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!)

Nikko Roadtrip

This weekend the traveling extravaganza continued with a visit to Nikko, one of Japan's major tourist attractions. The site has a long history of religious significance dating back to the 8th century, when it was a famous training center for Buddhist monks. After declining into obscurity for many years, it was chosen to become the location of the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the shogun who unified Japan and whose successors controlled the country for about 250 years. The shrine was built in the 1630s by Ieyasu's grandson and is the most splendid of all the shrines in Japan - splendid to the point of gaudiness, some say. All the same, it was intended to inspire awe for the wealth and power of the Tokugawa family, and it sure does the trick.

The weekend was a rainy one, which gave the whole experience an atmosphere of mystery and meaning. Six of us (Rosalind, Steph, Grace, Johanna, Simone, and I) set out from Niigata on Saturday morning and arrived in the town of Nikko after about four hours and some very windy mountain roads (when they post signs counting the number of switchbacks, that's a bad sign). That afternoon largely consisted of shopping, eating, and generally goofiness, in addition to a trip to Yashio-no-yu Onsen (I got a massage - yay!). Sunday we wandered the Nikko shrine complex, which included Shoyoen (a Japanese strolling garden), the Tokugawa Treasure House, Sanbutsudo (Three Buddha Hall), Rinnoji Temple, the Toshogu Shrine (including the tomb of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the "hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil" monkey trio), Yakushido (it has a dragon painted on its ceiling that "roars" if you use the accoustics properly), Futarasan Shrine (built to honor mountain deities), and Taiyuinbo (where Ieyasu's grandson is enshrined). The place was fraught with history and complexity, some of which I cover in the comments to my full photo set. On the way back, we hit Kegon Falls and stopped shortly to gaze at Lake Chuzenji (where we met a very friendly fisherman). Here are some of the visual highlights (though we couldn't take pics of some of the best stuff):


Room #3, Daiyagawa Youth Hostel
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.


Shin-kyo Bridge, Nikko
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Pathway, Shoyoen, Nikko
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Yomei-mon, Toshogu Shrine, Nikko
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, See No Evil
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Kristi, Kegon Falls
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Fishermen, Lake Chuzenji
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Click here to see my full photo set from Nikko.

ALTs go to the movies...

Yeah, so after a trip to the gym and some Pizza Hut indulgence, eight of us met up at the Tsubame Warner MyCal theatre to see The Da Vinci Code last night. I enjoyed the book, so I was interested to see the film version. I thought Tautou was excellent (and beautiful), and Ian McKellen was quite entertaining. It was nice to get out and see a movie.

Anyway, we totally made fools of ourselves getting print club pictures beforehand. Here are a few for your viewing pleasure:


Niigata Surprise!
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Bubbly Fun
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

A Motley Crew
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Good times. Work and life have been incredibly busy lately. I finally perfected my "asking the way" lesson today - the 3rd year students (9th graders) really loved it. Only thing was, the new version was incredibly high-energy for the team teachers. I totally wanted to pass out after three straight classes. But then I had two more lessons to prep and fax for Monday, a composition workbook to write, and a million other miscellaneous things to deal with... Funny, I feel suddenly comfortable here, with the people and the way of life. And I have less than two months left.

Anyway, I think I'm going to have some tea and try to do something productive. I hope I get some down time tomorrow. Saturday and Sunday will be spent touring Nikko with the ALT crew, so small girls must get their rest.

Omi Shrine Festival

So, I promised that I'd post pics from the snippet of the Omi Shrine Festival that I caught this weekend, after my triumphant return from Okinawa. There were apparently a lot of costumes and a parade, but I just saw the ceremony at the end, where they dismantled the portable shrines and had a short bout of flute/drum music and dancing. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.


Omi Shrine Festival, Kamo
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Omi Shrine Festival, Kamo
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Omi Shrine Festival, Kamo
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Omi Shrine Festival, Kamo
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Lanterns, Omi Shrine Festival, Kamo
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Okinawa in Review

So, as I mentioned before, Star and I ventured out to Japan's southernmost set of islands this weekend - and wow, what an amazing time we had. Sight-seeing, relaxing, shopping, perfect weather, quality time with a good friend - how much better could it get? Friday afternoon was spent shopping on Kokusai-dori (International Street) and trying to locate Coco Shanti, the charmingly (and affordably) hippie place we called home for the weekend. We got to know this street quite well during our stay and probably walked its length 20-30 times before our departure.


