Tajima Gionsai

We went to Tajima today to see a festival called Gionsai. The weather was lovely and I thought it would be a good chance to test out my new camera for the first time. I have now managed to load all the software into the PC and now it is time to start using the new camera with a vengeance.

I'm fairly pleased with the results so far. The colours seem to have been reproduced extremely vividly and I think the quality compared to my last camera is much improved. What do you think? The picture at the top shows a takoyaki stall. Takoyaki (octopus balls in batter) is an extremely popular Japanese snack. I saw at least 10 takoyaki stalls at the festival today. The other photos are of Clara messing about on one of the floats used in the festival parade.

Goodbye Shimogo JHS

That's me semi officially finished work at Shimogo JHS. I feel sad to leave the students but relieved that my 3 years on JET has come to an end. Don't get me wrong - I had many great experiences but it certainly is the right time to move on. I'll visit Shimogo JHS for a few hours next week to help coach some of the students for the upcoming speech contest in August and then that'll be me finished.

I was again deeply touched by the students kindness towards me. Many wrote letters of thanks to me and many actually gave me gifts e.g. beer, face towels, pens, key rings, cards etc. I guess they wouldn't do these things if they didn't like me so it was nice to get this positive feedback from the students in my final week of classes. They're really a great bunch!!

A week at work would not be the same without some form of irritation. On Tuesday I was informed that my school farewell party would be held on Thursday night. Thanks for telling me in advance! I had other plans on Thursday and so couldn't attend my own farewell party. Thanks for the notice. I was pretty peed off about it to be honest, but after 3 years I'm used to this kind of thing.

I've posted a few photos from my final classes. The top picture is a 1st grade class, the middle picture a 2nd grade class, and the bottom picture shows a 3rd grade class. Good memories.

The Hike, the Japanese Inn, the Lost Key.....

On Saturday the 15th of July, I set off with two colleagues (Akitaka and Shoichi) for a hike and overnight stay in a mountainous area called Nasu. On Saturday, we left Shimogo at about 8am and drove to a remote car park from where we would begin our trek. It has been the rainy season in Japan for about the last 6 weeks and on Saturday it was pouring down.

We set off in the rain but were unconcerned as our plan was to hike only about 4 hours on the first day of the trip. We reached the Japanese inn at about 1pm and I immediately noticed the smell of sulphur (due to the high volcanic activity in the area). After 15 minutes, the smell of sulphur faded and I did not notice it again for the duration of our stay.
The inn is situated in a small clearing surrounded by dense forest and is only accessible by foot. I believe that supplies are flown to the inn by helicopter. We were extremely happy to change into some dry clothes and to escape from the heavy rain. After we were shown to our small tatami mat room at the corner of one the buildings we paid ¥8,000 each (about GBP 40), got organised, cooked some lunch in our room, and drank some beer. We also found time to take a bath in the rotenburo - an outdoor bath heated by geothermal energy. It was lovely to sit in the boiling hot water and look across the forested valleys to the mountains in the distance. A special memory.
The dinner drum sounded at 5pm, signalling us to move to the dining hall.

After dinner, we returned to our room for some more beer and banter. The generator was switched off at 9pm, so we had to continue our party using torchlight. I slept extremely well that night - probably because of the fresh mountain air and the 12 cans of Japanese beer which I managed to drink.

The next morning, after another visit to the rotenburo, we set off after breakfast. We decided to take a circular route back to the car park as this would allow us to reach the summits of several nearby mountains. The weather was okay at the start of the hike but deteriorated as the day wore on. When we reached the car after 8 hours of walking, we were again soaked but in good spirits and looking forward to returning to the comforts of our homes. Unfortunatelyy Shoichi had lost the car key which meant another considerable walk towards Shimogo!! It was raining and the day and my mood were both beginning to darken. We eventually managed to call Yuki once we received a signal on Akitaka's mobile phone and were picked from a dark forest road at about 6.30pm.

Despite the lost key and heavy rain, the weekend was a great success and I would love to visit the area again sometime in the future.

Things are starting to wind down with my job at Shimogo JHS. I'm really looking forward to my trip to Nagasaki and my week in the Philippiness. I'm also hoping that the rainy season will end soon - it's really starting to get me down and it feels to have lasted much longer than in previous years.

Olympus E-500

I'm hoping that the quality of pictures on this blog will dramatically improve as I'm now the proud owner of a new Olympus E-500 digital SLR camera. This camera was a gift from the Minami Aizu education office for my 3 years service in the JET Programme. Unfortunately, the manual is in Japanese so it might take me some time to work out how to take a decent photograph.

We had our official goodbye party on Friday night in a place called Baichikan in Tajima Town. Along with my camera, I received a certificate and a bunch of flowers (which I promptly gave away to another English teacher).

