Tuesday, August 1: Today is my last day in my Fuchinobe Apartment. In the morning, I meet Graham for coffee and hand over my bicycle. Of course, because I give him my bike, I have to walk 20 minutes home in the rain while he rides the bike home. I’m sad to let my trusty bicycle go, but at least I know it will have a good home. 🙂
A little before 2:50 p.m., a Westgate administrator knocks on the door for my apartment inspection; to be honest I’m a little put-off by her nosy questions and her overly thorough investigation of my apartment, almost as if she’s looking for an excuse not to return my deposit! Of course, I have meticulously cleaned it up and don’t leave her any cause to find fault.
ready to go
suitcase packed
futons all folded up
desk & table
Tobi’s apartment inspection was right before mine and he said his was easy with no questions asked. Is it because he is a man and the inspector is a Japanese young woman that he has no problems? I can’t help but wonder.
After the inspection is over and I collect my $500 deposit, Tobi and I share a taxi to the Fuchinobe station in pouring rain. Soon we’re on the Yokohama Line. He’s on his way to Narita Airport. I say my goodbyes to him at Shin-Yokohama, where I’ve arrived in plenty of time for my 4:49 p.m. Shinkansen. It will take me about 3 1/2 hours to get to Hiroshima on the Shinkansen, with an arrival time of 8:26 p.m. I enjoy a small bottle of wine and a Bento box I bought at the station. This is my first ride on the Shinkansen in my four months in Japan, so it’s very exciting to be speeding along at bullet speed through Japan’s cities and countryside.
From Hiroshima Station, I take bus #24 from 8:39-8:51, directly to Hotel Sunroute Hiroshima. I’m so tired when I get to the hotel that I crash almost immediately.
I had hoped to have one and a half days in Hiroshima, but since Westgate scheduled my apartment inspection for so late today, I will now only have one full day here. I hope to squeeze in Miyajima as well.
Monday, July 31: Cheers and welcome to my fourth and final cocktail hour here in Japan. We’re meeting at the local Family Mart again tonight. A few of us have already made a stop at Dai Trattoria (see below – at the end), so we’re slightly looped already. I apologize for getting a head start without you. Sadly, the second plastic chair here has broken; all that’s left is one plastic chair, a small lopsided stool, and a metal chair with the seat falling apart. No matter. We can simply stand and mingle; that makes for a better party anyway. 🙂
Please do tell me about your summer. Have you traveled anywhere exciting over the summer months? Have you seen any good movies? Watched any good TV shows or read any good books? Have you eaten fresh fruits and vegetables, or visited any pretty gardens? Have you done anything exciting, or even anything quietly enjoyable? I love how we can slow down in summer without making any excuses. I don’t care for summer in general because of the heat and humidity, but I do like the laid-back vibe of a summer vacation.
I finished my semester teaching at the university. On August 1, I’ll have my apartment inspection, get the 50,000 yen that was withheld from my last paycheck, and then I’ll be on the Shinkansen for Hiroshima. I’ll travel around Japan for one week, then I’ll head back to the USA on August 8.
The biggest challenges I had to deal with my last month of teaching in Japan were: 1) marking 55 final essays; 2) dealing with the heat; 3) planning my one week trip around Japan from August 1-8; 4) trying to see all the things in the Tokyo area I wanted to see before leaving Japan; and 5) wrapping up everything so I can leave Japan on August 8.
Here are some of the tidbits of my last month in Japan, as well as a few observations about Japanese culture.
Tuesday, July 4: I love the Japanese postal system. If the post office has a letter to deliver that needs a signature, or if they have a package to deliver, they leave a postal slip in your door slot and you can call them on an English-only number to arrange a time for them to try again. They will schedule the delivery at a time that’s convenient for you. They’ll deliver as late as 6-8 pm on a weeknight, or any time on Saturdays or Sundays, giving you a two-hour time slot. The other thing they’ll do is come to your house to pick up a box you have to send. Today, I arranged with the post office to pick up my first box to send back home by surface. It’s outrageously expensive to send a package by air+sea, and even more expensive to send one by air, so I chose to send it by surface (11.5 kg) for 7,450 yen (~$68). Add about $100 for air+sea and about $200 by air! It’s so convenient, but then of course, the Japanese are all about convenience. 🙂
Wednesday, July 5: I have become quite a regular at Kenji’s fish restaurant, Kiyariya, which I pass as I walk my 30-minute walk home each night. It’s not cheap, usually costing me about $16, but the food is so good that I’m happy to splurge at least once a week. I love the eggplant dish soaked in oil with fresh grated radishes. Tonight I get the grilled salmon and eggplant, accompanied by a cold beer. Every time I leave the restaurant, Natsumi, the server, or Kenji, the owner, walk out with me and say, “See you next week!”
Thursday, July 6: Thursday nights seem to be our nights for cocktail hours at the Family Mart. Tonight Graham and I go; as always we enjoy ourselves over cold beer and talk of teaching and politics. 🙂 I love these nights because they’re easygoing, not at all pretentious, and cheap. As we sit outside the Family Mart in our plastic chairs, students often walk past and stop for a chat.
Friday, July 7: My other regular place is the Indian restaurant Curry Naan, where I always enjoy vegetable curry, a HUGE naan, a salad, and cold beer that, when bought with the meal, costs only 100 yen (less than $1!). As always, Beatles music is playing on the sound system. Tonight, it’s:
Jojo was a man who thought he was a loner
But he knew it wouldn’t last
Jojo left his home in Tucson, Arizona
For some California grass
Get back, get back
Get back to where you once belonged
I enjoy my meal in the cool dark atmosphere while listening to “Eleanor Rigby,” “I am the Walrus,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Something,” “Help,” “Yesterday,” “Strawberry Fields Forever,” and “Lucy in the Sky with the Diamonds.”
Who would ever imagine an Indian restaurant in a Japanese city with a Japanese chef playing non-stop Beatles music?
Dinner at Curry Naan
Tuesday, July 11: One of the projects I assigned my students was to create inventions. They were to come up with a product, create a poster, and then do a sales pitch in front of the class. Below are the products they created, which I thought were quite fun and original. 🙂
Inventions
Click on any of the following pictures for a full-sized slide show.
All my students had to turn in their final essays (after one revision) by Friday, July 7. I have had a rule while teaching in Japan that I would get all my work done, both marking and planning, during our 9-hour workdays. I rarely take work home with me. I figure if I have to be in the office 9 hours every day, I should be able to manage my time effectively enough to do this. As of Tuesday, July 11, I have finished marking class G essays (18). I celebrate by having dinner at Kiyariya once again. 🙂
Wednesday, July 12: Most days, I eat lunch in the student cafeteria, where we can get cheap hot meals. I tend to go for the soba topped with vegetable tempura for 290 yen ($2.63). The process is to go to a ticket machine where we pay for a ticket for whatever meal we want. Then we take the ticket to the window, shown below, where we lay the ticket on the counter and wait to be served our steaming bowl of noodles. I always feel like I am in line for the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld, although the ladies are always perfectly nice, unlike the actual Soup Nazi. Usually I ask for “skoshi,” which apparently means a small amount of liquid (i.e., mostly noodles). The ladies always know what we mean and serve us our soup accordingly.
Waiting in line for my soba with vegetable tempura
Thursday, July 13: Yet another fun Thursday happy hour at the Family Mart with Graham and Paul.
Monday, July 17: On this Monday night, which is actually a national holiday (we don’t get it off), Graham and Paul try to take me to their favorite izakaya, or Japanese gastropub. Sadly, maybe because of the holiday, or maybe because it’s a Monday, the place is closed, so we go instead to Jonathan’s for dinner. Jonathan’s is a lot like a Denny’s in the U.S.A. As always, we have a fabulous time.
