Because two weeks have passed since the last time I wrote something, I obviously have a lot to write about. I haven't really decided how to do it, although I honestly feel that breaking things down on a day-to-day basis will be pretty redundant, and frankly, quite boring. So I will be skipping some things and summarizing much of what happened - sorry to those who prefer the long, descriptive tales - in order to get you back up to speed with my life and some of the important changes I've gone through in such a short time. However, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! Disclaimer – this will be long!
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I've had the pleasure of being the guest of honour for fellow senseis three times in the past two weeks. The first occasion was planned as a mini-welcome party with some of the JTE's (Japanese English teachers) at my visiting school, Kakogawaminami High School. The teachers took it upon themselves to plan something small for my arrival, and had decided to go for a small meal at a local okonomiyaki restaurant. Six of us gathered in front of the nearest train station and headed towards Kanemoto-sensei's favourite dining spot. Nearing closer to the door brought nothing but despair to his warm heart - unbeknownst to him, the place is always shut down on Monday nights. While it was unfortunate I couldn't enjoy "the best of the best", we got in his car and shuttled down to Nishi-Akashi, the nearest town to us. Parking in front of what appeared to be nothing more than a one-bedroom apartment, we disembarked from the van and entered a small takoyaki shop. While I didn't know what we were getting into at the time, I soon discovered that takoyaki is fried octopus balls... yum. Afraid that I fit the Asian stereotype that all Westerners are scared of the deep-sea monster, I quickly told them that I didn't fit the mold, and established myself as a willing member of the "when in Rome" society. Soon enough, I was sitting there devouring takoyaki until I could barely breathe! Sure, the texture is a bit awkward at first, but the taste was something I simply couldn't ignore! Mark this down as change # 1 - Daniel eating fresh octopus... who would've thought?!
While we're on the subject of food, and Japanese teachers, I might as well follow this up with the story of my official "enkai", a.k.a. work party. This one was hosted by my base school, Higashiharima HS, and was promised to be much larger, more expensive, and far more delicious. On a Friday night, we dined at a French cuisine restaurant (again, in what appeared to be a house from the outside), where we were served dishes such as raw lobster, liver, sea bream in white sauce, lots of fresh bread, and several bottles of delicious red wine. I have to admit, the bread alone would have done it for me – but this was hands down the best meal I’d had in 6 weeks, and it was sooooooo good! A teacher who used to work at my school joined the other 9 of us, and we had a great evening joking around and having some laughs. After a short speech from both of us at the end of the night (the Japanese really have a thing for speeches and introductions) we parted and wished each other a safe and pleasant weekend. I went to meet with a friend of mine, my stomach full and satisfied from an exquisite and scrumptious feast. As the Japanese say, that was simply おいし！
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The rest of these two weeks can be divided into three distinct series of events: the Saijo Sake Festival, Hiroshima & Miyajima, and Ieshima. While the three adventures were equally eventful, they each developed in their own unique style. Again, apologies for keeping it brief, but if I go until too much detail I’ll never be able to leave the office today! Haha, I can be excused from slacking today because it’s mid-term week, and I have zero classes and therefore, absolutely nothing to do for the eight hours I’m stuck inside these four walls. In any case, I’ll begin with the Nihonshu Matsuri (a.k.a. 日本酒 まつり。)
Set to depart the morning after the enkai, I was prepared to leave my house for four days, the longest I would have been away from “home” since arriving in Japan. Although I’m technically away from home, it hasn’t felt like I’ve been traveling in a sense, because I started working three days after arriving in Kakogawa. Since beginning work, I have developed certain day-to-day routines and have become comfortable with my new lifestyle. Things become habitual after a while, and once you learn your surroundings and come to terms with the idea of truly “living abroad” you lose those initial inhibitions and actually accept the facts. That being said, it felt a little strange to step outside that box and take a vacation for the long weekend. At around 11:30 am, I was picked up by Izumi and Taka, a Japanese couple who originally met in Toronto while studying English abroad. They are friends with Sifton, a fellow JET and ALT from Toronto, who first met Izumi at university in Canada. Along for the ride came Takeshi, a mutual friend from Osaka, and Taka’s brother. After getting settled in the passenger seat, I prepared myself for the two-hour road trip to Hiroshima prefecture. Did I mention that it was pouring rain? It wasn’t raining, it was more like being in a mega-carwash container, where the water consumed everything in its sight and made it practically impossible to move, let alone drive. What was supposed to take two hours took double the time, but soon enough, we arrived in Saijo, the sake capital of Japan. It’s not a myth or an exaggeration – in this place, the sake faithfully flows like water.
