an inside tub, and an outside landscaped area. The inside tub was HOT! The outside tub was just right and that’s the one we chose. When you enter the soaking area it is expected that you are quiet. Onsens are a place of peace, so splashing and talking loud is highly frowned upon. Likewise, when you enter the tub, you are supposed to slide in the tub and settle in to a spot as quickly as possible. If your tub is piping hot, this can be very difficult! I know there has been many times in my experience where I have huge huff when entering super hot water (Ex: “Holy crap! Ahhrgh! This sucker is _______ hot! Etc..), this wouldn’t be ok in Japan so bite your lip and take the pain!
8. After 30 seconds or so, you are used to the temp and you can sit back and let the wonderful waters of the onsen work their magic. On this day, Mark mysteriously materialized some icy cold 22 oz beers and it was absolutely perfect. 

Speaking of “magical onsen waters,” the water of each onsen establishment contains a different combination of minerals and salts. As a result, onsens in different areas are said to cure many different kinds of ailments. For example an onsen in Kurikoma is said to be good for the joints, the onsen in Hasama good for the liver, one in Furukawa good for erectile dysfunction (seriously!), etc… If you’ve got a problem, there’s an onsen that is somewhere out there for you. Many books contain this type of data and onsen fanatics will know where you need to go if you ask around.

With all this said, I had a great night and want to thank Mark Barr right now. We had a Phat feast back at Mike’s before heading back to ours over the mountains. When I did finally get home I went straight to my bed and was asleep that night before my head hit the pillow. I slept like a log and woke up in the same position I went to sleep… it was one of those. If it is any impetus for any of my friends or family members, I will most definitely provide you with one of these magical onsen visits if you come out to visit! :)

Chad... he's silky smoove!

Here's an e-mail I wrote to my good buddy, Chad. I was super tired when I wrote it and I think for that reason, it has an interesting feel to it that I liked when I looked back at it later. Also, I thought it would give the reader a glimpse into some of the wildlife here in the Itch and some of the carnage I see every night when driving (jk).

Wildlife:
Today was an absolutely gorgeous day here in the Itch. It wa sunny all day, with little blobs of clouds floating by every now and then. It created a beautiful patchwork of light whisping across the rice fields. This was one of about 3 bright sunny days in the month that I've been here so far, but the other two were too hot to enjoy. It changed to autumn here in about 1 week- seriously. An amazingly rapid change. It went from sweltering hot, almost naked at home for sure, to having to close my windows at night to keep out the chill in a matter of days. I hear this is one of the most pleasant and beautiful times of the year here with temps being jsut right, and the leaves starting th change color. The rice is golden and bending deeply under its own ripeness. It has been so neat to watch the rice change from bright green blades, to reddish buds, to golden fleecy heads. It waves in the wind like water and the chirps and burbles of frog and cricket song fills the night. I know I'll be a bit sad as it starts to get colder and many of these little guys die off, or go into hybernation, but alas, such is life and it makes me appreciate them even more. Dragonflys hunt from dawn till dusk, and if you stand in the road and stick your finger high into the air, one will come land on your finger and you can bring it close to your face to see all the tiny incredible details. It swivels its head to look at you, too, but it doesn:t mind you. It's your friend, and it's using your friendly perch to scan the skies for a tasty meal. The other day, at the Jazz Festival in Sendai, I was walking with some friends and suddenly saw a dragonfly about 20 yards away flying right towards us. I shot my finger into the air right as it was upon us and it quickly and gracefully lit upon my finger like the whole thing was planned. My friends were mystified, and to be honest, so was I. Even the Japanes people standing around pointed and said "Mitte!" (Look!). Michelle called me the pied piper of dragonflies and I secretly felt honored. Deep down inside, I felt like I had a sort of kinship with these masters of the insect skies.

Driving at night is actually a bit of a bummer for me because all the rice fields harbor all sorts of frogs. And, expecially when it's wet, these little guys like to sit in the road for some reason- I'm still trying to figure that out- but then as you're driving along, you see these cute little hops all over the place and it's not like you can swerve every 10 seconds or anything! These roads are narrow and treacherous at parts! Well, their soft little amphibious bodies don't even make a bump as my huge machine squshes them where they land. To be fair, on open road I do tend to swerve when I can to try to, straddling them whenever possible, but I can't go far and sometimes my attempt to help ends in just the opposite. :( It seriously is about every 8-10 seconds that I see a little bright blob, illuminted white by my headlights hopping along, not knowing which way to go. It seems the bigger, fist-sized guys know to hop back towards the safety of the fields, but the little guys who are newly born or whom evolution simply cursed with such a small brain, they sometimes hop from the safety of the side of the road, right under my tire. Sad :( Every morning, I expect to see this carnage on the road, but somehow, I never see anything. Do you know why? Yep, the birds mop them up bright and early. Especially the crows. As well as, I'm sure, the racoons and small rodents. Some frogs are just so small that their little bodies are just imbedded into the road and dry up to a flat, thin disk during the next dry spell. Then I imagine they just turn to dust as cars contiuue over their dust. Then I guess we breathe in that dust, so really, there's a little frog in each of us. :) Ribbit!