Tuesday, July 18: Today, I send a second box home to USA by surface. I have to get a box from the post office, using the following Google translate message. This time it costs me 7,800 yen (~$71) for a 13kg box.
Google translation
Wednesday, July 19: My time in Japan is winding down. I go to dinner at Kiyariya, where I enjoy grilled salmon, eggplant and beer. I tell Kenji and Natsumi I’ll only be back in one more time. Once again, Natsumi walks out with me and tells me they are going to miss me. 🙂
Thursday, July 20: Graham and Paul have to attend a meeting with Reiko, our curriculum adviser, about the fall semester. The meeting goes on for quite a long time. Tobi and I wait and wait for them at the Family Mart; after a while, we give up waiting, leave, and end up having dinner at Curry Naan. While waiting at the Family Mart, we wonder about this very strange poster on the Family Mart window.
strange sign at the Family Mart
One of my favorite snacks in Japan is onigiri; the snack is made from white rice formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes and often wrapped in nori (seaweed). My favorite onigiri are filled with salted salmon, shrimp or tuna with mayonnaise. Because of onigiri’s popularity in Japan, most convenience stores stock their onigiri with various fillings and flavors. This is a picture of one of my favorites, shrimp with mayonnaise.
one of my favorite snacks – shrimp with mayonnaise
Friday, July 21: On my last Friday when walking to the university, I finally stop to take a photo of these colorful houses I have passed every day. I’ve been thinking about doing this all semester, and I finally get around to it on my next to the last day of teaching. I love the laundry hanging outside.
colorful houses I pass everyday on my way to work
Today, my “I” class wants to start taking pictures, even though it’s not even our last day. In case you don’t remember, my “I” class is my most rambunctious and difficult to control class, the one that gives me too many challenges to count. Taken individually, they are each great, but as a group, they are out of control.
My I class girls
I class girls
I class girls
While Graham, Tobi and I are having lunch out at the picnic table, my two students Emiko and Rena, from my “I” class, stop by to join us and take some pictures. These two girls were Graham’s students last year and mine this year.
Rena, Graham, me and Emiko
Monday, July 24: Today is our last day of classes! I am so excited that I never again have to walk 30 minutes to the university on steamy days, only to arrive at work to find there is little to no air-conditioning. My classroom is always an oven upon my arrival. We have been told throughout the semester that the university must save money on energy costs since the tsunami and earthquake of 2011, which damaged the Fukushima Daiichi plant and caused a nuclear emergency. Thus, our office is always warm, and the university doesn’t turn on the air-conditioning in the classrooms until class begins. We’re told they’re supposed to turn it on automatically at the minute class starts, and turn it off the minute class ends. However, they never do, and I always have to ask one of my students to call using the classroom phone.
For some reason the students find it really funny that I’m always hot and want the air conditioning on. That despite them coming in dripping in sweat, fanning themselves frantically, and complaining about the heat. As the person at the other end of the line is Japanese, I always ask my students to call. However, we are told in one of our staff meetings that the administrative people have complained about students calling. They say students call asking for the air-conditioning to be turned on, and then call again to ask for it to be turned off, all within the same classroom and period. So, our program coordinator tells us we must call ourselves. She tells us to say, “Air con mo skoshi suyoi shitte onagaishimus.” The problem with this is that the person on the other end starts rattling off some long sentences in Japanese, and I never know what they’re saying. So I end up putting my students on the phone after all. What a ridiculous rule!
Below are 6 of the 8 boys from Class “I” with me, pretending to make the ridiculous air-con call!
I class boys and me calling about the air conditioning
I gave each class a choice as to what we would do on our last day of class. My “I” class chose to play games and to bring their own snacks. We played several rounds of crazy Pictionary, where team members chose mismatched slips of paper, such as “alligator — does jumping jacks.” It’s fun, but after a while the students just want to take pictures, which they do.
I class boys
I class
I class
I class
I class
My H class is always super organized and responsible, and they show their personality in our end-of-semester party. They bring in a large pizza order, collect money, set up a group of tables and organize the chairs around it. They are totally in charge, and I don’t have to lift a finger. We all eat, laugh, and talk while they play their favorite music. It’s my last class of the day and we have a great time.
H class
H class
H class
Sayuri, me and Shoma
Kaai
Funny girls from H class
H class board
My G class is my quiet class, and they plan their day in the typical “quiet” fashion that reveals their group personality. They order several pizzas which they place at the front of the class. They also bring the movie, Frozen, which they watch quietly for the entire 90 minute class.
G class
Tuesday, July 25: On Tuesday, we go into the office to clean up all of our stuff. After cleanup, some of us have lunch together at Jonathan’s: Rob, Tobi, Joe and me. The others have to attend a meeting about next fall semester, but we don’t have to go as we won’t be returning to AGU.
Wednesday, July 26: On Wednesday morning I take a walk in the rain with Graham in the forest at Aihara. In the evening, I enjoy my last meal at Kiyariya — eggplant, beer and barracuda.
The bar at Kiyariya
fish on the spit
barracuda
Thursday, July 27: Today, we have individual meetings with our Program Coordinator and Curriculum Advisor near Ueno in Tokyo. Here, we discuss the grades of individual students. After our separate meetings, Paul and I walk to the tapas bar, Vinul’s. On our way, we pass through Ueno Park, where we admire the lotuses blooming at Shinobazu Pond.
lotus flowers at Shinobazu Pond at Ueno Park
lotus flowers at Shinobazu Pond at Ueno Park
lotus flowers at Shinobazu Pond at Ueno Park
lotus flowers at Shinobazu Pond at Ueno Park
lotus flowers at Shinobazu Pond at Ueno Park
We get a table outside at Vinul’s and snack on tapas and drink wine. Since Graham’s meeting follows ours, he joins us later. We enjoy our fabulous farewell dinner. Sadly, I won’t see Paul again, but I’ll see Graham on Tuesday, when I give him my bicycle.
Graham and Paul at Vinul’s
Graham, me and Paul at Vinul’s
walking to the station after Vinul’s
Monday, July 31: One thing I haven’t written about was an encounter I had on May 6, when I went to a Meetup at the Knight’s Club in Sagamihara. It was run by a Californian who has an English school upstairs and a bar downstairs. There I met a fantastic Japanese lady, Reiko, who speaks perfect English and who has traveled all over the world. She immediately added me on Facebook and we started chatting with each other. We even spent a day shopping together on a rainy Sunday in late June.
My colleague Tobi is a single guy and I thought he and Reiko might enjoy meeting each other. After many failed attempts to introduce them to each other, I finally gave up and just gave each of them each other’s contact information. They finally started chatting and then met for dinner.
Tonight, I meet them at Dai Trattoria, where we enjoy a fun evening eating pizza, drinking wine, laughing and chatting. Sadly, though I have pictures, they won’t allow me to post them. 😦
Later, Reiko takes one of the pictures she took of me and dolls me up with a silly photo app. These are the photos she sends me.
me at Dai
Flower power
top hat
girl with a bow
Tomorrow, August 1, I’ll have my apartment inspection, leave the apartment for good, and take my first Shinkansen to Hiroshima. I’m going to miss so much about Japan, but not my tiny rabbit hut and not my job.
Here are a few observations about Japan:
Japan has the best public transportation system I’ve ever encountered. The trains are always on time, to the minute, so much so that you can set your clock by them. I love how, in Tokyo, white-gloved train conductors stand on the platform, pointing left and right to check that the platform is clear as the train pulls into the station. After the doors to the train close, they do the same routine again, followed by blowing a whistle to signal to the person driving the train. It’s amazing to watch.
