Pearl of Wisdom

Recently many of my posts have drifted from Japanese culture and into my mind. After being in Japan for nearly three years, most of the surface culture has become so much apart of my life that I find it very hard to write about it, let alone even notice it. Now with my time in Japan at my current job drawing to an end, I have many things that are running through my mind. Today I had a conversation with one of my friends about the future. I'm struggling with what I will eventually choose when the time comes. What path is best, especially when it comes to the choice of adventure or love?

I'll relay that conversation to you now, in hopes that this wisdom can be passed down to help others who may be wandering the chasms of the mind in the same way that I am.

Me: "Yeah. That's why the decision is hard.

Buildings wait for you, culture lasts for generations, they will almost always be there in some way or another to enjoy or test you. But human life is definite, and the window of opportunity to share it with others is very short.

I find very few things that I dislike about [my girlfriend], and plenty of things that I admire. Things I value because I think they are rare traits in humanity: perseverance, loyalty, adaptablity, patience, genuineness, empathy, understanding. Will it be so easy to find someone else that possesses these things?

But choosing her sets my course away from a wanderer of far off lands, to a more stable and predictable future. To a future that I will not be able to answer that very question, "How many people possess these admirable traits?" My mind is young and full of curiosity, it is also naive. That is why it is hard for me to decide these things."

Friend: "It's a tough one no doubt. If I look back on my life, most of my most memorable moments are with girlfriends. Sure, some relationships turned out to be not such a great idea, but no matter what, while things were good, I wouldn't have traded it for anything. Companionship gives you things that no building or culture can. And you can't just hop on a train or plane to find it. I say hang on as long as you can. No harm in trying and seeing where things go. But the moment when/if doubt enters your mind, don't hesitate to make a change."

My friend is wiser than myself in both years and world experience. So I valued his opinion and looking back on his own life for me. His words rang true to me, and so I will take his wisdom as a factor in my future decisions.

Lastly, I will attach a photo of Japanese culture! Enjoy!

Barriers

In life everyone has barriers. Some are physical, some are mental. Sometimes we jump can jump over these barriers.

Recently, I jumped over a barrier. It was literally a fence. But in order to jump over it, I had to overcome a wall in my mind. The mental portion was harder to climb than the physical. It was strange the moment I jumped into uncharted territory. It was as if tasting the forbidden fruit. The keepers of the barrier never want you to taste this fruit. This fruit is knowledge. This knowledge is truth. This truth is freedom.

The fence was there. I jumped over. In that moment my mind was free. Something changed. I wish I could tell you all the story, but it is secret. If you know me and we meet, ask me about the day I jumped the fence and scaled a wall in twenty seconds.

The reason why I am making this entry is to convince others to jump that fence. Jump into the unknown. The forbidden. Discover for yourself. But be wise. Do not harm others. But know that such a leap is not without risk.

Spring: Starting Over

The sweat is starting to accumulate under my sweater. I can hear birds singing and a crow almost gets knocked off a tree by his evil brother. The cherry blossoms in Kansai have come and are already on their way out. The urge to take off my pants when I walk through the door is back. Ah yes, winter is gone at long last. Spring is finally here and it is only a matter of time before the heat of a thousand suns and the humidity of a hundred swimming pools dumps itself on the beautiful green fields and concrete jungles of Japan.

In Japan the fiscal and academic new year starts with spring. Unlike my home country where everything either starts in the dead winter of January or the beginning of Autumn in September, Japan hails the coming of the new spring with new opportunities, students and teachers.

I know I've mentioned it in previous posts so I won't go into details. But this past year has both been amazing and extremely frustrating. With the coming of April, my supervisor has changed, we have almost 200 bright eyed new students and it is much easier to wake up when I don't have to face 6 degrees of bitter coldness on the other side of my sheets. I'm even finding that I will miss my quiet town and many of the reawakened smiles after winter's slumber. The warm sun really lets me appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds my home. And without me mentally cursing the frigid air, I even enjoy my short five minute ride to work in the morning. A convenience that I shall also miss.

