It's been far too long. I have been really busy, and well, I've just been living my daily life. I had a Japanese test in early December, so I spent most of the fall studying for the test. I needed 60%, I got 72%, not the best score, but I passed. I went to Nagano Prefecture (the same place I went last year) for 3 days of snowboarding. It was great, it snowed off and on the whole time we were there, so we had fresh powder every morning. In January, I spent most weekends snowboarding at the nearby mountain. By early February, most of the snow was gone, and that was it for snowboarding this year. Last week, I had my car inspection. Now, you might think it's mundane, but, remember, this is Japan. Most American inspection stickers are what $60 or so, if you don't need any work? Well in Japan, it's expensive. A LOT MORE expensive. My total....130,000 yen, or about $1300.00. No, that's not a misprint, $1300.00 down the drain. And this is normal, too. Why is it so expensive? 1. The government taxes the heck out of it...about half of the total is taxes. 2. They did do some work on it, about $200 or so, but still... and 3. The sticker is good for two years (only one year if it older than 10 years). A lot of people ask why the inspection is so expensive. The leading conspiracy theory is that the Japanese car companies' friends in the government made laws to make it expensive. The hope is that people would abandon the older cars, and buy new cars, so they wouldn't have to pay the inspection. I don't know if this is true or not, but stranger things have happened. Interestingly enough, there was an article about how young people today are forgoing buying cars. Knowing you have a $1300 payment every two years certainly doesn't help the matter.
Anyways, that's about all for now. I don't have much for pictures right now, but the cherry blossoms are right around the corner. I know I've been neglectful, but I'll be better. I promise.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Whew...It's Been Crazy Lately
Hello everyone. Hope you all had a good summer. This is the first weekend in a while I've had a chance to catch my breath. Basically, let's recap from the last post.
As most of you know, I went back to the States for a week in mid-August. I saw a lot of people, but I also didn't get to see a lot of people I wanted to. Heck, I didn't even make it into Manchester at all. So sorry to all the people out there, I hope we can meet up the next time I come home (which I have no idea when that will be). America was a blast, it was great seeing people and showing Fumi around NH and Boston. She loved it there, especially Newbury Street in Boston. I gained some weight while I was there, eating all the bad American foods I've missed so much in Japan (steak tips, real pizza, Mexican food, etc). As good as it was in America, and as sad as I was to say goodbye to everyone again, I was still happy to be back in Japan. It's strange, as there are bad days when I get sick of not fully grasping what people are saying and what is going on. However, I'm not quite ready to move back to America.
I still have some goals I want to accomplish while in Japan. Obviously, get my Japanese to a better level. I also want to travel to more places in Japan (specifically, the islands of Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu). I want to study for and take the GRE while I'm here. And finally, well, I just like the area that I'm in. Inaka is a Japanese word that basically means countryside. It is usually thrown around in a neutral to negative way. When inaka is thrown around, it conjures up pictures of small towns with only rice fields and no stores, banks, entertainment, etc. Where I live is a little inaka, we do have stores and restaurants, but a lot of them tend to close pretty early.
So why do I like it here so much if it is tough to find things to do? Well, there are things to do, you just have to look. For one, I'm pretty close to some ski areas, so I do a lot of snowboarding in the winter. Two, it's beautiful here. I have the ocean and mountains all around me. Three, even though things in Japan are pretty expensive, my cost of living is relatively low. I live in a special teacher's dorm. that is subsidized by the town. I have a cheap used car that is good on gas. Since there isn't much in the way of nightlife around here, I tend to save money by not going out very often. I am pretty busy a lot of the week. I go to the gym about 4 times a week. I go to Japanese class 2 times a week. Most weeknights, I get home between 9 and 10. I've got time to read books and study Japanese. In short, things are pretty good.
I still can't believe it's been over a year since I arrived in Japan. I've definitely improved my Japanese, however, it isn't at the level I thought it would be after a year. I still have trouble making coherent sentences in conversations. I sound like a 3 year old when I'm trying to speak to people. Still, I can read most things on a menu in a restaurant, and function with everyday things like the bank, post office, grocery store, etc. I guess all hope isn't lost.
As for my exciting travels lately...sorry to disappoint, but nothing on that front. The past few weekends have been Sports Days at my schools. Sports Day is exactly like it sounds, it's a school-wide sports competition. There are 100 meter dashes, relay races, tug-of-wars, and cheering competitions. The students spend a few weeks getting their cheers ready. There's even a national holiday in October called sports day. Why is this taken so seriously here?
One of the teachers at my handicapped school told me. It came out of the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics. The 1964 Tokyo games were a huge point of pride for Japan. Most of Japan had been leveled in the war. The United States occupied Japan until April, 1952. So in twelve years, to go from a destroyed, occupied nation, to a fully restored member of the international community was amazing. This showed the world that Japan was ready to be a responsible, successful player on the international scene. We only need to look to the Beijing games a few months ago to see a modern analogy. China viewed the games as a chance to show the world it had arrived on the scene, and to show that it is now a Great Power.
So, two weekends in a row, I attended Sports Days (both on a Saturday). The Sundays were busy too. One Sunday, I had lunch at my Japanese teacher's house in Obama. There was a festival near her house, so we had lunch there, and milled around the festival afterwards. The next Sunday, there was an international festival. These festivals basically get the locals to meet people from different countries in a non-formal setting. I love going to these, as you meet people from around the world who you have no idea is living in the area. When you talk to these people, you get some amazing stories.
One lady I met was from Peru (who spoke fluent Spanish, Japanese, and English). Her mother was Japanese, but emigrated to Peru when she was young. However, the woman's mother never taught her Japanese. I was a little surprised, and asked why. The woman told me about about her mother coming to Peru 70 years ago or so. The woman's mother lived in Peru during the war. Peru was firmly on the Allies side during the war, so the Japanese community tried to hide themselves as much as possible, as they were worried about facing reprisals. They basically stopped speaking in Japanese, and spoke only Spanish after that. Fast forward to 1990. The Japanese Bubble Economy was about to pop, but it hadn't trickled down to the everyday worker yet. The Japanese factories were facing labor shortages, and needed to get cheap foreign workers here. The Japanese government passed a law that gave fast-track working visas to people of Japanese descent in places in South America. The idea was that if they were culturally Japanese, it would be easier for them to fit into Japan (talk about ridiculous reasoning, but that issue is another post for another day). So, she came here in the early 90's with her husband (who is Peruvian, he didn't look like he had a trace of Japanese in him) and started working in the factories. It's always great to hear different foreign perspectives on Japan than from just the local English teacher clique.
OK, I got some random pictures to post. Now that things have calmed down, I should be able to post more. Talk to you all soon. These were taken in Takahama a few weeks ago. I was on my way home from my visiting school, and it was a beautiful day.
Surfers. I always see surfers at this beach when I go to the schools. I would love to learn how to surf. Someday, maybe...
Surfers from the other side of the road.
I loved the imagery of the rice fields right next to the ocean.
Mountains, probably Oi, but it could be in Obama too.
As most of you know, I went back to the States for a week in mid-August. I saw a lot of people, but I also didn't get to see a lot of people I wanted to. Heck, I didn't even make it into Manchester at all. So sorry to all the people out there, I hope we can meet up the next time I come home (which I have no idea when that will be). America was a blast, it was great seeing people and showing Fumi around NH and Boston. She loved it there, especially Newbury Street in Boston. I gained some weight while I was there, eating all the bad American foods I've missed so much in Japan (steak tips, real pizza, Mexican food, etc). As good as it was in America, and as sad as I was to say goodbye to everyone again, I was still happy to be back in Japan. It's strange, as there are bad days when I get sick of not fully grasping what people are saying and what is going on. However, I'm not quite ready to move back to America.
I still have some goals I want to accomplish while in Japan. Obviously, get my Japanese to a better level. I also want to travel to more places in Japan (specifically, the islands of Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu). I want to study for and take the GRE while I'm here. And finally, well, I just like the area that I'm in. Inaka is a Japanese word that basically means countryside. It is usually thrown around in a neutral to negative way. When inaka is thrown around, it conjures up pictures of small towns with only rice fields and no stores, banks, entertainment, etc. Where I live is a little inaka, we do have stores and restaurants, but a lot of them tend to close pretty early.