As much as I like the trains, however, I hate the crowded trains and will do almost anything to avoid them. For example, there’s a Rapid Express Odakyu train from Machida to Shinjuku, which makes only a few stops as it makes its way to the center of Tokyo. That train is so crowded that people almost always have to stand. I try to avoid that train as it makes me claustrophobic. Sometimes I pay extra for the Romancecar, which travels the same route, has reserved seats and makes no stops. Or, I take the Yokohama Line to Nagatsuta Station, where I take the Tokyu-Den-entoshi Line to Shibuya. I almost always get a seat on this line.
I love how Japan is so clean everywhere. Rarely does one see a piece of trash on the street. Everything is neat and orderly. However, the one thing that baffles me is why there are no trash cans anywhere! If I get a snack when I’m out and about, there is no place to throw the wrapping. Or if I get a plastic bottle of water, there is no place to toss the bottle when I’m finished. I must schlep my trash around with me all day. I’ve resorted to tossing my trash in the tiny trash cans in the ladies’ restrooms. When I told my students about my frustrations regarding this, they told me that the Japanese government worries about bombs being left in trash cans. Thus they don’t put trash cans anywhere. I don’t know if this is true, or if the government just doesn’t want to pay people to empty trash cans. It’s very frustrating.
The bathrooms in Japan are fantastic. Even public bathrooms are generally clean and well-maintained. Rarely have I come to a dirty toilet or one without full rolls of toilet paper. Many toilets are of the electronic variety — bidet toilets, commonly called washlets — in many places. These offer warmed seats, as well as deodorizing and bidet washings. Sometimes when you sit on a toilet, a sound system plays bird songs and flowing stream sounds, as if you’re out in nature. Besides the cleanliness and fancy toilet gadgetry, the toilets are ubiquitous. At every metro station, both inside and outside the gate, is a public toilet. Also, 7-11s or Family Marts are on many street corners, where bathrooms are readily available for public use. Especially at tourist spots and temples, toilets are abundant. Why is it that other countries, most notably the U.S.A., seem embarrassed to admit the need for human beings to use a toilet?? I know that on the Washington metro, there are no toilets inside or outside the gate of a station. If a person has to go to the bathroom when riding the metro, he/she has to leave the station and find a Starbucks, a McDonald’s or some other kind of restaurant; since restaurants near the metro don’t want people using their toilets willy-nilly, they often require the patrons to buy something to get a code to open the bathroom door. It’s utterly ridiculous not to openly recognize that human beings need to relieve themselves periodically!
I love how shopkeepers always greet people with a sing-song welcome and a bow. The bowing continues in perpetuity, that is until the customer walks out the door of the shop. It’s such respectful behavior toward one’s fellow human beings. We certainly don’t have that level of kindness in the U.S. these days.
Here’s a sign I found on one of the trains in Japan: “Please move to the other side of the door immediately after alighting.” I love it – “alighting.” 🙂
In every country where I’ve lived so far, it’s been a simple and straightforward thing to wire money home to my bank account in the U.S.A. However, it’s quite an ordeal in Japan, at least at Japan Post, where I have my account. They take forever to get the wire transfer set up, and then they tell you that they will need 6 or 7 days to complete the transfer. This is unbelievable in a developed country like Japan. I never had any problem transferring money in Oman or China (not considered developed countries), or even in Korea; in all of these countries the money was in my account within hours after I sent it. I thought Japan Post was possibly exaggerating the time to protect themselves, but in fact, the process did take seven days!
I don’t like the workaholic nature of Japanese society. Most people seem to commute long hours and work long hours, with little complaint. I found my students don’t envision this life for themselves. I hated the expectations placed on us as teachers. That’s why I was determined to keep a work-life balance, never taking work home with me. Most of my colleagues worked during week, plus took work home with them. I simply refused to do it, and I still managed to get all my work done.
Though I generally managed to eat healthy while in Japan, I found the array of available unhealthy snacks confounding, and tempting. I developed some bad snacking habits, especially with ice cream or pudding. My students often acted like our classroom was a cafeteria. They’d bring snacks, Bento boxes, ramen noodles, anything a person could eat, into the classroom, and ravenously gobble down their food throughout the class session. I’ve never seen anything like it!
It was a short but fantastic experience living in Japan. I hope someday to return as a tourist, as there is so much to see and do. I’m sure I barely touched the country and the culture in my four-month stay. In addition to simply traveling around, I hope one day to do the 88-temple walk in Shikoku. 🙂
Wednesday, July 26: Today is the first day I have off from work after our last day of classes on Monday. On Tuesday, we had to go into the office to clear out all our belongings. After doing that, a group of us — Rob, Joe, Tobi and me — had lunch together at Jonathan’s. The rest of the crew, the five teachers who will return to the university in September, had a meeting about the fall semester, so they couldn’t come along. This was to be the last time I would see Joe and Rob. I would see Tobi on the day of our apartment inspection, when we planned to share a taxi together to Fuchinobe Station.
On Tuesday afternoon, I spent the day packing my belongings into two big suitcases that I’ll send via delivery service to the airport on Monday, July 31. Those two bags will be held at the airport for a week as I travel around Japan. All I’ll carry for my week of travel is my carry-on bag. Carrying a week’s worth of clothing in one carry-on is something I’ve never done before. A light packer I’m not!
Graham and I had arranged to meet at Aihara Station this morning to take a walk through some wooded paths in Aihara, just a couple of stations from Fuchinobe. It is forecast to rain, but ever hopeful, we go ahead and meet anyway. As we walk to the Family Mart to have a coffee before our walk, a steady rain begins.
Aihara Station
We are both dressed for the rain, so we decide to go on our walk anyway. Shortly after getting on the path, we see a brown speckled creature hopping into the grass. I try to capture the frog with my camera, but he’s too clever for me. He’s quick to move into camouflage mode among the dried leaves and grass.
a frog in the grass
Before we reach the forest, we come upon some well-tended community gardens and a field of wildflowers.
community garden in Aihara
fronds
community garden
the rainy day path
signpost
wildflowers and colorful houses
raindrops on flowers
rainy day yellows
We continue our walk through the woods and gardens and stop to admire views of colorful Aihara along the way. Walking along the slippery slopes in the rain might be refreshing if it weren’t so hot.
Graham loves getting out in nature and, coming from Britain as he does, loves summer. He and I have had an ongoing battle during the last two months as temperatures have climbed in Sagamihara. I hate heat and humidity and prefer cool or even cold weather, while Graham adores the humid heat. He even loves sweating! We joked often about our love for opposite weather extremes. There is no way to change someone’s mind about how they feel in certain weather; neither of us has had any hopes of changing the other’s mind!
field in Aihara
We find a spider web glistening with raindrops in the community garden.
spider web raindrops
community garden
field of dreams
I still have a lot of packing to do, so we decide to head back to the station, passing by the cute houses in Aihara. One has some onions hanging outside in a mesh bag and a bicycle parked in the carport.
mesh bag of onions
bicycle at a house in Aihara
Some houses even look like mini Italian villas.
an Aihara villa
After our walk, we ride the train together in our wet and muddy shoes to Graham’s stop at Sagamihara. I continue to Fuchinobe, where I still have to ride my bicycle home in the rain. I spend the rest of the afternoon packing my two suitcases. In the evening, I go out for my last dinner at Kiyariya.
I must have every last thing cleared out of my apartment by Tuesday’s inspection, so I have to hand off things to my colleagues who are staying, or dispose of them. On Thursday, I’m scheduled to go into Tokyo to go over my students’ grades with our Program Coordinator; after the meeting Graham, Paul and I will go to Vinul’s in Ueno for tapas and wine. From Friday to Sunday, I’m going north of Tokyo to visit Nikko, a World Heritage site. On Monday, my bags have to be ready for pickup, and on Tuesday, I’ll leave for my one-week holiday!