-Aaron

Ekiden (long distance relay). This is one serious race, with 9 schools from our section coming to compete in the prelims. The finals will be held here in Ichihasama as well. This is the first of three consecutive years that IJHS will be hosting the race.

Here are some of my students practicing for the sports day this Sunday (Sept. 17th). Looks to be an exciting day!

Here’s a pic of me and Kocho-sensei (Mr. Monden). He is a warm, respectful person and a great leader for the school.

School Life:
Ichihasama Junior High School has a positive feeling about it. The teachers get along well, and to me, a measure that there’s something good going on is that there is a lot of laughter happening in the staff room. The relationships between the students and the teachers seem to be very positive, with the teachers respecting the students, and the students giving a lot of respect back. This is great to see.

The school has a great leader. Kocho-sensei is a wonderful man who is very warm and welcoming. I love listening in when people knock on his office door to talk to him about something, and you can hear him welcome the visitor loudly, “Hai! Dozo, dozo! (Yes! Please come in! Please!) He welcomes everyone like it’s his first time meeting them, even his own staff who he was just talking to a few minutes before. It creates a great atmosphere in the staff room. The super bonus about Kocho-sensei for me, personally, is that his English is absolutely exemplar. I mean, he is one of the best English speakers I have heard in Japan. I think he used to be an English teacher, but I still want to know how he became so skilled in my native tongue!

Personally, I’ve been a little bit frustrated at school- not because the school is doing anything wrong, but because it’s so different than what I’m used to at home and I am having difficulty adjusting. For one, this is just a different role for me. I play an assistant role here, I’m basically an outside resource that they have hired to use when needed, and to be honest they haven’t needed me too much at the beginning here because there has been some special events like Ekiden (marathon relay competition), testing (basically took the whole week this week), and School Sports Day (coming up this Sunday, weather permitting). Classes have been canceled at one time or another for each of these events and the teachers are so busy that sometimes they forget to inform me. Thus, I’m left wondering, “Are we following the schedule today?” Being in an assistant, or adjunct role is also difficult because at Sunset, where I have worked for the past 7 years, I was just beginning to step into a leadership role. I had finally gained enough confidence in myself and in my teaching to take on more responsibility in my building and I was really enjoying that feeling. Coming here has been a step backwards in my workload and responsibility and it’s been tough for me. I want to help, I want to contribute in any way that I can. Certainly I have the skills and experience required to make big contributions, but the big wall preventing me from doing this is the language barrier- which makes me want to learn Japanese more and more.

Another challenge is that the teachers are so ridiculously busy that I’m afraid to talk to them or ask them a question so as not to interfere with whatever they are doing. Consequently, there are days where I maybe say 5-10 words during the whole day (hello, goodbye, what’s this? Etc.) This is hard for me! I like to chat, visit, and hear the latest gossip and think about students who are having problems. This is all part of being in a workplace, is it not. Again, I want to stress that no one is to blame here, it’s just the nature of being in a workplace without knowing the language. There is nothing anyone could do to help. The only real solution I see is me studying the language as hard as I can and trying to speak a little more each day. The Japanese love when you try to speak their language and you can gain a lot of respect that way.

I’ve spoken with my predecessor, Jae, about the aforementioned issues and she sympathetically she felt the exact same way and often was in tears at the end of the day wondering why she made the decision to participate in the JET Program. But gratefully, she has told me that this is the feeling that everyone has in the beginning, and that by November, she was starting to take on a bigger role in school, had gained a good rapport with the students, had gained respect from the staff, and had started to feel like an actual staff member at the school, and not just some strange gaijin. So I know there is hope, and certainly I’m not giving up. I just need to put myself out there, take some risks with talking to people, continue asking my supervising teachers how I can help, and find some ways that I can contribute my time and skills. Studying the language regularly will certainly help and will be a key to other areas of school and social life. As a matter of fact, that’s what I’m going to do right now! Yoroshiku onegai-shimasu!

Here's a picture from the welcome party of some of my co-workers. From left to right, is Yoshihara-sensei, Nishikawa-sensei, Michiko-sensei, and Muto-sensei. Yoshihara-sensei's hockey team got first place in all of Japan this year! It was a huge honor for the school in this small town. Nishikawa-sensei has good English and we talk every now and then. He's a funny guy and he coaches the basketball club. He's a good coach! Michiko-sensei is so nice. She is always helping me out and explaining things to me. She teaches Japanese, and has been giving me some tips about the language and culture. Muto-sensei is one of the art teachers. I'm learning that she has good English, too! She always makes me feel good when by saying hi to me each morning.

Yo! I even gots dragonfly girlies in Sendai!

Chris and Laura are an awesome couple. Here's Laura layin' the smackdown on Chris! Bad boy! I can't blame her, Chris and I started off this day with an interesting breakfast...

Here's one of the venues. There were a bunch of areas like this all around the city.

Here's a pic of the whole Dinner Nomihoudai Gang. From left to right you have Misheru, Chris, Adam's super cool friend, Adam, and Laura.

