Japan: Week 4

4 - Takayama

Sakura never lasts long in Japan. You can't blame it really, it's got to make its way up the length of the country in one short season, after all. No wonder the delicate flowers will be swept away by one heavy rainfall. Therefore, this week I went to a few places where the blossoms would be in abundance to make the most of their gorgeous presence.

A place called Irigaike Park is located just a ten minute walk away from my accommodation. It was ridiculously windy, but this only drew more attention to the beautiful scenery, as the boughs waved and tries to draw attention, as if it were needed.

There were a lot of people outside enjoying the sunshine if not the wind speed, and I confess my heart still melts at the sight of tiny Japanese tots, especially when they're old enough to stare with huge, round eyes at my foreign appearance, and young enough to ignore their parents' attempts to teach them etiquette.

Another group caught my eye also. At first I only noticed the young couple sitting on the park bench enjoying ice cream, the characteristics of Down's Syndrome standing out to someone as emotionally invested as myself, and then I saw the young man in the wheelchair, and a carer standing with another small group of young adults a little further off. It could've been any mencap outing in England. Tears came to my eyes momentarily; here in a country who's gender equality laws leave a little something to be desired, and which created the proverb "The nail which sticks out get hits down", I worried what the stance on disability might be. I was reassured.

The next job was to seek out some formal clothes. We were invited on a Freshers Camp with the new Global Business students to a place called Tayakama, I think as a point of interest and a chance for them to practice English, and also because on a Teaching English course we won't have all that many trip opportunities. We were told we'd be staying in a very posh hotel, and had to dress for the dinner which would be provided! This panicked us to a certain extent, but shopping in Nagoya is never dull, and we picked up suitable clothing.

The camp itself was interesting. While I understood barely a word of the seminars, the teachers had photo powerpoints and they seemed to be telling the students about where in the world this degree could take them. Seminars were followed by a presentation on British table manners, amusing but accurate. Also, necessary to students who may grow up to be entertained by Western business partners. Practice was also essential, of course. This meant that the day finished with a delicious Western-style supper. Welcome, after a lot of Japanese food these past weeks.

As you know, I visited the onsen as a beautifully relaxing end to the day. I'll point out that it wasn't even strange to be bathing with girls I'd met only hours before, and who I will no doubt see around the university. New experiences.

The next day contained a trip to a place in Gifu prefecture called Shirakawa-Go, a world heritage site with buildings almost unique to the area, as many were destroyed in World War II.  It also had mountains, paddy fields, and snakes. I was sincerely grateful to be taken to a place as wonderful as this. I love to see so much scenery which just doesn't exist in England.

To finish off the week, today I went to a festival event at Iwasaki Castle, also close to where I live. They had a whole timetable of entertainment which I believe was from the local area, including a wind band and a cheerleading troupe. They had stalls of food and games and of course, the Castle in all its splendour itself.

The sakura is mostly gone from this area now, but I'm glad I had the opportunity to see it a lot in both Nagoya and Kyoto. Now that's quite a lot of travelling, if only lessons would start...

Yours,

Abby 

Japan: Onsen

I want these built in England. I want a law passed that everyone goes to one every month. I have solved the problem of quite a number of issues in the UK...

Onsen are traditional Japanese baths heated by naturally occurring hot springs due to the volcanic activity of the country. There are thousands of onsen all over Japan. They can be outside or inside, and are usually located as part of a ryokan, traditional Japanese hotel, as the Japanese like to travel away from their busy lives and relax in an onsen somewhere new.

These are similar to the reasons guide books list onsen as places visitors to Japan should go - the relaxing atmosphere, the experience of Japanese culture, and other similar reasons. At first, this was why I wanted to try an onsen. On a trip funded by the university, it would be a waste not to make use of all amenities, and it's a long-standing feature of Japanese culture, of which I feel compelled to try as many as possible.

However, these reasons were not sufficient to keep me from being nervous. With shaking fingers a friend and I slipped out of our clothes and into our yukata, cotton kimono, in separate rooms. We told each other that we had to go "Now! Or we'll never do it!" and made our way downstairs to the onsen. First you pass into the ladies' section; the majority of onsen are single-sex in Japan. There's a changing room, although there's not much actual 'changing' to do, only shrugging out of your yukata and placing it in a basket, back to everyone, eyes on the floor, and questions of what you're putting yourself through in your head.

