Goodbye Japan!

My last few weeks in Japan have been hectic - perhaps a good thing to stop me becoming sad about all the good places and people I have had to say goodbye to. The first stage of my farewell period started with a trip by Clara and I to Shimogo Town, in Minami Aizu. We both wanted to visit the area and catch up with people from the past. A hire car gave us a good degree of freedom to move around and act like tourists. We did all the main Shimogo sights - Ouchijuku, Tonnohetsuri, Kannonuma.

Ouchijuku, Shimogo

We stayed in a hotel at the well known Ashinomaki onsen the first night and at a familiar guest house in Shimogo the second night. Whilst Clara was meeting old friends, I was drinking with the local doctor in a restaurant I used to visit every Friday night, Wakatsuki.

Kane and Tomo

The doc and I drank the wine he supplied and managed a few beers. I was really surprised when he presented me with an incredible watch, a Seiko Astron. The watch automatically adjusts to different time zones using GPS signals - very useful on the Trans Siberian Express.

The remainder of my time in Tokyo was busy. Emptying an apartment is a long and complicated task, more so when you have to do it in a foreign language. I did my best to spend as much quality time with Clara as possible - we met for lunches, dinners, and the last evening we met we saw FC Tokyo play Urawa reds - an exciting 4-4 draw.

FC Tokyo's Ajinomoto Stadium

I'm terribly sad to leave Clara in Japan, but she is no longer a small child and is more and more independent each day. I will do my best to see her on her 14th birthday, whether that is in Scotland or back in Japan.

Elwood's Bar

Just before I departed Tokyo, I had a typically crazy farewell party in Elwood's Bar. I am very grateful for everyone who turned up, bought me a drink, and wished me well. There have been many great nights there.

Now I am sitting in a quayside cafe in Sakaiminato, waiting for my ferry to depart. The trip from Tokyo was interesting and I am happy to discover that the prefectures of Shimane and Tottori are extremely beautiful. During my time in this part of Japan, I met many more excellent people to add to some wonderful memories of Japan.

I will try and regularly update this blog en route as I take the Trans Siberian Express back to Europe and a new life near London. Joep and I will stop off at a few places between Vladivostok and Moscow and the hotels we will stay in are supposed to have good internet connections.

So Japan, you took up 10 years of my life. I have learnt a lot and am extremely privileged to have met so many wonderful people. I will be back many times in future years.またね！

A short trip to Shimogo

Shimogo sunset

Clara and I have just returned to Tokyo, after our brief visit to Shimogo, Fukushima Prefecture. Although it was a short visit, we both had a great time and enjoyed reminiscing about the old days when we lived there for 4 years.

I had originally planned to visit Shimogo by myself, but asked Clara as an afterthought if she wished to come along. Rather surprisingly for me, she was extremely eager to come up to Shimogo and very keen to meet some of her old friends.

Instead of staying at the usual place, an inn called Suzukiya, we actually stayed at the house of the local doctor. Clara and I both appreciated the hospitality which Tomo and his wife gave us. We had our own tatami room next to the rice fields, and the breakfast which we were given was substantial.

Soon after we arrived, Tomo drove us to Yunokami in Shimogo, a place well known for onsen (hot springs). A perfect reintroduction to Shimogo. We were all clean and fresh for the evening events. The lady who runs the onsen also kindly gave me a number of souvenirs to take back to Tokyo with me.

Clara and I had slightly different plans on Saturday evening. While I was eating and drinking with Tomo at Wakatsuki, a popular local restaurant, Clara was having dinner in a different restaurant with friends she knew from nursery school. Clara impresses me - not only does she have a very good recollection of her time and friends in Shimogo, but she has the confidence and desire to meet up with people she knew from the dim and distant past. I don't think I was so confident and outgoing when I was her age.

Tomo very kindly provided a bottle of 1974 Chateau Trotanoy. I have never before tried a wine of such vintage, and would imagine that I will rarely have such fine wine in future. Trying to drink and savor the wine slowly was a challenge of monumental proportions.

Enjoying the wine

The slow pace of life in Shimogo is something that Clara and I both miss. The gentle walk to and from Wakatsuki was a pleasure, and I am very proud of the photo at the top of this blog entry which I took of Clara and Tomo as the sun set. Moments after the photo was taken, the red sky had almost completely disappeared. Most of my photos are stored electronically, but that photo has given me the motivation to buy some albums and a good printer to ensure I have my favourite photos at hand.

Lovely weather

A short but enjoyable return to Shimogo. Clara's only complaint was that we didn't stay long enough.