When I notice this peaceful and comfortable lifestyle. Surrounded by a quiet neighborhood and my students calling out my name on my way to work or a trip to the supermarket for dinner, I truly question my choice to leave. With the change of a supervisor and a bunch of great new kids as well as my confidence at my school, I really think I will miss this place.

However, three years can be considered a long time. And maybe I have just become enlightened to the finer points of life. It actually all began after visiting an old friend visiting Japan and a few drinks. I rode my bike back from my station to my home, and decided to take a stroll around my neighborhood at midnight. Suddenly, something just changed and since that moment, I've been much happier and content.

So now, after many years of work and only a few months before leaving I am content with where I am and the work I do, for the most part anyway. It's rather ironic. However, contentment is usually caused by comfortably. Comfortably is nice, but it usually is caused by stagnation. When stagnant, it is hard to grow into a more powerful and whole individual. So maybe although I finally feel like everything fits, maybe it is a blessing that things are about to change. Another challenge to test my metal. Hopefully with what I have learned I can make my next life even better, and find myself in an even better situation.

Speaking of situations. I have learned that I will not be unemployed come August! Yes, I have found another job...in Japan. It isn't my dream job, and it is actually only temporary. It is still teaching English as an ALT, but I will work at both a high school and junior high school. So I should gain some knowledge working with an age group I have very little experience with. The city I will move to has a few more things than where I live now, and it is a bit more accessible. Pay and benefits are a little less, but that is to be expected when coming from the JET Programme. However, it feels like a good and somewhat safe move in a form of natural progression. Plus, I may even be teaching some of my junior high students in high school since the new school is only about 20 minutes away by train from where I live now. It will give me a time extension to contemplate my next move. Let me feel more certain on if I want to really leave the profession of English teaching. I can also continue making student loan payments which are currently my ball and chain.

I look forward to the next chapter, and hope that it will be better than all the previous ones. Until then, I will thoroughly enjoy this one.

Cherry Blossoms at the Osaka Mint Bureau

Swimming in a Disembodied Sea of Thoughts

Funny. Last time I made a post, I also skipped Iaido...

These past couple days I've felt a bit disembodied. I hope it is just a moment in my human existence that is out of balance and will return to equilibrium on its own. It may be the reason I missed Iaido this week, besides the cold, darkness on the other side of my apartment door.

My mind feels empty, because I feel as if it is floating somewhere above my body. However, it is not quiet. Maybe it left my body to try to find peace, but now it just hovers there, swimming. It is the feeling you feel when you just wake up. Not fully alert. The internal fire is low.

Work has been a bit stressful. Another teacher today found out I was going. She was surprised I had decided not to stay. She asked me what I was going to do. I responded in earnest, "I don't know." I told her my reason for leaving is that being an ALT would become boring if I worked at the same place for too long. I think this is true, but not really the reason. Again, I am flattered in knowing that my seemingly nonchalant co-workers will be sad to see me go.

As far as jobs go, it isn't actually all that bad. But it is a lot of little, unimportant things that build making me unsatisfied with my job. Things that I probably could change if I really tried to, for the most part. I feel imprisoned, but not completely uncomfortable. I am grateful for the past 2 and a half years! The job has allowed me to travel to many countries, support myself, learn a lot and grow as an individual. However, I am not happy. But there are many things that make me very happy and feel accomplished. I could be disillusioned. A fresh collage graduate whisked away to a foreign land with a good salary. However, I think that veil of adventure is lifting with time and that is the reason why I have become unsatisfied. More of my goals met. Stronger in my position. Advanced. Experienced. But, unsatisfied.

Recently I worry about my health. Not that there is great cause for concern, but I definitely feel my body limiting. It isn't as agile as I would like. It get's tired when I want to be alert to soak up information. It has trouble processing information to be deftly executed. Recently it has just felt like sleeping. It is a concern, and I wonder if it is just a combination of age and stress. I need to make a conscious action to improve my health through lifestyle and diet. But I can't help but to ask myself, "Do you remember the days when you were immortal?"

I don't know what it is, but from the time I arrived upon this earth, it as if I can feel the god energy draining from me. Even just 10 years ago, while I was a confused adolescent, I could feel the energy coursing through my veins. Now, many things seem dull. I can't even remember my best memory, nor my worst. Every thought just a shadow, that fades when I turn my head to look at it. Is this what it means to be human? I can feel the weight of my own flesh upon me.