If the floor wasn't soaking wet we'd have scurried through. As it was, we made our way slowly into the bath house, eyes fixed on our next destination: one of the rows of low stools with shower heads beside them. Before you can step into the bath itself, the bather has to thoroughly wash themselves. Shampoo, conditioner and several types of body wash are provided, as are *gulp* mirrors at each station. There are several sets of these rows of stools, resembling a hairdresser's, so you can see everyone.

Oh. I can see... everyone.

Feeling a little more secure sitting on a stool and not walking through the bath-house, I relaxed. It wasn't scary, after all. It wasn't weird. It was just. Women.

I'm not going to pretend the reason it wasn't scary was because I wasn't looking, or because everyone just ignores each other, because Hell, I was looking. I suddenly realised the portrayal of bodies is all wrong. There were children, who we all looked like once, older women, who we'll all look like in the future, mothers, who we might resemble in just a few short years. And there were young women, and seeing us all together like that was the least strange of all.

Sometimes it seems all young women think about is the shape of their bodies. The only two things we have to compare are our reflections, and actresses, dancers, models, and we're not even seeing them naked. Well, I saw about fifty Japanese girls my age last night, and the tales of how they're all super-skinny is a myth. Breasts, hips, thighs, tummies, bums, shoulders, legs, arms. Everyone had a different combination of sizes of these, and I'm not trying to make anyone feel good by saying they were all beautiful. A true fact: They all looked like women. Yes, dear reader, even the ones with flat chests. Yes, dear reader, even the ones with wobbly tummies. Do not flatter yourself, dear reader, you are no different, and you do not escape my words.

Your body. Is. Beautiful.

No clothes, no make-up, no anything. I've speculated before about what would happen if we were all at our most vulnerable all the time, and I'm surprised to be able to provide an answer. We wouldn't be vulnerable. At least not because of the way we looked. We would have to worry about other things. Personalities, for instance. Wouldn't that be healthier? These, we can change.

My insecurities vanished into the dark sky with the rising steam. The hot, calming water does nothing to hide you, and besides, you soon grow too hot and lull on a rock to cool down for a minute. For once, the stares of the Japanese at a Gaijin didn't bother me. I was casting many a side-long glance and being reassured about my body, I was only too happy for my body to reassure also. The friend and I realised how womanly females are from the back especially. Men and women just do not look alike. I asked her to drop back a couple of steps as we moved from one bath to the other, to see if I looked as good as that. Her "Oh God, yes!", immediate and said with such sincerity only served to deepen my euphoria.

So, the first issue I have solved is body confidence. The second I feel I have an answer to is how to halt the over-sexualisation of the female form. In my opinion, the leaders of advertising companies are most to blame.  The way an advert about body wash will show a glowing, smiling woman; the camera pans across her collar-bones, show the bubbles swirling round her feet, might skim tantalisingly past what teenagers so elegantly refer to as 'side boob'. Well, I wish they showed you more. I wish they'd show you her breasts full-on, her tummy with creases in it - a tummy which does it's job of containing food... I wish they'd show you her jiggly thighs, her wobbling bum, and all the bits of fat on her, instead of pretending she looks a way she doesn't through clever camera work.

Moreover, I wish every advert along the same theme contained a woman who looked different. In one, a small woman with small breasts and a flat stomach. A short woman with full hips. A woman with large eyes and a wide waist, and occasionally, in the same frequency as every other body shape, a woman with long legs, a small waist, and large boobs, so that this particular body type is not over-sexualised or overly sought-after, so that we all understand it's just another shape women come in.

I want women to understand that the liars are not the ones who say that every body is perfect, and I want those attracted to women to have the chance to see all body shapes in a beautiful light, so that they might decide in an unbiased way which is their preference.

I can't see that it's too much to ask.

My trip to the onsen made me want to discover a way to dispel all my worries so easily as my body troubles,  I need a way to recreate this onsen feeling. More importantly though, how can I encourage everyone else, especially young women, to try it and feel it for themselves?