So why do I like it here so much if it is tough to find things to do? Well, there are things to do, you just have to look. For one, I'm pretty close to some ski areas, so I do a lot of snowboarding in the winter. Two, it's beautiful here. I have the ocean and mountains all around me. Three, even though things in Japan are pretty expensive, my cost of living is relatively low. I live in a special teacher's dorm. that is subsidized by the town. I have a cheap used car that is good on gas. Since there isn't much in the way of nightlife around here, I tend to save money by not going out very often. I am pretty busy a lot of the week. I go to the gym about 4 times a week. I go to Japanese class 2 times a week. Most weeknights, I get home between 9 and 10. I've got time to read books and study Japanese. In short, things are pretty good.
I still can't believe it's been over a year since I arrived in Japan. I've definitely improved my Japanese, however, it isn't at the level I thought it would be after a year. I still have trouble making coherent sentences in conversations. I sound like a 3 year old when I'm trying to speak to people. Still, I can read most things on a menu in a restaurant, and function with everyday things like the bank, post office, grocery store, etc. I guess all hope isn't lost.
As for my exciting travels lately...sorry to disappoint, but nothing on that front. The past few weekends have been Sports Days at my schools. Sports Day is exactly like it sounds, it's a school-wide sports competition. There are 100 meter dashes, relay races, tug-of-wars, and cheering competitions. The students spend a few weeks getting their cheers ready. There's even a national holiday in October called sports day. Why is this taken so seriously here?
One of the teachers at my handicapped school told me. It came out of the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics. The 1964 Tokyo games were a huge point of pride for Japan. Most of Japan had been leveled in the war. The United States occupied Japan until April, 1952. So in twelve years, to go from a destroyed, occupied nation, to a fully restored member of the international community was amazing. This showed the world that Japan was ready to be a responsible, successful player on the international scene. We only need to look to the Beijing games a few months ago to see a modern analogy. China viewed the games as a chance to show the world it had arrived on the scene, and to show that it is now a Great Power.
So, two weekends in a row, I attended Sports Days (both on a Saturday). The Sundays were busy too. One Sunday, I had lunch at my Japanese teacher's house in Obama. There was a festival near her house, so we had lunch there, and milled around the festival afterwards. The next Sunday, there was an international festival. These festivals basically get the locals to meet people from different countries in a non-formal setting. I love going to these, as you meet people from around the world who you have no idea is living in the area. When you talk to these people, you get some amazing stories.
One lady I met was from Peru (who spoke fluent Spanish, Japanese, and English). Her mother was Japanese, but emigrated to Peru when she was young. However, the woman's mother never taught her Japanese. I was a little surprised, and asked why. The woman told me about about her mother coming to Peru 70 years ago or so. The woman's mother lived in Peru during the war. Peru was firmly on the Allies side during the war, so the Japanese community tried to hide themselves as much as possible, as they were worried about facing reprisals. They basically stopped speaking in Japanese, and spoke only Spanish after that. Fast forward to 1990. The Japanese Bubble Economy was about to pop, but it hadn't trickled down to the everyday worker yet. The Japanese factories were facing labor shortages, and needed to get cheap foreign workers here. The Japanese government passed a law that gave fast-track working visas to people of Japanese descent in places in South America. The idea was that if they were culturally Japanese, it would be easier for them to fit into Japan (talk about ridiculous reasoning, but that issue is another post for another day). So, she came here in the early 90's with her husband (who is Peruvian, he didn't look like he had a trace of Japanese in him) and started working in the factories. It's always great to hear different foreign perspectives on Japan than from just the local English teacher clique.
OK, I got some random pictures to post. Now that things have calmed down, I should be able to post more. Talk to you all soon. These were taken in Takahama a few weeks ago. I was on my way home from my visiting school, and it was a beautiful day.
Surfers. I always see surfers at this beach when I go to the schools. I would love to learn how to surf. Someday, maybe...
Surfers from the other side of the road.
I loved the imagery of the rice fields right next to the ocean.
Mountains, probably Oi, but it could be in Obama too.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Summer Time, General Update
Well, it's looking like the weather in NH and Japan are eerily similar right now. Hot, humid, bad thunderstorms (no tornadoes, but there has been some bad flooding in Kanazawa). Right now is pretty quiet in Japan. The JET's who are leaving are gone, and the new ones haven't arrived yet. The people who are staying usually travel during this time. Originally, I wanted to go somewhere, like to Hiroshima or Himeji. However, that changed a few weeks ago.
Let's backtrack a little here first. I want to talk about getting my Japanese Driver's License. The DMV in America tend to be areas of massive bureaucracy, frustration, and expense. This is also true in Japan. The process seems simple enough, but it's far from cut and dry. First, you have to get your license translated into Japanese. Basically, you fill out a form with a copy of your license, pay 3,290 yen (about $30) and mail the form to JAF, Japan's version of AAA. About a week later, you'll get the translation back. Next, you have to collect documents to bring to the Driver's License Center so they can check your suitability to drive.
The documents were pretty straightforward: A copy of your passport, your original driver's license, the translation, and your Alien Registration Card (the same as a green card). The documents aren't enough, however. You also have to bring in a passport photo of yourself that was taken in the last 6 months. I don't know why they ask this, as they just put it in your file, and don't use it for the license. There are automatic photo booths all over Japan, and I stopped in there to get one. Cost: 600 yen, about $5.00. They also grill you about your driving history, driver's ed, requirements in your home state, etc.
I want you all to think about your driver's ed. courses. Who was the teacher? What was the name of the company that did it? How many hours a week did you practice? Did you practice on a closed course? What did the driving test consist of? How much did the class cost? How much did the initial license cost?
If you're struggling answering these off the bat, imagine what it's like when a bureaucrat is grilling you in Japanese (I obviously had one of the English teachers at my school there to translate for me). I knew the name of the company (Souer's Driving School), but everything else was, well, a guesstimate at best. I know there are stories where the driver's license bureaucrat doesn't like the answers, and they will request a document from the DMV in people's home state proving the requirements of driver's ed., and the length of time they have been driving. If you haven't already guessed, this form will be written in English, and that will also have to be translated. I got lucky, the lady was satisfied with my answers. So, next is an appointment to take the written test.
I came one week later to take the written test. This cost 2,400 yen (a little more than $20). The written test is a 10 question true or false test based on Japanese motor laws. It was in English, but the translations of the questions were, well, not so good. Basically, the criteria I used to answer was "Does this look/sound like safe driving in Japan?".
A little tangent: Driving in Japan is a little different than the states. Besides the obvious, driving on the left side instead of the right, there are some little (and big) things. No left turns on red (like right on red in the states). Speed limits are REALLY low (50 KM, or about 30 MPH on most roads, even country roads with nothing on it, and roads that would be considered highways in America). The speed limits are rarely followed, however. I've been driving at the speed limit in a two way tunnel, and had a guy cross the yellow line to pass me. The legal Blood Alcohol Limit in Japan is 0.00. If you are caught with a trace of alcohol in you when you are driving, you are SCREWED. You must stop at all railroad crossings. If you get caught driving while talking on a cell phone, you will pay a hefty fine (not a bad rule, I think). Safety is (officially, at least) crammed down the driver's throat from day one, more so than back home, in my humble opinion.
I passed the test. I made an appointment for the dreaded driving test. The driving test is 2,400 yen also. It is not like your test back home. Parallel parking, getting on and off the highway, and 10 & 2 have nothing to do with the Japanese driving test. First of all, it's on a closed course. The course is about the size of a football field, with a big oval outside track. On the inside are various small roads with s-curves, intersections, and the 'crank'. The crank basically looks like a Tetris piece, it is two 90 degree turns a short distance from one another. Second, the mentality behind the test is different than what you would normally think. The test is not to show your driving skills. They know you can drive. You've been driving in Japan for almost a year now. The point of the test is to show you can be a conscientious driver, driving in the Japanese style. Let's do a run through of the test.
First, the instructor will get the car and drive it around the track to test that it is working. Once he hands me the keys, the test is starting. You get a practice lap around the track to get a feel for the car, then you have to follow the course they give you (you receive a map when you pay the fee). Now, you might think you get in the car and go. WRONG. First, you must check in front of, behind of, and under the car. The point of this is to make sure there are no children/animals in the area. Next, before you open the door, do a quick check to make sure no bicyclists are rocketing towards you while you are opening the door.
Before you start the car, check the mirrors. Put your foot on the brake, pull down the parking brake, put on your signal, and drive your practice lap. Once you finish the practice lap, you can do the test. They will ask you to change lanes. They will make sure you check your mirrors, shoulders, that your turn signal was on for the correct amount of time. As you drive around, you will do the intersections (make sure the bumper does not go over the top edge of the white line when you stop), turns (keep the turns tight, and do mirror and shoulder checks for pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.), and driving (not too fast, not too slow, and checking intersections as you drive by, to make sure no one ran a red light and is barreling at you). The s-curve should be driven slowly, in the middle, and you can't go off the edge. The crank is a killer, as you have to make the turns tight, but try not to go off the edge (you'll lose points, but not fail the test, as I later learned).