Welcoming us into Saijo was Suzuki-san, an old friend of Taka’s and a well-respected individual of the Saijo community. Suzuki-san runs an international community center, where all are welcome to work and stay as part of a community project. We were lucky enough to stay there for free for the night, and we felt instantly at home in this four-storey complex. Following a short chat (and introductions) we dropped off our luggage and headed out to enjoy the festivities. We walked along the tightly-woven streets, examining the food stalls and chatting with some people on the sidewalks. Since the festival kicked off at around 11 am, we were already way behind some of the other participants. Using our free entrance tickets to the sake garden (thanks again to Suzuki-san for the free passes), we got right to work, visiting each of the different tents that represented the numerous regions of Japan. The garden was quite a spectacle, indeed. It was the first time since arrival that I had seen so many white people at the same time. It was a gaijin invasion!! It was interesting to see some familiar faces, including a guy I met at Tokyo Orientation. It was nice to catch up and find out how he’d been settling in. Sure enough, he was having the time of his life. When it came time to leave the garden, we hurried back to Suzuki-san’s for an all-you-can-eat buffet style dinner, the beer and sake flooding the atmosphere and assuring us all of the wonders of a comfortable home and a warm place to rest one’s head. It was a remarkable experience, and one that will surely be hard to forget. (Note to self – refrain from using this expression for everything I’m going to do in Japan!)
The next day we walked around Saijo again, this time visiting the different sake breweries and tasting more delicious samples. We went out for a traditional lunch with Suzuki-san, enjoyed soft-serve vanilla sake ice cream, drank sake that was tapped from bamboo trees in small bamboo cups (oh, you know I kept that as a souvenir) and later went to purchase some sake bottles to save for special occasions. By the early afternoon, we’d had our fill again – some more than others, Taka... – and we went back to the guesthouse to say goodbye to our incredible hosts. As the rest of the group was preparing to head back to Hyogo prefecture and Osaka, it was also time for my goodbye. I jumped on the train to Hiroshima, put on my iPod, and embraced the feeling I’d wanted for so long – the thrill of a solo adventure. My hostel in Hiroshima was actually placed in Miyajimaguchi, about 20 minutes west of the city centre, located in the small port town which runs the ferry to nearby Miyajima Island. Checking into the hostel brought back waves of heavy nostalgia for that notion of personal freedom, the sense of excitement you get when arriving into an unknown world of the common traveler (this may sound like an oxymoron, but those of you who’ve traveled should know what I mean). In other words, while you feel something shared with the people around you, the world of which you’ve just entered is new, unique, and strange – where will I eat? How far is it to the nearest...? What kind of people will I meet? Will I feel safe? All important questions, I assure you.
Hiroshima. What a beautiful city. Aside from the obvious reason people travel there – visiting the Atomic Dome and Peace Park Memorial Museum sites – Hiroshima is especially famous for its own version of the okonomiyaki dish. Taking a page out the Montreal vs. Quebec City style poutine styles, Hiroshima and Osaka go head-to-head in the ways in which okonomiyaki is prepared, cooked, and served. While the Osaka style encourages the chef to mix everything into the batter before cooking it on the hot plate, the Hiroshima style is more meticulous in its preparation, opting instead to carefully layer the okonomiyaki in stages. In addition, the Hiroshima style features more cabbage, so most agree that it is healthier than the Osaka “pancake” version. Taking a suggestion from the reception staff (thanks Ayami!), I walked over to the okonomiyaki restaurant after a quick shower and mentally prepared myself for what was sure to be another Japanese delicacy. And wow, was it ever! I even had mine layered with soba underneath, adding flavours and texture I never thought existed! I devoured the dish in its entirety, savouring every last bite.
