A much overdue conclusion

So, it's been a long time since I updated this blog - I left Japan on July 29th, and now I'm back in the U.S.! I've moved down to California and started a Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. All is well and fine. If you want to read about my new adventures in Berkeley, I am planning to set up a new blog soon. I'll post the link here as soon as it's available.

I had a few more adventures before I left though - including moving farewells at my schools and a final trip to Tokyo with Nuria and Star. Here are a few more pictures to keep things visual:


Team Yakiniku: Junko, Noriko, Kristi, & Rosalind


Yamaya-san, Julia & Kristi


Final Farewell, Tsubame-Sanjo Station


Kristi & Nuria, Tokyo


John Lennon Museum, Saitama


Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre


Star & Kristi, The Lockup, Tokyo


Kristi, Shibuya


Siblings, Reunited


Siblings, En Route To Berkeley

Anyway, in conclusion, I'd like to thank all of you for reading my blog. It was a crazy year in Japan, filled with a lot of fun and a lot of personal growth. I look forward to more adventures in the future!

Ise and Nagoya Report

I think I'm in danger of not posting about my 3-day weekend in Ise and Nagoya, so I better just churn something out, eh? Friday night, I boarded the overnight bus on a 6.5 hour journey down to Nagoya, arriving at the pleasantly deserted hour of 6 am. After a quick breakfast, I went another two hours south to Ise, home of the holiest shrines in Japan. Legend has it that the Japanese imperial family is descended from a particular god - this god gave the family three sacred treasures: a sword, a mirror, and a jewel. The mirror is enshrined at Ise, although no one has seen it for hundreds of years. The shrines themselves (there are two) are overwhelming Japanese in architecture, in stark contrast to many of the other famous shrines in Japan (particularly Nikko, their apparent rival for spectacular-ness). To top it all off, the shrines are completely torn down and rebuilt every 20 years according to Shinto tradition, which necessitates two separate (albeit adjacent) locations for the buildings. It's quite the piece of Japanese culture and history. The most disappointing thing? You can't take pictures near the inner shrines, so the memories will just have to live in my mind. :)


Main Shrine Entrance, Geku
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Anyway, I decided to make a day of it by seeing some of the other things Ise had to offer, including Oharaimachi (a traditional-style shopping area where I had very yummy shaved ice), Meoto Iwa (the famous "wedding rocks") and Mikimoto Pearl Island (home of the world's first cultured pearls). All in all, it was an extremely busy, tiring, and fulfilling day. I'm very glad I went.


Shops, Oharaimachi
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Meoto Iwa, Ise
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Diving Demonstration, Mikimoto Pearl Island
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

On Sunday, I started out the day with a visit to Nagoya Castle, which was much more impressive and interesting than I expected (when you've seen one ferro-concrete Japanese castle reconstruction, you've seen them all - or so I thought). I also made a quick stop by the Nagoya Noh Theater to take a look at its small museum.


Nagoya Castle
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Kristi, Noh Museum
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Of course, the main event of the weekend was the sumo tournament. I've gotta say, I really love sumo now. I thought it would be interesting in a cultural sense, but I really developed an affinity for the sport itself. In the morning, I squatted in the very pricey first row seats, getting an amazing view of the lower-ranked wrestlers - several actually fell about 6 inches from my feet, that's how close I was. And it was just enthralling! I mean, with matches that only last 3-5 minutes, there's no time to get bored. There was definitely some skill and strategy involved. And honestly, I didn't mind the copious amounts of man-flesh.

A few hours later, I was joined by Grace, Rosalind, and Johanna who had been living it up in Osaka for a few days. We eventually migrated up to our seats in the balcony. The higher-ranked wrestlers definitely carried themselves as such - as the day went on, the matches got progressively longer and involved more pre-match intimidation. It was hilarious to see a wrestler suddenly get worked up, beat his chest in front of the crowd and then throw a handful of salt into the ring with such drama - the spectators' folding fans would start fluttering with excitement and you knew it was going to be a good match. :) We saw several of the famous sumo stars, including Asashoryu, the only current yokozuna in the sport (who dispensed with his opponent relatively quickly and still remains undefeated during this tournament, I believe). You can read more about sumo and the July tournament here.