The driving test is notorious for failing people seemingly arbitrarily. The JET that passes the driving test the first try is certainly remarkable; indeed, every year there is one or two that pass on their first tries, and everyone usually grills them on what to do. The average, however, is between two to three times, with some rare people taking it 4+ times. If you can't do it in 6 tries, you have to take the Japanese driver's ed. course, which is insanely expensive (around 300,00 yen, or $2,500.00 US). I passed the test on my third try.
There are some theories on why it takes a few tries to pass. One is that the Japanese want you to be humble. Others are that the Japanese have to take the same test, and practice the course for weeks before the test, so they know it inside and out. Why should you get a free pass when they have to grind it out for so long? These may be part of it, but my view is a little more cynical. What is one of the biggest things that explains a lot of rules and human behavior? The answer: money.
Remember the fees I was talking about? 2,400 for each test? Also, when you pass the test, you have to pay 1,750 yen (about $15.00) to get the license. Let's add it up.
3,290 yen to JAF for translation.
600 yen for photos.
2,400 x 4 (1 for written test, 3 for driving test = 9,600
1,750 for license.
Total: 15,240 yen (between $130 and $140).
Remember, this is just to get a license, this is not for driver's ed.
This is a typical scenario. In my area, there were four of us that had to do the full conversion (any foreigner in Japan for more than one year must do this, but some countries, like Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. don't have to take the driving test).
This is a nice little chunk of change for the license bureau that is in a rural area. Remember, as people get older, many tend to stop driving. As the population shrinks, less people coming in makes it harder to keep the money flowing in. What better way to make some of it back than by failing people to make them take the test? The test is maybe 5 minutes at the most, so it's not a bad haul for the time it takes.
Anyways, this is just me rambling. Now, let's get back to the point: Why I couldn't go to Hiroshima or Himeji.
On the day of the 3rd (and final) test, I drove to the center with one of my English teachers. I've been having trouble starting my car for a while, I would have to step on the gas for it to start. Once it started, however, it ran fine. I wanted to have this looked at, but was going to wait until after I came back from America. I figured it might be a little expensive to fix, so I wanted to save money for America first. Well, he noticed this, and said "I will tell the vice-principal" (the vice-principal's father's car dealership is where I got the car from). When the vice-principal found out, he had me bring it down to the shop to look at. They thought it might be the carburetor (they were right). So, it was at the shop for a week, and fixed. It wasn't too expensive (23,625 yen, about $220.00), but that was going to be traveling money for the week.
So, rather than travel, I've been cleaning my place, reading, and getting ready to meet some of the new JET's this weekend. I wanted to have some exciting photos and new stories for the blog, rather than filler about driver's licenses and carburetors. Oh well, what are you going to do, huh?
This will probably be the last post before I head to the states. I hope to see as many of you as I can in a few weeks.
Let's backtrack a little here first. I want to talk about getting my Japanese Driver's License. The DMV in America tend to be areas of massive bureaucracy, frustration, and expense. This is also true in Japan. The process seems simple enough, but it's far from cut and dry. First, you have to get your license translated into Japanese. Basically, you fill out a form with a copy of your license, pay 3,290 yen (about $30) and mail the form to JAF, Japan's version of AAA. About a week later, you'll get the translation back. Next, you have to collect documents to bring to the Driver's License Center so they can check your suitability to drive.
The documents were pretty straightforward: A copy of your passport, your original driver's license, the translation, and your Alien Registration Card (the same as a green card). The documents aren't enough, however. You also have to bring in a passport photo of yourself that was taken in the last 6 months. I don't know why they ask this, as they just put it in your file, and don't use it for the license. There are automatic photo booths all over Japan, and I stopped in there to get one. Cost: 600 yen, about $5.00. They also grill you about your driving history, driver's ed, requirements in your home state, etc.
I want you all to think about your driver's ed. courses. Who was the teacher? What was the name of the company that did it? How many hours a week did you practice? Did you practice on a closed course? What did the driving test consist of? How much did the class cost? How much did the initial license cost?
If you're struggling answering these off the bat, imagine what it's like when a bureaucrat is grilling you in Japanese (I obviously had one of the English teachers at my school there to translate for me). I knew the name of the company (Souer's Driving School), but everything else was, well, a guesstimate at best. I know there are stories where the driver's license bureaucrat doesn't like the answers, and they will request a document from the DMV in people's home state proving the requirements of driver's ed., and the length of time they have been driving. If you haven't already guessed, this form will be written in English, and that will also have to be translated. I got lucky, the lady was satisfied with my answers. So, next is an appointment to take the written test.
I came one week later to take the written test. This cost 2,400 yen (a little more than $20). The written test is a 10 question true or false test based on Japanese motor laws. It was in English, but the translations of the questions were, well, not so good. Basically, the criteria I used to answer was "Does this look/sound like safe driving in Japan?".
A little tangent: Driving in Japan is a little different than the states. Besides the obvious, driving on the left side instead of the right, there are some little (and big) things. No left turns on red (like right on red in the states). Speed limits are REALLY low (50 KM, or about 30 MPH on most roads, even country roads with nothing on it, and roads that would be considered highways in America). The speed limits are rarely followed, however. I've been driving at the speed limit in a two way tunnel, and had a guy cross the yellow line to pass me. The legal Blood Alcohol Limit in Japan is 0.00. If you are caught with a trace of alcohol in you when you are driving, you are SCREWED. You must stop at all railroad crossings. If you get caught driving while talking on a cell phone, you will pay a hefty fine (not a bad rule, I think). Safety is (officially, at least) crammed down the driver's throat from day one, more so than back home, in my humble opinion.
I passed the test. I made an appointment for the dreaded driving test. The driving test is 2,400 yen also. It is not like your test back home. Parallel parking, getting on and off the highway, and 10 & 2 have nothing to do with the Japanese driving test. First of all, it's on a closed course. The course is about the size of a football field, with a big oval outside track. On the inside are various small roads with s-curves, intersections, and the 'crank'. The crank basically looks like a Tetris piece, it is two 90 degree turns a short distance from one another. Second, the mentality behind the test is different than what you would normally think. The test is not to show your driving skills. They know you can drive. You've been driving in Japan for almost a year now. The point of the test is to show you can be a conscientious driver, driving in the Japanese style. Let's do a run through of the test.
First, the instructor will get the car and drive it around the track to test that it is working. Once he hands me the keys, the test is starting. You get a practice lap around the track to get a feel for the car, then you have to follow the course they give you (you receive a map when you pay the fee). Now, you might think you get in the car and go. WRONG. First, you must check in front of, behind of, and under the car. The point of this is to make sure there are no children/animals in the area. Next, before you open the door, do a quick check to make sure no bicyclists are rocketing towards you while you are opening the door.
Before you start the car, check the mirrors. Put your foot on the brake, pull down the parking brake, put on your signal, and drive your practice lap. Once you finish the practice lap, you can do the test. They will ask you to change lanes. They will make sure you check your mirrors, shoulders, that your turn signal was on for the correct amount of time. As you drive around, you will do the intersections (make sure the bumper does not go over the top edge of the white line when you stop), turns (keep the turns tight, and do mirror and shoulder checks for pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.), and driving (not too fast, not too slow, and checking intersections as you drive by, to make sure no one ran a red light and is barreling at you). The s-curve should be driven slowly, in the middle, and you can't go off the edge. The crank is a killer, as you have to make the turns tight, but try not to go off the edge (you'll lose points, but not fail the test, as I later learned).
The driving test is notorious for failing people seemingly arbitrarily. The JET that passes the driving test the first try is certainly remarkable; indeed, every year there is one or two that pass on their first tries, and everyone usually grills them on what to do. The average, however, is between two to three times, with some rare people taking it 4+ times. If you can't do it in 6 tries, you have to take the Japanese driver's ed. course, which is insanely expensive (around 300,00 yen, or $2,500.00 US). I passed the test on my third try.
There are some theories on why it takes a few tries to pass. One is that the Japanese want you to be humble. Others are that the Japanese have to take the same test, and practice the course for weeks before the test, so they know it inside and out. Why should you get a free pass when they have to grind it out for so long? These may be part of it, but my view is a little more cynical. What is one of the biggest things that explains a lot of rules and human behavior? The answer: money.
Remember the fees I was talking about? 2,400 for each test? Also, when you pass the test, you have to pay 1,750 yen (about $15.00) to get the license. Let's add it up.
