Keiichiro. Skills include magic tricks, humorous english, and a disarming smile
1/30/2005
I don't know what this poster is trying to promote...but I will gladly put two fists in the air for any reason
Alma Mater
With Andee leaving soon, it gives me good reason to take candid, albeit embarassing pictures of kids at school. Here is what I live through daily at Tamano High School.
1/27/2005
You should notice the intricate illustration on the silk undershirt, as well as the developing mullet
I think you are supposed to look angry in this type of kimono. In fact after taking this photo I dolled out a serious fan beating to the first person I saw (subsequently Andee, who pummeled me with TaeKwon-Do)
Put On Your Best Kimono
I came home from school today fully intending to sleep, half from exhaustion following Thursday's weekly 2Km morning run which left me feeling out of shape with an acute sense of shame and half from the nightly underground mahjong and pinochle games run out of Kawai-san's basement. Just kidding, Japanese houses don't have basements. However, the run, much like last week's, left the entire class with a robust black-lung hack, transforming into a wheeze by the end of the day. Andee, with rapier wit, quipped that he will be basking in the sun of Malaysia drinking wine from a coconut before I finish my running unit of gym class. I chased after him for a while. On the bright side I did shave my time by 20 seconds. When does the rock climbing unit start?
But "Hell Thursday," as it has come to be called, is not the topic of this entry. Last Saturday, after Andee spent the night, my host mother took us with Saeki-san to their Kimono teacher's house for a photo shoot. This time both of us wore "Hakama" style Kimono, much like the outfit worn for Kyudo or Kendo but much fancier. The Hakama Kimono is customarily donned for wedding ceremonies or other such occasions. The Kimono-sensei showed us how to wear the Kimono, and also how to tie the Obi, or bow/belt/sash around the waist (there are countless methods). Following the dressing both Andee and I posed for pictures beside the teacher's house (with a striking Japanese facade) and in her garden.
After the shoot, the teacher explained the complicated process of folding the Kimono, Hakama, and silk underskirt. We drank tea in her tatami room then took off for home.
But "Hell Thursday," as it has come to be called, is not the topic of this entry. Last Saturday, after Andee spent the night, my host mother took us with Saeki-san to their Kimono teacher's house for a photo shoot. This time both of us wore "Hakama" style Kimono, much like the outfit worn for Kyudo or Kendo but much fancier. The Hakama Kimono is customarily donned for wedding ceremonies or other such occasions. The Kimono-sensei showed us how to wear the Kimono, and also how to tie the Obi, or bow/belt/sash around the waist (there are countless methods). Following the dressing both Andee and I posed for pictures beside the teacher's house (with a striking Japanese facade) and in her garden.
After the shoot, the teacher explained the complicated process of folding the Kimono, Hakama, and silk underskirt. We drank tea in her tatami room then took off for home.
1/25/2005
Learn to Play
Last Saturday night was a guitar-playin' brouhaha at the Saeki household. Jirou-sensei indulged me with a lesson, free because I teach him English. He is a funny guy, and most of the lesson is spent laughing. He taught me "Furusato" on the guitar, a famous Japanese folk song that my previous English students in Tama taught me to sing. Maybe the people at my next host family will teach me the bass line and I'll be set.
After the lesson, two English teachers from the Okayama area, Scott and Amber, came for their first guitar lesson from Jirou. I had met Amber a few weeks ago at my host mother's English lesson and Scott at the Okayama International Center on a school field trip. Scott and Amber had never played the guitar before, so Jirou showed them the basics while I helped translate his Japanese into English. Using two chords, Jirou taught a crude version of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" Probably the last tune I expected to hear in Japan, but I'm up for anything these days.
After a finger grinding hour of play, everyone retired for dinner. Delicious Oden and Okonomiyaki, with Anko rice balls for dessert. After dinner Tomoya and Takurou played a Shinkansen board game that I couldn't quite figure out, although a whole board game dedicated to a bullet train does sound mighty exciting.
Earlier in the day, Andee and I took a trip to Okayama so he could buy last minute items before returning to Malaysia. We did a whole lot of aggressive window shopping, and then Jittan met us for Purikura, coffee, and cake. I left around 2 to meet my Rotary host counselor back at Kawai-san's house to discuss Monday’s tour of the Mitsui shipyard, my planned trip to Tokyo, skiing on Mount Daisen, and a possible journey to World EXPO 2005 in Nagoya. That evening Andee came to eat dinner and consequently stayed the night. He purchased a lava lamp in Okayama, so we fired it up but couldn't sleep due to the intense green glow.
After the lesson, two English teachers from the Okayama area, Scott and Amber, came for their first guitar lesson from Jirou. I had met Amber a few weeks ago at my host mother's English lesson and Scott at the Okayama International Center on a school field trip. Scott and Amber had never played the guitar before, so Jirou showed them the basics while I helped translate his Japanese into English. Using two chords, Jirou taught a crude version of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" Probably the last tune I expected to hear in Japan, but I'm up for anything these days.
After a finger grinding hour of play, everyone retired for dinner. Delicious Oden and Okonomiyaki, with Anko rice balls for dessert. After dinner Tomoya and Takurou played a Shinkansen board game that I couldn't quite figure out, although a whole board game dedicated to a bullet train does sound mighty exciting.