Sunday, July 23: I have wanted to return to Yokohama to visit the Yamate Bluff for a long time. After visiting Ofuna and the bamboo garden at Hokokuji Temple in Kamakura, I head to Ishikawacho Station on the JR Negishi Line. Frankly, I’m exhausted from my busy day yesterday, as well as my outings today, but I’m determined to visit at least a small bit of this place. I probably could spend a whole day here, but alas, it’s not to be.
For most of the Edo Period (1603-1867), Japan isolated itself from the outside world. When the period of isolation ended after the 1850s, Yokohama was one of the few port towns where foreigners were allowed to reside. Many traders looking to find business and profits in the newly opened country moved into the hills of the Yamate area, known as “The Bluff.” Most of the homes and buildings in this residential district for Westerners were built after the Kanto Earthquake of 1923; today, some of them are designated as historical sites. Yamate is now mainly a hilly residential area with leafy parks, international schools and churches. It is still a residential area for Westerners.
It’s 3:23 when I make my way up a very steep hill to Bluff No. 18, a building sitting pretty in the Yamate Italian Garden. It was first built at the end of the Taisho period (1912-1926) as a foreigners’ residence after the Great Kanto Earthquake. After World War II and until 1991, the house served as the parish house of the Yamate Catholic Church; it was moved to its current location and restored in 1993.
Bluff No. 18: Museum of Bluff Area Housing
I have a great view of colorful Yokohama from the Bluff.
View of Yokohama from the Bluff
Bluff No. 18: Museum of Bluff Area Housing
The lifestyle in a foreigner’s home during the reconstruction period after the Great Kanto Earthquake is recreated inside the house. Reproduced classic Yokohama-style furniture reflects the interiors of that day.
Dining room in the museum
Living room in the Museum
sailing ship in the museum
bedroom in the museum
The Diplomat’s House served as the residence of Uchida Sadatsuchi (1865-1942), a diplomat of the Meiji government, who held various important positions such as Ambassador to Turkey and Consulate General in New York. The house was originally built in the American Victorian style at Nanpeidai in the Shibuya Ward of Tokyo by the American architect James Gardiner. It was moved to the Italian Garden and designated as a National Important Cultural Property in 1997.
The Uchidas’ Former Residence: Home of a Diplomat
The Uchidas’ Former Residence & Yamate Italian Hill Garden
The Uchidas’ Former Residence
I’m not sure what this blue building is, but it sure is pretty.
Universal Arts
There are many more historical sites in the former foreign settlement of Yamate, but I’m hot and exhausted and it’s getting late in the day. I’m still hoping to see the Foreigner’s Cemetery, but first I have to walk down Motomachi Shopping Street, which runs parallel to the Nakamura River. The street served the needs of the first foreign residents of Yokohama, and introduced many products to Japan.
Motomachi shopping street
Nowadays it seems similar to other shopping streets in Japan but with a slightly European feel. There are a large number of high-end fashion shops, hair salons, florists, home decor and souvenir shops, as well as cafes and restaurants.
Florist on Motomachi shopping street
Florist on Motomachi shopping street
Motomachi shopping street
Motomachi shopping street
Motomachi shopping street
Motomachi shopping street
Motomachi shopping street
By the time I arrive at the Foreigners’ Cemetery, it’s 4:09, and I’m kindly informed by an older gentleman at the gate that the cemetery closed at 4:00. He allows me to take a photo of two tombstones and then I have to be on my way.
The cemetery dates back to 1854, when a sailor, Robert Williams, on Commodore Perry’s flagship The Mississippi died after a fall on the ship’s second voyage to Japan. Commodore Perry, the American navy officer who forced Japan to open its ports, asked permission from the Japanese shogunal authorities to bury that sailor on a hill overlooking the water and to provide a resting place for any future Americans who died in Japan. A few months later, a couple of Russian sailors were buried as well. In 1861, part of the grounds of Zotokuin Temple were set aside and have since become the Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery. Today, a small section of the 4,200 graves can be visited, and the inscriptions often offer an interesting glimpse into the life of the interred (japan-guide.com: Yamate and Motomachi and Japan Visitor: Yamate the Bluff District Yokohama).
Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery
The worst thing about my unfortunate arrival time at the cemetery is that I had to climb a very steep hill to get here, so I’m sweaty, hot and irritable. I decide it’s time to call it a day. It’s a shame I won’t have time to see all of Yamate Bluff, but at least I have a general idea of what it’s like.
I make my way back to Motomachi Shopping Street and the train station through the largest park in Yamate, the Harbor View Park, which is named after the view that the park affords onto the water and the Yokohama Bay Bridge.
view of Yokohama from Harbor View Park
view of Yokohama from Harbor View Park
view of Yokohama from Harbor View Park
view of Yokohama from Harbor View Park
windmill in Harbor View Park
Harbor View Park
Harbor View Park
Harbor View Park
Harbor View Park
Harbor View Park
On Motomachi Shopping Street, I stop in for a rest and an iced coffee at a cute little cafe. Then I get on the train and return home to Fuchinobe to prepare for my last day of class tomorrow. I can’t believe my time in Japan is almost over. 😦
Sunday, July 23: After leaving Ofuna, I take the train to Kamakura Station on my way to Hokokuji Temple. Also known as Take-dera (bamboo temple), it is famous for the beautiful bamboo grove behind the main hall.
The temple is quite far from the station, so I take a crowded bus there. At the temple gate, a young couple in yukata coming out of the temple seem a bit chagrined when I snap a photo of them.
Hokokuji Temple Gate
It’s been spitting rain a bit as I’ve walked to the temple, but the rain hasn’t eased the heat at all. I’m tempted to walk up the stairs of a mossy hill, but I follow the main path instead.
stairway through moss-covered rocks
Along the main path is a pretty rock garden. I always love these gardens that have been meticulously and artistically raked by the monks.
rock garden at Hokokuji
Hokokuji Temple rock garden
Hokokuji Temple rock garden
Zen rocks
The sound of water flowing from a bamboo spout makes for a peaceful and serene atmosphere, a perfect escape from the hubbub of Kamakura city.
a water spout to a pond
I find one small grove of bamboo along the main path to the temple, but this isn’t the main bamboo garden.
a small grove of bamboo
Hokokuji Temple belongs to the Zen Kenchoji Temple of the Rinzai Sect. It was established by the priest Tengan Eko in 1334 — a time of great turbulence and unrest in Japan — to commemorate Ashikaga Ietoki, grandfather of Takauji, first of the Ashikaga shoguns. The principal image enshrined in the main hall is Shaka-nyorai-zazo (sitting Shakyamuni), which is designated as a cultural property by Kamakura city. The temple has many other treasures designated as important cultural properties, such as statues of Butsujo-zenji (the posthumous title of Tengan Eko) and Kasho-Sonjazo, a disciple of Buddha.
The main hall of Hokokuji Temple originally had a thatched roof. However, it was destroyed by the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923.
The main building of Hokokuji Temple
Today, only the bell tower has a quaint-looking thatched roof.
Bell Tower at Hokokuji Temple
Near the Bell Tower is a circle of moss-covered Jizo statues.
Jizo statues
There is a small stone garden with mossy stones that has a serene Zen atmosphere.
rock garden at Hokokuji Temple
rock garden at Hokokuji Temple
Hokokuji Temple
A yagura is a cave to accommodate tombs; these at Hokokuji reportedly hold the ashes of the Ashikaga family, including Ietoki, who died by seppuku (ritual suicide).