3,290 yen to JAF for translation.
600 yen for photos.
2,400 x 4 (1 for written test, 3 for driving test = 9,600
1,750 for license.
Total: 15,240 yen (between $130 and $140).
Remember, this is just to get a license, this is not for driver's ed.
This is a typical scenario. In my area, there were four of us that had to do the full conversion (any foreigner in Japan for more than one year must do this, but some countries, like Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. don't have to take the driving test).
This is a nice little chunk of change for the license bureau that is in a rural area. Remember, as people get older, many tend to stop driving. As the population shrinks, less people coming in makes it harder to keep the money flowing in. What better way to make some of it back than by failing people to make them take the test? The test is maybe 5 minutes at the most, so it's not a bad haul for the time it takes.
Anyways, this is just me rambling. Now, let's get back to the point: Why I couldn't go to Hiroshima or Himeji.
On the day of the 3rd (and final) test, I drove to the center with one of my English teachers. I've been having trouble starting my car for a while, I would have to step on the gas for it to start. Once it started, however, it ran fine. I wanted to have this looked at, but was going to wait until after I came back from America. I figured it might be a little expensive to fix, so I wanted to save money for America first. Well, he noticed this, and said "I will tell the vice-principal" (the vice-principal's father's car dealership is where I got the car from). When the vice-principal found out, he had me bring it down to the shop to look at. They thought it might be the carburetor (they were right). So, it was at the shop for a week, and fixed. It wasn't too expensive (23,625 yen, about $220.00), but that was going to be traveling money for the week.
So, rather than travel, I've been cleaning my place, reading, and getting ready to meet some of the new JET's this weekend. I wanted to have some exciting photos and new stories for the blog, rather than filler about driver's licenses and carburetors. Oh well, what are you going to do, huh?
This will probably be the last post before I head to the states. I hope to see as many of you as I can in a few weeks.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
It's Almost Been a Year-Saying Goodbye to Friends
"That’s the reality of expatriate life. Someone is always moving on."- Robin Pascoe
Time certainly flies by. I've always felt this, but it somehow seems to accelerated since I've been in Japan. I've been reflecting on on the past a lot lately. For example, 10 years ago, I was a newly minted high school graduate getting ready to head to BU. 6 years ago, I was BU alum living in Boston. Last year, I just found out I was going to Japan, and frantically trying to get everything ready before I left. It feels like ages since I've come here, and yet, it still feels like last week I was stepping off the plane at Narita.
Nowhere have I felt this acceleration more than this past week. The contract for JET begins and ends at the end of July/beginning of August (depending on when you came to Japan). A lot of my good friends here in southern Fukui are leaving Japan very soon. We had a goodbye party on the Fourth of July at a beach in Tsuruga. It was very fitting, as it was at that beach that I met most of the people for the first time last year.
The party was great, we had a BBQ, and Bill ordered Orion Beer (the beer from Okinawa that we have been craving since we left there). We even had some fireworks to celebrate the 4th. After the BBQ, we did a last bash karaoke with everyone. It was so much fun, we all had a blast.
It didn't hit me until sometime Saturday night that this was the last time we would all be together in the same place. It got me thinking about where my friends from 10 years ago, 6 years ago, last year, are now. A lot of my good friends from high school and college have scattered across the world, and it will be a long time when (if, in many cases) I see them again. It makes me sad to think that I've drifted apart from people like this, and it is happening again.
I just think back to some of the fun we had here this year, like meeting a Japanese baseball player in Osaka, the Tsuruga Festival, going to Tokyo to see the Red Sox, going to Kanazawa, or going to Okinawa. Those were some of the best times I've had here, and almost all the people I did these with are leaving. Some I will see back in America, but I'm a realist. I know what happens when people move far away and get involved in their own worlds (like me).
I've been terrible at keeping in touch with people, as I've just been generally busy. I go to the gym a lot, take Japanese classes, visit friends, travel, etc. Things like Facebook help a lot, but it's no substitute for being there. Eventually, the e-mails wind down as you start doing mundane day to day things and move on with your life. I know it's not just me that this happens to.
I guess that's why it hit me: just the general thought of people moving on, that one stage of your experience together (really, your life, I guess you could say) is ending, and a new one is beginning. It's a few weeks shy of a year in Japan, and I still feel like I'm adjusting and getting into a routine. Now, as I'm getting adjusted and settling in, half of the group is moving on, and I'm not ready for them (or me) to move on yet.
Well, even if I'm not ready for them to go, they are leaving, most within two or three weeks, but a few earlier. We will have a dinner in Obama next week (it's being labeled the Last Supper), but not everyone can make it. So, the BBQ was the last event where EVERYONE in the south got together. Then, everyone will ship off to the airports on different days, and that's that. A new crop of people will be coming soon, and the whole process will start over again. Next year, it will end again, with people moving on to the four corners of the Earth.
So, Amy, Tim, Paul, Lisa, Scott, Bill, and Tesni, this is dedicated to you. I've had some awesome and unforgettable moments with you in our short time together. I hope that wherever life takes you, you find love, happiness, good health, and success. Keep in touch, and who knows where we might see each other next? I know for Paul and Lisa, I'll see you when I come home in August. As for everyone else, that is certainly unknown, but you never know. It's a small world, and life can be pretty funny sometimes. I mean, 10 years ago, I never thought I would be in Japan. Who knows where we will all be in 10 years? Wherever it is, I hope we stay friends in the meantime.
"Why can't we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn't work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos." ~Charles M. Schulz
"Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes." ~Henry David Thoreau
Sayonara, everyone. I'll see you on the other side of the ocean someday.
Time certainly flies by. I've always felt this, but it somehow seems to accelerated since I've been in Japan. I've been reflecting on on the past a lot lately. For example, 10 years ago, I was a newly minted high school graduate getting ready to head to BU. 6 years ago, I was BU alum living in Boston. Last year, I just found out I was going to Japan, and frantically trying to get everything ready before I left. It feels like ages since I've come here, and yet, it still feels like last week I was stepping off the plane at Narita.
Nowhere have I felt this acceleration more than this past week. The contract for JET begins and ends at the end of July/beginning of August (depending on when you came to Japan). A lot of my good friends here in southern Fukui are leaving Japan very soon. We had a goodbye party on the Fourth of July at a beach in Tsuruga. It was very fitting, as it was at that beach that I met most of the people for the first time last year.
The party was great, we had a BBQ, and Bill ordered Orion Beer (the beer from Okinawa that we have been craving since we left there). We even had some fireworks to celebrate the 4th. After the BBQ, we did a last bash karaoke with everyone. It was so much fun, we all had a blast.
It didn't hit me until sometime Saturday night that this was the last time we would all be together in the same place. It got me thinking about where my friends from 10 years ago, 6 years ago, last year, are now. A lot of my good friends from high school and college have scattered across the world, and it will be a long time when (if, in many cases) I see them again. It makes me sad to think that I've drifted apart from people like this, and it is happening again.
I just think back to some of the fun we had here this year, like meeting a Japanese baseball player in Osaka, the Tsuruga Festival, going to Tokyo to see the Red Sox, going to Kanazawa, or going to Okinawa. Those were some of the best times I've had here, and almost all the people I did these with are leaving. Some I will see back in America, but I'm a realist. I know what happens when people move far away and get involved in their own worlds (like me).
I've been terrible at keeping in touch with people, as I've just been generally busy. I go to the gym a lot, take Japanese classes, visit friends, travel, etc. Things like Facebook help a lot, but it's no substitute for being there. Eventually, the e-mails wind down as you start doing mundane day to day things and move on with your life. I know it's not just me that this happens to.
I guess that's why it hit me: just the general thought of people moving on, that one stage of your experience together (really, your life, I guess you could say) is ending, and a new one is beginning. It's a few weeks shy of a year in Japan, and I still feel like I'm adjusting and getting into a routine. Now, as I'm getting adjusted and settling in, half of the group is moving on, and I'm not ready for them (or me) to move on yet.
Well, even if I'm not ready for them to go, they are leaving, most within two or three weeks, but a few earlier. We will have a dinner in Obama next week (it's being labeled the Last Supper), but not everyone can make it. So, the BBQ was the last event where EVERYONE in the south got together. Then, everyone will ship off to the airports on different days, and that's that. A new crop of people will be coming soon, and the whole process will start over again. Next year, it will end again, with people moving on to the four corners of the Earth.