Earlier in the day, Andee and I took a trip to Okayama so he could buy last minute items before returning to Malaysia. We did a whole lot of aggressive window shopping, and then Jittan met us for Purikura, coffee, and cake. I left around 2 to meet my Rotary host counselor back at Kawai-san's house to discuss Monday’s tour of the Mitsui shipyard, my planned trip to Tokyo, skiing on Mount Daisen, and a possible journey to World EXPO 2005 in Nagoya. That evening Andee came to eat dinner and consequently stayed the night. He purchased a lava lamp in Okayama, so we fired it up but couldn't sleep due to the intense green glow.
1/23/2005
Loose Ends
Even making mistakes in Japan usually ends in hilarity. Last week Tomoya informed me that I would be eating dinner at his grandmother's house because my host mother wouldn't be home until late. I had no problem with this because my host grandmother makes the most delicious food I’ve tasted in Japan. Tomoya had already eaten before going to Juku (cram school), so I made the short walk to my host grandmother's house alone. That would be my ultimate undoing.
While living in Tama with the Watanabes, I could find my way around easily because every street looked different. I say "looked" because Japanese streets either don't have names, or a lot of energy is spent in keeping them a secret from me. Signs are also kept to an absolute minimum so directions become landmark based, something along the lines of "Go straight after the noodle shop" or "Turn left at the stone statue of a pelican." (No joke, I was given this direction once) Tai, where I live with the Kawais, is a network of crossroads and side streets between similar looking Japanese style houses. And I was walking at night. But, being a stubborn person I told Tomoya, "I can find it."
Within a few minutes I was pretty lost. Actually, I knew exactly where I was but my grandmother's house was nowhere in sight. Luckily, cell phone always at the ready, I gave Tomoya a call, but he had already left for Juku. I called my host mother, but couldn't quite explain where I was over her laughing (she laughs very easily). So I finally went to Saeki-san's house where music lessons were being given. I met a third year Konan High School student and had to do my best to refuse dinner with the Saekis. Takurou said he would show me where Tomoya's grandmother lived, so we set out on foot. After a minute walk, Takurou was looking pretty lost as well. By pure chance we ran into my host grandmother who was biking home from the grocery store. She didn't recognize me at first, and even I had to do a double-take. By the time we all stopped laughing I was at my grandmother's house, a mere 3 minute walk from where I started. I had actually walked right by the house twice! Even with the delays, the dinner was delicious, and now I know my way around Tai.
At school unexpected situations are an everyday occurrence. I am usually the last to be informed about school events, but that doesn't really bother me. School in Japan is like a crazy game where I can't read the directions. Last week in gym class I was informed in the morning that we would be running a marathon, something along the lines of the Presidential Fitness Test in America that all middle and high school students come to hate. I'm not a runner, but I'm not a complete lard ass either. I was a little worried about the temperature because we were running outside, but I didn't think it would be that much of a problem. When it came time for the class to begin I got with the first group of runners. It was only 2.1 Km but by the fourth lap my lungs were burning. Combined with the cold, the air in Japan is very dry. When I finished the run I noticed that everyone was hacking their lungs out, even the guys who said they run all the time. I was breathing kind of funny for the rest of the day but I could do a great Humphrey Bogart impression.
That day after school, my homeroom teacher stopped me before leaving and said something I didn't catch in Japanese. I was about to ask him to repeat himself when he said "let’s arm wrestle." I was pretty shocked because he is a BIG guy. But recently my class has been obsessed with arm wrestling; staging matches at lunch and between classes. My teacher gave me a big handicap with his right arm, so I beat him easily. He wanted a rematch with his left, saying he was left handed. "Me too," I replied. I beat him again. Next we tried an even match with the right. He started to put my arm down, but I fought back to the center. It seemed like a 5 minute stalemate, each of us laughing through strained faces. I was surprised with how strong he was, much better than any of the kids in my class. We eventually called it a draw before our arms dropped off. I said he could have a rematch anytime.
While living in Tama with the Watanabes, I could find my way around easily because every street looked different. I say "looked" because Japanese streets either don't have names, or a lot of energy is spent in keeping them a secret from me. Signs are also kept to an absolute minimum so directions become landmark based, something along the lines of "Go straight after the noodle shop" or "Turn left at the stone statue of a pelican." (No joke, I was given this direction once) Tai, where I live with the Kawais, is a network of crossroads and side streets between similar looking Japanese style houses. And I was walking at night. But, being a stubborn person I told Tomoya, "I can find it."
Within a few minutes I was pretty lost. Actually, I knew exactly where I was but my grandmother's house was nowhere in sight. Luckily, cell phone always at the ready, I gave Tomoya a call, but he had already left for Juku. I called my host mother, but couldn't quite explain where I was over her laughing (she laughs very easily). So I finally went to Saeki-san's house where music lessons were being given. I met a third year Konan High School student and had to do my best to refuse dinner with the Saekis. Takurou said he would show me where Tomoya's grandmother lived, so we set out on foot. After a minute walk, Takurou was looking pretty lost as well. By pure chance we ran into my host grandmother who was biking home from the grocery store. She didn't recognize me at first, and even I had to do a double-take. By the time we all stopped laughing I was at my grandmother's house, a mere 3 minute walk from where I started. I had actually walked right by the house twice! Even with the delays, the dinner was delicious, and now I know my way around Tai.
