To those people (all four of them), who emailed in response to my last post, I’d like to offer an apology. It was never my intention to promote smoking: It’s  a lethal and expensive addiction. Full disclosure (a friend whose opinion I respect felt that I was being less than honest and suggested I do this); until seven years years ago I smoked a “pack-a-day” for long time. Mea culpa! Her contention was that, because I had a previous history as a smoker, I was probably more inclined to “accept” second hand smoke than a lifetime non-smoker. In this, she is no doubt correct.

The point I was trying to make though (possibly a little too forcefully), was that in Japan smoking doesn’t seem to be such a polarizing issue. At an enkai (staff party) in a restaurant, smokers will simply retire to an anteroom for a smoke before rejoining the party. People who find the smell offensive probably don’t patronize pubs where people smoke. The government insofar as I can see, seems to have some confidence that citizens will behave responsibly and does not appear to be that interested in overly regulating their lives. They certainly don’t send younger people into pubs to spy on their fellow citizens (as they have been known to do in British Columbia).  This attitude seems to manifest itself in far more ways than merely with regard to smoking. Beer is widely sold from vending machines on the street but I have yet to hear any stories of underage drinking or drunken driving as a result. Going to a pub or bar can be as informal as popping by a friend’s rec room. Free food is served casually, there does not appear to be an enforced closing time and, to a greater extent than I’ve noticed elsewhere, the “regulars” seem to share a convivial rapport with each other. Young teens join their parents, nosh on snacks and have soft drinks. Japan is not a “nanny state”.

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Our Grade Three classes graduated last week and the ceremony was more moving than I’d anticipated. Although Japanese ceremonies are not noted for brevity, and this was no exception, the singing was beautiful and more than a few of the students were weeping. I liked the grade three students a lot and will miss them. Fortunately I have a copy of the new student yearbook to remember them by. At about $50. cdn, it seems a little expensive until you see it. Printed on high-quality glossy stock, it’s slip-cased with exclusively color photographs and very little text. The slip-case cover has the caption “SCHOOL LIFE: I never look at this album without being reminded of my happy school days.” Oddly enough; a sentiment I can agree with. The cover of the book itself says “Graduation: memory has been shining in your heart forever”. I’m a little less certain about that, but it’s sweet nonetheless. I’ll always treasure the book in any case.

Even though there are no classes scheduled for the next week or so and the students are on holiday, that doesn’t mean they are not at school. Although the “atmosphere” is a little more relaxed, the school “clubs” continue to function and membership in them is compulsory. Senseis and ALTs are expected to put in a full school day. There’s not really much for an ALT to do though, so I usually spend this time at my desk learning Japanese. I thought about this a little (but not too much) on Friday at Minami Junior High, as I stepped outside the building at about 9:00 am to watch the baseball club practice. It was by far the nicest day of this year with light breezes, temperatures in the mid-twenties and a cloudless sky. Spring has always been my favorite season, but I have never more looked forward to it than this year. Going through their drills, the baseball and soccer teams looked good: really digging in, hustling & lookin’ pretty snappy. Not at all bad for 12 and 13 year old kids I thought. The sun felt pretty good and I’d been watching for almost an hour before I remembered my iPod was in my pocket. It seemed a waste not to listen, so I popped on the “Stone Roses” and ambled around to the back of the school to watch the tennis club. As I cued up “Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds” on the iPod, I noticed the tennis club wasn’t doing too badly either. If you’ve played tennis at all you know it is not an easy game to learn. With most sports a decent athlete can acquit her/himself reasonably well with a little rudimentary instruction. Not so with tennis: Unless you put in the prerequisite practice, you will be a “bum” regardless of your inherent  athletic proclivities. That may be why they play “soft” tennis in Japan, with a rubber ball that slows the game down a bit. It doesn’t take much away from the sport though: it’s still highly competitive and fun to watch. I mused on this as I sought out “Let England Shake” by P.J. Harvey and continued my stroll around the perimeter of the school. On the far side of the school the gym door was wide open: The gym was divided in half by a net with the girls basketball club playing on one side and the table tennis club playing on the other. As expected, the basketball team looked pretty good as they went through their drills. I love table tennis and I’m reasonably good at it but, because club activities are pretty highly structured, I knew there was little chance I’d pick up a game. I watched them play for a while and then completed my circle of the school while listening to Queens of the Stone Age.

Fellow ALT Nathan showed up around this time: He was running quite late because he had a few work-related things to attend to in town and I was beginning to think he might not make it to school at all.  I was glad he did though because like myself, Nate is a huge and knowledgeable movie fan and I enjoy talking with him about film history.  We did a couple of leisurely laps around the school, chatting with students along the way. They had all just graduated so the prevailing mood was buoyant and friendly.

It was after 3:00 pm by this time and my bus (always punctual) passes the school at 3:27 pm. I retrieved my books from class, bid the customary farewell (osaki ni shitsurei shimas), and left to catch my bus. It’s a tough job: Someone has to do it.

It is commonly held to be true in North America that the Japanese do things by common consensus rather than by individual effort. Harmony is far more valued in Japan than the singular achievements we so much admire in the Western World. I see evidence of this almost every day at school. Sports Day (Undokai), is one of the biggest events of the school year. Almost all of the events are communal: The races are relays and I cannot think of a single event in which an individual excels. It’s the team that wins; not the star runner. Similarly, when a student is called upon to give an answer in class and comes up a bit short, the student who leans over and whispers the answer in his/her ear,  is never criticized or told to shut up. It’s considered ok to do that: It’s the team.