Kristi, Kokusai-dori, Okinawa
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

On Saturday morning, we woke up bright and early to pick up our rental car from the airport and our real adventure began. We started off by heading to the southern tip of the island to check out some of the war memorials. Okinawa suffered heavy losses during the last days of WWII, both military and civilian, with many people committing suicide on its coastal cliffs. We visited Himeyuri-no-To (the Cave of Virgins), a memorial for a group of about 200 women and children who lost their lives, and the Okinawa Peace Memorial Park, which contains the Cornerstone of Peace. The latter monument records the names of all who died in the Battle of Okinawa (Japanese commanders, civilians, and foreign military personnel alike), arranged in striking waves of black stone tablets.


Himeyuri-no-To, Okinawa
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Cornerstone of Peace, Okinawa
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Then we moved on to Shuri Castle, the former seat from which Ryukyu kings ruled before Okinawa was subjected to mainland rule. The architectural style was much different than that of the mainland, with the Chinese influence really shining through. The most famous gate, Shurei-no-mon, appears on the Japanese 2,000 yen note.


Star & Kristi, Shuri Castle, Okinawa
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Shurei-no-mon, Okinawa
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

With two major sites under our belt, Star and I stopped at an A&W restaurant for lunch - it was a drive-in, so you could actually pull in, order, and eat in your car (though we opted for the air-conditioned interior). Hamburgers and root beer were in order. After that, it was off to the Motobu Peninsula, where I visited the Churaumi Aquarium while Star napped on Emerald Beach. I thought the aquarium was really fascinating - and huge! I hadn't been to one in years, so it was quite a treat.


Whale Shark, Churaumi Aquarium, Okinawa
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Emerald Beach, Okinawa
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Our final mission of the day was to drive along the Okinawan coast to the northernmost tip of the island, Cape Hedo. The scenery was stunning (Star has all the pictures though, since I was driving), and it was well worth the time when we got to the rocky cliffs and saw the bird statue we'd been looking for.


Statue, Cape Hedo, Okinawa
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Two hours later, we were back in Naha and back on foot. We continued to sample Okinawan cuisine, which Star became quite fond of during her homestay seven years ago, and which I actually enjoyed as well. During our weekend, we had Okinawan soba (different from mainland soba), yakisoba, rafti (pork stew), zenzai (shaved ice with sweet bean), and chinsuko (yummy cookie). We also sampled Orion Beer, the local Okinawan brew. Anyway, we pretty much passed out after dinner.

Sunday morning we made time to shop along Kokusai-dori and Heiwa-dori, collecting the necessary omiyage to be able to return to our respective workplaces without losing face. Our mascot for the trip requires an introduction though - meet Goya Man (or Super Goya, as Star and I like to call him):


Goya Man
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

The goya is a bitter melon that is very common in Okinawa and Okinawan dishes. Rosalind and I actually cooked goya champuru in our cooking class. Anyway, the goya memorabilia gave us no end of laughs along the way.

Sunday afternoon marked our returns to Niigata and Tokyo respectively, and I came home to find the Kamo Spring Festival winding down (which was curiously similar to coming home and finding my roommates throwing a party). I managed to see some fun stuff there, but I think it's best left to another post. This one has come to an end. :) Click here if you want to see the full set of photos from our fabulous weekend in the sun.

There and back again

Okinawa was incredible. So much fun. So many adventures. Details to come.

By the way, did you know that Crystal Geyser is the water of America?


Crystal Geyser, Water of America
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

The mundane, the wonderful

I took a drive out to Sanjo today, to go to the gym and buy some groceries. But along the way, I took the time to stop and photograph some of the sights that grace my regular errand-running. There are the things that aren't special enough to take pictures of, but I have a feeling they'll be the ones I miss most once my time here has come to an end. I love the landscapes right now - all of the rice fields are flooded for spring, and it makes Niigata seem like a surreal sort of floating world. Here are a few of the snippets from my day:


Rice Field Reflections, Sanjo
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Roadside Shrine, Sanjo
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Shrine in the Rice Fields, Sanjo
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

That little shrine in the last shot really charmed me for some reason. Perhaps because it seemed so elegant in the water, and it was just sitting there, amidst a sea of houses and agriculture... Anyway, yay for Niigata.

I should do some writing before this weekend is over. Hope everyone is doing well. And Happy Mother's Day!