At school unexpected situations are an everyday occurrence. I am usually the last to be informed about school events, but that doesn't really bother me. School in Japan is like a crazy game where I can't read the directions. Last week in gym class I was informed in the morning that we would be running a marathon, something along the lines of the Presidential Fitness Test in America that all middle and high school students come to hate. I'm not a runner, but I'm not a complete lard ass either. I was a little worried about the temperature because we were running outside, but I didn't think it would be that much of a problem. When it came time for the class to begin I got with the first group of runners. It was only 2.1 Km but by the fourth lap my lungs were burning. Combined with the cold, the air in Japan is very dry. When I finished the run I noticed that everyone was hacking their lungs out, even the guys who said they run all the time. I was breathing kind of funny for the rest of the day but I could do a great Humphrey Bogart impression.
That day after school, my homeroom teacher stopped me before leaving and said something I didn't catch in Japanese. I was about to ask him to repeat himself when he said "let’s arm wrestle." I was pretty shocked because he is a BIG guy. But recently my class has been obsessed with arm wrestling; staging matches at lunch and between classes. My teacher gave me a big handicap with his right arm, so I beat him easily. He wanted a rematch with his left, saying he was left handed. "Me too," I replied. I beat him again. Next we tried an even match with the right. He started to put my arm down, but I fought back to the center. It seemed like a 5 minute stalemate, each of us laughing through strained faces. I was surprised with how strong he was, much better than any of the kids in my class. We eventually called it a draw before our arms dropped off. I said he could have a rematch anytime.
1/21/2005
1/20/2005
News Flash
Welcome to winter, everyone. Frosty early morning bike rides are now on the menu so make sure to stock the gloves, hats, hand warmers, and scarves.
In a bit of interesting news, this blog is now syndicated and hosted on Japan Brats under the "Gaijin Blogs" section, so feel free to mosey on over and check out the festivities. Also, the glossary section is currently undergoing additions to reflect my second host family. Finally, a new "enjoyables" section has been added to the sidebar where you can visit world-travel related websites as well as those made by my friends here in Japan.
This weekend was a well-needed reprise from not only the icy blasts of winter but also numerous weekday engagements. The ESS club hosted an after school "Lost in Translation" viewing party, which left me refreshed and in a wonderful mood. I also found the movie considerably more hilarious, understandable, and poignant the second time around. Following the movie I biked home as fast as possible to get ready for a dinner party at Neil's, an English teacher from Boston working at Tamano Commercial High School. He is way into frisbee, so much so that he joined the Okayama frisbee team earlier in the year. He is also an avid biker, making the hour trek to and from Okayama City on a regular basis. Although only a ten minute ride from Tai, his house wasn't the easiest to find and eventually resulted in my calling his house with a cell phone while he yelled off his balcony so I could follow his voice. He did however make a delicious chicken and pasta dish that reminded me of home. John Davey, Tamano High School's English teacher, came over from next door for dinner as well. Jez was feeling sick and couldn't join the fun.
I visited Shoko's house this week with Andee, who is leaving Japan the 5th of February, sadly. Jittan will soon follow on the 27th, which will leave me all alone in this blustery port town of Tamano. However, a large party is in the making, so at least Andee and Jittan can go out in style.
Japanese school has been extended until July, which is good news for trips to Okayama.
In a bit of interesting news, this blog is now syndicated and hosted on Japan Brats under the "Gaijin Blogs" section, so feel free to mosey on over and check out the festivities. Also, the glossary section is currently undergoing additions to reflect my second host family. Finally, a new "enjoyables" section has been added to the sidebar where you can visit world-travel related websites as well as those made by my friends here in Japan.
This weekend was a well-needed reprise from not only the icy blasts of winter but also numerous weekday engagements. The ESS club hosted an after school "Lost in Translation" viewing party, which left me refreshed and in a wonderful mood. I also found the movie considerably more hilarious, understandable, and poignant the second time around. Following the movie I biked home as fast as possible to get ready for a dinner party at Neil's, an English teacher from Boston working at Tamano Commercial High School. He is way into frisbee, so much so that he joined the Okayama frisbee team earlier in the year. He is also an avid biker, making the hour trek to and from Okayama City on a regular basis. Although only a ten minute ride from Tai, his house wasn't the easiest to find and eventually resulted in my calling his house with a cell phone while he yelled off his balcony so I could follow his voice. He did however make a delicious chicken and pasta dish that reminded me of home. John Davey, Tamano High School's English teacher, came over from next door for dinner as well. Jez was feeling sick and couldn't join the fun.
I visited Shoko's house this week with Andee, who is leaving Japan the 5th of February, sadly. Jittan will soon follow on the 27th, which will leave me all alone in this blustery port town of Tamano. However, a large party is in the making, so at least Andee and Jittan can go out in style.
Japanese school has been extended until July, which is good news for trips to Okayama.