Although I have not read anything about this and am probably sticking my neck out a bit, it seems to me that with this tacit understanding that Japanese society is working for a common consensual good, comes with a concomitant sense of freedom. An implicit trust suggesting that people will behave responsibly, seems to exist between the government and the people. I went to a Kabuki (traditional Japanese theater)  performance recently. It was a wonderful,interactive performance between the actors and the audience. The very crowded audience  sat on tatami mats and, half-way through the performance, were served piping hot bowls of soup and cans of beer. In Canada red flags would have been thrown down everywhere: The room would have been overcrowded/ beer could not have been served and I think it’s unlikely hot soup would be dished out to people sitting on mats on the floor. In Japan: Not a problem. In truth, there is a degree of freedom the Japanese have that we do not .

Afterwards, I took a stroll to “Nemunoke”, my favorite bar that happened to be just around the corner. As I  sat at the bar I noticed that there were smokers on either side of me (cigarettes are inexpensive in Japan, about $4.00 a pack). Was I outraged? Did I go into a paroxysm of outraged indignation at the thought a whiff of second hand smoke might precipitate an immediate bout of terminal lung cancer?  Not at all: Even though I do not smoke, I loved it. Taking chances, as I did with the “whiff of death”, I paid little attention to the deathly fumes and appear to have miraculously survived. The Lonely Planet guide suggests that people who are averse to cigarette smoke may want to take a pass on visiting Japan. I wholeheartedly agree: Perhaps a visit to Salt Lake City might be a tad more salubrious? Better still; just stay at home. Don’t leave the house.

Note:  this blog contains two You Tube videos.  Please allow time for them to load.  For large view, click the screen icon on the bottom right of the You Tube screen.

Saidaiji Eyo (The Naked Man Festival), is held in Okayama on the third Saturday of February, Japan’s coldest month. That the Japanese do not have a more than thousand year history of Christianity may account for an open-minded and enlightened attitude with regard to all things corporeal: Certainly there is nothing I’m aware of in North America or Europe that compares with The Naked Man Festival! Take a look at the videos and you will see what I mean.

My friend and fellow ALT, Nathan has now participated in three, or possibly four Saidaiji Eyo Festivals and is a huge enthusiast. ALTs from around Japan (at least one of whom has come from as far away as Hokkaido to compete), rely on Nate to have things organized. I admire their gung-ho enthusiasm but must admit, I also find it a bit mystifying. The appeal of running around virtually naked during the coldest month of the year (and being drenched with ice-cold water) is kinda lost on me. I don’t much like the cold and neither would I feel entirely comfortable jammed like sardines in a can, with more than 9,000 virtually naked men. Hey; to each his own though! Without exception, every ALT I know who has entered says it was a great experience. I may try it in 2015!

Although I’d intended to write more about the actual experience, there seems to be no need as the below article by Okayama Jet pretty much sums it up:

This is not a tame Japanese festival – serious injury is possible and there have been fatalities in the past.

TATTOOS
First of all, tattoos are not allowed. This is the temple’s rule and is due to the heavy presence of yakuza in years past. Nowadays there are about 3,000 volunteer police who line the streets outside the event in an effort to eliminate any yakuza presence. That said, many yakuza still get in by covering their tattoos with rather bold applications of bandages and sometimes even “liquid latex” (fake skin). If you have a tattoo but want to attend, you are welcome to try taping a bandage over it, but be aware that you may be yanked out and asked to leave if your tattoo is spotted. In the last several years we have had people with tattoos go in with bandages on and they have been fine, but there are no guarantees. One thing to note, though – if by some chance you get the “dai shingi” but have a tattoo, you will “not be lucky” according to the rules of the event.

GLASSES / PIERCINGS
Will need to be left in the changing tents. You cannot wear glasses into the temple area (and you wouldn’t want to) in likely case that they would get knocked off and become a hazard beneath people’s feet. Similarly, any jewelry should be removed including piercings – anything that could be ripped out.

PREPARATION
Particiants will need around 1,000 – 2,000 yen in order to purchase a “fundoshi” (loincloth) and a pair of “tabi” (split toed socks). These can be purchased from various tables around the festival area along with tape, which you will also want. You will need at least one roll of strong, cloth-type tape per group. More on that in a bit. The fundoshi is just a long, white roll of cloth. You don’t need to know how to put one on, there will be people to help you with that inside the changing tents. You can reuse a fundoshi from previous years.

Once you have your fundoshi, tabi and tape, head to one of the changing tents. There are several spread around and generally they cost 500 – 1,000 yen to use. When you pay you’ll be given a clear plastic bag for your clothes and a numbered tag with two halves. One half goes in the bag with your stuff, the other gets tucked into your fundoshi so that they can locate your stuff if anything happens to you. Although many people are worried about theft, there are always ‘minders’ present inside the tents, and to date no one has had anything stolen. If you are really worried about theft, please consider taking the bus and leaving your valuables on there, since the drivers will stay with the buses throughout the event.

In some of the changing areas there will be old women in the changing tents. They are staff and supposedly they have “seen it all”. Go ahead and strip off, put your stuff in your bag, grab half your tag and locate either one of the old women or one of the men who will probably have a line of people waiting to wrap your fundoshi on properly. Be aware that these thing go on… tight. Prepare to have your testicles snugged back to places they haven’t seen since before puberty. This is done to protect your junk and to make sure everything stays on, but be ready for a, er, briskly intimate fit that is sometimes achieved by throwing one end of the fundoshi over a tent bar and pulling down to wedge it up between your cheeks.