Sendai Jazz Festival:

The Annual Sendai Jazz Festival was held this last weekend and I headed into town to check it out. This huge music festival in Sendai features not just Jazz, but all kinds of music. Venues are spread out around the four main streets in the city center, and some nighttime events are held at particular venues. I had asked my Supercool buddies, a couple from Canada named Chris and Laura, if I could stay the night at their house on Sat night and after much debate they agreed (just kidding on that last part). I had planned to head down on Sat around 10 or 11, but the night before I was burning some CD’s at Mark’s house, the ALT in the next town to the north, and my CD/DVD Rom drive was acting funny. Further testing and experimentation on Saturday morning led me to believe that there was a serious problem, so I called Dell support and ended up on the phone with them off and on for 3 hours or so trying to fix the problem. Alas, nothing worked and I was majorly bummed when I came to the conclusion that my 2 month old computer has a hardware problem.

That being said, by the time I gave up on the computer repairs and left for the 3:30 train it was around 3:00. I thought a half an hour would be ample time to drive to Semine and catch the train but I was sorely mistaken; I missed the train by 5 min and had to wait another hour for the next one. I felt badly because my peaceful Canadian amigos were planning on meeting me at the train station when I arrived and I didn’t want to keep them waiting around all evening. I called and told Chris I would be an hour later than planned and he simply responded, “Beauty-eh!” (I could hear a hockey match on the TV in the background) Holey smokes, I love Canada! I got to Sendai at the agreed upon new time and we were ready to be rolling, until we decided to wait for our other friend coming in on the train, Michelle. Michelle brilliantly goes by the name of Misheru, spelling it just how the Japanese pronounce each syllable: with a vowel (Misheh-du). I should mention here that she also aptly named he bike “Buraku Thandah!” How did you do on the translation? Didja get it? (A: Black Thunder) Genius stuff, in my book. Anyway, Misheru is a kick in the pants and it always bumps up the party energy by the power of 10 when she’s along. Also joining us for dinner was Jenny, a Sendai ALT, and her buddy who was in town visiting. Much to my chagrin, the music, I learned, was basically over during the evening, except for a few venues where you pay to get in (at least that’s what I heard). I was kicking myself for not getting there earlier and wasting my morning all the way to dinner. Chris and Laura (CP/”Philly” and LD) headed to an Indian place while the rest of us went to a “Meat-on-a-Stick” place. It was a fun dinner with a few surprises, one being that we ordered throat, which looked pleasing enough to the eye, but when bitten into was like chewing on a stiff, rubbery, 1” cylinder of rubber band. There wasn’t much taste at all and every chew was agony. After trying it first I warned the others just to quit while they were ahead and to trust me, but we’re all human and naturally curious. Three of us used the greatest of our will to swallow the small morsel, but, Misheru had to hide her half-chewed bite in her hand cloth that is provided at the beginning of each meal. What Misheru did was a big “no-no” and to this day still watches her back in fear that she may get deported for such cultural faux pas. We struck up a good conversation with the locals at the next table which eventually meandered, somehow into the topic of circumcision and that pretty much signaled the end of dinner.

Jenny and friend headed home after dinner, while Misheru persuaded the rest of us to meet up with another vibrant ALT, Adam, at a cool restaurant. We gorged ourselves with more food and soon found ourselves submerged in Nomihodai. Nomihodai is a type of happy hour offered by most popular food service establishments, but instead of each drink offered at a reduced price (US style), you pay a flat fee (usually need to pay for an accompanying food dish) and then get “all-you-can-drink” privileges. I’ve heard that restaurants usually make money on this with Japanese customers, but with young westerners like the JET crews, well they are known to sling back massive amounts of alcohol and get their moneys worth by far. Sometimes, depending on the look of the group, many establishments will refuse gaijin entrance in fear of a broken bank, broken furniture, or even running out of alcohol (which is not uncommon). Anyway, we were a mellow crew of seven or eight and even had a couple of locals with us, and that usually means entrance is assured. We actually kept it pretty mellow and had a great night of food, drink, and good conversation.

The next day we checked out the jazz all day. It felt as though we walked 5 miles exploring the different areas, but the music was great and by the end of the day we were all exhausted. We probably saw about 8-10 different bands, but really stopped to watch about 3. The two we were most interested in were Chris and Laura’s supervisors’ bands. We saw Laura’s at 11:00 and Chris’s at 4:00. Both were fabulous. It is always so surprising to me when the opening comments and introduction is in Japanese, but when the singing starts it is in nearly flawless English! Cracks me up! I was very impressed by the quality of the jazz. And I must admit, it is still odd for me to see such soulful music coming from the Japanese. This sounds horrible, I know, and it’s a concept that I found myself dismantling as I sat there in awe of the quality of the music. For some reason I just feel like the culture that invented that particular type of music should really be the only ones who can play it really well. (For example I have trouble seeing a westerner playing the sitar to the likes of Ravi Shankar, you know? Don’t tell me you don’t have just a little trouble with that idea, too?!) I’m being humbled by these types of experiences constantly on this trip, and I don’t feel I’m being racist or anything, I just have these little subconscious stereotypes that are being revealed to me, contemplated, and dissolved right before my eyes, and it is an exciting feeling! It’s one of those: “You think you had something figured out, but oh how wrong you were about the world! Oh how small you are little man!” It’s a good thing. I’m happy this is happening at this point in my life where my neural pathways hopefully still aren’t too deep (I pray).