Tombs of Ashikagas
green blossoms
Behind the main hall, there once was an annex in which Butsujo-zenji, the posthumous title of the priest who founded this temple, used to have Buddhist training and write poems. His Toki-Shu, a manuscript of Chinese poems, and his wooden stamp are now preserved in the Kamakura Museum; they are specified as important cultural properties by the Japanese government.
The site of the annex is where the bamboo grove is now. About 2000 thick moso bamboo reach densely to the sky in the garden. Moso bamboo is a temperate species of giant timber bamboo native to China and Taiwan and naturalized elsewhere. This bamboo can reach heights of up to 28 m (92 ft) (Wikipedia: Phyllostachys edulis).
garden backed by bamboo
The bamboo garden at Hokokuji Temple
bamboo garden at Hokokuji Temple
bamboo garden at Hokokuji Temple
bamboo garden at Hokokuji Temple
bamboo garden at Hokokuji Temple
path through the bamboo
moss-covered sages
bamboo garden at Hokokuji Temple
bamboo garden at Hokokuji Temple
bamboo garden at Hokokuji Temple
After wandering around the bamboo grove for a while, I make my way back to the main road where I can catch the bus. A long line of people is already queued up, and I wonder if I’ll even get on the bus with such a long line. Luckily I see a restaurant next to the bus stop. As it’s after 1:30, I’m hungry, hot and thirsty, so I order a cool orange Hi-C and a shrimp tempura set meal. It’s the perfect escape from the heat and the crowds.
a cool Hi-C
shrimp tempura set meal
After lunch, I take the bus back to Kamakura Station, where I head to Yokohama. There, I plan to visit Yamate Bluff, a famous foreigner’s residential area.
Sunday, July 23: Every time I’ve taken the train down to Kamakura, I’ve passed by an interesting white statue on a hillside near the Ofuna station. Today, I head down to Kamakura for one last visit before leaving the Tokyo area. On the way, I get off the train at Ofuna and make my way across a busy intersection and to the hill, where I climb up to see the statue face-to-face.
I couldn’t find much information online about the Ofuna Kannon-ji Temple, but I find when I arrive that the temple plays a role in promoting world peace, especially following the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. I’m moved by the temple’s serenity and its message of hope.
Construction of the Ofuna Kannon-ji Temple began in 1929 with local volunteers expressing a prayer for peace, but by 1934, only the profile of the statue was complete. Due to the social conditions and material shortages, construction was put on hold before completion.
at the entrance to the Ofuna Kannon-ji Temple
fruit drying at Ofuna Kannon-ji Temple
fruits drying in the sun at Ofuna Kannon-ji Temple
dried fruits at Ofuna Kannon-ji Temple
drying fruit at Ofuna Kannon-ji Temple
After the war, Rosen Takashina, the chief abbot of the Soto School, and others took charge of establishing the Ofuna Kannon-ji Temple Association. With donations generously given by a large number of supporters, the current white-robed statue depicting the Guanyin Bodhisattva (approximately 25m tall and 19m wide) was finally completed in 1960 and the Ofuna Kannon-ji Temple of the Soto School was established in 1981.
lanterns lining the walkway at Ofuna Kannon-ji Temple
In addition to the striking Guanyin Bodhisattva, there are also statues for child-raising and to ward off evil.
statue at Ofuna Kannon-ji Temple
In addition, there is a monument to victims of the atomic bomb and a stone toro-style lamp named the Genbaku-no-hi, or “fire of the atom bomb,” which signifies prayers for eternal peace.
A plaque at the memorial says: “The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima brought death to hundreds of thousands of citizens. The flame taken from that conflagration, burning in ‘deep seated pain in memory’ of those who were killed, has been kept burning at Hoshino-mura Village in Fukuoka Prefecture. This flame was lit from that flame and is placed here as a symbol of our yearning for lasting peace. To commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, August 6 and 9, 1945. Kanagawa Association of A-bomb Sufferers, July 29, 1990.”
Atomic Bomb memorial & Genbaku-no-hi
Atomic Bomb flame – Genbaku-no-hi
Atomic Bomb memorial
origami cranes for peace
origami cranes for peace
Jizo statue at Ofuna Kannon-ji Temple
ema at Ofuna Kannon-ji Temple
Guanyin Bodhisattva
lanterns along the walkway
Guanyin Bodhisattva
Guanyin Bodhisattva
origami cranes
Jizo statues
altar in the shrine
I love this statue and am so glad I finally get to see it up close instead of from the train window as I whiz past.
Guanyin Bodhisattva
Guanyin Bodhisattva
water pavilion
ema at Ofuna Kannon-ji Temple
Ofuna Kannon-ji Temple
Guanyin Bodhisattva as seen from the walkway
Guanyin Bodhisattva as seen from afar
Guanyin Bodhisattva on the hill in Ofuna
Guanyin Bodhisattva on the hill in Ofuna
I have another busy day planned today. I’m desperate to squeeze every last thing out of the Tokyo area that I can! After leaving Ofuna, I’m heading to the Kamakura Bamboo temple, Hokoku-ji Temple. After that, I’ll stop in at Yokohama to visit the Yamate Bluff. 🙂
Sunday, July 2: After lunch, we get on the train for one stop to Kita-Kamakara to visit Engakuji, one of the leading Zen temples in Eastern Japan and the second of Kamakura’s five great Zen temples. The temple was founded in 1282 by the high-ranking priest, Mugaku Sogen (Bukko Kokushi), who arrived in Japan from China, where he was born. He committed himself to ascetic practices to become a priest at the age of 12.
The temple’s patron was Hojo Tokimune of the Kamakura Shogunate, who played an important role in the battles against Mongolia. Engakuji was built mainly to honor the war dead from both sides of the conflict.
The first main structure encountered upon entering the temple grounds is the Sanmon main gate, which dates from 1785. The framed calligraphy reading “Engaku Kosho Zenji” was written by the retired Emperor Fushimi. Statues of the Eleven-Faced Kannon (Bodhisattva) and the Sixteen Lakans (Saints) are on the upper floor.
I love encountering old weathered temples and gates in Japan. So many temples and buildings are shiny and spiffy because of being rebuilt after Japan’s fires, earthquakes and wars; it’s always nice to find an original building.
Sanmon (Main Gate)
Engakuji endured several major fires as well as periods of decline. Priest Seisetsu at the end of the Edo Era (1603 – 1868) reconstructed the monastery to consolidate the foundation into Engakuji’s present form. In the Meiji Era (October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912), many unsui (zen novices) and koji (lay trainees) came to practice Zen meditation, making Engakuji the center of Zen gatherings in the Kanto area. Today, with its Zen meditation halls, variety of Zen meditation sessions, and summer courses, this temple is loved by many and is known as “The Temple of Spirit” (From a pamphlet distributed by the temple).
Sanmon (Main Gate)
details – Sanmon (Main Gate)
The Butsuden Hall, or Main Hall, beyond the Sanmon Gate, peeks out from behind a stand of junipers. The original was destroyed by the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923; the 1964 hall was reconstructed of reinforced concrete. Its actual design, though, is an exact copy of an old plan from 1573. On the ceiling is a painting of a dragon among clouds, Unryu no Zu (kcn-net.org: Kita-Kamakura area).
the Butsuden, or Main Hall
Dragon on the ceiling of the Main Hall
Dragon painting
A seated statue of Hokan Shaka Nyorai in the center of the hall was made in the late Kamakura period (1185/92-1333). The attendants, Bonten (梵天) and Taishakuten (帝釈天), were made in 1692 (kcn-net.org: Kita-Kamakura area). Hokan Shaka Nyorai is the principal object of worship of Engakuji.