Thanks again to Tomo-sensei and his wife for looking after us.

Shimogo - A Sad Return

On Saturday, I woke up early and travelled up to Shimogo in Fukushima Prefecture, a place where I lived for 4 years. I had planned on visiting Shimogo on 26th November to meet my friends Tomo and Satoshi. Unfortunately, my trip was earlier than planned and for an altogether different reason. Satoshi died very suddenly - heart attack. He was only 57.

Although I was worried about being a liability at the funeral, I really wanted to do everything I could for an old friend. Attending his funeral was all I could really do to demonstrate the value I placed on our friendship.

Despite prior doubts, my attendance at the the funeral was very warmly received by Satoshi's family. I am glad that I played a small part in making their grieving process a little easier. It brought a tear to my eye when his family told me Satoshi liked to drink from a Scottish cup I gave him as a present and that he often talked about me.

Satoshi's family and friends welcomed me with open arms and we had many good conversations about him and other subjects. I certainly know that Satoshi would have approved of all the events. I felt extremely privalaged to be asked to attend the cremation and to assist with the placement of his remains in the funeral urn. I am sure that such a ceremony may seem macabre to many readers, but it does not feel that way. Japanese mourning gives the deceased great dignity and respect and helps those left behind to move on with their lives with fond memories of the departed.

The trip back to Shimogo was undeniably sad, but undeniably worthwhile. Given the circumstances, I don't think that it could have been much better. I will always remember the good times I had with Satoshi and may even visit the Donzoko restaurant / bar (in Tokyo) soon to have a pint in his memory. On a visit to Tokyo a few years ago, Satoshi was very keen to visit Donzoko as it was his stamping ground when he was much younger. At the time, I felt very privileged to be taken to such a place where he had so many happy memories. It was nice to see Satoshi reminiscing about happy times in his past.

After the events connected to the funeral, I met up with Dr Tomo in Wakatsuki, a local restaurant we used to frequent with Satoshi. Of course the evening was tinged with sadness, but we certainly managed to have a good time - Satoshi would certainly have approved. Tomo kindly brought 2 bottles of very nice wine which were quaffed with unknown quantities of beer.

I took a few photographs in Wakatsuki, but they all turned out blurred. Obviously the Canon designers have not yet worked out a solution to alcohol induced camera shake.

Nursing a hangover, I slowly walked to Shimogo Station this morning (Sunday). The autumn colours were splendid and the air was chilly and refreshing. I was extremely pleased to bump into Fuminori, my old work supervisor, although he nearly caused a car accident when he pulled over to speak to me. Another nice event was meeting an old student from my time at Shimogo Junior High School. He got off his train and was hanging around the platform for 5 minutes while he plucked up the courage to speak to me. I remembered him from school - the Shimogo students were really a fine bunch!

The visit to Shimogo was certainly worthwhile. I celebrated the life of a friend and met people who I associate with happy days.

Satoshi Yuda

Very sad news - my friend from Shimogo in Fukushima, Satoshi, died suddenly today. I do not know any details of his passing but am sure to find out over the next day or two.

Satoshi and I usually used to meet up every Friday night in the local restaurant called Wakatsuki. Very fond memories of spending Friday afternoons on the Aizu ski slopes and then meeting up with Satoshi for some food and drinks. We had some very good times indeed and that is how I will certainly remember him.

I regarded Satoshi as somewhat of a unique character. He was frank and honest about any subject we discussed - quite unusual in Japan where people tend to be very guarded with their thoughts. I learnt a lot from him and he helped me view Japan from a different perspective.

Condolences to his family and other friends. RIP.

Shimogo - A Brief Return

Sorry, I have been a bit slow updating the blog recently. The summer heat in Tokyo seems to have made me a bit lethargic and it is only now that I have the motivation to make some updates.

One of the highlights of August was my brief trip back to Shimogo on Saturday the 7th of August. I was looking forward to meeting up with Tomo and Satoshi again as it was about 18 months since I had seen them last. Both seemed fine and had not changed at all. Every now and again, Tokyo really starts to get me down and I can feel the need to flee the big city for the soothing delights of the countryside. The journey up on the Tobu Line was relaxing sedate and with each passing kilometer, I started to feel better about the world. It is nice to be reminded that life does exist outside of Tokyo.

I was scheduled to meet up with Tomo and Satoshi in Wakatsuki restaurant at 6.30pm. As the taxi dropped me off at my ryokan (called Suzukiya) at 6.20pm, I had to quickly check in and dump my bags in order to make it to Wakatsuki in time. Although I only had 10 minutes to make it to the restaurant, the innkeeper still managed to find the time to highlight my poor Japanese. I only have myself to blame I suppose.....