So, Amy, Tim, Paul, Lisa, Scott, Bill, and Tesni, this is dedicated to you. I've had some awesome and unforgettable moments with you in our short time together. I hope that wherever life takes you, you find love, happiness, good health, and success. Keep in touch, and who knows where we might see each other next? I know for Paul and Lisa, I'll see you when I come home in August. As for everyone else, that is certainly unknown, but you never know. It's a small world, and life can be pretty funny sometimes. I mean, 10 years ago, I never thought I would be in Japan. Who knows where we will all be in 10 years? Wherever it is, I hope we stay friends in the meantime.
"Why can't we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn't work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos." ~Charles M. Schulz
"Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes." ~Henry David Thoreau
Sayonara, everyone. I'll see you on the other side of the ocean someday.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Golden Week 2008
Hey all,
Yes, I know I'm behind on the posts. I've just been busy doing random things, such as trying to get my Japanese driver's license. This will warrant a post by itself, so by this time next week (knock on wood) I will hopefully have the license. Anyways, on to Golden Week.
Golden week is a series of holidays in a 9 day period in late April/early May. The whole country goes on vacation those days. For my first Golden Week, I went to a few cities: Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka, Nara, Ise. On Friday night, we went to Kyoto and spent the night there. The reason for this? The Red Sox themed bar called Fenway Park. A few of you sent me links to the story about the bar when the Sox came to Japan, and it immediately sparked my curiosity. Golden Week seemed like the perfect time to go.
The bar was great, the owner was cool and spoke excellent English. They had good Belgian beers on tap (a rarity in Japan), and generally looked like a hole-in-the wall, dive bar back home. It was great. The only down side was the pub food was Japanese style, which means things that shouldn't have tuna on it, like French bread pizza, did. (The Japanese take on pizza is a sight to behold. Mayonnaise, corn, tuna, mixed with sausage links. You can also get shrimp, squid, octopus, and I'm sure other things I haven't seen yet).
After Kyoto, we went to Kobe, and spent the day there. All the hotels were sold out, so we spent the night in Osaka (about 30 min. from Kobe by train). The next morning, we went to the ancient capital of Nara and spent the night. The next day, we got up and went to Ise. Ise was the last night of the vacation, after that, we boarded a train and went home. It was pretty exhausting (probably the reason why I got sick), but it was worth it. Now, on with the pictures.
Oh yeah.
Sorry about the blurriness. The photographer was a little tipsy when the picture was taken. The name of said photographer has been withheld to protect the innocent. This is one of the two owner/operators of the bar. Red Sox management gave him the sign.
The background is the DVD of the 2007 World Series, complete with Japanese subtitles.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is a Shea Hillenbrand shirt. The owner was a big Shea Hillenbrand fan. How random is that?
This is my face after trying the French bread pizza with tuna fish on it.
I can only make out half of this shirt. The first three characters are aka kutsu shita (Red Socks). I have no idea what the last two are.
Picture of Okajima when he came to the bar.
Kobe. First, it's pronounced ko-beh, not ko-bi. Kobe is an old port city southwest of Osaka. Kobe was one of the first ports to trade with the West after Japan was opened by Perry. Since then it always had a grimy, but cosmopolitan feel to it, as the port attracted a lot of industry and a lot of foreign workers.
In March, 1945, most of the city was destroyed by US bombers. After the war, the city quickly rose to the become the busiest port in Japan. In 1975, the city passed a resolution banning any ships containing nuclear material from the port. This was viewed by many as to be directed against the US Navy. The port would not be the busiest in Japan for much longer, though.
On 5:45 AM on January 17, 1995, the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck Kobe. The quake measured 7.3 on the Richter Scale, and heavily damaged the entire city. Over 4,000 people were killed and over 200,000 left homeless. The port was heavily damaged, so shipping operations moved to other ports in Japan.
The rebuilding began immediately, and Kobe recovered from the quake. Today, Kobe is known as one of the most modern cities in Japan. It attracts a lot of young people, and it is quite nice. I was disappointed I only was in Kobe for a day, I plan on going back someday.
Chinatown. Yes, Japan has Chinatowns too. On one hand I understand, as we have all kinds of ethnic neighborhoods in the States, even from countries close to use (think Little Havana, etc). On the other hand, there is so much shared history and culture between the two countries, it seems crazy that there is a dedicated section of the city for a Chinatown. It is almost like us having a Canadatown in New York.
Waterfront
We randomly stumbled on this. It was in a department store. These are cakes/gingerbread houses. We couldn't believe how amazing they looked. The church was my favorite.
Nara. Nara was the first true capital of the Japanese state. It was the capital from 710 A.D. until it was moved to Kyoto in 784. Nara has a lot of temples, shrines, and museums. We went to a few temples and two museums. It was fascinating to see thousand year old relics from the capital. This picture is from Kofuku-ji, the first temple we went to.
Nara is famous for the deer that wander around the areas near the park. There is a legend that a god arrived in Nara riding a white deer. The deer are believed to protect Nara and bring prosperity. I guess the prosperity part is true, as every year thousands of tourists descend on Nara and buy snacks to feed the deer. I felt bad for the deer, because even though they are regarded as holy, and are constantly eating food provided by the tourists, they look, well, stressed. They wander across heavily traveled roads, get chased by unruly children, and have to deal with the dogs that people bring to the park. Is free food and being protected from hunters worth all that? You be the judge.
Todai-ji Temple. This temple has the largest Buddha in Japan. The Buddha is massive. To put it in perspective, each finger is about the size of a person. The original was damaged in fires and earthquakes; this Buddha is actually smaller than the original.
Remember the Omizu-okuri in Obama? The water carrying ceremony at night? This is where the water allegedly comes to in Nara. It is called the Wakasa well.
Ise.
Ise (pronounced e-say) is a city in Mie Prefecture, which is south of Nagoya. It is very rural, but the town is home to the most important shrine in the Shinto religion. Near the shrine, there is a historic district that shows what a Japanese village looked like about 300-350 years ago. It was interesting; the buildings and streets looked cool. The funniest was a museum that was a miniature version of the town, complete with small mannequins dressed in kimonos. A little strange, but it was pretty funny.
Village entrance
Bring on the miniatures. The funniest is the geisha house with the drunk guys.
Ise-jingu. Ise-jingu is the shrine dedicated to Amaterasu, the sun goddess of the Shinto religion. Amaterasu is the most important god in Shinto, so naturally Ise-jingu is the most important shrine in Shinto. The shrine is so holy that you aren't allowed to take pictures of it. It is also torn down and rebuilt every twenty years in a spot next to where the old shrine is.
The area was beautiful. Japanese cities tend to be a lot less natural than people would expect. Almost all the riverbanks have concrete walls, and a lot of the buildings are big, concrete monoliths. It was so refreshing to see a nice green area with no artificial riverbanks or hulking concrete monsters. I know these banks have stone walls, but trust me, it looks WAY better than the stuff that lines every other river I've seen.
The water is so clear you can see the white fish in the river.
Everyone else was doing this pose, so I figured when in Rome...
Quiet path. It was strange how even though the shrine was packed with people, this little path had nobody on it.
This vacant area is the next spot where the shrine will be built.
Random chickens. Fumi says she has no idea why they are at Ise-jingu, she thinks as good luck charms.
And that was Golden Week. The day after I got home, I was really sick, and have been laying low ever since. Oh well, what are you going to do? I hope I get to travel in July, when the schools let out for summer break. Until then, have a good one, and I'll see you in August.
Finally, this is just a goofy picture. I certainly appreciate the Japan Post Office putting things in English for a small minority of people, but don't you think they could just do a quick spell check? This is a mail box in front of a convenience store in Takahama. Click on the photo to make it larger.
Yes, I know I'm behind on the posts. I've just been busy doing random things, such as trying to get my Japanese driver's license. This will warrant a post by itself, so by this time next week (knock on wood) I will hopefully have the license. Anyways, on to Golden Week.
Golden week is a series of holidays in a 9 day period in late April/early May. The whole country goes on vacation those days. For my first Golden Week, I went to a few cities: Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka, Nara, Ise. On Friday night, we went to Kyoto and spent the night there. The reason for this? The Red Sox themed bar called Fenway Park. A few of you sent me links to the story about the bar when the Sox came to Japan, and it immediately sparked my curiosity. Golden Week seemed like the perfect time to go.
The bar was great, the owner was cool and spoke excellent English. They had good Belgian beers on tap (a rarity in Japan), and generally looked like a hole-in-the wall, dive bar back home. It was great. The only down side was the pub food was Japanese style, which means things that shouldn't have tuna on it, like French bread pizza, did. (The Japanese take on pizza is a sight to behold. Mayonnaise, corn, tuna, mixed with sausage links. You can also get shrimp, squid, octopus, and I'm sure other things I haven't seen yet).