Hokan Shaka Nyorai
screen in the Butsuden
storm drain patterns 🙂
Kojirin is a Zen meditation hall for Koji, or lay trainees of Zen. Here Zen meditation sessions are held for the public.
Kojirin
hydrangea-lined pathway at Engakuji
on the grounds of Engakuji
Shozokuin is a hermitage honoring the grave of the founder and Zen Master, Mugaku Sogen (Bukko Kokushi). It was built in the 5th year of the Koan Era (February 1278 – April 1288). Today, it is a Zen training hall for Zen novices.
Shozokuin
monuments at Engakuji
monuments at Engakuji
monuments at Engakuji
Originally, the Hojo, or Abbot’s Quarters, was a lounge for the abbot of Engakuji but it is now used for numerous functions such as religious rituals, Zen meditation sessions, sermons, the Summer Lecture Series, and the Autumn Treasure Exhibition.
Hojo
Hojo
Hojo
The Shariden is a sacred hall that holds a tooth of the Buddha offered to Minamoto no Sanetomo by Noninji of China. Built in the Kara style introduced from China in the Kamakura Era, the beauty of this building’s architecture has led it to be designated as a National Treasure.
Shariden (National Treasure)
other buildings on the grounds of Engakuji – photo by Tobias Manthey
Monuments at Engakuji
Back to the Sanmon, or Main Gate
After walking around the grounds of Engakuji, Tobi and I take the train back to Fuchinobe where we part ways. On my bicycle, I make a stop at Gourmet City for some groceries and then crash at my tiny apartment, turning on the air conditioning full blast and sprawling out on my futon. Every time I come into my apartment after a full day out, it’s like an oven because the air-conditioning always cuts off automatically after 3 hours. I usually turn it off myself before leaving because even if I leave it on for 3 hours, which I have often tried to do, it still cuts off early enough that plenty of heat has time to accumulate in the apartment. Oh, this miserable summer weather in Japan. How I despise it!
Total steps today (Hasedera, Daibutsu and Engakuji): 12,708 (5.39 miles). 🙂
Sunday, July 2: After enjoying ice cream while sitting in an air-conditioned ice cream parlor, Tobi and I continue to the Kamakura Daibutsu. Tobi has never seen it before, but I have. The first time I visited (daibutsu: the great buddha of kamakura), the skies were bright blue; today it’s overcast and hazy. No matter. It’s still a treat to see the famous Buddha again.
Kamakura Daibutsu
Here are a couple of pictures of me with the Daibutsu, and my really flat hair.
me at the Daibutsu
Kamakura Daibutsu
me at the Daibutsu
I love the Buddha with the lotus flowers.
Daibutsu and lotus flowers
Daibutsu and lotus flowers
We decide to take the Enoden Line, packed as usual, back to Kamakura. In Kamakura, we search for a restaurant.
Kamakura restaurant
We have no idea what we’re getting, but the picture looks good.
I find out later, from my Instagram friend Yukie, that what we ate was Chirashi Sushi, or “scattered sushi.” This kind of sushi apparently came on the scene along with Maki Sushi (rolled sushi) around the 18th century. Another close translation for it is “sushi rice salad.” The ingredients, or “gu,” are scattered on sushi rice with no rolling or shaping involved (All About Sushi Guide: Chirashi Sushi).
Chirashi Sushi, or “scattered sushi”
This is the first time I’ve had this in Japan, and I love it!
Chirashi Sushi, or “scattered sushi”
After lunch, we get back on the train and go to Kita-Kamakura, where we plan to visit Engakuji Temple.
Sunday, July 2: Today, I invite my colleague Tobi to come along with me to Hasedera Temple, which is about a 7-minute walk from the Daibutsu, or the Big Buddha. He’s been wanting to go to the Daibutsu for a long time, but hasn’t done it for whatever reason. I’ve decided once more to try to do the hydrangea walk at Hasedera. I tell him we must get an early start because I don’t want to miss the hydrangea walk for the third time. I tried two times before, with no success. You can read about those botched attempts here and here.
Even though we live in the same apartment building, I have a bicycle and Tobi doesn’t, so we agree to meet at Fuchinobe Station at 7:30 a.m. After meeting and having a brief coffee, we get on the train to Kamakura. On the train, we sit across from this lady carrying a huge bouquet. Tobi takes a great photo of her and allows me to share it.
on the Yokohama Line – photo by Tobias Manthey
Upon arriving at Kamakura Station, rather than pack ourselves like sardines into that ever-crowded Enoden Line, we hire a taxi for 800 yen to take us directly to Hasedera. By the time we arrive, it’s nearly 10:00. We get our timed tickets for the hydrangea walk and find, much to our surprise, that the wait is only about 45 minutes!
floating iris garden at Hasedera
We check out the Benten-kutsu Cave while we wait. It is here at this cave that Benzaiten and her followers of Sixteen Children are chiseled out of the rock walls. Benzaiten is the Goddess of water and wealth, and the only female among the Seven Japanese Gods of Fortune.
outside the Benten-kutsu Cave
inside the Benten-kutsu Cave
ema at the Benten-kutsu Cave
Benten-do Hall is next to Hojo-ike pond. It houses the statue of Benzaiten with eight arms.
Benten-do Hall
We make our way up the hill, past the pond and iris garden.
pond and iris garden at Hasedera
About halfway up the hill, we stop at Jizo-do Hall, where Fukujyu is enshrined. Here, visitors can pray for easy childbirth and prosperity. Surrounding the hall are thousands of little Jizo statutes standing in long rows. The statues are there to comfort the souls of miscarried and deceased children. Jizo is a Buddhist saint who saves people and is especially believed to protect children.
Jizo statues at Jizo-do Hall
Jizo statues at Jizo-do Hall
Jizo statues at Jizo-do Hall
Jizo statues at Jizo-do Hall – Photo by Tobias Manthey
Jizo statues at Jizo-do Hall
Jizo statues at Jizo-do Hall
At the top of the hill, we find the Kannon-do Hall, which houses the fabulous statue of Hase Kannon. Although Kannon is often described in English as “the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy,” it is, strictly speaking, neither masculine nor feminine. Sadly, no photography is allowed.
Kannon-do Hall
incense burner at Kannon-do Hall
We stop to admire the hazy view of Yuigahama and Zaimokuza Beaches, as well as Sagami Bay, from the Observation Platform. We can see the Zushi Marina and the Miura Peninsula in the distance. It’s very hot and humid today.
View of Yuigahama and Zaimokuza Beaches and Sagami Bay from the Observation Platform
garden near the hydrangea walk entrance
garden near Kannon-do Hall
Buddha footprints – Photo by Tobias Manthey
Buddha footprints
The hydrangea walk begins near the Observation Platform, and now, at 10:45, we show our tickets and get into the line. Luckily, the line is not nearly as long as it’s been the last couple of times I’ve been here.
map of the hydrangea walk
hillsides covered in hydrangea
hydrangea hills
As we walk up the hill of the hydrangea walk, sweat is pouring off of me. It’s such miserable weather today!
view from the hydrangea walk
multi-armed statue
hydrangea
view of Sagami Bay from the hydrangea walk at Hasedera
view of Sagami Bay from the hydrangea walk at Hasedera
I’m finally able to have someone take a picture of me, and my hair looks horrible because of the straightening I had done yesterday. It’s so flat! I’m never allowed to wash my hair for two days after straightening, and after sleeping on it all night, it looks awful. 😦 Oh well, at least periodically, I like to prove I actually was in Japan. 🙂
me on the hydrangea walk
gardens on the hydrangea walk
hydrangea – Photo by Tobias Manthey
We continue on the hydrangea walk, admiring the views, the plethora of hydrangeas, and the stone lanterns.
stone lantern among the hydrangeas
lantern amidst white hydrangeas
view over Sagami Bay
view over Sagami Bay
Japanese lady in yukata
hydrangea heaven
from a bygone era
hydrangea
Back at the bottom of the hill, near the exit to the hydrangea walk, I find this lineup of Buddhist deities.