Well, we ran into some other JET’s cruising around the city, as we always do since we stick out a bit and they joined us as the evening winded down. I always get sad at the end of a visit to the city, saying goodbye to those who start to catch their evening busses. And then, I always hate saying goodbye to my Chris and Laura, who I’ve grown very fond of. I know Misheru and Corey are close, but Chris and Laura are Sendai folks, and well, you just never know when a 8.0 earthquake could hit Sendai at any second and that would be the end of them. No, seriously, they just live a ways away, that’s all. But what am I sayin’? What’s an hour!

I had some train problems on the way home and it took about 2 hrs to get home, but it was time well spent. I finished a book and figured out the trains ever better than before, I even must say that I was a little proud of myself for going both ways by myself this time. I have to admit, after feeling so overwhelmed in the beginning, there’s a small sliver of light now telling me that maybe, just maybe, I’ll get this whole Japan thing figured out! I’ll keep ya posted! -A

The Jazz Fest brings out even the most sultry of characters!

Misheru and Adam- they are super good buddies.

Here's a pic of Chris's supervisor's band (he's the drummer)

Remember you can click on any photo to enlarge the image!
(Thanks for the great pic, baby!)

Sorry E, I've got a new boyfriend! No, this is one of my co-workers at my welcome party. He goes by "Big House" and he's one hilarious dude!

Mr. Kamata was coming fast on my heels, but ol' USA held him off... this time! :)

Ichihasama Sports Day
On Sunday, September 3rd, I was asked to come out and help with and participate in the Ichihasama Town Sports Day. This is the 62nd anniversary of this day and it’s a time when many of the citizens around town gather to compete in fun athletic events. There are mother/daughter events, father/son events, family events, team running relays, and a few even for individuals. Although never outright stated (in English at least) the obvious goal for the day was simply to have fun, and it sure looked like this goal was accomplished. The activities are held in the large field at Ichihasama Elementary School. This ten-year-old facility is very large and was constructed with a delicious smelling wood. It was VERY expensive to build due to the vast amount of wood used. All of the classrooms are laid out in a huge circle, with the office building at one end, and an enormous gym at the other. In the interior of the circle is a few pathways through a slightly landscaped area. On the outside of the circle is the play area, and like everything in this school, it is massive, too! The area is in another circle roughly the size of the circle of classroom buildings, but lining the outside of this circle is a multitude of varying types of play structures, climbing bars, slides, baseball/kickball backstops, and even a 25 yard zipline that, in the US, would have lawsuit written all over it and be torn down in a matter of weeks, I’m certain, yet here, even the smallest of students play on this machine without adult supervision. In the middle of the whole play area is an official sized dirt track, and this is where the majority of the Sports Day events were held. As usual, the festivities started with a ceremony and speeches by the mayor and other important people. Teams are formed by area for most of the events. For example, my neighborhood is called shimizu-ichi (area one). Somehow, people in each area got together beforehand to decide what events everyone was interested in and what they would enter- I’m not really sure how that all worked. Before the events got underway each team marched around the track for all of the spectators to see, the leader holding the long colorful flag emblazoned with the area name. Finally all of the staff and athlete participants spread our to do the traditional calisthenics warm up. This is the traditional calisthenics routine done in each public workplace anywhere from 1 to 3 times a week. It was a great way to start the festivities and bring the group together. Many of the 500 or so spectators joined in the calisthenics, too.

Anyway, I was asked to participate in the 400 meter relay and I agreed, eager to get any kind of exercise I could. My teammates thought I might be the fastest on the team, so they made me the anchor for the race. I was very nervous. From the moment I stepped onto the field there was a murmur in the crowd and soon all noted that the one gaijin would soon be performing in his event. The other reason I was feeling anxious was because I was racing against my supervisor, Mr. Kamata! I’m a very competitive person, as those who know me are aware, and when I any type of event, I try my hardest to win- no matter who the person is I am competing against. Well, I know that Kamata-san is a stellar athlete. I can just tell; he’s trim, fit, has an athletic build, plays tennis, and I’ve noticed him spring up and down stairs with the grace and ease of a gazelle. I knew this would be tough. Well, we got off to a slow start, and by the time the baton was handed off to me, we were in 4th place (out of 6). Close behind me were the footsteps of the other competitors and glancing back, I could see Kamata-san ahead of those in the back! I went sprinting for my life. As we rounded to long corner of the oval track, I came up behind the third place competitor so quickly that I had to check my stride and nearly tripped us both as I passed him. The home stretch was in sight! I dug in with all I could! I was running not only for myself, but also for America! I could hear footsteps gaining behind me, but it was too late, we had crossed the finish line and come shimizu-ichi had come in third place! I glanced back to see who had been gaining on me, and… yep, you guessed it… it was Kamata-san! If the race had been even 50m longer, he would have passed me for sure, and I told him that, but being the always humble man that he is, he said he didn’t think so. It was a great day and everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves. I thought, why don’t we have something like this in Oregon? Then I thought maybe the Oregon State Games fit the bill. This just had such a nice local feel. I’m sure there are many small cities in the US that have something similar. It inspires me to look into forming a “neighborhood games” when I move back home.