After Kyoto, we went to Kobe, and spent the day there. All the hotels were sold out, so we spent the night in Osaka (about 30 min. from Kobe by train). The next morning, we went to the ancient capital of Nara and spent the night. The next day, we got up and went to Ise. Ise was the last night of the vacation, after that, we boarded a train and went home. It was pretty exhausting (probably the reason why I got sick), but it was worth it. Now, on with the pictures.
Oh yeah.
Sorry about the blurriness. The photographer was a little tipsy when the picture was taken. The name of said photographer has been withheld to protect the innocent. This is one of the two owner/operators of the bar. Red Sox management gave him the sign.
The background is the DVD of the 2007 World Series, complete with Japanese subtitles.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is a Shea Hillenbrand shirt. The owner was a big Shea Hillenbrand fan. How random is that?
This is my face after trying the French bread pizza with tuna fish on it.
I can only make out half of this shirt. The first three characters are aka kutsu shita (Red Socks). I have no idea what the last two are.
Picture of Okajima when he came to the bar.
Kobe. First, it's pronounced ko-beh, not ko-bi. Kobe is an old port city southwest of Osaka. Kobe was one of the first ports to trade with the West after Japan was opened by Perry. Since then it always had a grimy, but cosmopolitan feel to it, as the port attracted a lot of industry and a lot of foreign workers.
In March, 1945, most of the city was destroyed by US bombers. After the war, the city quickly rose to the become the busiest port in Japan. In 1975, the city passed a resolution banning any ships containing nuclear material from the port. This was viewed by many as to be directed against the US Navy. The port would not be the busiest in Japan for much longer, though.
On 5:45 AM on January 17, 1995, the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck Kobe. The quake measured 7.3 on the Richter Scale, and heavily damaged the entire city. Over 4,000 people were killed and over 200,000 left homeless. The port was heavily damaged, so shipping operations moved to other ports in Japan.
The rebuilding began immediately, and Kobe recovered from the quake. Today, Kobe is known as one of the most modern cities in Japan. It attracts a lot of young people, and it is quite nice. I was disappointed I only was in Kobe for a day, I plan on going back someday.
Chinatown. Yes, Japan has Chinatowns too. On one hand I understand, as we have all kinds of ethnic neighborhoods in the States, even from countries close to use (think Little Havana, etc). On the other hand, there is so much shared history and culture between the two countries, it seems crazy that there is a dedicated section of the city for a Chinatown. It is almost like us having a Canadatown in New York.
Waterfront
We randomly stumbled on this. It was in a department store. These are cakes/gingerbread houses. We couldn't believe how amazing they looked. The church was my favorite.
Nara. Nara was the first true capital of the Japanese state. It was the capital from 710 A.D. until it was moved to Kyoto in 784. Nara has a lot of temples, shrines, and museums. We went to a few temples and two museums. It was fascinating to see thousand year old relics from the capital. This picture is from Kofuku-ji, the first temple we went to.
Nara is famous for the deer that wander around the areas near the park. There is a legend that a god arrived in Nara riding a white deer. The deer are believed to protect Nara and bring prosperity. I guess the prosperity part is true, as every year thousands of tourists descend on Nara and buy snacks to feed the deer. I felt bad for the deer, because even though they are regarded as holy, and are constantly eating food provided by the tourists, they look, well, stressed. They wander across heavily traveled roads, get chased by unruly children, and have to deal with the dogs that people bring to the park. Is free food and being protected from hunters worth all that? You be the judge.
Todai-ji Temple. This temple has the largest Buddha in Japan. The Buddha is massive. To put it in perspective, each finger is about the size of a person. The original was damaged in fires and earthquakes; this Buddha is actually smaller than the original.
Remember the Omizu-okuri in Obama? The water carrying ceremony at night? This is where the water allegedly comes to in Nara. It is called the Wakasa well.
Ise.
Ise (pronounced e-say) is a city in Mie Prefecture, which is south of Nagoya. It is very rural, but the town is home to the most important shrine in the Shinto religion. Near the shrine, there is a historic district that shows what a Japanese village looked like about 300-350 years ago. It was interesting; the buildings and streets looked cool. The funniest was a museum that was a miniature version of the town, complete with small mannequins dressed in kimonos. A little strange, but it was pretty funny.
Village entrance
Bring on the miniatures. The funniest is the geisha house with the drunk guys.
Ise-jingu. Ise-jingu is the shrine dedicated to Amaterasu, the sun goddess of the Shinto religion. Amaterasu is the most important god in Shinto, so naturally Ise-jingu is the most important shrine in Shinto. The shrine is so holy that you aren't allowed to take pictures of it. It is also torn down and rebuilt every twenty years in a spot next to where the old shrine is.
The area was beautiful. Japanese cities tend to be a lot less natural than people would expect. Almost all the riverbanks have concrete walls, and a lot of the buildings are big, concrete monoliths. It was so refreshing to see a nice green area with no artificial riverbanks or hulking concrete monsters. I know these banks have stone walls, but trust me, it looks WAY better than the stuff that lines every other river I've seen.
The water is so clear you can see the white fish in the river.
Everyone else was doing this pose, so I figured when in Rome...
Quiet path. It was strange how even though the shrine was packed with people, this little path had nobody on it.
This vacant area is the next spot where the shrine will be built.
Random chickens. Fumi says she has no idea why they are at Ise-jingu, she thinks as good luck charms.
And that was Golden Week. The day after I got home, I was really sick, and have been laying low ever since. Oh well, what are you going to do? I hope I get to travel in July, when the schools let out for summer break. Until then, have a good one, and I'll see you in August.
Finally, this is just a goofy picture. I certainly appreciate the Japan Post Office putting things in English for a small minority of people, but don't you think they could just do a quick spell check? This is a mail box in front of a convenience store in Takahama. Click on the photo to make it larger.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
I Think I've Got the Black Lung...
I know it's been awhile. No, I really don't have black lung. It's really just your everyday, ordinary whooping cough. Yup, there is a whooping cough outbreak in Japan right now, and it looks like I was one of the lucky ones to get it. Basically, I went around a few cities in Japan for Golden Week (a series of about 5 Japanese holidays in a 9 day span), came back home during the first week of May, and woke up the next morning with a fever. This lasted for about two days, the fever broke, but I've been coughing off and on since. It isn't that bad, I'm not turning blue when I cough, it's more annoying than anything else. Really, there isn't much I can do about it, just rest and drink a lot of fluids. It could take a while for this to go away, cases can last from 3-6 weeks, maybe more. So, again, sorry for not posting, but it's not everyday I get whooping cough.
Anyways, this is just a short post on hanami. Hanami means 'flower viewing' and the flowers are cherry blossoms. Every year, in early to mid-April, the sakura bloom in white and pink. People go to parks and hold hanami parties, which is basically bringing a blanket, a little grill, sake and beer, and you eat, drink, and watch the petals fall off the trees. It's good times really, and very beautiful. Next post, I will do my Golden Week trip to Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, and Ise. Until then, enjoy the cherry blossoms.
All these pics. are from Obama park in Obama in mid-April. It's great, right across from the ocean, just a pretty place. I later got depressed when I found out this is the spot where two Japanese citizens, out on a date, were kidnapped by North Korean spies in July 1978. They were forced to live in North Korea for 15+ years. It's weird how a lot of serene places have a dark history to them. Sorry to bring you down, I learned this right before I got to the park, so that was on my mind as I was there.
View of Obama from the top of the hill at the park.
Little shrine near the park.
Anyways, this is just a short post on hanami. Hanami means 'flower viewing' and the flowers are cherry blossoms. Every year, in early to mid-April, the sakura bloom in white and pink. People go to parks and hold hanami parties, which is basically bringing a blanket, a little grill, sake and beer, and you eat, drink, and watch the petals fall off the trees. It's good times really, and very beautiful. Next post, I will do my Golden Week trip to Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, and Ise. Until then, enjoy the cherry blossoms.
All these pics. are from Obama park in Obama in mid-April. It's great, right across from the ocean, just a pretty place. I later got depressed when I found out this is the spot where two Japanese citizens, out on a date, were kidnapped by North Korean spies in July 1978. They were forced to live in North Korea for 15+ years. It's weird how a lot of serene places have a dark history to them. Sorry to bring you down, I learned this right before I got to the park, so that was on my mind as I was there.
View of Obama from the top of the hill at the park.
Little shrine near the park.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Okinawa Pictures
The trip.