Yours,

Abby

Japan: Week 3

3 - Kyoto

This week I realised, whilst counting through all the things I've gotten used to, all the things which have just slipped into my routine without having to get used to them at all. There are no conveyor belts at supermarkets - you just queue up with your basket. You don't even look for the smallest queue, they're so quick that there's no point moving from the one right in front of you. There are no buttons to press at pedestrian crossings, they're all timed. Buses have a fixed fare, you don't pay for how far you're going. It feels strange, stranger than the little things you do have to remind yourself of (taking off shoes...) to discover there are parts of living a completely foreign life which make more sense to your subconscious than the life you've lived for nineteen years.

It was another Bjork week. Quiet and peaceful. I read for research for my dissertation, I went to the gym because if there's really no frisbee for 4 months, the least I can do is come back totally ripped, I cooked.

Then, at three o'clock on Friday afternoon, I boarded a coach for Kyoto. It's Hanami, cherry blossom viewing, in Kyoto at the moment, and consequently one of the busiest times of the year for the city. During Spring, foreigners and Japanese alike will flock to each city as its native flower comes into bloom in turn. We decided to throw ourselves into the fray, and booked coaches and a room for Friday night. Saturday appears to be all booked up? Oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

We reached Kyoto station, and decided it would be easiest just to get a taxi to the hostel first time around as it wasn't far away, and then we'd know how to walk to and from the station. Unfortunately, this was one of those times when the Japanese are so desperate to be helpful that they end up being quite the opposite. The taxi driver had no idea either where the hostel was, despite us having the full address written down in Japanese, or how to use his SatNav. Luckily you can just go up to anyone in uniform in Japan and they'll help you out. Consequently, we ended up walking another 40 minutes to the actual location of our hostel, which was about 5 minutes away from the station, in the opposite direction we had just come. Ah well, it was fresh air, and it was Kyoto.

We had a delicious dinner in a much fancier restaurant than we intended to eat at, but it was worth every penny as a one-off. We stayed for hours, talking and drinking. Eventually we decided to call it a night, as we wanted a full day of sight-seeing come the morning. It was another pleasant stay in a hostel - I've yet to find a poor one in Japan.

In the morning we headed straight for Kinkaku-Ji, the Golden Pavilion. My third visit to the temple, and I still find it difficult to take in the side of the pure gold building, floating in the middle of a lake. It was the first time the weather's been good too, and the gold leaf gleamed, and the reflections in the water were so vivid.

Next stop was Nijo Castle, with the Nightingale Floor as an ancient security device; the wooden floorboards sing like birds when they're stepped on. Again, the sunshine and the cherry blossom made walking around the gardens so beautiful, and I was glad I had the opportunity to visit these landmarks yet again.

The final sight-seeing destination of the day was Fushimi-Inari, with a huge shrine at the base and many trails winding their way up the side of a mountain, the paths covered all the way along with hundreds of bright orange torii. There are many paths to take and it would take a couple of hours if you were fit enough to march smartly up them all, but we just ventured up one as high as you could go, and were rewarded with a view of Kyoto. Along the way and at the end of each trail are more, smaller shrines, as well as many places to stop and buy a drink for the thirsty traveller. We also discovered that these torii are purchased, and are inscribed with family names and dates. Prices start at around £2,500 for the smallest, anyone interested...?

After the magnitude of steps it was time for dinner, so we headed to Gion, the Geisha district. The only place big enough to house our group was an all-you-can-eat restaurant, which had a cooking pot in the middle of the table in which you fry as many strips of beef and bowls of vegetables as you like. After we staggered out, we made our way to the karaoke we'd located on our food-hunt, how we'd decided to cross the bridge we'd now come to...

Astonishingly, we managed to find some songs we hadn't got through last mammoth karaoke session, and we also replayed a few favourites. We all collapsed at around 3 in the morning. At this particular karaoke, kicking-out time was 5 am, so, out into the wide world we went once again, after what mathematically should have been two hours sleep, but in reality was about 20 minutes.

In our early morning wanderings we watched a small group of policemen taking a jog (I kid you not), and made our way to a nearby shrine. We soon discovered that during hanami, our behaviour wasn't in the slightest bit bizarre. Another example of Japan working hard and playing hard, they set up mats under the sakura and relax for hours, start drinking early and carry on all night. Some groups were peacefully sleeping in sleeping bags, but others were still in full celebration mode, and were only too glad to invite us to the party.