The party was nice enough but a bit of an anticlimax. After the party, all the other ALTs and myself headed off to karaoke for a short time and then it was time to go home.

This will be my final week at Shimogo JHS before my contract comes to an end. I'll be sad saying goodbye to the students but I'm sure I'll bump into some of them during my final 8 months in Shimogo.

This week has started in a relaxed fashion as today is a Japanese national holiday called Marine Day. Japan has a total of 14 national holidays - Marine Day is the newest and started in 1996 as a day to celebrate the sea.

Elementary School Sayonaras

Things are starting to draw to a close with my current job in Shimogo. I have now visited all the elementary schools for the last time. I was pretty sad to say goodbye to all the students as they've all been great fun to teach for the last 3 years. The pictures I have posted are from the 3 different elementary schools which I have visited over the last 3 years.

At the schools, I received many lovely messages from the students and some great pictures. Two of the schools held large leaving ceremonies and I felt sad to no longer be their teacher.

However, I leave the elementary schools with many happy memories and a feeling of satisfaction at a job well done. The elementary school teaching has generally been a success and provided great job satisfaction.

I have a farewell party to attend tomorrow night and then I'm going hiking on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday we'll have a new car delivered (which we are leasing for 8 months). Next week will be my final week at Shimogo JHS.

Crazy Kim

Last night I saw 2 JASDF (Japanese Air Self defense Force) F-4 Phantoms flying at medium height and at high speed over Shimogo at about 7pm. It is very unusual to see these planes over Shimogo (especially at that height and time) but it certainly perked up my evening.

Recently, there has been a lot of regional tension regarding the development of long range missiles in North Korea which are capable of hitting targets in Japan and the USA. For several weeks, Japan and the USA have been aware of missile test preparations going on in North Korea. The new missile has been called the Taepodong 2.

Sure enough, the test fire took place at 3.30am i.e. 8.5 hours after I saw the F-4 planes fly over Shimogo. I have come to the conclusion that the Japanese Government and military were aware the test was going to take place and therefore raised their level of readiness.

Another interesting fact worth speculating on is that the Taepodong 2 missile failed after 40 seconds in flight. It is highly possible that this missile failed due to a technical problem. I think it is also possible that this missile failed due to some sort of covert interference from the USA. The USA has been spending vast amounts of dollars over the last few years to develop ways to defeat North Korean missiles. Money has been spent on anti-missile missiles, microwave weapons to destroy sensitive electronics, and airborne laser technology. Did we see the first application of such technology when the North Korean missile exploded in flight last night?

North Korea always features in the Japanese news programmes. Over the last few decades, many Japanese people (and South Koreans) have been abducted to North Korea, there have been disputes regarding the exploitation of mineral rights in the Sea of Japan, North Korea has a highly active currency forgery programme, and Kim Il Song's son was arrested trying to get into Tokyo Disneyland. Of greatest concern is the current North Korea nuclear weapons programme.North Korea looks set to feature in news programmes for many years to come.

No Stabilisers

Clara and I went to the park in Shimogo on Saturday. Saturday was the day when Clara would try and ride her bike with no stabilisers for the first time. I was expecting a stressful afternoon with a lot of tears. In the end, there were only a few tears and I have to say that she did surprisingly well.

After giving Clara my expert advice, she decided that she no longer needed my help. She told me she wanted me to sit on a far away bench while she honed her skills. She fell off only once and then after a short period of fatherly support, she hopped on her bike with renewed and steely determination.

Well done Clara!! Another important milestone in life has been reached and breached.

I have a fairly routine week ahead. I will be at Egawa Primary School and Narahara Primary School on Monday. There are no classes at Shimogo JHS on Tuesday or Wednesday as the students have end of term tests. On Tuesday I'll do some tidying at Shimogo JHS and on Wednesday I'll have another couple of classes at Egawa Primary School. Thursday will be a normal work day at Shimogo JHS and then on Friday I'll be at Shimogo JHS in the morning and Egawa Primary School in the afternoon.

Down to Tokyo

On Saturday the 17th of June, I traveled down to Tokyo to meet up with a friend from the Isle of Skye. Kate will stay in Japan for 1 week and will then go to Hong Kong to stay with my brother for 1 week.

I traveled to Tokyo in the company of the local doctor who was attending a conference. We drove to a town called Shirakawa and then caught the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Tokyo. The Shinkansen are everything that British trains are not. They are fast, punctual, clean, safe, and spacious. I am truly ashamed of the British rail system when I compare it to the rail system in Japan. I would encourage any visitors to Japan to take a journey on the Shink. A VERY impressive experience indeed!!