We flew into Okinawa-honto in the late afternoon. The airport at Naha had a very old, gloomy feel to it. It certainly looked like a Cold War-era airport we came in to. We took a taxi from the airport to the hostel. The taxi driver was an old Okinawan man. He said he couldn't take us in front of the hostel because it was 'black market street'. Needless to say, this caught us a little off guard. When we got there, it turned out it was just a covered pedestrian-only shopping arcade. We think this is what he meant by 'no cars'.
That night, we went to Kokusai Dori to get some dinner. Everything seemed different from mainland Japan. There was graffiti (pretty rare on the mainland), trinket shops, music playing, the smell of food being cooked. It seemed so much more unrestrained and alive than the normally stoic, serious character of the mainland. There was also a much larger American influence here. Steak houses, taco shops, and ice cream parlors lined Kokusai Dori. We went to a cowboy styled steak house, where the TVs showed rodeos from years ago. The staff was shocked when we opened our mouth and spoke some Japanese.
Now, before you start getting upset that I didn't go for some culturally Japanese food, let me say that I have Japanese food and culture every day. Sometimes you just want a break and want a steak or a burger.
The next day, we rented a car and drove up to Nago to an aquarium. It as amazing, lots of tropical fish and weird lobsters and crabs, and, of course, whale sharks. We came back to Naha at night, went to a bar for dinner, and a girl playing traditional Okinawan music was performing. It was a good time.
The next day, we went sightseeing all over Naha and south of Naha. At night, we went to another bar, you can see the pictures below. The next morning, we hopped a flight, went to Ishigaki, got a boat, and went to Iriomote. We stayed one night on Iriomote, and went back to Ishigaki, spent the last night in a hostel, and went home the next day.
Phew, sorry it took so long. I just got back from traveling to Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, and Ise, so hopefully I'll have those pics, along with some cherry blossom photos, up soon. On an unrelated note, I'll be coming home to visit for a week on Aug. 9-16. If you want to hang out, let me know. I'll talk to you all soon.
Map of Okinawa-honto
Hilariously named store.
Kokusai Dori at night. This is the main nightclub area of Naha.
Kokusai Dori in the daytime.
A & W Drive-In near Nago. How insane is this? When was the last time you saw an A & W Drive-In in the States?
Nago Aquarium
Us in front of the octopus made of flowers
I think this picture gives a good idea of the size of a whale shark. This aquarium has three, none of which are fully grown.
Beach Shots near the Aquarium
Scott and I at the beach near the aquarium.
Sea turtles
Dolphin show
Shuri Castle.
Shuri Castle was home to the Ryukyu kings. It was destroyed and re-built about 4 times in it's 500+ year history due to fires and such; the last destruction occuring on May 25-27, 1945, by the big guns on the U.S.S. Mississippi and U.S.S. Colorado (the castle was being used as a headquarters by the Japanese Army). Ironically enough, one of the ships Commodore Perry sailed into Okinawa with was called the Mississippi.
Shuri was remarkable because it shows the Chinese influence on the islands. All the characters are read and prounounced in the the Chinese way, and the architecture is a much more Chinese style than a Japanese style.
This dragon's head is one of the few original items from the castle that survived the battle.
View of Naha from Shuri Castle.
Throne room of Shuri Castle
The Himeyuri Museum
The Himeyuri Corps was a nurse corps of 155 Okinawan schoolgirls. These girls were the were from two elite all-girls schools in Naha. They were forced into action by the Japanese Army right before the battle. Originally, they were promised not to be on the front lines, but as the enormity of the battle hit them, they were in the thick of it. As the battle dragged on, they were subjected to atrocious conditions in the caves where they treated wounded soldiers south of Naha. They were also employed to carry messages and supplies at night, so they braved going through the American lines each night.
Remarkably, there was only a few girls killed in the first 6 weeks of the battle. However, on June 18, the order was given to disband the corps. Confusion raged through the girls. Does this mean to surrender? Find their families? Kill themselves to avoid capture? Escape on their own? In the confusion and panic, many girls either killed themselves or were killed trying to flee to their homes. In all, 123 of the 155 girls were killed.
This memorial was amazing. It starts with the opening of the cave where they served at. There is a museum that lists the time lines of the battle and the girls' experiences. It was awful to see girls 14 years old (the same age as some of my students) that either killed themselves or were killed in the battle. The museum was very balanced too, not just an America-hating version of the past. They were careful to include the brutal Japanese Imperial Government's lies and decisions on Okinawa.
I only have photos of the cave, sorry. I guess that means you all will have to go and visit it.
Store outside the Himeyuri Memorial
Sorry about the sideways pic. This is the entrance to the Japanese Underground Navel Headquarters in Okinawa. This was very interesting, but seemed a lot more militaristic than the Himeyuri Memorial. Here is a good link summing up the headquarters.
Where some commanding officers of the Japanese killed themselves.
Talk about an understatement. "Not properly armed to fight" really means "sacrifice yourself in the name of the emperor". Utter insanity.
International Cemetery and Commodore Perry Monument
On our last night in Naha, we went out to a bar. We were the only customers in the bar, the only workers were two older Okinawan women. Shockingly, it was one of the best parts of the trip. They made some delicious (and kind of strange) food. We drank beers, and one lady got us to get up and dance Okinawan-style. Scott tried his hand at some music, too. They were so friendly, we had a blast just drinking beer and listening to them. We were sad to go, but the next day we left for Iriomote.
Scott enjoying some pig's feet (yes, actually pigs feet...I tried some too. It was gooey).
The bar lady teaching Bill to dance and Scott to play the sanshin. The sanshin is a three-stringed instrument like a guitar. On the mainland, it's called a shamisen.
Me playing some castanet-like thing
Iriomote Island! By far my favorite part of the trip. Iriomote is one of the southernmost islands in the Ryukyu chain. It is lightly populated (about 2,000 people year round), and has a sub-tropical rain forest. It is home to a lot of unique animals, the most being the Iriomote wild cat. It is rarely seen; many think it is extinct, but everywhere on the island has pictures or souvenirs of the wild cat.
We stayed in Uehara at a wonderful hostel. The staff came and picked us up at the ferry terminal, even though it's maybe a 10 or 15 minute walk away. We went to the hostel, dropped our stuff off, rented bikes, and rode to Star Sand Beach to do some snorkeling. Star Sand isn't listed on the map, but the it's near the tip of the northern peninsula west of Uehara. It gets its name from the fact that the sand is really dead coral, and it looks like little stars. The snorkeling was fantastic, we saw so many fish and cool things like sea cucumbers.
That evening, we had dinner at a great little restaurant near the port. Good food, good people, talking with the locals, it was great. The next morning, we got up, took a bus to the Urauchi River, and rented canoes. The Urauchi flows from the jungle. We canoed for five hours. It was so amazing. Little rivers flowed into the main river, so we went on the side rivers and explored. Mangrove trees, crazy looking birds, and black crabs clinging to the trees were everywhere. We all failed to put on sunscreen, as it wasn't too sunny to start that day. We got cooked, but it was worth it. We returned the canoes, got our stuff at the hostel, and took the ferry back to Ishigaki.
I was really sad to leave Iriomote, I really want to go back there sometime.
We didn't explore Ishigaki, as we got to the port in the late afternoon. By the time we checked into the hostel (after a minor reservation snafu), we got dinner, and being sunburned and exhausted, went back to the hostel for awamori time. It was put on by the hostel (free of charge! Yeah!). Awamori is the local sake, it is pretty potent and quite good. We spoke with the lady who runs the hostel (through Bill, our intrepter), where she told us stories about the bad old days in Okinawa in the pre-war years (see my previous post about this). It was amazing to hear history first hand from her, she was so friendly and outgoing. That night, we went to bed early, woke up the next morning, and flew back to Osaka.
I'm so glad I went to Okinawa. It was such a different side of Japan. Throughout the islands, I got the vibe that the people were less uptight, more friendly and down to earth than the mainland Japanese. I hope I get to go back to Okinawa some day, especially Iriomote.
Inside the lobby of the hostel
View from our room at the hostel
This is Star Sand Beach where we went snorkeling.
Our favorite restaurant. It is called Kake-ta. Basically, Kake is one of the cat's names and ta is hand (or paw, in this case). This place had 22 cats running around inside and outside. The food was great, we had some drinks and talked with some of the locals. It was so much fun, the warmth of the people here was fantastic. You can see pics of one of the cats.
Canoeing the Urauchi River
Mangrove Trees
Getting sunburned...