The walk from my inn to the restaurant was one down memory lane, as it was a route Clara and I used to walk each evening after dinner. Fond memories. The distinctive mountain in the background of the photo was lovely in the fading light and really stirred my memories.
Wakatsuki was fun and I think we drank quite a few beers. Tomo was kind enough to provide a belated Fukushima peach birthday cake sourced from the local French restaurant - very pleasant indeed! After stealing the 5 year old toilet slippers from the toilets and lobbing them into a nearby rice field, we went off to sing karaoke at a bar which I have never been to before. At this point, my memory becomes hazy but I remember singing some Frank Sinatra numbers and one or two Bon Jovi hits.

And that is essentially the story of my brief visit to Shimogo. Satoshi kindly collected me on Sunday morning and drove me quite far to a convenient station from where I could get back to Shimogo. A brief visit, but nonetheless enjoyable!

Thanks to Tomo and Satoshi for their hospitality.

Happy New Year - 2009

Belated Happy New Year to you all! Apologies for not posting an update sooner. My 9 days off work between the 27th December and 4th January were fantastic and the only holidays I have had since June. As is usual, the 9 days disappeared in the blink of an eye and I now find myself back at work with the pressures building. The first half of 2009 promises to be a tough period at work so I will have to steel myself and get on with it.

We travelled up to Shimogo on the 27th December and were all looking forward to seeing Minami-Aizu again and meeting up with some old friends. I really used to love the harsh winters in Shimogo. The heavy snow made each winter day feel like an adventure and created picture postcard landscapes. During the course of our drive to Shimogo, Yuki and I came to the conclusion that we would both happily live in Shimogo permanently if we could secure jobs like the ones we have in Tokyo. A dilemma that is probably common around the world.

Our first task upon arrival in Shimogo was to meet up with Miyu-chan, one of Clara's best friends from Shimogo Nursery School. The meeting was very brief, but they had 5 minutes or so to chat and exchange presents. I hope Clara manages to keep in touch with some Shimogo friends as the time she spent there was a really important part of her life.

After Clara's rendezvous, the three of us killed a little time and went to a newly opened coffee shop in the 'center' of Shimogo. Yuki and Clara stayed a short time and then drove to their hotel at the nearby hot spring resort of Ashinomaki. The lady in the coffee shop was very chatty and kind and did not mind me mooching around for another 2 hours while I waited to meet up with Tomo and Satoshi at 6pm. Despite me being the only customer there, and perhaps being the only customer she had all day (judging by the lack of footprints in the snow leading to the front door), she gave me a free pizza.

There seemed to be a handful of new restaurants since our last visit to Shimogo. Apparently, since a new road has opened which links Shimogo to Shirakawa, the local economy has improved. I have my doubts whether there will be any long term benefit and suspect that Shimogo will only see more through traffic with few visitors stopping or staying for the night. I have my own personal reasons for disliking the new road - it has been built along one of my favourite former cycling routes. The countryside along the route was really special and gave me a chance to escape all the construction that has blighted other parts of the area. Now, there will be the usual juggernauts billowing out sooty smoke and rubbish strewn along the road. Anything new that has been built using concrete is termed "progress" in Japan. It doesn't matter what cost there is to the environment. I know I sound like a broken record, but if the Japanese countryside is to have a future, then it needs to remain special. These projects are another nail in the coffin of rural Japan.

Just before 6pm, I left the cozy coffee shop (with nice log fire) and trudged up to Wakatsuki restaurant in the thick snow. Feeling like Scott of the Antarctic, I was glad to make a return to Wakatsuki to meet up with Tomo and Satoshi. The only problem was that I had to return to my minshuku in Yunokami onsen at 10pm. This is the latest that a taxi is available and meant only having 4 hours to catch up on the Shimogo gossip. However, Satoshi phoned his sister who kindly agreed to drive my back to Yunokami at midnight. That was much appreciated and allowed me an extra 2 hours of time in Wakatsuki.

After being dropped off at my minshuki (Ebisuya), I went up to my room to find it freezing. I had planned to read for a while but it was so cold I got straight into my futon. I didn't sleep well to be honest - the room must have been sub-zero!!! It was only when I got up the next day that I noticed the heater in my room. Doh! The best part of any hotel, minshuku or ryokan in the local area are the onsens (hot springs). The onsen at Ebisuya was satisfyingly scalding and removed the chill from my bones which had built up during the night. Lovely!! The photo was taken from my room just before Yuki picked me up - an ever thickening blanket of snow.