Next comes your tabi (toe socks). These are the most important part of your attire and you don’t want to mess this up. The grounds of the temple are covered in gravel and with thousands of people packed on top of each other, stepping on each other’s feet, if you lose a tabi halfway through the event you’re going to be in a lot of pain. Put your tabi on and do up the little clasps, then grab that roll of cloth-type tape. Wrap the tops of your tabi to your legs as tightly as possible so they don’t come off, no matter what. Repeat: do not mess this up.

There are other, colored rolls of tape for sale, too. These are for your hands, in case you are working as a team. The winning groups are usually judo teams or similar groups of guys working together. They identify each other in the crowd by putting colored tape on their hands in certain patterns. If you intend to seriously compete as a team, you may wish to do this, as well.

WHAT TO EXPECT
When you get to Saidaiji you will have some time to get food, drinks and check out the temple before the event starts. Around 7:30 – 8:00PM you should grab your fundoshi, tabi and tape, and get changed in one of the tents. It’s best if you go with a group of 5-10 people – first, so you’re not waiting around freezing your cheeks off, and second, so that you can form a group. Once you’re (un)dressed and ready to go, grab some friends and step outside. If you watch for a minute you’ll inevitably see some Japanese guys run by in a row with their arms over each other’s shoulders, shouting “WASHOI, WASHOI, WASHOI!”. Grab your friends and copy them.

Runners will follow a circuit that takes you out onto the main street, down a couple of blocks and back, and then up the road to the main gate. Once inside, you’ll make a loop around the temple grounds, starting with a nice splash through a freezing cold, waist-deep pool. As you’re doing so, please look upon the statue of Kanon, Goddess of Mercy, in the center and enjoy the irony. From there you’ll jog up the stairs of the temple before continuing around the side to a small shrine where you can clap your hands and bow and shake the rope with the bell on it. From there turn back and continue the circuit down and behind the temple and then out to the main gate to make another loop. Usually you’ll make this loop 5-10 times, which sounds crazy until you realize the only thing keeping you warm is continuing to run.

After some time people will begin to gather on the main platform of the temple. When there are enough people that you can keep warm by huddling with them, jump in there and hang out. It will probably be some time before the main event (10PM). STAY AWAY FROM THE STAIRS (see below). The crowd will begin to shuffle/sway/fall from side to side. Do your best to stay upright. As more and more guys join the crowd it will start to get really, really hot. Priests up on the second floor will throw ladles of water into the crowd. At first it sucks but eventually you’ll be grateful for it.

*If you hear whistles and/or see a line of people pushing into the crowd with poles, they are police/medics. They’re either grabbing someone who is injured or pulling out someone who is being violent. Try to make way for them.

THE MAIN EVENT
At 10PM the lights will go out for 10 seconds and the priests will throw the “shingi” (scripture-wrapped bundles of sticks) into the crowd. There are several (number unknown) small or “decoy” shingi and one “dai shingi”. The main one is larger and has incense in the center so you should be able to smell it and/or see some smoke if you’re close. Even if you can’t see it, you’ll be very aware of where it is as the entire crowd will surge towards it. This is a good time to decide if you want to head into the melee or call it a night. The smaller shingi, while not worth any money or fame are also considered incredibly lucky. The fight for the shingi usually takes 15-30 minutes. When it’s over or when you’ve had enough, head back to your changing tent and get warm clothes on, then get something hot to eat or drink. It’s usually possible to wrap up by 11PM.

HOW TO “WIN”
If you get your hands on any of the shingi, do whatever you can to hang onto it and head for any of the gates out of the temple grounds. Once you clear them you’re good, but before that point you can be jumped by anyone and have it taken from you.

DRINKING
A little is okay, it’ll keep you warm. A lot is not. Do not get drunk, as you will look like an ass as you stagger through the streets in front of children and families. This is a religious festival at a temple, so save the heavy drinking for afterward. Furthermore, being drunk may lead to you getting seriously injured in the event. See the warnings below. If you are noticeably drunk and staggering you may be pulled out by the volunteer police and barred from entering. That said, for warm-ups there are a few convenience stores in Saidaiji where you can get alcohol, and there is usually a stand which ladles out free cups of hot amazake (pulpy, white sake with low alcohol content) to runners. There’s also a place that hands out free, hot udon after the event. See the map below.

LONG HAIR
Guys with long hair – put it up as much as possible, make it as hard to grab as you can. There are always a couple of jerks who like to grab ponytails or yank on long hair. And while we cannot say what level of response is warranted, please do not fight.

PLEASE DO NOT FIGHT!
Things can get pretty rough in there, but remember: this is a festival, not a mosh pit. Under no circumstances is it okay to openly strike anyone or fight. Some people are dicks, try to be the better person. Keep in mind that as foreigners we are highly visible at this event. We would like to maintain our good image and not draw any negative attention while we are guests here.

WATCH THE STAIRS!
At the edges of the raised area around the temple are steep stone stairs. This is the most dangerous area. As more and more people crowd onto the raised temple platform, the crowd starts to sway and it becomes uncontrollable towards the edges. Try to position yourself in the center of the platform or below the stairs.
DO NOT STAND CLOSE TO THE STAIRS.