Lunch time at Sports Day. The Kamata family fed me. Thanks Mrs. Kamata! Yummy!

Here's why the population of Japan is decreasing. Can you see the pole each team is holding? Ouch! Many men were walking gingerly back to their areas after this.

Ichihasama Sports Day. Here's where each area marches around the stadium with their flag. Mr. Kamata said there were 33 areas in Ichihasama, but I think there were only 9 or so official teams represented because some areas are just so small. I think that's the mayor on the podium. I'm in the line with all the important people for some reason. Notice the chief of police!

I've become friends with the dragonflies here in Japan. I harken to them and they come hither! Harken har har har!

Weather
Temperatures have cooled down in a matter of just a few days. It was a very rapid change in the weather and I was surprised by this. I kept all of the windows open up until this last Monday, when suddenly during the night I found myself actually getting a slight chill and pulling the blanket around me. It was a much faster change in temperature than I was used to in Oregon. It has kept up all week, too. I asked Mr. Kamata, my supervisor, if this was normal and he said indeed it was; that the summer to autumn change was always a quick one. But he said this season was his favorite because of the more comfortable temperatures and the beautiful changing of the leaves. Fall has always been my favorite season, too, and I’m excited to see the similarities and differences in these two far away places. Up until this change in the weather, the actual temperature s probably that same as in the Northwestern US- mid 80’s to lower 90’s, but the difference here is that the humidity is far greater- up to 90% I think I saw on TV the other day! For this reason, you sweat by just standing outside and not moving. It’s like the moisture just carries the heat right next to your skin. I am so welcoming these cooler temps. I find I have more energy and motivation to do just about anything. I’ll let you know how it is in the winter time.

There has been some fantastic storms. So far I’ve noticed that storms here maybe don’t have the longer duration that the do in Oregon, but they have a lot more going on in that short time. Lightning, for example, is much more prevalent. It can seem to be miles away, yet be suddenly right on top of you in a matter of minutes. One Friday while working at the BOE, the sky grew dark and foreboding. All was quiet, yet tense and you had the feeling that something was about to happen, like when you’re watching a scary movie and you just know that something freaky is just about to happen. Well, right as I started saying goodbye to everyone there was the loudest crack I had ever heard and it honestly seemed to be only about 40 yards from the building. KRA-POW!! I jerked right out of my seat and many of the women on our floor let out a small shriek, some even instinctively hit the ground. My hear hammering in my chest, I looked around at the shocked (no pun) smiles of my co-workers. I was minutes from riding my bike home and Kamata-san insisted that I get a ride from a colleague (this was before I had a car) but I (probably stupidly) declined. It was just one strike; it had been a long week and I wanted the exercise- even if it killed me  As you can guess, I made the 8 minute ride home no problem and was none the worse. Although the storms are short here in the mountainous terrain around Ichihasama, they pack a wallop with hard rains, strong winds and scary lightning.

Other JETs
One question I’m sure some of you have had, and one that I have had from the beginning is, “What will the other JETs be like?” Well we’re a mixed, yet fun crew, that’s for sure. There are people from all over the world, but the highest percentage- something like 65% come from the United States. We’re all in the same boat here, and it seems like those people who have experience with the Japanese language are having just as difficult a time adjusting as those who have no Japanese language experience. Being an older JET does pose it challenges. First, I feel it’s a bit harder for me to connect with the majority of folks who are just out of college. One must admit, age 22 and age 32 are very different life stages. However, I have been so impressed by how bright and worldly everyone is- many have more foreign travel experience than I do. I think it takes an extraordinary person to leave the comforts of home and go life in a foreign country, no matter what the age of the person. Most of these folks wanted to take risks, step into the unknown, learn about themselves, and give themselves to the mercy of those potentially helpful people in another country and that takes a special kind of person. I feel honored to be in the presence of the other JETs for this very reason. The second difficult thing about me being an “older” JET is that I’ve had time to establish myself and craft my life into something that I’ve wanted… and leaving that life was very difficult. Having lived in Japan for even just a month now I am discovering so many things that I took for granted, and finding so many things that I miss. For me, this has been, if I may venture to say, as step down from my life in the states. The quality of my comforts here are just a little less, and of course, what did I expect? This leads me to begin uncovering these questions: Is the quality of my life defined by how comfortable I am? By how nice my car is? By how big my house is, or how clean it is? If that’s the case then I have a lot of reexamining to do while I’m here in Japan about my life, what I value and what’s important to me. What’s REALLY important. And maybe that’s why I’m here. But no, these creature comforts don’t weigh heavily on me, I’m not constantly lamenting what I once had at all. In fact, I think I’ve always been very adaptable and have adapted to this life already and find that I am very happy. But these were thoughts that entered my mind and I must examine those, certainly. I don’t feel I’m a materialistic person at all, I guess it’s just that in life you begin to create and build around you how you want your life to be, and just as I was starting to recognize that I was becoming established in this at home, I took off to live in another country and start anew. I guess what I miss is what I was building at home, that’s all, and it’s difficult to start that all over here. Part of me wants to by a dryer for my house here, so I don’t have to drive 15 mins into the next town over to spend the $8 or so to dry my clothes. But then I think, “why should I buy such a spendy item here when I have one of those at home? Why don’t I just ship my $ home to get a better dryer in Oregon when I return.?” Interesting thoughts that need further examination. So this is the second challenging thing about being an older JET- I guess you could call it the loss of the feeling of being established. But boy, on the flip side, it sure is an exciting and refreshing feeling to have that fresh start and to just go with the flow. I think we lose that as we become older and more established in our lives. 