Taken at 5.30 am

Taken at 6 am

So for a few hours we lolled around, taking photos of the beautiful scenery and making Japanese friends. We only had to wait until 8 am, and Starbucks would be open. After warming up a little, it was back into tourist mode. We went to Kiyomizu-dera, only a short walk away, and ambled around, feeling much more delicate than the day before.

The first Japanese child in history to be brave enough to want to be in a photo with gaijin

The rest of the time we had left in Kyoto was spent perusing the shops in Gion, and wondering whereabouts Geisha used to, and still might, live. By beautiful coincidence, a man told us that there were lots of people down a particular street because some Maiko, apprentice Geisha, would be making their debut appearances that day, and would be appearing just before we had to get the train back to Kyoto station.

Against the cherry blossom, this woman represents centuries' worth of Japanese culture. Beautiful, flawless, one could nevertheless sense her breathing a little heavily, faced with so many photographers, not to mention foreigners, frantically snapping away. I wondered if she worried about the attention of those like me. Would she think I wouldn't understand the difficulties she's gone through on a daily basis to be where she is now? Would she worry I wouldn't find her perfect, ignorant in my knowledge of the culture she epitomises? At one moment she looked straight into my eyes, and I'll never know if my utter respect and understanding of her lifestyle passed between us in those precious few seconds, but I hope it did.

If there's one moment I won't forget in all my time I'll be here, it'll be this one.

From Gion it was back to Kyoto station and the coach, back to nagoya and the underground, back to the bus, and a short walk to collapsing into bed. Who'd have thought I'd break my record of number of hours awake after just one short week? For those interested, it stands at 38 hours.

A couple of exciting things happening next week! See you then.

Yours,

Abby

There were a great many photos from this weekend, and I couldn't possibly post them all here. To see more: http://abbyinjapan.tumblr.com/

Japan: Week 2

2 - Settling in

This week reminds me of the first minute or so of Bjork's 'It's Oh So Quiet'. So peaceful, so relaxing, at a calm, laid-back pace. And then Saturday night/Sunday morning happened - A.K.A The Most Japanese Day I will Probably Have in Japan.

The week began with a welcome party for us held at the University where they provided astonishingly delicious food (given that we're students and and all), and a selection of performances from some of the clubs we might like to join.

As I've brought my clarinet all the way here, I'll be doing my utmost to make my way to Wind Orchestra rehearsals and keep up with their precision and enthusiasm.

I was struck yet again by how comprehensive are the efforts of the university to ensure we all fit in, feel included, and above all enjoy our stay here. In England there are individual teachers who will want to make sure you're enjoying life, but it does not seem to be a priority of the institution. Perhaps one of the reasons Japan is so successful that it's currently lowering the worth of the yen so that other countries can continue to do business with it, is that they understand the necessity of welcome distraction. Everyone knows that the brain works more effectively when it is given occasional breaks and stimulated in different ways, but how many nations so persuasively arrange and encourage your participation in such activities? Japanese people work hard, play hard, and consequently work even harder. There are so many things to learn here, and I haven't even begun lessons yet.

Speaking of working, I had a meeting with the head of my course on Thursday, so that he can let us know how our term is going to pan out. I will have 5 classes; Theory of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (here-on referred to as TEFL, I can't keep writing that out) Methodology of TEFL, Japanese Language, Phonetics, and Comparative Culture. All these classes will contain just the four of us who have come from Winchester University, as other foreign students here will be studying either Japanese language or Japanese Culture.

After a couple of weeks we will start observing English classes for foreign students, and a couple of weeks after that we will start teaching classes! All in addition to the five original classes. After all this was explained, my initial misgivings owing to the fact that we will not begin lessons until the 15th of April (!) were reduced. Clearly, I have a lot to get ahead with, and my free time once term starts will be minimal. Kyoto in full bloom is calling my name, as well as Osaka, and now I'll have time to do a little travelling before getting down to work.

This week also contained a visit to a very nearby shrine, who's name I'm afraid I never learnt. To reach it, you walk off the main road and climb a grassy, winding path onto a clearer pavement, winding its way uphill through woodland, and passing the occasional Japanese family grave along the way. When the ground levels out, you can choose either to explore the cemetery further, or climb the many steps leading to the shrine.

