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.

Shimogo JHS Sports Day 2006

As usual, the Shimogo JHS sports day was organised with military precision. The students (and teachers) have been preparing for about 1 week and everything ran like clockwork.

The weather was a worry, and although it was chilly, the rain never really arrived. After a short opening ceremony, the school and Japanese national flag were raised. Following this, every student took part in a warm up before the start of competition.

Sports events included the 1500m, hurdles, tug of war, 4 x 100m relay, shot, long jump, high jump, and a group skipping competition. It was a fantastic day but I am tired and cannot type any more.
It's Golden Week next week. We will go to Tokyo for 10 days and on Monday 1st May, we will go to Disney Sea. I also plan to meet a couple of friends during Golden Week and am also thinking about buying a new digital camera. I'll update my blog on the 7th of May. Happy Golden Week!!!!!

Golf - Shiobara Country Club

At 6.30am on Sunday morning, I set off with a few others to Shiobara Country Club. This golf course is about 1 hour drive from my home in Shimogo. After breakfast at the club, we had a short practice and then teed off at 8.59am.

I am a very BAD golfer and therefore I was worried I would make myself look stupid. I finished the day with a score of 147 - 75 over par. I consider this score to be a success and I was happy with my play. During the day, I did not lose any golf balls and I even made par on the 12th hole!!! Today was the best round of golf I have ever played.

The golf was the end of a busy and physically tiring weekend. I'm tired but very happy that I've exercised so much over the last few days.

I have a normal week ahead at work and have nothing special planned. I'll post another blog entry when I've got anything else to share. Bye for now.

Takakura Mountain

On Saturday morning, Fuminori, Shoichi, Kazuhiro, and I went hiking up Takakura Mountain. The mountain is only a little over 1,300m in height, but the hike was very difficult because there was still lots of snow to walk or wade through. It took us about 3 hours to reach the summit.

The hike up the mountain was difficult for a number of reasons. Firstly, there was the snow. Secondly, our rucksacks were heavy with equipment and with food. Thirdly, the mountain slopes were covered in loose stones and trees (some with sharp needles). However, when we reached the top, our efforts were rewarded with fantastic views of Shimogo and the surrounding area.
This photo is a view towards the central area of Shimogo. I think that the smoke in the picture is from people burning rice stubble in preparation for planting new rice plants.

Although the weather was sunny, it was very cold at the top of the mountain due to a strong wind.

We stopped for about one hour to have lunch. Shoichi made kimchi nabe (spicy Korean hot pot) and this was washed down with a can of beer.

After lunch, we tidied up and took a few pictures of the area before our journey down the mountain. This was a very good day and I hope to do some more hiking during the spring and summer months. After I returned home, I went for a short ride on my mountain bike and then relaxed at home in the evening.

Kannonnuma (Kannon Marsh)

Kannonnuma is a very pretty part of Shimogo and a favourite place for me to cycle. To cycle from my apartment to the lake and return takes me about 1 hour 30 minutes. The cycle is about 30km in total.

The first picture shows the road going towards Kannonnuma. The road is usually very quiet and is safe to cycle on. The winter has been long and hard this year, as evidenced by the snow which still spots the landscape. A nice view!

The next picture shows Silver Birch trees on the road up towards Kannonnuma lake. I've always liked the Silver Birch. Some Japanese people believe that the Silver Birch is a symbol of purity, patience, and perseverance. I am wondering if there is a religious connection with the temple / shrine at Kannonnuma lake, but I'm not sure.

At Kannonnuma, there is what I thought was a Buddhist temple. I have since been told that it is officially classed as a Shinto shrine. I think it is a mixture of both religions. Japanese people are well known for having different religions and they even mix them together.

Since my last visit, the lake ice has melted a little and there were lots of ducks walking on the ice or swimming in the water. Soon the ducks will be replaced by tourists.

Before my cycle, I was warned that at Kannonnuma lake, it is possible to meet bears. Therefore, on the walk towards the temple/ shrine, I was on high alert and ready to run at any moment.

On the side of the temple / shrine, I found this picture. I am guessing that this is a picture of the Buddhist deity called Kannon. Kannon is the Buddhist deity of compassion.

The following pictures show a stone lantern, a torii gate at the temple entrance, and the temple itself. If you look closely, you can see family name plates have been attached to the facade. I'm not sure why.

Road to Kannonnuma (Kannon Marsh)

On Friday afternoon I decided to cycle 15km to Kannonnuma in Shimogo. I think that KANNON is a Buddhist deity and numa means MARSH. I thought that my trip to Kannonnuma would be a good opportunity to take some pictures which could be posted on this blog.

On my trip to Kannonnuma I took a lot of photos. Many of the photos show very nice Japanese scenery while others photos show mans detrimental impact on the local environment. I'll start with the bad images and then show the good images in my next blog.

The first ugly thing I noticed on my cycle were piles of old car tyres beside the road. I passed many tyres at different places and I thought that they looked very ugly. I think that some farmers use the tyres as an aid in the growing of persimmons. Unfortunately, I cycled past hundreds of tyres, most of which I think will never be used. I don't think anyone will ever clear these tyres up and they will remain beside the road looking extremely ugly.

The other things I did not like on my cycle were empty coffee cans and cigarette boxes. I think I must have cycled past over 200 empty coffee cans along the side of the road. Most of the cans were for Georgia Emerald Mountain and most of the cigarettes boxes were Mild Seven 6mg. I think that these cans and boxes are thrown regularly by the same person. Who would throw cans and cigarette boxes onto the road?? I think that a truck driver is to blame. I'll be happy to report him to the police when I eventually catch him throwing rubbish from his truck. I just can't understand people who throw rubbish away onto the street or into rice fields - it makes me angry.