Triumphant
Exploring another little tributary
Wild Pineapple
Little Waterfall with Mangrove Tree
Scott
We flew into Okinawa-honto in the late afternoon. The airport at Naha had a very old, gloomy feel to it. It certainly looked like a Cold War-era airport we came in to. We took a taxi from the airport to the hostel. The taxi driver was an old Okinawan man. He said he couldn't take us in front of the hostel because it was 'black market street'. Needless to say, this caught us a little off guard. When we got there, it turned out it was just a covered pedestrian-only shopping arcade. We think this is what he meant by 'no cars'.
That night, we went to Kokusai Dori to get some dinner. Everything seemed different from mainland Japan. There was graffiti (pretty rare on the mainland), trinket shops, music playing, the smell of food being cooked. It seemed so much more unrestrained and alive than the normally stoic, serious character of the mainland. There was also a much larger American influence here. Steak houses, taco shops, and ice cream parlors lined Kokusai Dori. We went to a cowboy styled steak house, where the TVs showed rodeos from years ago. The staff was shocked when we opened our mouth and spoke some Japanese.
Now, before you start getting upset that I didn't go for some culturally Japanese food, let me say that I have Japanese food and culture every day. Sometimes you just want a break and want a steak or a burger.
The next day, we rented a car and drove up to Nago to an aquarium. It as amazing, lots of tropical fish and weird lobsters and crabs, and, of course, whale sharks. We came back to Naha at night, went to a bar for dinner, and a girl playing traditional Okinawan music was performing. It was a good time.
The next day, we went sightseeing all over Naha and south of Naha. At night, we went to another bar, you can see the pictures below. The next morning, we hopped a flight, went to Ishigaki, got a boat, and went to Iriomote. We stayed one night on Iriomote, and went back to Ishigaki, spent the last night in a hostel, and went home the next day.
Phew, sorry it took so long. I just got back from traveling to Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, and Ise, so hopefully I'll have those pics, along with some cherry blossom photos, up soon. On an unrelated note, I'll be coming home to visit for a week on Aug. 9-16. If you want to hang out, let me know. I'll talk to you all soon.
Map of Okinawa-honto
Hilariously named store.
Kokusai Dori at night. This is the main nightclub area of Naha.
Kokusai Dori in the daytime.
A & W Drive-In near Nago. How insane is this? When was the last time you saw an A & W Drive-In in the States?
Nago Aquarium
Us in front of the octopus made of flowers
I think this picture gives a good idea of the size of a whale shark. This aquarium has three, none of which are fully grown.
Beach Shots near the Aquarium
Scott and I at the beach near the aquarium.
Sea turtles
Dolphin show
Shuri Castle.
Shuri Castle was home to the Ryukyu kings. It was destroyed and re-built about 4 times in it's 500+ year history due to fires and such; the last destruction occuring on May 25-27, 1945, by the big guns on the U.S.S. Mississippi and U.S.S. Colorado (the castle was being used as a headquarters by the Japanese Army). Ironically enough, one of the ships Commodore Perry sailed into Okinawa with was called the Mississippi.
Shuri was remarkable because it shows the Chinese influence on the islands. All the characters are read and prounounced in the the Chinese way, and the architecture is a much more Chinese style than a Japanese style.
This dragon's head is one of the few original items from the castle that survived the battle.
View of Naha from Shuri Castle.
Throne room of Shuri Castle
The Himeyuri Museum
The Himeyuri Corps was a nurse corps of 155 Okinawan schoolgirls. These girls were the were from two elite all-girls schools in Naha. They were forced into action by the Japanese Army right before the battle. Originally, they were promised not to be on the front lines, but as the enormity of the battle hit them, they were in the thick of it. As the battle dragged on, they were subjected to atrocious conditions in the caves where they treated wounded soldiers south of Naha. They were also employed to carry messages and supplies at night, so they braved going through the American lines each night.
Remarkably, there was only a few girls killed in the first 6 weeks of the battle. However, on June 18, the order was given to disband the corps. Confusion raged through the girls. Does this mean to surrender? Find their families? Kill themselves to avoid capture? Escape on their own? In the confusion and panic, many girls either killed themselves or were killed trying to flee to their homes. In all, 123 of the 155 girls were killed.
This memorial was amazing. It starts with the opening of the cave where they served at. There is a museum that lists the time lines of the battle and the girls' experiences. It was awful to see girls 14 years old (the same age as some of my students) that either killed themselves or were killed in the battle. The museum was very balanced too, not just an America-hating version of the past. They were careful to include the brutal Japanese Imperial Government's lies and decisions on Okinawa.
I only have photos of the cave, sorry. I guess that means you all will have to go and visit it.
Store outside the Himeyuri Memorial
Sorry about the sideways pic. This is the entrance to the Japanese Underground Navel Headquarters in Okinawa. This was very interesting, but seemed a lot more militaristic than the Himeyuri Memorial. Here is a good link summing up the headquarters.
Where some commanding officers of the Japanese killed themselves.
Talk about an understatement. "Not properly armed to fight" really means "sacrifice yourself in the name of the emperor". Utter insanity.
International Cemetery and Commodore Perry Monument
On our last night in Naha, we went out to a bar. We were the only customers in the bar, the only workers were two older Okinawan women. Shockingly, it was one of the best parts of the trip. They made some delicious (and kind of strange) food. We drank beers, and one lady got us to get up and dance Okinawan-style. Scott tried his hand at some music, too. They were so friendly, we had a blast just drinking beer and listening to them. We were sad to go, but the next day we left for Iriomote.
Scott enjoying some pig's feet (yes, actually pigs feet...I tried some too. It was gooey).
The bar lady teaching Bill to dance and Scott to play the sanshin. The sanshin is a three-stringed instrument like a guitar. On the mainland, it's called a shamisen.
Me playing some castanet-like thing
Iriomote Island! By far my favorite part of the trip. Iriomote is one of the southernmost islands in the Ryukyu chain. It is lightly populated (about 2,000 people year round), and has a sub-tropical rain forest. It is home to a lot of unique animals, the most being the Iriomote wild cat. It is rarely seen; many think it is extinct, but everywhere on the island has pictures or souvenirs of the wild cat.
We stayed in Uehara at a wonderful hostel. The staff came and picked us up at the ferry terminal, even though it's maybe a 10 or 15 minute walk away. We went to the hostel, dropped our stuff off, rented bikes, and rode to Star Sand Beach to do some snorkeling. Star Sand isn't listed on the map, but the it's near the tip of the northern peninsula west of Uehara. It gets its name from the fact that the sand is really dead coral, and it looks like little stars. The snorkeling was fantastic, we saw so many fish and cool things like sea cucumbers.
That evening, we had dinner at a great little restaurant near the port. Good food, good people, talking with the locals, it was great. The next morning, we got up, took a bus to the Urauchi River, and rented canoes. The Urauchi flows from the jungle. We canoed for five hours. It was so amazing. Little rivers flowed into the main river, so we went on the side rivers and explored. Mangrove trees, crazy looking birds, and black crabs clinging to the trees were everywhere. We all failed to put on sunscreen, as it wasn't too sunny to start that day. We got cooked, but it was worth it. We returned the canoes, got our stuff at the hostel, and took the ferry back to Ishigaki.
I was really sad to leave Iriomote, I really want to go back there sometime.
We didn't explore Ishigaki, as we got to the port in the late afternoon. By the time we checked into the hostel (after a minor reservation snafu), we got dinner, and being sunburned and exhausted, went back to the hostel for awamori time. It was put on by the hostel (free of charge! Yeah!). Awamori is the local sake, it is pretty potent and quite good. We spoke with the lady who runs the hostel (through Bill, our intrepter), where she told us stories about the bad old days in Okinawa in the pre-war years (see my previous post about this). It was amazing to hear history first hand from her, she was so friendly and outgoing. That night, we went to bed early, woke up the next morning, and flew back to Osaka.
I'm so glad I went to Okinawa. It was such a different side of Japan. Throughout the islands, I got the vibe that the people were less uptight, more friendly and down to earth than the mainland Japanese. I hope I get to go back to Okinawa some day, especially Iriomote.
Inside the lobby of the hostel
View from our room at the hostel
This is Star Sand Beach where we went snorkeling.
Our favorite restaurant. It is called Kake-ta. Basically, Kake is one of the cat's names and ta is hand (or paw, in this case). This place had 22 cats running around inside and outside. The food was great, we had some drinks and talked with some of the locals. It was so much fun, the warmth of the people here was fantastic. You can see pics of one of the cats.
Canoeing the Urauchi River
Mangrove Trees
Getting sunburned...
Triumphant
Exploring another little tributary
Wild Pineapple
Little Waterfall with Mangrove Tree
Scott
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