Back to Niigata (via Tokyo)

I woke up at about 4:45 am this morning. Why? Because the sun came up at 4:43 am, which I consider terribly early. Still, it'll continue to inch earlier yet before hitting about a 4:25 am sunrise in mid-June. I really need to find a way to darken my room a little more in the mornings. Sitting at my desk today, it somehow seems like I never left - it's amazing how consistent the routine of the Japanese school system can be. It's comforting, actually.

I just returned from hanging out in Tokyo with Star, one of my friends from UW and a fellow Japanese major. She's living out there doing science research and kindly let me stay with her for a while. We mainly took it easy, treating ourselves to massages, shopping in Shibuya, and a rather leisurely schedule. Grace joined the fun on Saturday. I took a break from picture taking during this trip, but still managed to get one of the more amusing shots of my collection while walking through Shinjuku. A tanuki (raccoon) in a pig's mask:


Incognito Tanuki and Kristi, Shinjuku, Tokyo
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

The owner in back adds a lot to the picture.

Sufficeth to say that I had fun. I always enjoy Tokyo - hopefully I'll make it down there a few more times before my contract is up in July. Things are starting to fly by faster and faster. This weekend, I'm thinking of heading out to Takaoka to see their daibutsu and do the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, two weeks from now is Okinawa with Star, four weeks out is Hiroshima/Kansai with Maria, followed by Tokyo five weeks out... and then I'll have about a month left in Japan, so I imagine I'll be desperately trying to pack and squeeze things in.

Anyway, I think that's enough for now. More adventures soon!

More sakura love and urban fun

So, it's been a little while. Things have been kinda crazy and kinda random, but then again, that's often the way life is out here in Japan. On Thursday, Aaron and I caught the sakura fever and decided to make our way up to Osakiyama Park near Sanjo to take a look at the blossoms there. The journey itself was a bit of an adventure, but the blossoms were definitely beautiful. I also loved the view from the top of the mountain - it gave a rare glimpse of Sanjo and Tsubame, with Mt. Yahiko looming in the distance.


Sanjo and Mt. Yahiko, Osakiyama Park
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Kristi, Osakiyama Park
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Afterwards, Aaron and I decided to go to Pizza Hut for dinner. That in itself was fairly unusual, given that it was only our third time visiting the place since arriving in Japan. But lo and behold, who should we run into but Sarah and Nuria? Anyway, the four of us enjoyed our gaijin fare and then topped it off by visiting the brand new Baskin Robbins in Tsubame. (It's telling when these kinds of places are exciting, isn't it?)

Anyway, my very blustery Friday was spent down in Nagaoka at a Board of Education meeting, and Saturday I hung out with some old friends in an attempt to escape Niigata for a while. Again, yay for onsen. Saturday night I met up with Melissa, Kate, Kayvohn, and Errol for a little fun out in Niigata City. We went to a place called Hallelujah, which ended up being a lot of fun.


Kristi, Kate, & Melissa, Hallelujah
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

And now it's Monday and the day has been pure insanity. I just taught five classes in a row, something that has never happened before. And I also didn't know about any of them beforehand, so talk about starting things off with a bang. :) I'm happy though, my least favorite JTE left and has been replaced by one who seems fairly nice and very capable. Looks like tomorrow is going to be crazy too - I kinda feel like I should go straight home and just start sleeping now. ;)

Undeniably Spring

You know, it just isn't springtime in Japan until the cherry blossoms have graced you with their presence. The sakura is Japan's unofficial national flower, and it's amazing how culturally important it is. Actually, when the word "flower" is used in traditional Japanese poetry, it generally refers to the sakura. Even now, people closely follow the sakura forecast for an estimation of when the flowers will come to their town. And once they appear, it's time for hanami, a tradition of eating and drinking with family and friends under the blossoming trees that has been around since the 700s. I swear, it's all any of my Japanese friends have talked about for the last couple of months.

So, this past weekend, the sakura really started coming out in Niigata (pretty late, really), and as expected, they're beautiful. I took a walk around Kamo yesterday to take in the springtime beauty and snap a few pictures. Cherry blossoms are fickle things; the slightest bit of wind or bad weather can send them away as quickly as they came. That's part of the Japanese fascination with them, of course - they symbolize the fleeting nature of life. Anyway, I'm going to be quiet now and show you the pictures.


Spring Sunset, Kamo River
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

Cherry Blossoms, Kamo
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

I really like that last one, but it is better appreciated at a larger size. Been shooting in RAW lately, and it makes me wonder how I ever coped without it.