1/16/2005
Friday all international course students at Tamano High School went to the Tamano Sports Center for a communication day. A man came from Chiba to give a lecture and we started by playing a game where everyone went around putting stickers on each other's face. Good times
The Little Things
My host brother, Tomoya, plays the bass in the school brass band (the large upright bass, although he also plays the electric). A few days ago he traveled with the band to a competition in Kurashiki which I attended with my host mother and father. The performances were rather breathtaking, considering that the students were only in junior high school and playing difficult arrangements without a conductor. I had never heard Tomoya's band perform before, so I was quite excited to attend the event. When I looked in the program, Uno Chuu (Tomoya's school) was playing 62nd after another local junior high. I also happened to notice that they were both playing the same musical arrangement, some ballad.
I became absorbed by the bands. They were really excellent and easily kept my attention. After many performances, a group of girls took their place on the stage. They all took a starting bow in unison and promptly began to play. My mouth dropped as soon as the performance began. I don't have much musical knowledge, but these girls could play. My mind kept flashing back to images of musical robots. The bass player’s fingers moved faster than I could see. It was a cacophonous blur of sound. When they finished, all stood in unison, took a bow, and left the stage. It was about the time I turned to my host mom to say "That's going to be impossible to beat" when I saw Tomoya come on stage. It turned out the last band was Tomoya's competition. Uno Chuu gave it their best, but was obviously outplayed by the girls’ team. Sad, but I guess you can't win 'em all.
Today, Tomoya, Mayumi, and I took a trip to Okayama for the JAS New Year's Concert. JAS, or Japan Automobile Society hosts the concert every year at the Okayama Symphony Hall. It lasted about two hours and featured two famous flute and cello players, accompanied by various singers and a full orchestra. When I think of flute players the image of a very relaxed individual comes to mind. For this concert the main flautist was the most aggressive member of the orchestra. He would lean all the way over his music stand and raise his eyebrows until you thought he was going to fall right off the stage, but boy could he play the flute. The soprano blew me away as well, and I left feeling quite satisfied.
But today's really surprising development was on Japanese radio. Usually I refrain from listening due to the relatively short span of music and long span of advertisements. Today I caught KDDI's Prime Time Radio hosted by George Williams, who also hosts a very popular "Teach Yourself English" program on Japanese television. He is half-Japanese half-British with superb fluency in both languages, and I found him extremely easy to understand. I was listening to his show and he had a special guest, Jonathan Poneman. I knew I had heard his name somewhere, and then I remembered he was the founder of Sub Pop, the label of not only Nirvana and Soundgarden but more recently Hot Hot Heat, Iron and Wine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Postal Service, The Reverend Horton Heat, The Shins, and Ugly Casanova (to name a few). Any one of those would sustain me on a desert island for years. So here I was, in Japan, singing along with The Shins while my host mom is wondering what in the world I'm doing. Little things like that make my day.
I became absorbed by the bands. They were really excellent and easily kept my attention. After many performances, a group of girls took their place on the stage. They all took a starting bow in unison and promptly began to play. My mouth dropped as soon as the performance began. I don't have much musical knowledge, but these girls could play. My mind kept flashing back to images of musical robots. The bass player’s fingers moved faster than I could see. It was a cacophonous blur of sound. When they finished, all stood in unison, took a bow, and left the stage. It was about the time I turned to my host mom to say "That's going to be impossible to beat" when I saw Tomoya come on stage. It turned out the last band was Tomoya's competition. Uno Chuu gave it their best, but was obviously outplayed by the girls’ team. Sad, but I guess you can't win 'em all.
Today, Tomoya, Mayumi, and I took a trip to Okayama for the JAS New Year's Concert. JAS, or Japan Automobile Society hosts the concert every year at the Okayama Symphony Hall. It lasted about two hours and featured two famous flute and cello players, accompanied by various singers and a full orchestra. When I think of flute players the image of a very relaxed individual comes to mind. For this concert the main flautist was the most aggressive member of the orchestra. He would lean all the way over his music stand and raise his eyebrows until you thought he was going to fall right off the stage, but boy could he play the flute. The soprano blew me away as well, and I left feeling quite satisfied.
But today's really surprising development was on Japanese radio. Usually I refrain from listening due to the relatively short span of music and long span of advertisements. Today I caught KDDI's Prime Time Radio hosted by George Williams, who also hosts a very popular "Teach Yourself English" program on Japanese television. He is half-Japanese half-British with superb fluency in both languages, and I found him extremely easy to understand. I was listening to his show and he had a special guest, Jonathan Poneman. I knew I had heard his name somewhere, and then I remembered he was the founder of Sub Pop, the label of not only Nirvana and Soundgarden but more recently Hot Hot Heat, Iron and Wine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Postal Service, The Reverend Horton Heat, The Shins, and Ugly Casanova (to name a few). Any one of those would sustain me on a desert island for years. So here I was, in Japan, singing along with The Shins while my host mom is wondering what in the world I'm doing. Little things like that make my day.
1/11/2005
I really have no idea why there were dog stuffed animals in this picture, Saeki-san just sort of grabbed them
Seiji no Hi
The second Monday of January is designated Coming of Age Day, or "Seiji no Hi" in Japan. It is a national holiday dedicated to those who turn 20 years of age that year. In Japan 20 years of age signifies adulthood because it is the legal age of voting (also drinking and smoking). Many young people dress in traditional Japanese Kimono and go to local festivals.