Pondering: Japanese Female Roles:
Something I have been struck by while here is the role of Japanese women both in and out of the workplace. Women here are constantly serving the men and always serving them first before they serve themselves. When I work at the BOE on Fridays, Chiaki, the youngest of the women in my dept will serve coffee or tea to everyone about 5 times a day. Green tea in the morning, coffee next, then iced tea or iced coffee a couple times after lunch. If Chiaki is out or it has been a while, sometimes Toshiko, the older more experienced woman in the office will serve us all, as well. When passing out the drinks, or small snacks, the person with the position of greatest authority must be served first, and it goes down the line from there. When a group of patrons or visitors come into the workplace either at school (principals office) or the Board of Education (hereafter called “BOE”), one of the females, preferably the youngest will immediately get up and make iced tea, coffee or green tea to the whole group. If it is an important meeting with clients, no one says thanks because they are occupied with talking and that’s just expected, when serving colleagues in the office, often a quick “thank you” is offered. I’m amazed that this service happens so quietly and naturally. I’ve wondered, how do the women decide who is going to be served? I think it usually falls to the youngest, however, when there are a lot of clients, I’ve seen the older, more experienced female step up to the challenge. I also have wondered if there is any resentment by the women? But I don’t think the subject could ever be breached and if I did bring up such a subject, I imagine that 1. I’d receive a blank stare in the sense that the interviewee would be thinking, “What? The thought never crosses my mind, that’s just how it works here in Japan.” or 2. I would get a sugar coated answer as to avoid the subject altogether. But, do the women like it? Do they notice it? Do they meet behind closed doors and say: “Where’s the Women’s Rights?! Let’s rise up! Stop the sexism! Stop the insanity!” If I’m any judge of character, I HONESTLY think they don’t mind, and it’s not even a question of unfairness- it’s just normal! The way things work. And I even think it is such a part of the Japanese culture that the women feel a sense of pleasure in this service. I need to mention here that this happens at meals, too, and enkais, or work drinking parties- the women serve the men food and beer and then disappear to undisclosed locations. A couple women might reappear every 10 minutes to open more beer bottles, take away the empties, bring out more food, etc… Aren’t they starving and just want to eat first sometimes? Don’t they want to sit and enjoy the conversations with their husbands? Why should the men have all the fun? I never see the women smoking or drinking or living it up! Maybe they are having their secret fun and I really just don’t see it. I’m sure there are layers of complexity that I’m not even aware of. I don’t think this way of life in Japan is a bad, negative thing, personally, it’s just different. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m all for equality, but I could see some Western women really taking offense to this, and I’ve heard first hand accounts of other JETs being offended by this custom. But really, I think this is just taking a different custom and way of life, and making it a personal struggle, you know? Is it our place to impose our Western ways on a culture that is thousands of years older than our own? I think not! How presumptuous of us, I say. How can we judge a custom in a culture that we don’t even understand? I say “When in Rome… don’t compare apples and oranges!”

REMEMBER, YOU CAN CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE THE PHOTO!
Kamata-san, his three kids and myself watched the fireworks display. Miuki-chan was so scared she buried her head into her dad's shoulder and cried, refusing to watch the fireworks the whole time. Aww! ;(

Obon fireworks! Subarashii! (super!)

Obon and Ichi Hike:
(graveyard pic) I had the wonderful pleasure of attending the Oban Festival with Mr. Kamata. This festival is held two times a year and is one of the largest festivals of the summer. It is a time for relatives to return to their hometown and honor their loved ones who have passed away. There are many activities around town during this time and one will often see the whole family head to the graveyard to place fruit, treats, flowers, etc… on the graves of their family members. I happened to take a hike above town during this time and I accidentally discovered that the hiking path went through the town graveyard. Walking through I could smell incense burning and I was taken aback by the beauty of the intricately carved black marble gravestones. It was a very peaceful, reflective part of the hike and I felt honored to be there. I snapped a few pics but didn’t want to offend anyone so I didn’t want to stay there too long. No one seemed to mind that I was there, at least as far as I know. The food on the graves attracted many crows, which made me wonder if this was the reason that crows symbolize death here in Japan? The crows here are about the same size, have a deeper call, and a larger beak than in the United States, which… now that I think about it may make these Ravens rather than crows. A colleague told me that she had read somewhere that Japanese crows/ravens are considered some of the smartest because while cars are stopped at stop lights the crows will place a nut under the tire of the cars and when the cars take off they of course crack the nut for the crows and they now have a tasty meal! I’ve never witnessed this yet, so I’m skeptical, but will do a little research on the subject. I’ve seen crows in the US take nuts high atop a power pole and purposely drop the nuts in the hopes that it will crack, but never purposely put them in front of a passing car, which to me, would demonstrate a fair amount of intelligence. Oops… sorry! Back to the Obon Festival. Kamata-san picked me up after dark and he was accompanied by his two lovely daughters and son, Aki (8), Miyuki (3), and Pikaru (1) respectively. We walked a short distance to the fireworks area but on the way passed one of the most beautiful sights I have seen in Japan thus far: a Buddhist monk stood along the bank of the Hasama river, which is about 10 feet wide and 10 inches deep, and runs right through town. He was blessing little paper lanterns that families were placing in the river to honor their loved ones. It’s a shame that the photos I took of this event didn’t turn out because it was so peaceful and lovely to see these beautifully colored lanterns float peacefully down the river… The fireworks started about 10 minutes after we arrived at the town’s central park, and the show was spectacular! These fireworks weren’t quite as large as the big city Fourth of July fireworks in the states, but they were just under that size (which is still big) and they were much more dynamic that the US fireworks. They had more colors, effects and sounds, and we were right underneath them! Everyone gets front row seats in a town this size! Well, we all enjoyed it except for Miyuki- she was scared of the chest rattling loud explosions directly above us, which, I can’t blame her for at all! Kamata-san and I walked back to the car with three tired kids and that was the end to a wonderful evening!