BEWARE OF GOING UNDER
The biggest danger in this event is going under, meaning you fall down and people step on you and you can’t get back up. This happens because the crowd is so dense that there is literally no way to make space and help people get back up. Everyone is mashed together and the momentum of the crowd makes everyone sway/fall into each other continuously, and there’s no way to stop it.

IF YOU GO DOWN: cradle and protect your head and try to get an arm up so people can pull you up.
Similarly, if you feel someone under you do whatever you can to help them get up. Sometimes it can take 5-10 minutes to pull someone up.

Be safe, take care and enjoy!

It is cold outside and the Japanese have a brilliant way of dealing with it: The kokatsu!

A kokatsu typically consists of the electric heater attached to the underside of what is essentially a low-standing but large table. A duvet-like blanket (or shitagake) is draped over the frame.  A person sits on the floor or on “zabuton” cushions with their legs under the table and the blanket draped over the lower body. Dating as far back as the 14th century, the kokatsu was originally  designed to burn charcoal

Because most  Japanese homes are not insulated and don’t have central heating, we are mindful of the cold winters 24/7; not just when outdoors (Japanese winters stand in sharp contrast with the sweltering heat and humidity of  the monsoon season. Of necessity I’m guessing, the homes have to be designed to accommodate the demands of summer rather than winter). Although heating is expensive due to the lack of insulation and the draftiness of housing, I unhesitatingly pay whatever it takes to not have to see my breath indoors. I’m also quite fortunate in that I have an efficient gas heater that will warm a small room without costing a king’s ransom. Other ALTs (Andrew, included), are not so fortunate and have to rely upon kerosene heaters.

The kokatsu is a relatively inexpensive way to stay warm in the winter, as the blankets trap warm air in a small enclosed area. People often choose to concentrate their activity in this area of the house in order to save on energy costs. They often sleep or snuggle under the kokatsu; it’s a little like indoor “camping out” in a warm pup tent.  During the winter months in Japan, it is often the center of domestic life. In the evening family members gather around the kokatsu to enjoy food, television, games and conversation while keeping warm. It has been said that, “once under the kokatsu, all of your worries slip away as a familiar warmth takes over and you become completely relaxed”. With regard to things that provide comfort and relaxation, similar to an “Onsen”, I suppose, but I’ll write about them in my next post.

Andrew tells me the weather will be noticeably warmer in about a month. Oddly enough, as if to belie everything I’ve just written about the cold (and contrary to the weather forecast for today), the sun is now streaming into my living room, I’ve opened the window a crack and it seems to be about twelve degrees outside! Go figure…I’m guessing it will be cold again by tomorrow morning though.

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Time flies. In four days I’ll have been in Japan for six months, thus fulfilling the first half of my contract. In just another month the grade three classes will graduate: I’ll miss them, they are all great kids and I wish them well in high school. I only regret that I don’t yet have the Japanese conversational skills to talk with them at greater length. It’s been an amazing six months, certainly one of the greatest experiences of my life!

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ALTs spend a fair bit of time marking student’s notebooks. Although the notebooks are standardized in “B5” format, they are manufactured by a number of different companies. Some keep it simple and utilitarian, blank lined pages with a plain cover. Others however, include “pithy” messages and information on the inside and outside  covers of the notebooks.  Among my favorites are:

Campus Notebooks:

Campus has no messages or editorializing but does include both the English alphabet and the Japanese kana on the inside covers in a nice, easily read format. So much so that I detached the cover and taped it above my desk when I was learning the kana. Now, if I could only find the kanji in a similar format…

Incense Notebooks:

Less practical but far more fun. Includes this message on the cover: “This is the most comfortable notebook you have ever run into. You will feel like writing with it all time.” (sic). Japanese does not have articles like the, a or an. Missing articles are among the most common grammatical errors made by Japanese students (and apparently, the people who print notebooks for them). At least it’s comfortable though.

Junior Line Notebooks:

Fairly straightforward info: “The most advanced quality gives best writing features and satisfaction to you.” Sounds reasonable to me.

English 13 Columbus Notebooks:

These guys print fun notebooks. The covers are made of translucent vinyl with simulated weather reports for Seoul, Honolulu, Sydney, New York and L.A. It also has Japanese tide charts and sunrise/sunsets. I haven’t the slightest idea what it all means but it does look pretty cool.

Schedule Memonote Notebooks:

Again, pretty straightforward: “A wonderful living and wonderful life”. Not bad for a notebook though.

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“Time flies like an arrow: Fruit flies like a banana”.

Incidentally, in almost every class, ALTs read words aloud to students from large “flash cards”. The ALT reads the word: the students repeat it. Then you do it a second time and move on to the next card. Depending upon the class, the student response can range from lackluster to enthusiastic. If things are a tad slow though, you need only play the “banana” card. In Japanese, all “syllables” are accorded an equal modulation; unlike English, nothing is stressed. That is one reason it is difficult to follow a Japanese conversation; they speak with “seeming” rapidity to western ears and, with a lack of modulation it is challenging to differentiate between sounds. Say the word baNAna aloud to a class though, and they will invariably reply with thunderous enthusiasm “baNAna”! Say it the second time, emphasizing the second syllable,  and they are practically screaming a response and convulsing in laughter. Having done “baNAna”, subsequent English flash card words are greeted with far more enthusiasm.