Sumo Tournament, Nagoya
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Sumo Tournament, Nagoya
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Sumo Tournament, Nagoya
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Ok, after that things were relatively mundane. The four of us headed to Outback Steak House in Nagoya for an extremely delayed but delicious dinner. The three musketeers went back to their capsule hotel in Osaka, while I bedded down in my Nagoya dormitory. Monday morning was spent shopping in Sakae, taking advantage of the amazing summer sales. And then I had another 6.5 hour bus ride to my home sweet home in Niigata.

And there you have it folks, the full report. Check out the full photo set here.

Sumo!!!

So, I just got back from a totally awesome weekend in Ise and Nagoya. Pictures and details to come, but for now, enjoy this short video I took at the sumo tournament! It takes you through the basics of a bout - with the exception of the little victory song at the end.

Hope you're all doing well!

Busy week-end...

Man, it's kind of frightening how quickly I can pack for trips now. Seriously. I got back from an enkai with the people from my Board of Education in Nagaoka about an hour ago and will be departing shortly to catch the overnight bus to Nagoya, the fourth-largest city in Japan. I'm hoping for a relaxing, culturally-enlightening weekend - it'll be my first (and likely last) major solo trip in Japan. Can't wait to tell you all about it.

Oh, and I have to tell you about my dinner with the mayor of Kamo last night, don't I? Well, it was delicious and amusing and resulted in a proposal to hire a new ALT for the city of Kamo (since I'm leaving and don't have a replacement). They also asked me to stay for another year to take on the position, which was quite flattering (but generally impossible). But I'm excited for the kids - what a great opportunity for them. They're putting forth a proposal to the Kamo city council, so we'll have to see how it goes. *crossing fingers*


Dinner with the Mayor
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

I'm really short, aren't I? Even in the land of short people, it seems...

Off to Nagoya!

And the story continues...

Yeah, so I'm not going to wax philosophical about this goodbye business because ... well, it's pretty much the running theme for the next couple of weeks, right? :)

Yesterday I parted ways with a class that was formerly my noisiest, least-behaved of all my schools (they've subsequently mellowed quite a bit though). I actually really adore these guys - I have a soft spot in my heart for the difficult ones. ;) After receiving a few declarations of love and cuteness, I was quite loathe to leave. I'll see them around for the next week or so though:


Class 2-2, Kamo Jr. High
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Last night, a yet-again-sick Aaron and I met up with Nishigata-sensei, a JTE (Japanese Teacher of English) who we both happened to work with this year, due to the wonders of the educational transfer system. We feasted on yakiniku and had a very relaxing time chatting.


Team Teachers!
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Aaron and I followed it up by hitting the late show of Mission Impossible III in Tsubame, probably the last time I'll be seeing a movie in Japan for at least a few years. It's a rather interesting process really - a weekly "Ladies Day", assigned seating, Japanese people who don't laugh or leave til the credits are completely finished... Oh, and of course, a thankfully reversed set of logic that makes the latest show of the evening also the cheapest one (+1 point, Japan!). I thought the movie itself was fairly entertaining, lots of twists and turns. It seemed very ... reasonable, as odd as that sounds.

Anyway, I just found out that I have absolutely positively NO classes today because all of my kidlings are painstakingly composing farewell letters for me. *tear* Yep yep. I guess that means I should finally plan my weekend agenda - this weekend I'm heading to the general vicinity of Nagoya to get myself into all kinds of random adventures and witness the awesomeness that will be a sumo tournament.

Oh, and I'm having dinner with the mayor of Kamo tonight. And a big enkai tomorrow night. And God knows what else. Oh, Japan.

Let the goodbyes begin...

This weekend was all about goodbyes - to possessions and friends both. Spent a lot of the weekend cleaning my apartment and selling/giving furniture to various people/places around Niigata. I don't have a successor, so this place has to be emptied of all but the bare essentials (i.e. refriegerator, washing machine) by the time I leave. It doesn't sound difficult, but there have been ALTs living in this place for 15 years - so stuff tends to build up. And since I've still got some major travel plans and work obligations left, I figured I should get a timely start...

Last night I went out to Kashiwazaki for a beach barbeque. And yeah, it was kinda like things came full circle. I remember going to another (very rainy) barbeque back in August - and I'd only seen some of these people only once or twice since then. So strange to think. But I can only be happy that we shared each other's company for a little while and hope that we'll meet again in the future - perhaps in some other far-flung corner of the world. :)


The Gang
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Kristi, Mara & Siobhan
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Sanjo Survivors
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Kristi & Aaron
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

I have another host of goodbyes to say tomorrow at Wakamiya Jr. High - and I'm fairly dreading it, I've got to say. But time marches on - goodbyes now and reunions to come, so all is right with the world.