Buddha statues
stone lantern
In the Kyozo (space for storing Buddhist scriptures), there is a rotary bookshelf called a Rinzo. It is believed that when you rotate the Rinzo once, you will receive the same virtue as when you recite the complete scriptures. There are also 18 prayer wheels called Mani-guruma which you can turn to receive virtue such as that from the Rinzo.
Rinzo- a rotary bookshelf
looking back up at the hillside
the hillside above
a rock garden with stone lantern
We go inside of Kannon-do, where we admire the amazing Kannon statue, at 30.1 feet (9.18 meters), one of the largest wooden Buddhist statues in Japan. It has eleven heads in addition to its main one: three on the front, the right, the left, one at the top and another on the back. Each face has a different expression, signifying that the Kannon listens to the wishes of all types of people and leads them away from distress. Hase Kannon holds a vase with lotus flowers in its left hand and is unique in that it holds a staff instead of prayer beads in its right. It stands on a stone-like base instead of a lotus flower like most eleven-headed Kannon statues. It really is amazing to see, and I’m sorry that I’m not allowed to take a picture of it. 😦
The Sho-Kannon Bosatsu is one of the most beloved deities from old times in Japan. Kannon is known for its mercy and compassion such as a mother’s affection. It is believed that Kannon will immediately appear to those who seek salvation in this realm. Created by the late Mr. Seibou Kitamura, the statue is enshrined here as a symbol of peace.
statue of Sho-Kannon Bosatsu
Next to Kannon-do is Amida-do Hall, where the golden seated statue of Amida Nyorai, one of Kamakura’s six principal statues of Amida Buddha, is enshrined. According to legend, in 1194, Minamoto no Yoritomo, who was the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan, commissioned the statue for warding off evil. In later years, people came to believe it would expel evil spirits and offer protection against misfortune.
statue of Amida Nyorai
ema at Hasedera
ema at Hasedera
The Shoro Belfry was constructed in 1955 to house a massive bronze bell, created in 1264 and recast in 1984. Following the Buddhist tradition, the bell is run 108 times around midnight on New Year’s Eve to dispel the 108 sufferings of humanity.
Shoro Belfry
This shrine was rebranded Inari-sha in later years, although it was originally dedicated to “Kojin” (god of the cooking stove and fire). According to the legend of the Kannon statue, the deity appeared floating on the sea, drifting ashore by the guidance of “kakigara” (oyster shells) attached to the statue. This Inari-sha was established to enshrine the Kakigara and to receive the divine guidance of Kannon.
Inari-sha (Kakigara Inari)
“kakigara” (oyster shells)
Inari-sha (Kakigara Inari)
“kakigara” (oyster shells)
“kakigara” (oyster shells)
Near the Benten-do Hall and Benten-kutsu Cave is a pretty rock garden.
rock garden at Hasedera
The Japanese rock garden (枯山水karesansui) or “dry landscape” garden, often called a zen garden, creates a miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and uses gravel or sand that is raked to represent ripples in water (Wikipedia: Japanese rock garden).
rock garden at Hasedera
rock garden at Hasedera
Near Benten-do Hall, one can pick up a fortune which appears blank; the fortune appears when placed in a concrete water bowl much like a bird bath. My friend Yukie from Instagram later translates my fortune for me: I have moderate luck (chu-kichi). In different categories, my fortune is such: Romantic relationships: Being kind to others will bring you happiness. Learning: Go back to your basics again! Health: You should relax with aromatherapy tonight! Your work: Be more careful than usual. One step at a time.
It’s funny about the work fortune, because at work, the university barely turns on any air conditioning, making the work situation unbearable. It’s miserably hot and humid in Japan, and I’m not tolerating it well. I am about to explode over the situation, and have even seriously considered hopping on a plane and going home! So, the admonition to “be more careful than usual. One step at a time” is an appropriate warning for me to calm down about the situation. 🙂
my fortune for today
Daikoku-do Hall houses the statue of Daikokuten.
inside Daikoku-do Hall
Daikokuten is one of the Seven Japanese Gods of Fortune. He is considered the god of wealth (or more specifically, the harvest), or of the household, particularly the kitchen. He is often prayed to for an abundant harvest, success in life and business. Recognized by his wide face and beaming smile, he is often portrayed holding a golden mallet and standing or sitting on bales of rice (Must Love Japan: Hasedera Temple). People are allowed to touch this “Sawari Daikoku” to receive good fortune.
statue of Daikokuten
By the time Tobi and I leave Hasedera, it’s 11:40, and we walk down the street toward the Daibutsu, which I’ll now see for the second time. 🙂 We stop in one of the shops for an ice cream treat, and then we’re on our way.
(All information about Hasedera is from the temple’s tourist brochure, unless otherwise stated).
Friday, June 30: Cheers! Welcome to my third cocktail hour here in Japan. We’re meeting at the local Family Mart again tonight. I find it hilarious to meet here because it’s so ridiculous and unexpected. Who would have thought of having a happy hour sitting out in front of a Family Mart (like a 7-11)? Of course, I give credit to my Brit friend, Graham, because he’s the one who started the ritual. We always have a grand time here, so I think you’ll enjoy. 🙂
I only have three more weeks and one day of teaching, and four weeks on my contract. But… who’s counting? After August 1, I’ll travel around Japan for one week, then I’ll head back to the USA on August 8. If I have time for a July cocktail hour, I’ll be sure to send out an invite!
Please do tell me about your summer. Have you traveled anywhere exciting over the summer months? Have you seen any good movies? Watched any good TV shows or read any good books? Have you eaten fresh fruits and vegetables, or visited any pretty gardens?
June here was a long and tedious month, teaching 5 days a week with nary a break in sight. At least in May, we had the Golden Week break, but in June, it was just work, work, work. On the weekends in June, I went to Fuji Five Lakes, Enoshima and Hasadera, Asakusa and Senso-ji, The Big Buddha in Kamakura and Hasadera again, and back to a neighborhood near Ueno. I also went on a couple of shopping sprees because June is the rainy season and some of the weekend days were tainted by drizzle and downpours.
The biggest challenges I had to deal with at work this month were: 1) the tedious marking of 55 poorly written academic essays; 2) long and stifling days in the office because the university wouldn’t turn on the air-conditioning until after June 9, and then only when the temperature was over 28C; 3) general lack of motivation and ability of the students, 4) the infernal dust in my apartment, hard to get rid of because I have carpet and no vacuum cleaner.
Work is drudgery, not at all rewarding except in rare moments. I feel like I have reached the end of my teaching-abroad career. Though my teaching gigs abroad have given me many opportunities to live and travel in a country, to delve deep and to experience a culture, I simply no longer enjoy teaching non-motivated students who have little reason to learn English. As miserable as the adjunct teaching jobs in America are, at least the students want to study abroad in America and are motivated to succeed. This is not the case for the students I teach when I’m abroad.
Monday, June 5: Walking to work this morning, I had to take a picture of my favorite pink house with laundry hanging on the balcony. My half-hour walks to work have generally been fine, but now that it’s getting hotter and more humid, I’m not thrilled to be dripping with sweat by the time I arrive at the office; as the office is not generally air-conditioned, I’m in misery even after I get to work. Oh, how I hate the summer heat. I am a cold-weather girl through and through.
laundry at the pink house
Thursday, June 8: I made my weekly stop at Kiyariya. This time, the server presented me with a poorly translated English menu in addition to Kenji’s beautifully hand-written and changeable menu. I ordered the gyoza from the English menu. Of course I had the delectable eggplant and my draft beer. 🙂 Everything Kenji prepares is fabulous. 🙂 Not only that, but the atmosphere, the service and the music are delightful.