’til next time

The  Okayama-jo (crow castle) was built in 1597 and destroyed by American bombs during WWII. Unlike most of the castles destroyed by American bombs during the war, (Kyoto was spared from bombing), the Okayama-jo was rebuilt in 1966 using the original plans. It looks spectacular at night and is just a short walk, traversing the pedestrian bridge that crosses the river, to the Koraku-en, considered to be one of the three finest gardens in Japan. Even in January the Koraku-en is pretty amazing. Constructed between 1687 and 1700, in a congested big city, it’s the perfect spot for a leisurely stroll. Characterized by a flat expansive lawn, there are very attractive koi ponds, a hill in the centre, bamboo groves and a number of smaller Shinto shrines. Although cranes had been kept at the Koraku-en since the Edo period, they disappeared shortly after World War II. Reintroduced in 1956, they continue to be bred at the Koraku-en. Next to the Crane Aviary there is an inscription from a poem that reads, “Koraku-en lost its castle in the war and seemed so lonely that at the least I wanted the cranes to return to the garden and be its good companions.” And so it remains today.

Also worth a visit is The Okayama Prefectural Museum. Featuring displays of local history, it is located just across from the main entrance to the Koraku-en.

Kurashiki is the last train stop before arriving in Okayama from Niimi and,  inasmuch as I enjoyed my stay in Okayama; nothing there prepared me for Kurashiki. All I knew of it was that, only an hours train ride from Niimi, people thought it was a good place to go shopping. The Bikan Historical District of Kurashiki is amazingly beautiful (Google the name and click on “Images” to get an idea). Originally a central holding area for rice (and later textiles), they built many distinctive brick warehouses for storage and extensive canals for the distribution of goods. The area has been beautifully preserved as a tourist destination. In the heart of the Bikan District, The Ohara Museum of Art, established in 1930,  has in its collection (get this), works by: Picasso, Chagall, Giacometti, Rodin, Renoir, Monet, Rothko, Pollack, Johns, Rousseau, Gauguin, Lautrec, Matisse, Modigliani, Kadinski, and De Kooning, to name but a few. There is even an El Greco, and they don’t exactly grow on trees! They also have a great collection of Asian art in a separate building on the same beautiful grounds (you could also Google the Ohara). I couldn’t believe the place! With regard to art, it hits far “above its weight” for the average city of half a million.

It was edging on evening when I left the Ohara. I took a stroll through the restaurants and bars of the small lanes and alleyways of the Bikan. It was getting dark and I was pretty much at the limit of my comfort zone with regard to retracing my route  back to the hotel  when I stumbled upon a “Jazz Bar”.  Even though it was only about 6.00pm, (bars in Japan seldom open before 7.00), the proprietress served me a couple of Kirin and told me there would be a “special” Jazz show at 8.00 o’clock.

I returned at eight and was greeted by an American tenor sax player from New York (he’d been told I was coming), named Dos Allen. He was playing that night with an ad hoc sextet featuring an expat American (a Chet Baker influenced trumpet player who’s name I regret I’ve forgotten), and four local Japanese musicians. The piano player (Miki Yamanaka) was brilliant and I’d suggest any jazz fan might  try to find her Great CD “Songs Without Lyrics” featuring a great tenor player named Tivon Pennicott. All in all  it was a magical evening. Who would have guessed! Serendipity!

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Random Observations:

The 13 km long Great Seto Bridge, built between 1978 – 1988, is a series of two-tiered bridges linking five islands and the prefectures of Okayama and Kawaga on the Great Seto Inland Sea. The upper deck has 4 lanes accommodating car traffic and the lower deck 2 railway lanes, one of which is for the Shinkansen (bullet train). It is the world’s largest two-tiered bridge. Quite a feat of engineering!

“Road trips” are not really a part of Japanese culture. For a journey of any significant distance the Japanese will almost invariably travel by train. Even if people were inclined to drive, road tolls are prohibitively expensive. Amazingly, and I know this will be hard to believe in Canada, the  Japanese have the wherewithal to operate a train system efficiently without having disastrous accidents every second week or so.

You can almost set your watch by a trains arrival time. I was recently told that passengers debarking a train that was no more than ten minutes late were met at the platform and issued letters they could present to their employers, explaining the reason for their tardiness.

My favorite footwear (Converse canvas tennis shoes), are very reasonably priced in Japan. On impulse I ordered a pair from Amazon Japan in Tokyo on Thursday evening at about ten pm. With free shipping, they were delivered to my door at about eleven am this morning (Saturday). Not bad!

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Although I’d intended to visit Kyoto over the holidays, I decided instead to go to Okayama for a few days. Not only is Kyoto prohibitively expensive during holiday season but it’s quite cold now and I’d sooner see it in the spring when the cherry trees are in blossom (sakura). As I hadn’t left Niimi since arriving in late August though, I was looking forward to getting away for a while; particularly so because I love travelling by train. I find it almost hypnotically soothing to watch the landscape unfold before me while listening to the rhythmic clacking of the rails. From Niimi, Okayama is little more than an hour’s trip. The train pretty much follows the course of the river through the mountains, passing through and stopping at a number of small villages and towns en route. It’s a short but very pretty trip.