Anyway, it's been an extremely busy day at school. I taught four classes in a row this morning, something that's only happened once before. And I'm basically designing a new English curriculum to be published in book form, which is a huge task. Better get back to that. ;)

Why Japan doesn't have Daylight Savings Time

Sunrise, Mt. Fuji
Originally uploaded by kristi-san.

So, this post is a bit late, but did you know that Japan doesn't observe daylight savings time? I was baffled when I discovered this but never really received a satisfactory explanation for its absence, other than the fact that it "used to have it". So, I decided to do a little digging to figure this thing out.

Today, more than 70 countries have adopted daylight savings time. Of the 29 OECD countries, only Japan, South Korea and Iceland don't observe the convention. In Japan, daylight savings time (sanma taimu) was introduced after World War II by the U.S. Occupation authorities imposed DST on May 1, 1948, as a means to combat coal and power shortages, explaining the regime was being installed to "promote the health and welfare of the Japanese people, conserve valuable resources and to cultivate an appreciation of time among the Japanese." (The Japan Times, Aug. 10, 2005)

Only three years later, in October 1951, the Diet passed a bill to dump the unpopular system, less than a month after the San Francisco Peace Treaty was signed. It was abolished in April 1952, as soon as the GHQ packed up and departed from Tokyo's Yurakucho district. A government poll in 1951 showed 53 percent of the Japanese wanted to scrap daylight savings time, as opposed to 30 percent who wanted to keep it. There seem to be several different reasons for this opposition.

• Some say that lack of prior debate and the execution of daylight savings time just three days after the bill was passed generated deep hatred of the concept. Daylight savings time suddenly became equated with the humiliation of defeat; it was seen as something the GHQ forced on the people, and this continues to hinder the movement. Bad memories of the Occupation still haunt Web sites critical of daylight savings, with messages like "Daylight-saving time is fascist!" "It is a pain to change the clock, and it's hard on people's biological clocks." "People will lose sleep, and be made to work more overtime."
  
• This fear of over-work seems to be another explanation. Several business sectors have expressed concerns that the measure could result in workers voluntarily working longer hours. The truth of it seems to be suspect. One article in The Japan Times claims that many people opted to work after their regular workday had ended during the Occupation. But another article cites that the Japan Council of Metalworkers' Unions found that labor hours fell during daylight savings time.
  
• According to Japan scholar John Dower, daylight savings time was opposed on the grounds that it simply extended the difficulty of "daily" life. Dower describes a condition of exhaustion and despondency in Japan immediately after the war, causing people to prefer an earlier darkening so they could escape into sleep or drink. In today's prosperous and seemingly happier Japan though, it seems like it shouldn't be very relevant.
  
• Another reason seems to be that the Ministry of Education was concerned that lighter evenings would entice school children from their homework. (Um...)

Anyway, there are some very sound reasons to introduce daylight savings to Japan, although it's hard to "prove" them. Experts say the change would increase the amount of usable sunlight per day, cutting crude oil use by 930,000 kiloliters and greenhouse gas emissions by 40 tons. The Japan Productivity Center further estimates that 100,000 new jobs and 970 billion yen in additional economic benefits would be generated by shopping and leisure as people take advantage of the brighter evenings.

It seems like change is in the wind though. On April 22, 2005, a group of lawmakers on Friday approved a package of draft bills to introduce daylight-saving time nationwide, with an eye to submitting them to the Diet next month, members of the group said.The change would be implemented in 2007 and would be reviewed three years later, the draft bills say. Some municipalities, such as the Sapporo Municipal Government, have experimented with daylight-saving time. In June 2005, hundreds of companies and government offices launched a 42-day daylight-saving experiment in Hokkaido as part of a campaign to turn it into a national practice. Some 15,000 employees came to and left work an hour earlier than usual. Doesn't seem like anything has really happened since, at least that I could find.

Kinda random, but somehow, it seems very fitting for Japan.

Guess I wasn't quite done yet

So, I was accepted to a seventh graduate school today - UC San Diego just came through with an offer of admission and a full four-year funding package. Wow. It's probably best that I didn't know about this last week. At least I finally got denied by the University of Michigan (where I was also initially waitlisted) - that keeps things a little more sane. :)

Final Final Grad School Results

Admitted to:
UC Berkeley
Princeton
Cornell
UC San Diego
UCLA
University of Wisconsin
University of Washington

Denied at:
Harvard
University of Chicago
Columbia
University of Michigan