My other ride!

This is my car. 1995 Mitsubishi Lancer.

My House:
(outdoor pic of house) My house is a very accommodating little place. It has two 6 tatami mat rooms that each could be bedrooms. This means that the rooms are about 10 X 10, which is a good size. It has a large kitchen with table, fridge, microwave, and some good storage space in the cupboards. Save for the tatami mat rooms, the whole house has wood floors. The living room has a small futon couch that has seen better days that I’m thinking about replacing and it also has a TV, desk, lamp, and a large bookshelf. Every house in this part of Japan most likely has what is called a kotatsu table. These look like your basic coffee table, but they have an electric heater built in to the bottom that you plug in. The table has a heavy top surface area that can be lifted off. Next, you put a big, heavy kotatsu blanket over the top, and then replace the cover. Imagine big blanket sandwich! What you’ve essentially created is a shelter that traps the heat in. In the winter, you sleep with your legs under this sheltered part of the table and supposedly, you stay nice and toasty warm! Many ALT’s in the area have stated that the winter gets so cold, they move all their necessities into one or two rooms of the house, seal or close off the other parts of the house and conserve heat in two rooms. The house is very drafty so I do see myself performing such a procedure this winter. I’m anxious to see just how cold it gets this season. Supposedly last winter was one of the coldest in a while and at times there was up to 4 feet of snow! I’ll keep you posted… As far as other areas of the house that’s about it. Of course there is a bathroom with separate little room for the toilet, and same for the shower. My only complaint about the house is that there seems to be a musty smell in the front area of the house that I just can’t seem to get rid of. During my first two weeks of living in the house there was a rotten part of the floor in the 2 ft area in front of the bathroom. The floor was squishy and wet, and had holes that could be enlarged with my finger. My supervisor told my landlord who built the houses, actually and is a skilled carpenter. He fixed the floor while I was away at work one day, but my theory is that the rot spread to the walls and underneath the house and this is where the smell is coming from. The wall near the repaired area is a bit squishy and can be moved an inch or two so I’m sure that without further gutting and replacing of the rotten areas, the integrity of the house will continue to decline, and the smell will continue to be present. All in all, however, I am very grateful for what I have. This is a spacious place by Japanese standards and the price is fantastic! It has all of the amenities and with a little more cleaning and decorating, I know I will be very happy living there.

Inkan or Hanko
The inkan, or “Hanko” is basically a small 4” long, cylindrical wooden stamp that is just under the diameter of a dime. It is rounded at end and the other end is flat and all or one part of your name is hand carved there in the wood. Kamata-san asked me how I would like my Hanko to look, for example, did I want only my first name, my last name, both first and last. I chose just “Kenny” since this is the more official part of our names in the US, and since getting both my first and last name on my Hanko would cost considerably more money. As it was, each Hanko costs around $50 and Kamata-san got me two, so they weren’t cheap! But he said it was good to have a back up in case I lost one, but while I was here I should try to use only one Hanko the whole time. The Hankos each have a cool little velvet case- one of mine is green, one is blue. I stashed my blue Hanko at home in a safe place, and I keep my green one in my backpack at all times to use whenever needed. The story with these Hanko’s is that they simply act as your signature. And it took me a second to realize why you should only use one: simple forgery purposes- these Hankos are hand carved and each is unique, just like our signatures are, so by using just the one, I’m ensured that my stamp came from my Hanko. It’s really an incredibly cool system and I wish we’d get something like it in the states. I wonder why such a system isn’t more common, really! I’m fascinated by Hankos. I ask to see the Hanko of others and I’m always check out the cool cases that the Japanese have for theirs. If you have a really long name then your Hanko is more of an oval shape. A standard part of each Hanko case is a small stamp pad that has the official red ink needed to stamp your Hanko on any important document. Way cool.