Having spent the previous  four months  living in a relatively small town, arriving  was a bit of a jolt. Okayama’s Train station is an important transit hub. In addition to being a major Shinkansen  (bullet train) stop, all trains connecting Honshu and Shikoku via the Great Seto Bridge originate and terminate here. Okayama itself has a population of almost two million. During a holiday, particularly one as important as New Year,  the station is a seething mass of humanity! In the bustling confusion after debarking the train, it took me a few minutes to realize that, to exit the building you need to activate the turnstile with your train ticket. Who knew? Not thinking I’d need it after debarking the train, I really had to scramble to find the ticket.

Stepping out of the station I was greeted with a cold blast of winter air. Directly in front of me was the expansive boulevard I knew from my map to be Momotaro Odori St. Not really an auspicious first impression of a city, it was large, seemingly generic and grey: I knew that within a couple of hundred yards of where I stood there were two McDonalds! But then again, I reminded myself, there is always the legend of Momotaro…

“According to the Japanese fairy tale, an old, childless couple found a peach floating down the river, and inside they found a baby boy. They duly adopted him and named him Momotaro, or (quite literally) “Peach Boy”. As he grew, he began to feel greatly indebted to the couple that raised him, and when he was finally grown, he announced that he would be going on a journey to Onigashima (Demon Island) to fight the demons that had been causing trouble in the nearby villages. The old woman prepared kibi-dango (Okayama’s famous dumplings)  for him to take on his journey and bid him farewell.

On his way to the island, he befriended a dog, a monkey, and a pheasant by giving them each a piece of the kibi-dango. With their help, he defeated the demons; Momotaro took the demons’ treasures back home and gave them to the old couple to thank them for all the things they’d done for him throughout the years. The couple rejoiced that he was back safely, and they all lived happily ever after.”

Momotaro is legendary in Japan and Okayama claims him as “theirs”. When I attended the Daimo (samurai) Parade last October in Niimi, Peach Boy (or someone in a Momotaro costume), was there. My erudite fellow ALT Alex, told me of the legend. I’m glad he did because, as I was walking from the station I noticed the first of the Momotaro statues.  All along the wide boulevard there were statuary of Momotaro and his pals. Look down and there they are on the street manhole covers. I liked it: Along with the trams it humanized what otherwise initially seemed to be a cold and impersonal city.

My hotel, The Koraku, was less than a fifteen minute walk from the station: Pretty much about half-way between the train station and Okayama-Jo (The Crow Castle) and the  Korakuen Garden (said to be one of the three finest gardens in Japan). The staff were attentive and spoke passable English. As I entered my room, tossed my bag on the bed and noticed how perfectly appointed the room was, the thought occurred to me, “This is getting better by the moment”. I was looking forward to doing some sight-seeing, dining on local cuisine, enjoying the night-life and possibly meeting a few people. I’ll write a bit more about that in part two within the next couple of days.

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Incidentally:

Sakura (cherry blossom), is a big thing in Japan. Former JET and ALT, Will Ferguson is a Canadian author who, in a moment of drunken bravado, said he’d hitchhike (not really done in Japan), from the southernmost point  of the country  to the northern tip  of Hokkaido following the progress of the sakura. Having made the commitment, he sets out to do just that. The resulting travel account, “Hitching Rides With Buddha”, is insightful, funny, and at times poignant. I’d unhesitatingly recommend it to anyone with an interest in Japanese culture.

Given that it’s Christmas, I’ve just cracked  a frosty can of Asahi, popped Neville Marriner’s “Messiah” on the IPod dock and settled in to write for a bit on the laptop. Merry Christmas everyone!

Ask any Japanese where Santa Claus lives and the response is instantaneous: Finland. As with Halloween, the Japanese have embraced good old Saint Nick with enthusiasm. A few homes even have Christmas lights up. Rudolph, carrying a heavy load, is the only reindeer the Japanese are familiar with (I never much cared for the Teutonic Team of sleigh-pullers in any case). Rooftop landings do not appear to be a “go” here. Supermarkets have decorated trees and constantly play festive seasonal music. Gift boxes of various liquors, chocolates, coffees and treats are stacked high on display. In deference to the holiday, there are even half-chickens in the meat department. That may not seem like much to you but, in Japan half a chicken is a large and unwieldly  cut of meat clearly desirable and available only on festive occasions. Despite the superficial similarities, Christmas is quite different in Japan: It’s an imported “entertainment”, innocent  of the religious gravitas we are accustomed to here in North America. As you peruse those $15.00 melons in the produce section, pay a little closer attention to those carols wafting through the store. Lots of sleigh bells and Santa Claus but nary a word about mangers or silent evenings. Christmas trees everywhere; but not a creche to be found. I like to think of an imaginary  Japanese “vetting committee”, approving those things they like about Christmas and utterly disregarding those things they don’t:

“This round yon virgin. What is round yon virgin?”

“It seems that crazy gai-jin believe that…”

“No! We go with fat man in red suit”!

“Hai”!

But I digress…

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Lesley suggested that I might write a little about shopping and it seems like a pretty good idea. I’ve previously written a little on the subject so I hope I  don’t repeat myself too much here! There is a smallish mall called The Plaza not even a five minute walk from my apartment. Like most Japanese, I tend to buy groceries on pretty much a daily basis, so I shop there often. The cashiers in the supermarket recognize me and always give a welcoming smile.