We chose the cemetery first, which is leafy and laid out with a gentle disorder, each group of headstones inhabiting their own little corner.

I couldn't walk through an English cemetery so calmly, and I think this shows a rare occasion where ignorance really is bliss. I've never even seen a picture of a Japanese grave yard. These slabs of stone fit perfectly into these hilly woods, and I felt only calm as I wandered among a place for the dead, my mind unencumbered by images supplied by film and television of dark forces lurking. It felt natural, a place where relatives believe their loved one's spirits would come, who wouldn't mind tourists educating themselves and paying their respects.

Back through the cemetery, and up the many steps to the shrine. I'll admit it was comforting next going to a place I did know about, and feeling as though I'm not completely at sea in this beautiful, foreign country. The water trough with the bamboo ladles is for purifying hands and mouth before prayer in the shrine, the lions guarding the entrance, the strings of cranes for peace, the folded strips of paper on a string containing hopes and prayers, and incense to sharpen and concentrate the mind. Yes, I thought, I know how to live here, and appreciate the difference a few thousand miles can make to the development of a culture.

The last peaceful day was Friday. My main activity of the day was to go to the (free!!) gym for an induction into how the machines work (and internally confirming that I will not be getting to know any of them except the treadmill). This also happened to be the Graduation of last year's NUFS students, meaning that they were all gathering in front of the uni in their beautiful kimono, and didn't at all mind being photographed.

This weekend was the longest of my life. Perhaps that's not entirely scientifically accurate, but it was the weekend when I was awake for more hours than I ever have been before. Saturday began with leaving I-House to catch a bus to the station, then catching a train and a subway train to central Nagoya, to walk a little distance to the impressive Nagoya Castle. Built in 1612, the castle was the biggest fortress in Japan at the time, to protect Tokyo from enemies advancing from the West of Japan. We had a wonderful volunteer tour guide who gave us a good insight into the history of the Castle; concise enough to ensure you both stayed interested and left wanting to know more.

From the Castle it was onto Osu, a district of Nagoya the students wanted to show us for its modern architecture and numerous shopping opportunities. We ate Udon Noodles for lunch, very welcome after a hard morning's climbing of stairs, and explored shops containing more items that I wished to purchase than I would be able to return to England to 50 suitcases. We also had a go at Purikura - those famous photo booths where you can digitally doodle all over your photos, which everyone wishes they would build in England.

We also made a quick stop at Sakae, where we found a Totoro shop, and Nagoya's newest Ferris Wheel located next to Japan's oldest Ferris Wheel. As you do.

Finally, after what had already been a long day, we returned to I-House. I napped, to prepare myself for what was to come. Karaoke, was what was to come. The best karaoke bars are in Sakae, and the trains stop fairly early, besides which, there is a curfew of 11 pm at I-House. You don't have to be in, but you won't be able to return to the building until 7 am. The result? Overnight stays at karaoke bars and catching the first train home in the morning.

This was for the most part an incredibly enjoyable experience. Paying double of an already reasonable price will gain you unlimited access to a drinks menu of both soft drinks and alcohol, which can help a group of friends who are going to be in an ultra-violet lit room for 7 hours.

Even if I didn't already enjoy letting stress go, singing wildly out of key and enjoying cheesy songs for the genius they secretly are, the fact you are taking part in so thoroughly a Japanese activity cannot be ignored. Karaoke is as much as a part of Japanese culture as a site like Nagoya Castle, and a perfect example of how Japanese people do in fact, let it all go and have a good time.

I astonished myself by not sleeping at all Saturday night, a feat I have never managed before, even in reaction to fast-approaching deadlines. Knowing that I would have absolutely nothing to do on Sunday (apart from blogging!) helped relax me and allow me to have as much fun as I wanted. The only downside to this party was that I'd forgotten how privileged I am to live in a country where smoking is illegal inside. It hadn't occurred to me just how much of a headache could be gained from second-hand smoke in a small room, but hey, for this experience I put up with it, and I'll be infinitely more grateful for a relatively smoke-free England on my return.

We left karaoke at about 5.30 am, and from there it's a blur of tubes, buses and McDonald's breakfasts (another first) at 7 am until I fell into bed at 8 and woke up this afternoon at 3. I find myself in the difficult position of being unable to explain how an experience I found so enjoyable I would be unwilling to repeat for several years, but there it is. Thus concluded the most Japanese weekend of my life so far, and I'll be very interested to see if anything can rival it in the time I have available.