On this day, I was not getting dressed for Seiji no Hi. In fact, I'm not even 20 years old. I was going to a tea ceremony with my host mother and her friend, Saeki-san. I borrowed my host father's Kimono which happened to fit perfectly. In the morning one of my host mother's friends came over to help us dress ourselves in Kimono. It is a very difficult process, especially for women, which involves various articles of clothing and intricate fastening methods. The Obi, or bow in the back of a Kimono, is particularly difficult to tie by oneself.
After we "suited up," I felt pretty dangerous, especially in the Geta, a traditional Japanese wooden shoe. It was then off to the tea ceremony. When we arrived I walked in to find about 15 people stuffed into a very tiny tea room. Everyone looked very surprised to see me, and to tell the truth I was pretty shocked to see that many people in one room. There were two small children, a bunch of middle aged folks, and at least one very old woman. After I introduced myself, about half the people left the room so the other half could have the first cup of tea. There is a very intricate process involved in the delivery and consumption of Ocha, or Japanese green tea. Throughout most of the ceremony I was too busy thinking about how much my legs hurt in the Seiza position to notice what was going on. Even through the pain, I didn't fidget and drank my tea with a smile and some pleasant conversation.
After the first cup of tea, everyone left the room so the other half could have a taste. Many of the people at the tea ceremony were students, so they took turns carrying the tea in and out of the room. I was invited to have a second cup of tea with the other half of the group. Afterwards, people came back into the room to eat lunch, a prepared Obento (Japanese lunch box). People commented as usual on my ability to eat all types of Japanese food. I was just feeling unusually hungry.
After the tea ceremony and a few pictures, Kawai-san, Saeki-san, and I went to Saeki-san's mother's house. She was very happy to see us and served us some tea and cookies which made me smile. Saeki-san’s mother is very good at sewing, and showed us pieces of her handicraft about the house. After finishing our tea we went to the house of a man who was at the tea ceremony earlier. He had told me that he liked to make things out of wood, such as the fence surrounding the Japanese garden at the tea ceremony teacher's house. Inside of his house were more crafted items, including a large wooden table made by hand. We were offered more tea (which I took happily because of the blustery weather) and snapped some pictures in his tea room.
Afterwards, the three of us walked home where I changed back into regular clothes. That evening my family and Saeki-san's family went to eat at a nearby restaurant, where tons of fun were had. Jirou-sensei, the man who playes the guitar very well, is rather outgoing and funny when he has a few drinks. I also found out that his full time job is not teaching music, although he does give lessons quite often. He works for a company which makes food for livestock and birds. His company is in turn owned, or somehow related to DIC. You may remember DIC (or at least I did) as the company that used to sponsor children's television shows on PBS and a few other networks. Inspector Gadget was sponsored by DIC.
Afterwards, the three of us walked home where I changed back into regular clothes. That evening my family and Saeki-san's family went to eat at a nearby restaurant. Jirou-sensei, Saeki-san’s husband, is hands down the best guitar player I have ever seen. I found out that his full time job is not teaching music, although he does give lessons quite often. He works for a company which makes food for livestock and birds. His company is in turn owned, or somehow related to DIC. You may remember DIC (or at least I did) as the company that used to sponsor children's television shows on PBS and a few other networks. Inspector Gadget was sponsored by DIC.
All in all, I had a lovely day. The Kimono was quite comfortable, if only it hadn’t been so windy outside.
1/7/2005
Jirou sensei, my neighbor who has played the guitar forever and loves blues. But I will write an entry about him later
Back to Konpira-san
Let’s pick this up again. When we last left our hero he had just narrowly escaped the horrors of a Japanese New Year. No, I'm kidding, Japanese New Year was great!
On January 2nd my host family and I traveled back to Konpira-san, which you may remember as the mountain with all the steps. Mayumi, my host mother, grew up near the mountain and her sister and parents still live in a town. The whole family gave me a huge welcome and after being introduced to everyone we took a short walk to the Sohonzan Zentsuji Temple. The temple is the birthplace of one of the most revered figures in Japanese Buddhism, the high priest Kobo Daishi, also known as "Kukai" (who my host mother referred to as "The Japanese Jesus"). The temple was massive, one of the largest I have visited, and was also packed with people for the New Year. Numerous hard-to-pronounce national treasures could be seen at the temple including Ichiji-Ichibutsu-Hokekyo-Johon which features Kukai's calligraphy and his mother's drawing of the Buddha, and Sangoku-Denrai-Kondo-Shakusho which looks like a large walking stick and was awarded to Kukai for his appointment as 8th Patriarch of the Shingon Buddhist sect. My favorite part of the temple was the Kaidan-meguri, a below ground pitch-black cellar in which "nothing at all can be seen." Oddly ironic for a tourist attraction. You walk with your left hand against a wall, and follow the passage through the darkness until it leads to a chamber dedicated to Kukai's parents.