Mother and Father in Japan

My parents arrived in Japan on the 5th of April. They'll stay in Japan for 1 week and then go to Hong Kong to see my brother.

They were in Tokyo on the 5th and 6th of April and arrived in Shimogo on Friday the 7th April. We checked them into their hotel (Suzukiya which is near to our apartment) and then went to a local restaurant called Wakakski. We all had a good time and enjoyed the food and drink.

On Saturday we all drove to a city called Aizu Wakamatsu. My parents bought Clara a new pink bicycle and red cycling helmet. Lucky girl!!! We went to an Italian restaurant called Angelo for lunch and my parents were very impressed with the quality of food and the quality of service. Eating out in Japan is much cheaper than eating out in Scotland.

After lunch, we went to the supermarket called York Benimaru. I met so many people in the supermarket and it felt like I was shopping in Shimogo. It's a small world. I went cycling in the afternoon but it was VERY COLD and even started to snow when I was half way up the mountain.

On Sunday morning my parents met a family from the nearby town of Tajima (Minami Aizu Machi). The daughter (called Shiori) stayed at my parents house for 2 weeks in December 2004 and it was good for my parents to see her again. In the afternoon, we went shopping again and then I cycled to the lake called Kannonuma (about 30km) to get some fresh air. It was cold, but not as cold as the day before.

Tomorrow (Monday 10th April) will be my parents last day in Shimogo and then I'll take them to Tokyo on Tuesday morning. They'll be VERY sad to say "Goodbye" to Clara but we plan to go to Scotland this Christmas. Tomorrow night we plan to eat at a local restaurant called Minami.

I'll update my blog after my parents have left Japan. Sayonara.

2 Weeks

I have not updated my blog for 2 weeks so I thought it would be a good idea to briefly tell you what I've been doing.

SUNDAY 20th MARCH
Surprise birthday party for Molly Elgin in Hadakaya (a restaurant / karaoke box) in the next town called Tajima.

Tajima no longer exists due to a nuclear exchange with Shimogo Town. I'm joking of course. Tajima does not exist any longer because it has merged with several other towns in the area. I think these mergers are a common feature of recent Japanese rural life and are a reaction to declining population. Perhaps these towns are no longer looked upon as sustainable and have been grouped together to make them more viable.

MONDAY 21st MARCH
Japanese national holiday (Vernal Equinox) - hangover.

WEDNESDAY 22nd MARCH
Work day at Shimogo JHS. I only had two classes (2-1 & 2-2) and the school was very quiet because the 3rd grade students have graduated. Sob sob.

THURSDAY 23rd MARCH
Last day of term at Shimogo JHS.

FRIDAY 24th MARCH
Half day in the BoE (Board of Education) followed by a visit to Daikurayama for some skiing. I did not stay long at the ski area because the snow was wet and very sticky. Not a good day for skiing.

SATURDAY 25th and SUNDAY 26th MARCH
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MONDAY 27th MARCH
Sitting in the BoE being bored of education. I wrote the next article for the town magazine called COHO. My next article is about the pleasures of reading.


TUESDAY 28th MARCH
BoE.

WEDNESDAY 29th MARCH
Spent the day with the other Minami Aizu ALTs making videos which we can show to the students in our classes. We acted out the situations in the school textbooks (New Horizon 1,2, and 3) and we hope these will freshen up our classes.

THURSDAY 30th MARCH
My Mum's birthday. I called my mother in the evening to wish her a happy birthday. Clara sang 'Happy Birthday' to her. During the day, I sat in the BoE and also washed a couple of cars which will be used to transport 2 retirees home on Friday from the BoE.

FRIDAY 31st MARCH
Friday was the last day of the Japanese business year. Next week many people will be transferred between schools and offices. April is a time of great change in Japan and I don't like it. I like the idea of office workers being given fresh jobs, but I don't like teachers constantly having to move between schools. This constant change prevents teachers from knowing the students and their families, allows bad teachers to hide, weakens the local community, creates a lot of extra work, and I feel is hard on family life for the teachers. Some teachers have to stay in rented accommodation during the week and only travel home on weekends. I don't like this process at all!!!!!

I went to Daikurayana for a spot of skiing but I did not stay long. The conditions were not great and visibility was poor due to the strong wind. I had a fall and twisted my knee. Ouch!! I decided to leave the mountain and drive to Shimogo for a much needed haircut.

SATURDAY 1st APRIL
I went skiing with a couple of people from the Shimogo Town Office. We went to a ski area called Hatoriko. The 2 people I went with are both members of the Shimogo Ski Club and were very willing ( perhaps too willing) to point out the deficiencies in my skiing technique. I learnt a lot and hopefully I'll make some more improvements during the next skiing season. In the evening, I went to Wakatski restaurant for some beers. Good fun.

SUNDAY 2nd APRIL
Today. I had a long sleep and then went cycling to a lake called Kannonnuma (about 30km in total). The cycling today was very nice and I made good time. In the afternoon, we tidied up the house and threw away a lot of Clara's old toys. It feels good to have some extra space in the house again.

THE WEEK AHEAD
I will be in the BoE on Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday evening, Clara and I are going to Tokyo on the train. My parents will arrive in Tokyo on Wednesday for a holiday and I will meet them at Narita Airport. Thursday will be spent sightseeing in Tokyo. Friday to Shimogo.