I anticipate another calm week and ridiculous weekend, but for more information of course, you'll have to check back with me next Sunday!

Yours,

Abby

For my photo blog: http://abbyinjapan.tumblr.com/

Japan: Week 1

1 - Arrival

Just to make sure all my readers are on the same page, I am not in England right now. I've come to Nagoya, Japan to complete a Teaching English as a Foreign Language qualification in four months at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies. I'll be posting every Sunday an update of my stay, and some extra Japan-related posts might slip themselves in mid-week as well.

I'm staying in University accommodation a 2 minute walk away from uni, a supermarket, a sushi bar, an 100-yen (75p) shop, and several restaurants. However the best thing about the International House is not its location. The people contained within its walls are going to be the reason I have an unforgettable time here. Within my first 10 minutes of entering the building, absolutely everybody had spoken to me, and I was very quickly invited out to the Combini (convenience store) for my first clutch of Japanese goodies.

Half the students have been here since September, they're on a year long course and will be leaving at the same time as me. The rest of us arrived at some point this week and will be completing either 4 months or a year. Us newbies are all subjected to the odd sensation of feeling like we’ve lived in I-House all our lives and known each other for years, while simultaneously in disbelief that a whole week has passed since we left our home countries.

I have finally got over my jet-lag, which actually took conscious effort and a degree of timetabling, making sure I ate and slept at the right times so that my body could adjust. As such, I no longer wander around feeling dizzy, or wake up in the middle of the night, alert and ready to start a day. This is comforting, as when lessons start (I believe, Monday week) I want to be as prepared as possible.

Japan is just as I remembered it. Terrifying drivers; bright packaging, as yet still a little incomprehensible; people who will carefully work around each other, living independently of strangers, but who become engaging and grateful of your stay in their country when they interact with you.

Do you know any other countries where the manhole covers look like this?

I've nearly collected everything I'll require to get by. Cooking utensils, frying pan, saucepan, cleaning products, 5 kilos of rice... My room is starting to look colourful and occupied; a space I would like to live in for a few months.

I'm genuinely excited for everything to get going. This week we had orientation sessions and tours of the university and local area. I feel prepared to go to lessons and start a qualification I have absolutely no experience in. I want to spend my free time investigating more of Nagoya and reading in a Japanese library and attempting to cook authentic cuisine. Roll on next week, and all of the rest of it.

Yours,

Abby

PS. If you want a pictorial blog to follow try here! http://abbyinjapan.tumblr.com/

Thoughts Pre-Japan

This term has gone so fast... I guess because for everyone else it's not actually over yet, it's just the end of my mini term in which I don't have any lectures but I try (and succeed) to make myself as busy as is humanly possible.

I barely had time to write down any of it. However, these are the bits I feel are important...

1. My hair stopped looking like this:

and started looking like this: 

But we had a Blue Party to celebrate, so that was all right:

2. Robin and I ordered Domino's and in the little box where it asks if you have any special requests, asked that they draw a lion on the box. We received this:

And my life was complete.

3. It snowed, a lot for South West England, but a little in comparison to Stockholm.

4. I went to see a couple of role models of mine, but that one I did have time to write about...

5. Finally, I got excited about the prospect of spending four months in Japan, studying. Oh, boy.

Delicious sweetie Ramen was made, a Christmas present from Ellie, a friend who knows me incredibly well, and the totoros looked on.

The food in Japan is one of the greatest things I look forward to ^_^

But there we are! A snapshot(s) of what I've been up to here in ole England, and now I can draw somewhat of a line under everything for 4 months of blogging in a slightly different format.

There are so many people I want to tell my adventures to about my time in Nagoya, and a lot of the time I'll hope to do so in person. However, I'd like a record of my 4 months of study for myself if for no one else, so I'm going to try and post every Sunday, an update of what's been happening that week. There'll still be other posts, such as Lifescouts stories, and if anything particularly cool happens, there'll probably be a whole story on that.

If I can remember to a) take photos and b) upload them every week, I will be so impressed with myself.

Happy readings!

Yours, packing frantically,

Abby