All that stumbling around in the dark was fun, but the best was yet to come. The next day my host family took me to visit the Otsuka Museum of Art in Naruto City. The museum consists of over 1,000 reproductions of masterpieces in Western Art. In a sense, it's a museum of forgeries, but very precise and accurate forgeries. I'll quote the booklet:
"Masahito Otsuka, Director of the Otsuka Museum, said his group started to make tiles out of the sand of the Naruto straits and thus up to the size of one square meter without blemish or crack. However, after the world oil crisis in 1973 there was no market for its tiles. After a visit in a Moscow cemetery in 1975 where he noticed that attached to many of the tombstones were name-card sized photographs of the beloved which had faded because of ultraviolet rays of the sun, it occurred to Masahito Otsuka that baking the photographs into ceramics would preserve the original color forever. That was how the Otsuka group began making ceramic reproductions of artworks, concentrating at first on Japanese paintings and scenes and that was how the idea for the Otsuka Museum of Art emerged."
Pretty crazy stuff! The museum was divided into various categories including Antiquity (greek vases, mosaics, murals), Middle Ages, Renaissance (Botticelli, da Vinci), Baroque (Rembrandt, Goya), Modern Art (Van Gogh, Gauguin), and 20th Century (Picasso, Dali). In addition to the pictures were entire historical reconstructions of wall paintings, ancient ruins, and churches restored to exact replica. There was even a full sized Sistine Chapel. It took a long time to get through the museum but was certainly worth it. I recognized much of the art and had even seen some of the originals in various museums. I even saw a replica of the famous portrait of good old Cardinal Richelieu, Dr. Seitz's favorite Prime Minister of France.
After the museum we hit another famous spot in Naruto, the Naruto Straits. To make a long and complicated story short, the Seto Inland Sea (a sea) and Kii Channel (part of an ocean) meet at the Naruto Straits and create large tidal whirlpools that can be seen from the observational walkway built below the Naruto Bridge. Embedded in the floor of the walkway are large glass windows that allow visitors to view the 60 meter plunge to the swirling water below. Even though we didn’t visit during the best whirlpool season, the bridge was still impressive.
After coming home from Konpira-san I caught myself a high fever and upset stomach, and spent all day in bed with crazy dreams. My host grandmother took care of me, preparing delicious meals that made me better in no time.
On January 2nd my host family and I traveled back to Konpira-san, which you may remember as the mountain with all the steps. Mayumi, my host mother, grew up near the mountain and her sister and parents still live in a town. The whole family gave me a huge welcome and after being introduced to everyone we took a short walk to the Sohonzan Zentsuji Temple. The temple is the birthplace of one of the most revered figures in Japanese Buddhism, the high priest Kobo Daishi, also known as "Kukai" (who my host mother referred to as "The Japanese Jesus"). The temple was massive, one of the largest I have visited, and was also packed with people for the New Year. Numerous hard-to-pronounce national treasures could be seen at the temple including Ichiji-Ichibutsu-Hokekyo-Johon which features Kukai's calligraphy and his mother's drawing of the Buddha, and Sangoku-Denrai-Kondo-Shakusho which looks like a large walking stick and was awarded to Kukai for his appointment as 8th Patriarch of the Shingon Buddhist sect. My favorite part of the temple was the Kaidan-meguri, a below ground pitch-black cellar in which "nothing at all can be seen." Oddly ironic for a tourist attraction. You walk with your left hand against a wall, and follow the passage through the darkness until it leads to a chamber dedicated to Kukai's parents.
All that stumbling around in the dark was fun, but the best was yet to come. The next day my host family took me to visit the Otsuka Museum of Art in Naruto City. The museum consists of over 1,000 reproductions of masterpieces in Western Art. In a sense, it's a museum of forgeries, but very precise and accurate forgeries. I'll quote the booklet:
"Masahito Otsuka, Director of the Otsuka Museum, said his group started to make tiles out of the sand of the Naruto straits and thus up to the size of one square meter without blemish or crack. However, after the world oil crisis in 1973 there was no market for its tiles. After a visit in a Moscow cemetery in 1975 where he noticed that attached to many of the tombstones were name-card sized photographs of the beloved which had faded because of ultraviolet rays of the sun, it occurred to Masahito Otsuka that baking the photographs into ceramics would preserve the original color forever. That was how the Otsuka group began making ceramic reproductions of artworks, concentrating at first on Japanese paintings and scenes and that was how the idea for the Otsuka Museum of Art emerged."
Pretty crazy stuff! The museum was divided into various categories including Antiquity (greek vases, mosaics, murals), Middle Ages, Renaissance (Botticelli, da Vinci), Baroque (Rembrandt, Goya), Modern Art (Van Gogh, Gauguin), and 20th Century (Picasso, Dali). In addition to the pictures were entire historical reconstructions of wall paintings, ancient ruins, and churches restored to exact replica. There was even a full sized Sistine Chapel. It took a long time to get through the museum but was certainly worth it. I recognized much of the art and had even seen some of the originals in various museums. I even saw a replica of the famous portrait of good old Cardinal Richelieu, Dr. Seitz's favorite Prime Minister of France.
After the museum we hit another famous spot in Naruto, the Naruto Straits. To make a long and complicated story short, the Seto Inland Sea (a sea) and Kii Channel (part of an ocean) meet at the Naruto Straits and create large tidal whirlpools that can be seen from the observational walkway built below the Naruto Bridge. Embedded in the floor of the walkway are large glass windows that allow visitors to view the 60 meter plunge to the swirling water below. Even though we didn’t visit during the best whirlpool season, the bridge was still impressive.