My mind is swimming. The waves carry questions. What is the meaning of my mortal existence?What is my next move? Can I do it? How do I become stronger? How do I become wiser? Can I truly wake up? What makes me happy? Will I find the energy? Can I motivate myself properly?

Snowboarding atop Oku Ibuki, Shiga.

Heijoshin 平常心

I missed another Iaido class. In order to make up for it, I decided to read some philosophy. I particularly like learning about heijoshin, true peace of mind, and how it reflects in society. I figured I'd share a little.

"Society is like our collective shadow. If the shadow is bent and twisted, no amount of effort can straighten it. Only by straightening ourselves does our shadow also straighten, and then it does so effortlessly and automatically. So it is that reform must start with individuals and spread through society. It is a grassroots process in which each of us is either part of the disease or part of the cure."

Shimabukuro & Pellman, "Flashing Steel Second Edition" Berkeley, California 2008.

Sign On the Dotted Line

It’s only a little over two weeks away. February 10th. The day I must let my local board of education know about my re-contracting decision.

Today the principle called me into his office to inquire about my decision. I told him that I do not plan on staying a fourth year. He seemed disappointed. It makes me happy knowing that he values my work enough to try to convince me to stay. But it makes me sad knowing that I will be leaving a job that pays well and values my work. It makes the decision that much harder. Makes me wonder if I am thinking straight.

The last two and a half years have been a challenge. First, I was dealing with the isolation of living in a small town with no real support for foreign residents. Thankfully it wasn’t my first time to Japan. Then as I started getting use to quiet evenings alone in my apartment, and actually starting to enjoy them, my job and co-workers started irritating me.

It wasn’t that my job was bad or that my co-workers were mean. It was that I felt relatively transparent, although everyone was looking at me. I didn’t find the environment very welcoming, although I didn’t have a reason to really feel like the teachers had anything against me. Maybe we were both just shy. I still didn’t understand working in Japan, and they may have been worried about the only foreigner in the room. I loved teaching my students though. My first year and my second year with my students seemed to make everything okay, although my time in the classroom was very limited.

About a year ago my supervisor changed and my favorite group of kids left for high school. At first things seemed okay, just different. Then that difference reared its head as a problem. My supervisor was very unorganized, making my schedules overloaded and irratic. I became very busy, which I wanted until it was a busy in a underutilized manner. I have to plan a few full classes but my free time is used standing in a classroom as a human tape recorder. Students with behavioral problems, although nothing I feel like I can’t handle or really have to handle only being an assistant. It just makes it more difficult to teach.

Something keeps running through my head. It could be worse.

I may live in the countryside. But I am not in the middle of nowhere. After all I can be in one of Japan’s most famous cities, Kyoto, in 90 minutes. I see the greener grass on the other side of the fence though and want it. Kyoto and a life full of avenues are tempting me. Bigger cities, bigger possibilities.

I get paid a lot. I am fully insured. It is the first time in my life where I’m given opportunities to travel freely. Buy nice things. Eat whatever I want. Pay off loans. Pursue my interests. This is what I will miss the most. The freedom my somewhat imprisoning job gives me. I grew up on second hand and meager surroundings. To taste luxury once and a while makes the trials I've faced worth it.

My co-workers although a bit cold, are anything but mean. Every time I have talked to them, they have been courteous and friendly. My supervisor, although unorganized, I feel means well.

I’ve lived here for long enough that things are familiar. I have found an Iaido dojo to give me something to do during the week. I’ve met a wonderful girl who travels long distances on weekends to my house, which makes things much less lonely. It seems like the pieces of the past two years are finally coming together into a life.

Things seem great! However, I don’t look forward to going to work in the morning. Sometimes it causes me stress. I wonder if it is just the way I handle things and if I am not being grateful for all the amazing things being on JET has allowed me. I’m wondering if not re-contracting is a stupid move. Or on the flip side, I’m wondering if I am just afraid of making a leap towards change.