And that was that! A short visit to Shimogo, but a pleasant visit none the less. I have no idea when we will visit next - perhaps I can arrange a hill walking or camping trip sometime in the summer with my old colleagues.

Shimogo - A Return

Last week, I headed up to Fukushima Prefecture for the wedding of a former colleague. I decided that it would be a good idea to spend a couple of days in Shimogo to catch up with some old friends. On Friday (31st August) I met up with Satoshi, Nozomi, and Matthew (my replacement) in Wakatsuki, my favourite restaurant. It was great to catch up again and and after a good dose of beer, I left at 2am for a drunken stagger through the rice fields back to the inn where I was staying.It was a good feeling to be back in Shimogo but a little strange to return as a visitor. I roused myself the next morning at 8am and made an effort to look respectable before I headed down for breakfast. I wasn't at my best because of the previous evenings activities and only managed to consume a bowl of miso soup, some rice, and a cup of green tea. I think the woman who owns the inn was concerned that the Japanese fare was unpalatable to the western tongue. After breakfast, I went upstairs to my room to close my eyes for a couple of minutes and woke up again after midday.
Embarrassed at my slothfulness, I sneaked downstairs to the shower room to freshen up. Feeling half human again, I left the shower room and hoped to sneak unnoticed back to my room. Unfortunately, when I emerged into the corridor dripping and wearing my yukata, I stumbled into a wake which had just started. I couldn't imagine being in a more conspicuous situation. A tall gaijin, dripping, wearing a yukata, standing amongst a crowd of black suited, mourning Japanese.

After my escape from the wake, my friend Satoshi and I went to Doronko for lunch and coffee. Satoshi then kindly drove me around Shimogo and gave me the opportunity to take a trip down memory lane. It was a beautiful day and I really wanted to be able to hop on my bike and escape into the mountains. The rice fields were lush and the flowers around Shimogo were all in full bloom. I found myself wondering if we made a mistake moving to Tokyo. Probably not, but it is a close one to call.

At 6pm, I walked back to Wakatsuki to meet up with Tomo, the local doctor. Tomo mailed me the previous week and asked me if I wanted to eat bear meat. At the time, I thought he was joking. When a plate of meat cooked with beansprouts turned up, I assumed it was beef or pork and started to eat. I was taken aback to discover that it was actually bear that I was eating. I can now add it to the list of strange / exotic food that I have eaten in Japan.

1. Bear
2. Minke whale
3. Fugu (Pufferfish)
4. Jellyfish
5. Raw horse meat

and probably a lot more.

It was good to meet Tomo and Nari (his brother) again. I was impressed with the number of beers that Tomo managed to drink. I probably drank less as I was still feeling rough from the previous night. Another drunken stagger through the rice fields followed and I got back to my room at about 1am. I decided to skip breakfast the next morning but the woman called my room and insisted I go downstairs to the breakfast room. It seems that my lack of appetite the previous morning had spurred them into making a real attempt at serving me a Western style breakfast. Twinnings tea, two fried eggs, sausages, bacon, toast, and yoghurt. Bloody fantastic!!!! It was so kind of them to make the effort, and another reminder of some of the things we left behind in Shimogo. The icing on the cake was when I checked out and received a 20% discount. It is next to impossible to receive that level of kindness in Tokyo, but par for the course in Shimogo.

A nice return to Shimogo and I still had a wedding in Aizu Wakamatsu to look forward to.

While the cat's away.......

Yuki and Clara are both in Tokyo at the moment and will return to Shimogo on Wednesday. As they are in Tokyo, I thought it would be a good idea to invite Alan (a friend from Scotland) and his girlfriend to Shimogo. It proved to be a busy 2 days.

On Friday at about 9.30pm, I drove to a station called Aizu Kogen to pick them up. While I was driving through the town of Tajima, I noticed that the small van in front of me had stopped on the train level crossing. Seconds later, a woman got out of the van and ran towards my car. She told me that she had just broken down! I can't think of a worse place to break down, apart from on Haifa Street in Baghdad.

I got out of my car and managed to push the van off the tracks - seconds later, along came a train. I was in the right place at the right time. If I hadn't have been there, the train would certainly have collided with the van. Exciting stuff!!