After coming home from Konpira-san I caught myself a high fever and upset stomach, and spent all day in bed with crazy dreams. My host grandmother took care of me, preparing delicious meals that made me better in no time.
1/4/2005
Two Thousand Five
I've made the move to my second host family, which in retrospect was fairly painless aside from the tedious act of packing and unpacking clothing, gifts, books, and other Japanese booty into suitcases.
The day before I left the Watanabe's house I went to see my friend Katrin perform in the Joto High School Symphony Orchestra at the Okayama Symphony Hall. I met a bunch of other exchange students at the performance and had an overall enjoyable time. After the orchestral performance the Joto chorus also performed, singing "Seasons of Love" from Rent along with some other selections. My favorite was the Joto brass band, performing a "Tribute to Anime," playing songs that I was able to recognize (the theme from “Laputa,” “Totoro,” and “Sen to Chihiro” (Spirited Away)). After the performance some kids and I grabbed donuts at the aptly named "Mr. Donut."
The next day I finished stuffing various items into suitcases. It was definitely sad to leave the Watanabe's house; they have been such a great host family. Shoko assured me that I could come back any time I wanted. In the meantime, the Watanabes are taking a New Year’s trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. Kawai-san (my second host mother) along with Aketa-san (my Rotary counselor) showed up late that afternoon to help with the process of moving. The whole Watanabe family was home for the New Year, so I got to see Shoko, Masatoshi, Shun, Mai, Miyu, and Shoko's mother before I left.
First, a little background about the Kawai family. There are three people, Osamu (my host father), Mayumi (host mother), and Tomoya (host brother, who is thirteen). The Kawai family lives about 10 minutes away from the Watanabe family, in Tai (the Watanabes live in Tama). Both houses are about 15 minutes by bike from Tamano High school, almost in opposite directions.
When I arrived at my new house, Mayumi showed me my room. In terms of tatami mats, it is about the same size as my old room, but the ceiling is much higher. The room also sports a large altar that makes the space look a lot bigger. The rest of my day was spent unpacking, until Tomoya came home from school with a whole pack of his friends. Tomoya is in the band, and all of his friends also happen to play instruments. I showed everyone my pictures from America, the DVD that Kostya made, and the English project that Rahul made for school last year (Tomoya's friends almost died during the car chase scene).
The next day I went to meet my new host grandmother who lives very close. I was told that she would be making lunch for me because Mayumi had to go to work. She came to pick me up and we had a long conversation about her trip to Hawaii with a chorus group. She spoke really fast Japanese, but it seems to me that I can usually understand everything that old people say, if they want me to. We left for her house, where she told me that she used to be a chef. She prepared Yaki Soba (a type of noodle) that was the most delicious I've ever had. That afternoon Tomoya's friends came over again and we played with Tomoya's large collection of plastic guns and video games.
The next day, Kawai-san took me to experience Mochitsuki (which means making Omochi, or sweet rice cakes) at a friend's house. I had wanted to do this for a while. The process involves putting a ton (figuratively) of cooked rice in a stone bowl, and smacking it with long wooden hammers until it turns into a paste-like "goo." The goo is then squeezed into small balls and covered in flour. The balls can then be eaten in many ways including plain, with soy sauce, with a sweet powder, in soups, or using a variety of other methods. After making Omochi, I went to see a boat race at a nearby arena. Boat racing appeared similar to horseracing, with six racers and a bunch of people betting on certain boats. It looked pretty chilly to me, but if I got the chance I would try it.
The next morning (New Year's Eve), I woke up to find snow on the ground. Dragging myself to the window I got a small shock because this was the first snow of the year in Tamano. A small snowball fight ensued involving myself, Tomoya, Tomoya's cousin who stayed with us over New Years, and some of the kids next door. After the battle, thoroughly soaked and satisfied, I sat down to a delicious lunch of sushi prepared by my host grandmother. That evening, the whole family went back to the house where we made Omochi to wait for the New Year. I had a gratuitous amount of sake which sparked interesting conversation with my host father and left me in a good mood for 2005. About 20 minutes before midnight (14 hours before the ball would drop in Times Square) all of us went to a nearby shrine (a Japanese custom) to watch fireworks. When we reached the top of the shrine steps, the countdown had already begun. We turned around to see fireworks on a hill near a small amusement park to the sound of "ooohs" and "aaahs" from the gathered crowd. I was offered more sake at the shrine and wished for a good year.
The next morning I woke up to a traditional Japanese New Year's breakfast, consisting of various foods that each have a certain meaning. This time the sake had gold foil in it (just being traditional not an alcoholic). That morning Tomoya's friend came over and the three of us went to Tamano's shrine by bike to pay our respects for a good New Year. We also visited the Tai shrine before returning home for a traditional New Year's lunch consisting of the same foods eaten for breakfast, plus soba. Soba is traditionally eaten during the New Year for reasons that relate to good luck.
On New Year's Day my host father's brother came to visit with his wife and three children. My host grandfather and grandmother also joined us. My host father, father's brother, grandfather, and I played Mahjong which would have made my grandmother very proud. Not only is it a difficult game but in Japanese it can be daunting. I really enjoyed it, however, and can't wait to get my next chance to try and best my host grandfather, who cleaned me out.