The next day I was shown around the town a bit by Kamata-san, but once again, it was like the aforementioned teaching analogy and the only way I was going to really learn about the town was by heading out on my bike and figuring out what everyplace was by myself. On the plus side, it did give me a great mental geographical picture of the town. From the get-go I was expected to work regular hours because it was the first day of my contracted employment. Well, I was totally worked from all of the travel and was barely there mentally all day. After a presentation at the Board of Education, where I work every Friday that I’m not at an elementary school, I met the staff on our Education part of the building. They are a great crew. There’s Mr. Kamata and to his right, his boss, Mr. Tsuda, and to Mr. Tsuda’s right is the boss of the whole education department of Ichihasama. Next to me is a really funny guy nicknamed “Big House,” another cool cat named Ouchi, and Toshiko-san and Chiaki, the ladies at the bottom of the ladder. It’s a fun, jovial group, and I like being at the BOE, plus I can ask Kamata-san any question that pops into my mind. He’s fantastic and those first few days were spent taking care of all the necessary paperwork needed for a foreigner like myself to live in Japan for a year or two. And boy is it a lot of paperwork! (as I’m sure it is in the states, too) I can’t even begin to describe all of this to you, but one of the coolest things EVERY resident in Japan is required to have is what’s called a Hanko, or, personal seal… (BOE pic 6)

At this point we are all absolutely exhausted. The schedule in Tokyo was grueling, and looking back now, I don’t remember too much about that whole weekend it was such a whirlwind. It’s kind of like teacher training: they can try to prepare you and fill your head with skills and ideas before you begin, but that all flies out the door and your REAL learning begins on that first day of school when the students begin streaming through the door and your heart is hammering in your chest. Well anyway I was exhausted and I had probably lost 5 lbs of water weight due to sweating in my suit in the humidity. So I’m exhausted and dropped off at my house. “FINALLY,” I think, “I’ll be able to take a breath, shower, and can unpack my bags!” “Do you drink beer?” Kamata-san asks. “Uhh, yes.” “Ok, I’ll come pick you up in an hour and we’ll have dinner and beer. Bye!” Hmm… when in Rome, you know? Dinner was a great introduction to the various options in the local cuisine, and my supervisor and his boss were pleasantly surprised that after 4 beers, a few sakès and some shōchu (traditional grain alcohol around here) that I didn’t show any signs of inebriation. See, I had been training for this before I left, and, to be fair the meal was huge and lasted hours so I honestly wasn’t feeling more than a slight buzz- which was the goal of my hosts anyway! So it was a win-win for all. I went home, showered and was out like a light. (pic of bed)

After the Sendai ceremony a small, air-conditioned (thank goodness) van as loaded up with the four JETs who were all in the same area and we drove the hour to Tsukidate (ski-dahh-tay). Tsukidate is also called Kurihara City. A bit of history… last year there was an amalgamation of the 9 towns and 2 villages in the Kurihara area. These were all combined and given a new title called “Kurihara City.” The hub of Kurihara City is the largest of the towns: Tsukidate. So Tsukidate is now also being called Kurihara City and I believe in 10 years or so this new title will be the most common title for this town of 20,000 or so. The neat thing is that my town, Ichihasama, is only about a 10 minute drive east. Back to my story… We get to Tsukidate and there is another welcoming ceremony where we meet the director of education for the whole Kurihara area and he introduces us and we say a few words. After this we say goodbye to the other JETs and we’re off to our respective towns and finally on our own… little fishies in a big challenging pond. (Ichi pic 4)

Japan is a country of formalities and procedures, which I rather enjoy, and our arrival in Sendai was no exception. The 20 or so Sendai JETs in group “B” (group “A” had arrived a week earlier) were gathered into a room where some words were said by some high up people, after which we were introduced to the men that would be supervising us in our local town. I felt so relieved to finally meet my supervisor. He is an amazing man named Michio Kamata, aka Kamata-san. His English is superb the reason for this, he later stated, was a result of supervising 8 JETs before me. Whenever I meet a Japanese person with good English I am so impressed by them and I compliment them for it; reason being I’ve heard English is just as hard if not harder to learn than Japanese, and if they went through anything like I am going through now trying to learn Japanese… well I’ve got to commend them  (Kamata pic 3)

We Last Left Off…
From Tokyo it was a 6 hour ride by bus to the major city in my prefecture: Sendai. Sendai is much like Portland, and is even dubbed “the City of Trees.” To me it has the same feel and architecture even. It also has many colleges and universities, has about the same population, and is a commuter town like Portland. Because of these reasons it feels good to cruise around Sendai and do some shopping. It has a bus line that circumnavigates some of the major sight seeing points in the city and a day ticket is about $6. With this ticket you can get on and off the bus as much as you like with a bus coming every 20 minutes or so. More about Sendai later…(Sendai pic 2)

Sorry for the Delay…!
Let’s see… where did I leave off. Ahh yes, Tokyo. First let me explain that I have so wanted to update this blog on a daily basis, but alas, I must inform you that it took over a month to get the internet set up at my house in Ichihasama. This was a source of frustration in the fact that my colleague, whose town is even further out in the countryside than mine had her internet set up in a week. The delay, it seems, was because the internet had not been set up at my house before, and because my supervisor and I were thinking that the process was underway when in fact a second call to the phone company was needed to confirm the order. Anyway… I am just thankful that I now have internet access from home (and wireless to boot!)! (rice pic 1)