The next day I woke up early and hopped on the ferry to Miyajima. I spent the entire day there, hiking three hours up the mountain for the best view of the Bay of Hiroshima, petting deer, eating fresh oysters, visiting thousand-year old shrines, geocaching, and often stopping to stare at the monumental orange torii which stands tall in the ocean.
In the morning, at high tide, the torii appears to be “floating”, which gives it its postcard charm. At night, however, the tide runs low and you can actually walk out to it and stand underneath its immense beams, dropping a 5-yen coin at its feet for good luck. I caught myself about a dozen times simply staring in awe at its beauty, never sure why it captivated me as much as it did, but wherever I went on the island I would look over my shoulder to see if I could catch another glimpse of its elegance. To say that I felt as if there was something magical about the torii is an understatement. It’s hard now to reiterate the feelings of wonder I had when gazing at the phenomenal structure, but something about it just gave me hope, reassuring me of its power as the guardian of Miyajima.
Staying well beyond dark to capture the perfect night shot, I finally headed back to the hostel for dinner. I went to a nearby Italian restaurant with some other guests of the hostel, where we were lucky to be served a full pizza and a beer for only ¥1000, about a third of the actual price! Mmmm, I love discounts! The rest of night was spent in the common room chatting with other travelers, engaging in conversations about our appreciation (and sometimes, disagreement) with Japanese culture, traditions, food, etc. While most people were still relatively new to Japan – myself included – I met an American guy who had just finished an 18-month stint as an English teacher, who was actually five days away from returning home for the first time. It was nice to hear from someone who had experienced something I was currently undertaking, and he gave me insight into some of the challenges I’m undergoing at the moment and provided me with a sense of reassurance that I desperately needed at the time. There was also a Japanese girl from Tokyo who spoke perfect English (who I needed to congratulate several times, as she has never studied abroad) and we enjoyed some laughs while discussing just about every topic from A-Z. I missed that hostel experience, and it was nice to be reminded of the pleasures of traveling alone. It’s only when we’re left to ourselves when we can truly discover who we are, and once again I was comforted by the spirit of others who shared the same passion for bearing witness to the millions of wonders of the world.
My fourth day in Hiroshima was jam-packed from the outright beginning. After a five-hour sleep, I woke up at 8 to head east of Hiroshima to the Mazda factory and museum. There is a free English tour on weekdays at 10 am, and since it was highly recommended by friends back home, I wanted to be sure not to miss it. The tour lasted about 2 hours, and I was able to not only see cars from the past, present and future on the museum floors, but we were taken down to the assembly line of the largest Mazda factory in the world! Even though I’m not exactly a car guru, I still really enjoyed the experience. Not to mention that the tour guide was smoking hot! :)
Like I said, it simply never gets easier. It was, however, remarkable to leave the museum and walk through the Peace Park, along the riverside, and take a look around the city after its reconstruction. It was strange to think that life was obliterated in mere seconds, only to be rebuilt better and stronger than ever. Hiroshima continues to stand as the City of Peace, and will forever be remembered as the place where nuclear weapons were first used against an evil force. The most important lesson we take from this is to strengthen humanity and ensure we never experience something so tragic in the generations to come.