When I had a mandatory physical health check recently, the doctor suggested that I’d soon reap the benefits of healthier Japanese diet. That seafood comprises a large part of the Japanese diet is  clearly reflected in the size of any supermarket’s fish department. There are massive quantities of fresh and frozen seafood and even bags of dried finger-length fish. Fresh shellfish, octopus, cuttlefish, squid, herring, mackerel, and salmon (to name but a few) are available daily. The largest fish-market in the world is in Tokyo. On January 4th  2013, a perfect (for sashimi) blue-fin tuna sold there for 1.76 million dollars. One fish! A lot of money for a fish that was, little more than a generation ago, considered to be almost inedible, or at least, undesirable. But again, I digress…

Notwithstanding the health-giving benefits of a diet high in fish consumption, I’m not entirely convinced the Japanese diet is “that” much more salubrious than one from North America. Immediately upon entering The Plaza I find a pastry shop to my immediate left. Striding manfully past that, there is a bakery to my right within about thirty feet. A tad intimidating at first because you have take a platter and tongs and “load up” on your purchases. No big deal once you’ve lost the abject terror of living in a foreign country though! Quite apart from the sweet things, I like the panini’s, mini-pizzas and pastry encrusted sausages with tomato sauce. Delicious, but hardly lo-cal!

At this point, we pick up our shopping basket and enter the supermarket. We are greeted with a large section of pre-cooked meats and fish that have been deep-fried in panko. Again, very tasty but not particularly good for you. Look left and there is the relatively small “supermarket” bakery. A loaf of bread in Japan comprises about six slices, each of which is about twice as thick as an American slice. It’s white: It’s bland. Like “Wonder Bread”. Forget whole wheat, rye or pumpernickel. Don’t even dream about asiago! Ain’t gonna happen!

Spin 45 degrees and there is the liquor section of the store. This is where it gets pretty good. Sho-chu is probably the most popular drink in Japan. It is rice or barley-based, is served in a multitude of ways (straight, with hot or cold water and with club soda), and has an alcohol equivalent on par with wine. It is inexpensive and is sold in bottles or cartons that resemble Canadian milk jugs. Beer tends to be about the same price, more or less, as it is in Canada. It is also ubiquitous in vending machines on pretty much every street corner.  Spirits (Scotch, Vodka etc.) tend to be far less expensive than in Canada. Possibly because they do not have a long and tedious Christian, finger-wagging history of condemnation, the Japanese seem to have no  inclination to “punish” their citizens with onerous “sin taxes”.

Blink, and you will miss the breakfast aisle. Those long lines that include everything from oatmeal and granola to Count Chocula? Gone! Nada!

Similarly, (and I’ve mentioned this before), cheese is not a big deal in Japan. Little bland tinfoil-wrapped packets of cream-cheese. Meh!

The cleaning aisle? Everything is small! Dish-washing soap or laundry detergent; the packages are smaller.

The snack aisle rivals anything we may have in North America. It is huge and  includes everything from lemon-flavored potato chips (awful), to dried fish. I’m fond of a combination of rice crackers, peanuts and dried green peas. Again though, this is hardly lo-cal food.

Moving along, we find ourselves in the produce section. It gets complicated. There are a whole lot of things we have not seen before. Vegetables that just seem a bit strange. Melons, grapes and even apples that, by Canadian standards, are quite expensive. Oranges and bananas seem to be the only fruits that are moderately priced. That’s ok though, I’ll write more soon.

I am off to Okayama tomorrow for a few days. It will be the first time I’ve left Niimi since arriving in late August. I’m looking forward to getting away for a bit!

I’ll post again soon!

Although the term “yankees” (yankiis) as used in Japan,  is certainly derived from the US, it doesn’t directly refer to Americans at all. Yankees, a relatively recent phenomena in Japan, are disaffected and rebellious teenagers who express their dissatisfaction with society in various ways. The attitude seems far more early Elvis and James Dean than 1967 hippie. It’s characterized by a kind of affected insouciance and sneering contempt. In junior high school (where I teach), that can’t be easy. When students are dressed in  clothing  clearly patterned on military uniforms, it must be difficult  to express a sense of individuality.

In fairness to Japanese students, the bar is set pretty high and it is not surprising that some students might adversely react to the high expectations placed upon them.  On any given day the work-load of a Japanese student is at least double that of a North American student: In any given Japanese class, there will probably be a couple of students sleeping at their desks. Not surprising given that they may have spent as many as ten hours in school and then may have attended a night school course on the previous day.

Let me be  clear: Overwhelmingly, the students are great. For me though, Friday classes can be a bit tough; Fifty minutes is a very long time to be standing in front of a class when a “yankee” student is constantly giving you “the finger”.  That’s especially true when the sensei is disinclined to ask you to contribute to the class because she is also intimidated by the “yankee” and, in any case has a pre-existing working relationship with an ALT with more than three years experience (compared with my three “one day a week”, months at that school). It kinda leaves me standing in front of a class with a grin (grimace) on my face and nothing to do. The first responsibility of the sensei however, is to her class, so I’d like to make it clear that I am not in any way being critical and, of late I have noticed that she is making attempts to include me in her lesson plans. Under difficult circumstances she’s doing a great job, and she also happens to be a very  good teacher. The ALT, Nathan (Naizan-san) is from one of my favorite cities, Portland Oregon, and has a great rapport with the students.

The question remains though; what do you do with a kid who constantly shoots his mouth off very loudly, bullies other students, gets up and disruptively strolls around the classroom mid-lesson, and completely refuses to participate in any classroom activities?