We got back to Shimogo at about 10pm and then headed to Wakatsuki for some food and drink. Alan and Akie seemed impressed with Wakatsuki and were surprised that such a place existed in Shimogo. We left Wakatsuki fairly late and this probably has something to do with our late start on Saturday.On Saturday, we drove to a town called Tadami for the snow festival. The drive took about 90 minutes but it was a good opportunity for Alan and Akie to see the real Japanese countryside. I think Tadami probably is the most charming town in the local area. I was expecting the festival to be really busy, and so was very surprised to see few people at this event. It was raining and I think that drove a lot of people away. Another bad point of the Tadami Snow Festival was the smell of cooked mutton - the smell was really strong and making us all feel nauseous.

After our brief visit to the Tadami Snow Festival, we drove to Yurari Onsen for a bath followed by lunch and a nap.

On Saturday night, we went to a newish place called Doronko in Shimogo for dinner and more beers. I would like to go to Doronko more often but it is too far from the area where I stay. The food at Doronko is excellent. Doronko is run by a young couple called Rie and Nozomi. New businesses run by young people are rare in rural Japan but are vitally important for the future survival of Japanese rural settlements. I wish them luck.

Alan and Akie planned to return to Tokyo at 2.30pm on Sunday. This allowed me to show them another snow festival in Ouchijuku (technically part of Shimogo) and also show them a place called Tonohetsuri with its interesting rock formations. They were really pleased to see Ouchijuku with its charming houses with straw roofs. After lunch in Ouchijuku, I drove Alan and Akie to Tajima so they could catch their train back to Tokyo. A good couple of days but I'm certainly pretty tired after the visit (and a lot poorer).
There has been quite a lot of snow over the past couple of days so I paid a brief visit to Daikura today (Monday) for a spot of skiing. It was really busy today as it's a national holiday (Foundation Day) in Japan.

Next week will see me visit 3 different elementary schools for the last time before we move to Tokyo. On Tuesday night I'll be busy cleaning the flat in advance of the return of Yuki and Clara. Bye for now.

Birthday Party

I had a joint birthday party on Saturday the 29th of July. My birthday was on July 23rd while Nari (beside me in the back row) celebrated his birthday on the day of the party itself. The party was held at the usual local restaurant called Wakatsuki which is always good quality. The food was very nice (including venison) and there was plenty of beer and wine to drink.

My only problem is that I get drunk too easily these days. I think I need to drink at a slower pace and make an effort to fill my stomach with sufficient quantities of food. I was lucky enough to receive some equipment for my camera and a nice hand fan (useful in the Japanese summers) as birthday presents. Thanks to the Sato family for organising the party.

I've been fairly busy today (Monday). I went to the Board of Education to receive a certificate of thanks from the Shimogo Mayor and I also received envelopes of money from my colleagues. Giving envelopes containing money when someone leaves a job seems to be the tradition in Japan. When a person receives money from colleagues, it becomes their responsibility to return a gift as thanks (at about half the cost of the money received). I'll be busy looking for suitable gifts to buy. I have to say that during my 3 years at Shimogo BoE, I've always been treated very well.

I will travel to Tokyo on Wednesday morning and probably spend a few hours doing some shopping in Shinjuku. I would like to buy some books and a few others things before I fly to the Philippines on Thursday night (August 3rd).

I think my next blog update will be on August 11th or 12th and will give you all my stories about my trip to the Philippines. Bye for now.

Skiing and Beer

This weekend has been very enjoyable. On Friday I decided to visit the local ramen (noodle) shop which is called Kunyan. In Kunyan I had some very nice fried Chinese dumplings called gyoza. The dumplings were washed down with several glasses of Sapporo beer and by the end of the evening, I was well fortified for the 15 minute walk home.

Saturday saw me get up at about 9am, wax my skis, and then jump in the car for the 30 minute drive to Daikurayama. I guess I was on the slopes by around 11.30am and spent the next 5 hours trying not to ski into a tree. Feeling good about the world, I returned to Shimogo with my lungs full of fresh mountain air. After dinner, I received a call inviting me to a nearby restaurant called Wakatsuki. Wakatsuki is only 5 minutes walk from the house and is an excellent place to sit and chat to the customers who come and go. All in all, an excellent nights entertainment.

Sunday saw another trip to Daikurayama. I really enjoyed today (just like every other day). The snow was hard and icy in places but I coped fairly well. Feeling a bit reckless, I upped the speed level slightly and this proved to be an enjoyable break from the overly cautious approach I often take. The extra speed almost resulted in a few collisions with other skiers. I very nearly came off at speed today but somehow I managed to keep my balance and avoid a trip to the local hospital.

What do I have planned for the week ahead?? I'm fairly busy this week and will visit Elementary school on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Thursday will see me return to Shimogo JHS and Friday will be another chance to renew my love affair with the slopes of Daikurayama. Bye for now.