Gyoza at Kiyariya
As I left the restaurant this time, the server, who speaks a smattering of English, walked me to the front door and said, “See you next week!”
Tuesday, June 13: Tuesdays and Thursdays are my nights to eat out because I get off at 5:40. On M-W-F, I get off at 6:30. I never feel like going out on those late work nights. This evening, I stopped again at Curry Naan and enjoyed the same meal I always have: vegetable curry and a huge piece of naan. And of course my 100 yen beer. 🙂
I love listening to the music in both of the restaurants I frequent. I don’t recognize most of the songs I hear at Kenji’s, but I like them very much. Here, at Curry Naan, you won’t find Indian music of any kind. Here it’s all classic rock, especially the Beatles. A favorite here seems to be Paul McCartney’s “Listen to What the Man Said:”
That people will find a way to go
No matter what the man said
And love is fine for all we know
For all we know, our love will grow – that’s what the man said
There’s John Lennon’s “Imagine” and “Stand by Me,” along with his version of “Happy Xmas (War is over).” Then there’s a whistling song I’ve heard before; sadly, I don’t recall the name of it. What an interesting array of music for an Indian restaurant.
Vegetable curry at Curry Naan
Thursday, June 15: This evening, Graham and I headed to the Family Mart for a couple of beers. We found it hard to believe, but some Japanese guys were occupying our chairs! We ended up going to a park on the other side of Fuchinobe Station. I had never been there before, but it had a nice pond with three swans in it. There was only one bench with a back, and we sat there and talked for quite a long while. He’s of the same political beliefs as I am, so we had quite an involved political discussion – of course, it was an agreeable one. 🙂
Friday, June 16: June has been all about the hydrangeas. I’ve made several weekend outings in search of them, and here are some I see on my way to work.
hydrangeas in the neighborhood
Sunday, June 18: A month or so ago, I went to a Meetup in Hashimoto and met a nice Japanese lady named Reiko. She added me on Facebook and we’ve been in touch through Facebook chat. As we were chatting on Sunday morning, I mentioned that I planned to go shopping; after all it was forecast to rain that afternoon. She said she’d meet me one metro stop away at Kobuchi, and she’d take me to her favorite discount stores. We did just that, walking quite a distance to get from one place to another, and enjoying lunch together at one of the shopping malls. I had worn my favorite sandals with heels, but with all the walking, I regretted that decision. My feet were killing me! Total steps while shopping: 10,326 (4.38 miles). It was a fun day and I came away with too many tops and one pair of pants. 🙂
Monday, June 19: Our lecture topic this week was Cultural Expectations in the Classroom. To give the students a feel for American classrooms, I showed them the Key & Peele Substitute Teacher video from Comedy Central:
I reminded the students of my first days in class with them, when I couldn’t pronounce any of their names. I’m not sure the students got the humor, but I certainly enjoyed it. 🙂
Earlier I said I don’t generally go out to eat on Mon-Wed-Fri because of my late work hours. However, this Monday, I felt like a treat so I stopped at Kiyariya. Once again, I enjoyed the wonderful eggplant, and this time I ordered grilled fresh barracuda. It was delicious!
my favorite eggplant dish at Kiyariya
Kiyariya
Kiyariya
Kenji’s artistic menu
Tuesday, June 20: We continued the theme of Cultural Expectations in the Classroom, with today’s lesson focusing on discussions about the topic. I promised the students I’d show some classroom scenes from great American movies, so I showed several episodes from The Dead Poet’s Society. After showing two preliminary videos for context, I showed my favorite scene. My students laughed as I wiped away the tears in my eyes and told them I always cry at this scene.
Thursday, June 22: Thursday night seems to have become our night to stop at the Family Mart. This time, Dee joined us. You can see our cozy little spot below.
Dee and Graham at Family Mart
Friday, June 23: Today was a special Yukata day on campus. Many of the girl and boy students wore yakuta on campus. Yukata comes in cotton fabric and is worn during the summer season. On the contrary, a kimono comes in silk fabric. I took some photos of my rambunctious “I” class.
my students from I class on yukata day
my students from I class on yukata day
my students from I class on yukata day
Tuesday, June 27: On my way home from work tonight, I stop again at Kenji’s place, Kiyariya. This time, they have an English menu and I choose a delicious shrimp dish from that. Every time I leave the restaurant now, Natsumi, the server, walks out with me and says happily, “See you next week!”
Shrimp with sauce at Kiyariya
Wednesday, June 28: Today my students presented their inventions. As I only have my G class on Wednesdays, their inventions are shown below. They had to do a sales pitch for their product, telling why people should buy it, and what it does. They were really cute and inventive. 🙂
Click on any of the posters to see a full-sized slide show.
Thursday, June 29: Today we had debates in class where the students had to prepare for opposing sides on the topic: Single-sex schools are better than mixed-sex (co-educational) schools. I divided the class in two and gave them time to prepare.
It’s difficult to get Japanese students to speak aloud under any circumstances, but this was an exercise in futility. For one, even though they had plenty of time to prepare, you’d think I just asked them a question on the spot, for as long as it took them to formulate and speak their arguments. Then, when they spoke, they all, without exception, spoke in katakana English; in this botched English pronunciation, they add an “o” sound to the end of words. Even my best students, whose English pronunciation one-on-one with me is great, resorted to this botched English, which is typically spoken between Japanese students. Sometimes, I think the good students don’t want to appear too smart or too capable of speaking English, and in a whole-class speaking session, they resort to katakana to fit in with their classmates. It drove me absolutely crazy, and I wanted to jump into the middle of the debate and call them on it right away. I restrained myself during the debate session but resolved that I would speak to them about it the next day.
After work, Graham and I headed to the Family Mart, but again, we found our plastic chairs occupied by a couple of Japanese guys. Graham said that he has never found people occupying those seats except when he’s been with me; he said I’m jinxing our Family Mart gatherings! Haha. Anyway, we had no choice but to go to the park and sit on our bench. We had a very enjoyable conversation about a variety of subjects from politics to books to relationships to everything bizarre and wonderful about Japan. A cool front must have been moving in because it was breezy and comfortable, though still a little humid.
After one beer, I went to use the public bathroom at the end of the pond. Japanese toilets have all kinds of flush mechanisms. Some are buttons on the wall and others are on the back of the toilet. There are also other buttons of unknown purpose; they are actually to call for assistance, but it’s hard to tell which is which. Tonight I accidentally pushed the wrong button and a loud beep burst forth from the toilet stall, and it kept going and going! As I hurriedly walked out of the stall, trying to be inconspicuous, a man from the office nearby came running toward the bathroom to see what the ruckus was about. I bowed and said, I’m sorry! I pushed the wrong button!! I’m so sorry! He probably had a good story to tell his kids that night. 🙂
Friday, June 30: When I asked a couple of my strong students why on earth they were speaking in katakana English during yesterday’s debate, they said they wanted to make sure their classmates could understand them. I told them they are perfectly capable of speaking correct English and they should not cater to their classmates, but instead be an inspiration and a role model for correct English pronunciation. They apologized profusely. Speaking to the whole class, I told them all to STOP with the katakana!!! I said I’m going to be on them from now till the end of the semester because if they go on their study abroad in the fall and are speaking like that, no one will have a clue what they’re saying!
catbird in japan 