I’m perfectly OK with boisterous or high-spirited (genki in Japanese) students; I was pretty “genki” myself as a kid and I should also make it clear that North American teachers face exactly the same, and probably more disciplinary problems than Japanese educators. This behavior however, goes beyond mere youthful exuberance. It compromises the education of the other students in the classroom. One “alpha male” can incite other students, who otherwise might not be inclined to be problematic  in class, to “act up” and abet in really disruptive behavior. You then find yourself dealing with  two or three  kids “acting up” instead of one. It’s not a coincidence that problematic students are found in the same class. I’ve also noticed that these classes tend to lag behind those classes without the hard-core “yankee” students.

I was hoping to write at greater length about a few subjects but have been called upon to speak a bit about Sidney and the S.S.C.A. at tomorrow’s Niimi International Exchange Association annual Christmas party. I must brush up a bit but will post again soon.

Ta for now

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A Day in the Life – Part 1

So I thought I’d talk about the difference between an average school day in Canada and Japan. I guess the best way to explain the most glaring differences between the systems is to narrate a typical day stopping as I go to highlight the points of interest. I should also stress that this is from the point of view of someone working at a rural junior high school. While a lot of what I’ll explain is most likely common throughout the country it would be presumptions of me to declare it the Japanese Way.

I’ll use myself as the main character of this story: Andrew, 26 year old male, mostly trollish in appearance. Our plucky protagonist steps out the door of his old, but oh-so-cheap, apartment and jumps on his bike, ready to start his commute. Without finishing page 1 we’ve already hit upon a difference. While Andrew is afforded the great freedom of choosing which road to take, the option being a high traffic narrow road or a higher traffic narrower road, the students don’t have this luxury. Students that bike to school, which accounts for most of them, are required to follow a predetermined bike route, stay in a single file line, and walk their bikes over all train crossings. “All well and good but impossible to enforce” you say, firm in your beliefs. To make sure this happens, teachers and other community members stand along the bike paths and monitor the students as they make their way to school.

So we’ve made it to school and Andrew parks his bike at the back of the bike parking lot. The bike parking is also enforced. Students are given specific locations to park and it is separated by grade and gender. As Andrew makes his way to the front door he enjoys the sing song “good mornings” of the good students and ohayogozaimasus’ of the lazier lot. It all sounds so perfect, almost staged. That’s because it kind of is. Saying hello in the morning to teachers and other students is something that is judged and graded on each students report card under the heading of aisatsu; greetings. Choosing to believe the students are more interested in an honest hello than getting an A, Andrew makes his way into the school and immediately takes his shoes off. Outdoor shoes are a big no no in a lot of traditional Japanese interiors and the school is no exception. While this might not be a mind blowing revelation perhaps the shoe styles are. No one really cares what you are wearing as long as it’s not the pair you came in with. As such, most teachers just throw on whatever is comfortable, looks be dammed. This creates quite a visual clash where teachers walking around in their Sunday best are also sporting the latest in Hello Kitty slipper fashion.

Andrew is now into the school and enters the staff room. He gives his best ohayogozaimasu and the teachers respond in kind. I don’t think these ones are graded. I’ve never worked as a teacher in Canada so I can’t really speculate on differences within the staffroom but one thing that struck me, from the perspective of a former student, is the free flow of students into and out of the staffroom to talk with or hand things to the teachers. I’ve always remembered the staffroom as being this object of great mystery. The room where teachers plotted and schemed locked away from the prying eyes of students. Hell, it’s more commonly referred to as a teachers lounge. Sounds like a dingy place you’d find off some backstreet. Sign out front neon light with a flickering E. Low lighting, cheap décor, and contemporary Jazz humming low in the background. The aging math teacher, cigar in hand, drunk waltzes over to the young, attractive English teacher marking her stack of essays on a marbled counter top – “What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?”

The first major event of the day is about to begin: the staff meeting. Being that he’s not Japanese and has no real responsibilities or extra curricular activities at the school Andrew spends his time during the staff meetings working on his Japanese listening skills and polishing off a cup of coffee. The morning meeting goes over the basics: the day’s schedule, events past or present, current issues at the school, and student problems around town. Here again is another major departure between Japanese teachers and their western counterparts. A Japanese students’ homeroom teacher is in many ways considered a second parent to the child. They are expected not only to educate the students, but keep up to date with their goings on at home, life, and around the town. In many cases, should a student get in trouble out on the town their homeroom teacher is the first to get a call.  After the meeting ends there’s maybe another 20 minutes or so until the bell chimes (fun fact: many Japanese schools use the chime of Big Ben as the school bell) and it’s on to classes for the day.

The Japanese classroom. Let that idea marinate for a little bit in your head. What are your immediate assumptions? The teacher, sensei, standing proud in front of row after row of a subservient student body. Each part of the cog playing their part. The whole system working in harmonious order. Well I regret to inform you that students are students regardless where you are in the world. For every stereotypical quiet studious Japanese kid there’s either a student that never pays attention, one that never speaks, one you wish would stop speaking, and three sleeping in the back. There’s certainly an overall formality present in a Japanese classroom that isn’t seen at home. For example, I’ve never seen a student late for class and at the beginning and ending of every lesson the students stand in unison and bow. That being said it’s still full of all the tropes you’d expect from the life and times of a Junior High School classroom. Our hero steps into the lions den as the students slowly file back into the class. They’ve taken their seats. Big Ben again rings though the halls, signaling the beginning of the period. The congregation rises, bows, and takes a seat. Andrew takes a breath, dons a smile and starts with a tried and true.

“Good morning everyone!”

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