Happy Fourth of July!

So, in celebration of the Fourth of July, Melissa, Kate, Errol, myself, and Kayvohn (our honorary American) got together for an American-style hoedown in Maki, complete with beef, (accidental) pork burgers, corn, apple pie, Coca-Cola, "Spirit of America" brownies, music, and sparklers. There were flags everywhere, and good times were had by all (lighting sparklers by the Shinto shrine was especially notable). I think it was quite possibly simultaneously the most and least American event I have ever experienced, if that makes any sense. Happy Birthday, USA!


The Americans
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Spirit of America Brownies
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Shisa & Kristi, Maki
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

The days are running dreadfully short all of a sudden, and I find myself desperately penciling in appointments, errands, and get-togethers left and right. It's nice. But kinda strange, too. Am I really going home in just three weeks?

Another weekend in Niigata...

Pink Girls!
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

So, it was another semi-relaxing, semi-random weekend in Niigata. This time, however, Star came up from Tokyo to join in the festivities. Persevering through the start of the rainy season (it arrived on Friday), we spent a largely chill weekend ambling through some of Niigata's attractions, including Kamoyama Park, Yahiko Shrine, the Echigo Brewery in Maki (Japan's first microbrewery), the Kamo Onsen, and Niigata City. We met up with Melissa, Kate, and Errol for parts of the weekend and mostly just had fun. It's so nice to have visitors in Niigata - I think that some of my favorite Japan memories have been simply hanging out in Kamo with good company. Here are the obligatory pictoral tidbits:


Kristi, Kamoyama Park
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Star, Kamoyama Park
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Star & Kristi, Echigo Brewery
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

By the way, today is my last day at Tagami Jr. High, and it's somewhere between awkward and tragic. I traded speeches with the teachers and students this morning, and even got a very nice bouquet of flowers which is currently looking somewhat stranded on my desk. But at the same time, I've seriously only been to this school about 15 times this entire year (with teacher transfers and student graduations in between), so I don't feel like I know them well enough to be all worked up. But maybe that's the really sad part - that I won't have the time to get to know them any better.

Anyway, enough rumination for now. After this year in Japan, I have concluded beyond all reasonable doubt that too much thinking is indeed bad for a person. Off to do!

The Wonders of Takarazuka

I just reserved a ticket to see the Takarazuka Revue in Tokyo a couple of days before I blow this popsicle stand. The Takarazuka is an all-female musical theatre group; I studied it in college as an interesting example of sexuality in Japan. There are six troupes ("Flower", "Moon", "Snow", "Star", "Cosmos", and "Superior Members") which have over 80 members each and perform predominantly at their home stages in Osaka and Tokyo. In order to join, girls between the ages of 15 and 18 must go through a highly competitive audition to get into the Takarazuka Ongaku Gakkou, one of the best performing arts academies in Japan. Over 1,000 girls audition each year, but only 40-50 are accepted. After passing, girls take classes in singing, acting, dancing (Japanese, ballet, tap, and modern), music history, theatre theory, etiquette and more from 9-5 each day.

After one year at the school, each student becomes either an otokoyaku (player of men's roles) or musumeyaku (player of women's roles). The starring otokoyaku are by far the most popular of the actresses in the Revue, so there are never enough spaces for all of the girls who would like to be otokoyaku. The decision is based on height, physique, voice, etc. Otokoyaku study how to act like, talk like, and move like men, while the musumeyaku train in being a strong and graceful feminine counter to the male roles (the 1914 rationale was that the musumeyaku would learn to be the ideal women, while the otokoyaku would learn to empathize with men and thus become better wives). The students learn techniques that signify gender, including stylized movements, gestures, and speech patterns. After their training is complete the students will join one of the troupes.

Nearly all of the fans of Takarazuka are schoolgirls and middle-aged women. A lot of them enjoy the portrayal of pure romance, rather than a physical attraction between a man and woman. Many of the fans adore the Takarasiennes and will stand outside of the theatre after a show, waiting to get a glimpse of their favorite stars on their way home, and maybe a photo or autograph. There are fan clubs, three official magazines, and of course, a plethora of collectibles.

So, the show I'm seeing is a rock opera called "Rome at Dawn", based on Julius Caesar. *Awesome*. A totally bizarre, totally Japanese way to end my year-long sojourn here.