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After another week in the office, it was time for another journey. Less than two weeks ago, the teacher who sits next to me at Kakogawaminami told me about a free trip to Ieshima, a nearby island in the Inland Sea. The small fishing island of Ieshima has been having economic problems for several years already, and the population continues to decline as jobs continue to be limited by the recession, therefore forcing the young generations to move to bigger cities like Osaka and Tokyo, leaving the island populated only by fisherman and the elderly. This has brought about an enormous amount of concern by the local population, which encouraged some to attempt to increase tourism in the area and promote tour packages with Himeji, who just officially incorporated Ieshima into its district. Bureaucratic details aside, the trip was entirely promotional, a pioneering project strictly for foreigners living and working in Japan. As there was limited space available for the free tour, the only way of learning about the trip was from co-workers; thankfully, I’ve got a wonderful teacher who just happens to be friends with the tour guide! How convenient.
Departing early Saturday morning from the Himeji JR station, Renell, Katie and I met the group of seven others (four of which were part of the organization) and began the weekend with a cruise around some of the islands surrounding Ieshima – the main island which means Home (ie) Island (shima). An interesting story goes with the naming of the island, but I’ll spare you the details for now. Arriving on the island, we were whisked away by some local women and taken to a secluded beach to have lunch. The bento meals were prepared with fresh seafood and rice, only a sample of what was to come later in the evening. After lunch we took a casual walk through one district of the island, returning back to the guesthouse to meet Jeremy, an American living in Ieshima as a Japanese-English translator. He now lives there with his wife, who was born on Ieshima, and their three children after living in the U.S. for the past 15 years. Quite an adjustment, I’d say. At night, we were treated to a FEAST with the fishermen’s wives, who were all too eager to cook for us and welcome guests into their lives. It was a special moment for all of us on the trip – as we later jointly agreed that it was our favourite experience altogether – to be able to help cook and clean with these extremely hardworking and dedicated women, who not only prepared an abnormal amount of delicious food for us to enjoy, but were also a part of the meal. It was something different to be able to share that experience with them, rather than simply dining at a local restaurant or casually entertaining the idea of wandering about the island on your own. The experience of becoming engrained into the native culture and appreciated for our genuine interest was truly something special. The other major highlight of the trip to Ieshima was going fishing – the first time in my life! And sure enough, I caught the biggest fish of them all! Take a look at the vivid colours on its skin. After releasing it from the hook, I picked up the fish and tossed it gently back into the ocean. Strange to think that in only 24 hours I’d eaten fresh squid, eel, mantis prawn, bream, conger, salmon eggs, and even wrapped my own sushi rolls! Talk about a new man.
In closing, I really want to show my appreciation for the people of Ieshima, especially those who welcomed us on the tour and took care of us from the absolute beginning. Ieshima felt like a world apart from Japan, nothing I ever thought I’d experience before embarking on that boat. I have a feeling that somehow it changed the way I look at village life and the hard work which people experience on a daily basis. Maybe it was the way people speak to each other in such a small community, how they act towards each other and take absolutely nothing for granted; how they work hard each and everyday to put food on their table, but never losing hope of their dreams; they way they continue to live and laugh as a family, even in desperate times. To the people of Ieshima: がんばってね!
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In other news, I have learned how to read Hiragana, the other Japanese phonetic alphabet. The major difference here is that now I have to begin learning some vocabulary, because unlike Katakana, I actually have no idea what I’m reading! The next challenge is to learn some vocabulary and start to memorize important greetings and phrases that will help me express certain feelings or enhance my experience in Japan. I’ve also joined the gym and promised myself to stay in shape throughout the bitter winter season. Finally, I can now proudly say that I am no longer afraid to navigate myself through the grocery store, up and down every aisle, and feel comfortable with the extraordinary amount of seafood, noodles and rice in the supermarket. In fact, after this past weekend, I found myself actually examining the fish, picking it up to check the price, and wondering if and how I could cook it properly.
It’s funny some how things change so quickly. I guess that’s just what happens when you learn not only begin to appreciate what you have in front of you, but rather what happens when you dive beneath the surface and embody the moments and opportunities which beg to be embraced.
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