The rest of the weekend proceeded with more excitement, but I will leave that to another entry. For now, Akemashite Omedetou and Happy New Year.
The day before I left the Watanabe's house I went to see my friend Katrin perform in the Joto High School Symphony Orchestra at the Okayama Symphony Hall. I met a bunch of other exchange students at the performance and had an overall enjoyable time. After the orchestral performance the Joto chorus also performed, singing "Seasons of Love" from Rent along with some other selections. My favorite was the Joto brass band, performing a "Tribute to Anime," playing songs that I was able to recognize (the theme from “Laputa,” “Totoro,” and “Sen to Chihiro” (Spirited Away)). After the performance some kids and I grabbed donuts at the aptly named "Mr. Donut."
The next day I finished stuffing various items into suitcases. It was definitely sad to leave the Watanabe's house; they have been such a great host family. Shoko assured me that I could come back any time I wanted. In the meantime, the Watanabes are taking a New Year’s trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. Kawai-san (my second host mother) along with Aketa-san (my Rotary counselor) showed up late that afternoon to help with the process of moving. The whole Watanabe family was home for the New Year, so I got to see Shoko, Masatoshi, Shun, Mai, Miyu, and Shoko's mother before I left.
First, a little background about the Kawai family. There are three people, Osamu (my host father), Mayumi (host mother), and Tomoya (host brother, who is thirteen). The Kawai family lives about 10 minutes away from the Watanabe family, in Tai (the Watanabes live in Tama). Both houses are about 15 minutes by bike from Tamano High school, almost in opposite directions.
When I arrived at my new house, Mayumi showed me my room. In terms of tatami mats, it is about the same size as my old room, but the ceiling is much higher. The room also sports a large altar that makes the space look a lot bigger. The rest of my day was spent unpacking, until Tomoya came home from school with a whole pack of his friends. Tomoya is in the band, and all of his friends also happen to play instruments. I showed everyone my pictures from America, the DVD that Kostya made, and the English project that Rahul made for school last year (Tomoya's friends almost died during the car chase scene).
The next day I went to meet my new host grandmother who lives very close. I was told that she would be making lunch for me because Mayumi had to go to work. She came to pick me up and we had a long conversation about her trip to Hawaii with a chorus group. She spoke really fast Japanese, but it seems to me that I can usually understand everything that old people say, if they want me to. We left for her house, where she told me that she used to be a chef. She prepared Yaki Soba (a type of noodle) that was the most delicious I've ever had. That afternoon Tomoya's friends came over again and we played with Tomoya's large collection of plastic guns and video games.
The next day, Kawai-san took me to experience Mochitsuki (which means making Omochi, or sweet rice cakes) at a friend's house. I had wanted to do this for a while. The process involves putting a ton (figuratively) of cooked rice in a stone bowl, and smacking it with long wooden hammers until it turns into a paste-like "goo." The goo is then squeezed into small balls and covered in flour. The balls can then be eaten in many ways including plain, with soy sauce, with a sweet powder, in soups, or using a variety of other methods. After making Omochi, I went to see a boat race at a nearby arena. Boat racing appeared similar to horseracing, with six racers and a bunch of people betting on certain boats. It looked pretty chilly to me, but if I got the chance I would try it.
The next morning (New Year's Eve), I woke up to find snow on the ground. Dragging myself to the window I got a small shock because this was the first snow of the year in Tamano. A small snowball fight ensued involving myself, Tomoya, Tomoya's cousin who stayed with us over New Years, and some of the kids next door. After the battle, thoroughly soaked and satisfied, I sat down to a delicious lunch of sushi prepared by my host grandmother. That evening, the whole family went back to the house where we made Omochi to wait for the New Year. I had a gratuitous amount of sake which sparked interesting conversation with my host father and left me in a good mood for 2005. About 20 minutes before midnight (14 hours before the ball would drop in Times Square) all of us went to a nearby shrine (a Japanese custom) to watch fireworks. When we reached the top of the shrine steps, the countdown had already begun. We turned around to see fireworks on a hill near a small amusement park to the sound of "ooohs" and "aaahs" from the gathered crowd. I was offered more sake at the shrine and wished for a good year.
The next morning I woke up to a traditional Japanese New Year's breakfast, consisting of various foods that each have a certain meaning. This time the sake had gold foil in it (just being traditional not an alcoholic). That morning Tomoya's friend came over and the three of us went to Tamano's shrine by bike to pay our respects for a good New Year. We also visited the Tai shrine before returning home for a traditional New Year's lunch consisting of the same foods eaten for breakfast, plus soba. Soba is traditionally eaten during the New Year for reasons that relate to good luck.
On New Year's Day my host father's brother came to visit with his wife and three children. My host grandfather and grandmother also joined us. My host father, father's brother, grandfather, and I played Mahjong which would have made my grandmother very proud. Not only is it a difficult game but in Japanese it can be daunting. I really enjoyed it, however, and can't wait to get my next chance to try and best my host grandfather, who cleaned me out.
The rest of the weekend proceeded with more excitement, but I will leave that to another entry. For now, Akemashite Omedetou and Happy New Year.