Here's an article on it.
And another.

Tales from the 中学校...

So, I've been correcting compositions lately. My third-year students went on a school trip to Kyoto back in April, so each of them wrote me a letter about their most important memories. I thought I'd share a couple of my favorites, complete with student illustrations...


Student Drawing: Scary Deer
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Dear Kristi-sensei,
How are you?
I went to on school trip.
I want to tell you about this picture.
I went to Nara park.
Then there were many deer.
Some deer came to me.
Finally I was surrounded by deer.
The deer were very scary.
(Kazama Yukiko)


Student Drawing: Funny Story
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Dear Kristi-sensei,
How are you Kristi? I went to on a school trip. I had good times. The best memory is Watazen. I was talking till late at night. After that I was very surprised at talking while sleeping my friend. She said "Ouch!" She is Takahashi Kasumi. Her way of sleeping was very strange. But she was very cute!
(Tomoe)

Things are winding down fast! Here's the running count:

26 days until I leave Niigata
28 days until I leave Japan

That means just...

13.5 days of teaching
1 Board of Education meeting

Wow!

Beach-y Goodness and Other Tales of Niigata

It was back to the grind this week, with lots of school business and errands to take care of. It seems that I only have about six weeks before my triumphant return to the U.S., and that comes along with all sorts of tasks that must be attended to. The weekend, however, was all about fun. Friday I did some much needed lying about, while the evening encompassed a pancake party at Nuria's and a welcome enkai for Aaron's parents at the Aqua Hotel. Saturday was Round Two of English Day at Niigata Women's College, the same affair I went to back in December but with a new batch of students. It was fun and an easy way to pick up some extra cash - but wow does it make you realize how much work conversation can really be!


June English Day, Niigata Women's College
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

After the English mayhem, we were all in need of a relaxing time. Fortunately enough, Melissa and Kate invited a bunch of us down to Maki for a beach BBQ, Maki-style. There was a wealth of food and drink to be had, as well as good company. Phil in particular came prepared for a good time, with glowsticks and fireworks and some surprisingly developed bonfire-making skills. The weather held out and resulted in a very nice time for all concerned - and we didn't even get abducted by the North Koreans, whose boat lights we swore we could see on the horizon. Here are some highlights, some courtesy of Phil:


The Gang, Maki Beach
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Making S'mores, Maki Beach
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Phil on Fireworks
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

And now, it's Sunday. How does the weekend always speed by so quickly? Gotta get moving on all this stuff, before everything passes me by.

P.S. I <3 Kung Fu Hustle

Niigata, Tokyo, and Kamakura with Maria!

Ok, so before this gets totally foggy in my mind, I should set down some of the whirlwind that's been engulfing my life recently. Let's pick up where we left off, shall we? After a two-day stint in Hakone, Maria came up to Niigata to spend a couple of days hanging out with me and seeing the less touristy side of Japan. On Wednesday, she accompanied me to the Kamo City sports competition, where we saw students from several of my schools playing baseball, basketball, tennis, and ping pong before heading out for a stroll in Niigata City and visiting the Sea of Japan Tower. Thursday, I taught three classes and was soundly chided for not bringing her to class as a "special guest", so poor Maria had to hang out with me at school - the kidlings were very excited. And they let me go home early. :) We walked around Kamoyama Park a little bit and had a nice time at the Kamo Onsen before getting some dessert at Gusto and calling it a night.


Maria, Sea of Japan Coast
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Friday we took the shinkansen down to Tokyo, checked into our hostel, and went straight to Asakusa's Senso-ji, one of the livelier Buddhist temples in Japan. Then we hit Ueno Park for a couple of hours in the Tokyo National Museum, managing to cover only about a fourth of its total collections. The night ended with eating ourselves silly in Shibuya and enjoying some Friday night people watching.

Saturday was all about Kamakura, one of the old capitals of Japan and a center of Buddhism. We started at Enkaku-ji, one of Kamakura's five great Zen temples and then strolled over to Tokeiji, which used to be a refuge for abused wives seeking a divorce. Then we embarked on a hike which took us to the Zeniarai Benten Shrine, a really amazing place nested in the caves where visitors wash their money in hopes that they'll attract good fortune. At last, we made it to the Great Buddha, which was everything I hoped it would be. Hase Temple capped off the day trip - it's home to countless statues of jizo, which help women, children, and travelers - they're particularly associated with aborted babies. My personal favorite was the part of the shrine hidden inside another series of caves. Anyway, we had some yakiniku before heading back to Tokyo and making stops at Akihabara (yay for massage chairs!), Shinjuku, and Roppongi. Long day!