Whilst browsing through the free Shinkansen magazine, I came across this rather interesting advertisement for an umbrella for dogs! I can't think of a more ridiculous invention. What will it be next?? Shoes for cats? Ear warmers for rabbits? Tortoise roller skates? Goldfish buoyancy aids?

After the short train journey to Tokyo, I purchased 3 books at one of Tokyo's largest book shops and then met a friend for some food and a couple of beers. At 10pm, I met Kate at Shinjuku Station and then we headed to Yuki's parents home in Kumegawa. After Kate got herself organised, we went out for a few more drinks and exchanged a few stories. Kate decided to travel to Shimogo with us for a little sightseeing and then she will return to Tokyo on Tuesday morning.

Mr Clumsy

I don't know why but I have been really clumsy recently. I have been in Shimogo for nearly 3 years and have not broken anything. That was until last week when I broke a coffee pot, glass, and small bowl all in the space of 2 days!! I'm starting to wonder if I've got BSE or some other progressively debilitating illness (joking of course). I'll keep you informed of my medical condition.......

It's been a fairly uneventful week so far. On Monday I had 4 elementary school classes and these are always fun and fulfilling. Elementary school is where I feel I get the chance to be a real teacher. The kids seemed happy to see me and I am impressed with some of their English ability. It seems that a lot of the kids are now doing some form of extra English study. After work on Monday, I collected Clara at the normal time of 4.45pm from Shimogo Nursery School. Every time I collect Clara, I am ambushed by about 20 lovely little kids (aged between 3 and 6 years old) who are fascinated to see a foreign face. One little girl always asks me how to say a selection of English words - she is definitely an English teacher in the making. The only draw back with visits to Japanese Elementary Schools and Nursery Schools is that some kids try and stick their fingers up your bottom!!!!! This is a common characteristic of young Japanese children and I think it is similar to British kids poking each other in the stomach.

No classes today as some Shimogo JHS students are involved in regional sporting events. I have learnt that the Shimogo JHS baseball team have progressed into the semi finals of the regional competition. If they make the final, I'm going to ask if I can go along and watch (even if it means taking a day off work). I'm going to a teacher's party on Thursday night and then have a conversation class on Friday night. On Saturday I'll go down to Tokyo to meet a friend from the Isle of Skye (Kate Sime) who will be in Japan for a week. I'll update again soon. Cheers.

Baseball Champs

Tuesday and Wednesday of last week saw the local area inter school sports competition. Shimogo JHS baseball team did extremely well to reach the final on Wednesday afternoon. In the final, they would play Tajima JHS, perennial favourites to win local area baseball competitions. Shimogo JHS had a vocal band of supporters, made of up students, parents, the school principal, and myself. I braced myself for another brave defeat, but this was not to be.

Shimogo JHS ended the day as champions and won the right to progress to a larger competition the following week. Shimogo created more chances than their much fancied opposition, and ended the day as deserved winners.

Well done Shimogo JHS!!!!

Mount Onodake

2 weeks ago, a member of the local Board of Education asked me whether I would like to hike up Mount Onodake. I accepted the offer and looked forward to another day out in the mountains around Shimogo. Japan is full of surprises - and yesterday was no different.

Upon arriving at the foot of the mountain, I was surprised to see my old supervisor driving past in a large bus. My initial thought was that he had some kind of weekend part time job as a bus driver. Next I saw the town mayor driving down the mountain track in his official work car!!! Obviously something was happening which I had not been told about (not an unusual situation in Japan).

I soon discovered that Sunday 28th May was the official opening day for Mount Onodake. A Shinto priest performed some sort of ceremony and then myself and 125 others started to hike up the mountain. Everyone I met seemed extremely concerned that I was wearing shorts. They were all kitted out in expensive looking rain jackets and rain trousers. My theory was that a little rain does not do anyone any harm and I still stand by that theory.

Once we reached the top of the mountain, we all had lunch and waited for a short speech and some presentations to be made. I was surprised to be awarded the gold medal for the longest distance traveled to attend the event. Despite the fact that I currently live only a few kilometers away in Shimogo, they calculated the distance from my home in Scotland. Very decent of them!

After the presentations, some sake was drunk and then we headed down the mountain for an onsen and a party. The men who attended the party managed to drink an amazing amount of sake and a couple of them fell asleep towards the end of the evening.

I think I have an average week ahead of me with no overly exciting activities planned. My main goal for this week is to complete a World Cup 2006 display to be put in a corridor of Shimogo JHS. Bye for now.

Ouchi Juku (Shimogo)

On Friday, I decided to cycle to the feudal village called Ouchi Juku which falls into the boundary of Shimogo Town. Ouchi Juku can be extremely busy at times, but today, it was relatively quiet. I've only visited Ouchi Juku about 6 times during my 3 year stay in Shimogo, usually when showing first time visitors around Shimogo. In February, Ouchi Juku holds an annual 2 day snow festival.

The shops along the main street sell a selection of local crafts and delicacies. I have managed to train myself to be able to eat most local delicacies but have so far been unable to try the grasshoppers on sale. Maybe next year.........

Kaneyama

I decided to take a holiday today as I didn't have any classes at Primary School. The forecast was excellent so I decided it was a good idea to go for a long cycle (about 200km in total). I decided to try and reach Kaneyama, mainly because of the name. Kaneyama has a population of about 3,000 people and is situated in a picturesque and heavily forested valley.
I got some fairly bad sunburn on my arms and neck, but was lucky that the temperature was only 24 C today. I need to watch out for heatstroke when the temperatures rise further, and I certainly don't think I'll be able to cycle the same route during August.

The next image shows a river passing through a village called Showa. Next to the river is a cemetery and temple. Quite a nice picture, only slightly spoilt by the concrete river bank on the right.

When I took this picture, I was starting to get concerned about the sunburn to my arms and was worried about the possibility of heatstroke. I'll have to take extra care as the summer gets warmer.

I got back to Shimogo after 7 hours of cycling. After a quick shower, I picked Clara up at nursery school and then we went for a very nice walk amongst the rice fields next to our apartment. A very tiring day!

Mount Kashitoge

One of my goals this year was to cycle to the top of Mount Kashitoge. I'm happy to have achieved this goal so early in the year and now I can think about my next challenge. The first picture shows the construction of a road next to the route I take up the mountain. New roads (and other concrete behemoths) are constantly being built in Japan, with little or no regard to the environment. Japanese government debt is the highest in the world, yet the government still pours money into these projects. Personally I think the money would be much better invested in new high tech schools for the 21st Century.

I am fairly confident that I am the first person to visit the top of the mountain road this year as I had to push my bike over large piles of snow which are still blocking the road - I can't imagine anyone else in Shimogo being crazy enough to cycle to the top. The best thing about the cycle was the peace and quiet. When I reached the top of the road, I left my bike and started to hike further up the mountain, but had to turn back because of the snow.

Towards Kaneyama and Showa

I decided to try a new cycling route on Friday afternoon, and I was extremely happy to do so. The route I took was very picturesque and the road was very quiet. I felt I had seen the first 'real' Japanese countryside since I arrived nearly 3 years ago. The weather was also very pleasant, despite the forecast for rain. All in all, a perfect afternoons cycling. I plan to return to this route sometime next week in order to reach the town of Showa (about 30km from Shimogo).

My favourite kind of building in the Japanese countryside is the traditional style storehouse. These are constructed of stone. In the past, most old houses were constructed of wood, and as a result, very few remain. However, the stone storehouses are much sturdier due to their stone construction. On the gable end of these storehouses, you can often see the family crest of the family which owns it.

I believe that these storehouses are primarily used to store the rice harvest, but are also used to store precious or rarely used household objects.

Perhaps I should also explain why the storehouses are made of stone. The main reason is the risk of fire in Japan has always been high. Obviously a store built largely of stone does not burn as easily, thus protecting the rice and any precious objects stored within. Another positive spin off is that the stone storehouses are cooler inside than the more traditional wooden structures. Therefore, the rice stored within stays fresher for longer.
The picture above shows a fairly charming little hamlet (though technically part of Shimogo) surrounded by rice fields and tree covered mountains.

Rice

It is a busy time of year for many people in Shimogo. This is the time of year when the fields are flooded and rice is planted. On my regular cycling trips, I see a lot of activity in the fields.

I really like this time of year in Japan. The flooded fields are very pretty make me feel at ease.

Tokyo DisneySea

We all went to Tokyo for Golden Week. The Japanese call this time Golden Week because there are a series of national holidays which are held in the space of one week. We took an extra couple of days off and traveled down to Tokyo for a bit f fun, shopping, and relaxation.

On Monday 1st May, we went to DisneySea which is basically an aquatic version of Disney Land. Clara was very excited about this trip although I found it VERY hard to wake up at 5.30am. The drive to DisneySea took about 90 minutes, and we were there nice and early, along with every other person in Tokyo.


We bought our souvenirs when we entered the park to avoid the end of day queues and then placed them in a locker so we could pick them up later. We all had a pretty good time and saw most of the attractions that were on offer. The first attraction which we went on was a gondola tour around a Disney version of Venice. After that, we gradually covered the rest of the attractions. Although DisneySea was busy, we didn't have to queue for very long which was a nice surprise. Of course, the person who had the best time of all was Clara.