Maria & Kristi, Daibutsu, Kamakura
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Hase-dera, Kamakura
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

On Sunday, Maria started off the day with a little aikido - we met up at Tokyo Station and took a quick look at the Imperial Palace before jumping over to Harajuku to witness the cosplay-zoku in their usual Sunday madness. Did a little bit of shopping in Harajuku and Omotesando, enjoyed some kaiten sushi and pizza, and then hopped over to Ginza where we visited the Sony Building. The highlight of the day was definitely the final stop though - we saw a kabuki show for about $8 at the Kabuki-za Theater! It was amazing, mesmerizing, hilarious - it was a blast! Like watching Japanese history come to life or being whisked back into the Edo Period. I think I would totally go every month if I lived in Tokyo. Very much a must-see.


Kristi and Maria, Imperial Palace
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Anyway, now Maria is back in Washington DC and I'm back in Kamo, readjusting to a "normal" pace of life. Back to work!

Kansai / Western Honshu Blitz

I've returned safe and sound from another excellent excursion. Talk about insane - over the last four days I've spent time in Kyoto, Osaka, Himeji, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Onomichi, and Fukuyama, traveling on planes, trains, streetcars, ferries, cable cars...  I'll try to keep the narrative short though. As many of you know, my friend/college roommate Maria is in Japan for two weeks, so I flew to Osaka on Thursday night and bussed out to Kyoto to meet her.  We enjoyed a night-time stroll around the city, grabbed some okonomiyaki and crashed for the night.


Kyoto Tower
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Friday morning we made an early start for Osaka, heading out to the bay to check out the Tempozan area.  We took a ride on the Tempozan Ferris Wheel, which was the world's largest ferris wheel until the construction of the London Eye and totally satisfied our desire for randomness.  In the afternoon, we swept by Himeji, home of Himeji-jo, Japan's most spectacular castle.  Maria and I also spontaneously decided to buy ourselves yukata (summer kimono), which was exciting.  We crashed in a Hiroshima business hotel that night.


Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel, Osaka
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Maria & Kristi, Himeji Castle
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Saturday morning was all about Hiroshima. Maria and I wandered the Peace Memorial Park, hitting major attractions such as the A-Bomb Dome, the Cenotaph for the Bomb Victims, and the Eternal Flame before heading into the incredibly moving Peace Memorial Museum. This was my second time seeing these parts of Hiroshima, and they were even more striking the second time around, if that's even possible.


A-Bomb Dome, Hiroshima
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Statues, Hiroshima
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

In the afternoon, we took a ferry out to Miyajima to meet Eric and his girlfriend Saya. Miyajima is home to one of Japan's three most beautiful spots (again with the ranking), a vermillion "floating" torii. It is also home to a large number of temples and native deer and monkeys (the deer were much more chill than in Nara, btw). This has to be one of the most picturesque places I've seen in Japan - a real favorite.


Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Friends and Fun, Miyajima
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Torii Sunset, Miyajima
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

But no, the fun wasn't over yet - the four of us went back into Hiroshima City to catch a little of something really special at the Hiroshima Yukata Festival. People were everywhere, dressed in brightly colored summer kimono, eating food from the many vendors on the street, and generally having a good time. At some point, we ducked into Molly Malone's, an Irish pub in the city and proceeded to gorge ourselves on such delicacies as fish and chips and the ever-illusive "real" hamburger. Afterwards, we parted ways and pretty much passed out from sheer exhauston.

Sunday was the big departure day. Maria embarked on a rather extended journey out to Hakone, Saya went shopping, and Eric and I took a train bound for Onomichi, where we went up a small mountain, looked at a "castle" for sale, and had yummy Thai food at what appeared to be an abandoned hotel. (Random adventures are the best, aren't they?) Afterwards, Eric kindly shuttled me to Fukuyama Station and I began the train-bus-plane-car journey back to my comfy home in Kamo. Phew, glad that's over.

And now? Now I'm kind of shell-shocked from the busy weekend and a very busy workday - anxious to get some rest. I think I'll close with one of the funniest things I've seen in Japan, a miraculous combination of Engrish and illustration:


"We do not hope to be such a monkey."
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Click here to check out my full photo set. (There's some fun stuff!)