Am I afraid of change or stupid for leaving this all behind? Could I change the bad things and make them better? Or should I just start over from the beginning with the knowledge I gained up this point? Leave the money, the comfort and the professional dissatisfaction? JET is one of the best opportunities to teach English in Japan, but every situation is different so my particular situation may not be the best although it is light years from the worst. Knowing this, makes the decision that much harder.

I’m fed up with bosses and people scheduling my work (life) for me. I want to try doing it alone. Going freelance in Japan and teaching eikaiwa or working in a more supportive environment for my interests. It’s scary because I can become dead broke doing freelance. I have a feeling that I can also make more money, too. Be in control of what, how and when I teach. Live in a more urban area. This is if I decide to stay in Japan. My girlfriend really wants me to stay in Japan, obviously. I am looking forward to going back to the U.S., but I don’t know what kind of work I can do there. My degree and current work experience leads me back to Japan, although I hope I don’t have to teach English forever here.

There is also issues with visas. No easy task in Japan, especially if you do not have a company sponsor. Since 2010 they have made "self-sponsored" visas much more difficult to get. I love my girlfriend, but I don't want to marry her to stay in Japan.

I also want adventure. I want to go to Europe. Visit Finland, the UK, France, Italy, Greece! I’ve heard that maybe I can find work in Prague. The city seems amazing! Should I continue living a free life of a young man or consider the future and stability? Paradoxically, deep down I feel the freest life is the most stable.

Recently my mind has been living in the future. Although my present is safe, something is pulling me away. My signature decides my fate. I feel my fate is to meet the unknown.


Photograph by: =eyesweb1 @ Deviant Art

Fall-out

The air is getting crisp. Warm days have become cool days. Autumn is leaving and winter is coming. Change is peeking out from the shadows.

Autumn is my favorite season. It is a break from the heat and humidity of summer. It’s dryer than spring, and it’s full of beautiful colors. I think Japan has one of the best autumns because of its countless temples filled with maple trees making the early night time darkness a bright and vibrant red.

Fall colors at Kodai-ji, Kyoto.

Night is now reaching temperatures in the single digits, and winter will have its cold clutches on the Kansai region soon enough. Riding my motorbike after 5PM, when the sun sets, is like sipping lemonade in a walk-in freezer. For those of you who’ve never done this, it means it’s very cold!

It’s been 10 months since the Tohoku disaster. The region is slowly picking up the pieces of the destruction left in wake of the tsunami. Unfortunately, those pieces are being shipped to other regions of Japan. Already Tokyo is burning debris from Tohoku. Granted, this debris is being tested for radiation and if it has a low enough reading it will be shipped.

It’s great the country is coming together to help out, but the problem is that much of the debris does have radiation, even if it is a miniscule amount. In an unprecedented moronic move by the Japanese government, shipments of contaminated debris will be brought to Osaka to be burned! Now I’m not a radioactive expert, but I know for a fact that burning radioactive garbage will release other radiation into the air, unless proper air filtration is introduced. What is the government thinking?! Radiation should not be spread, even if it’s just a “little bit.” It should be concentrated at its source. No one really knows how much radiation is bad for you, however almost everyone knows that radiation is bad for you. The safest move is to keep radiation levels as low as possible.

Many Osaka residents are opposing the decision to burn debris from Iwate prefecture. I don’t blame them. So far the government has been pretty spotty on the facts of the whole Fukushima situation. At first it may have been in their best interest, but it has created public unease due to many people thinking they are not being told all the facts or simply being lied to.

Nuclear Protesters in Kyoto

It’s a sad situation. Tohoku can’t handle disposing all the debris alone, and the rest of Japan cannot be contaminated. If science and the government is accurate and forthcoming with concrete facts, which I personally believe they have not been, then I can see the logic behind shipping debris for disposal. But as it stands now, I personally am opposed to the idea to possibly contaminate a relatively contaminate free area with one of Japan’s highest population densities.

Billiken

What is Billiken? A god? A demon? Some statue found in obscure places around Osaka? Maybe he is all of these things.

I remember a couple years back someone told me that Billiken was a devil or demon of sorts. Just this past weekend I saw another Billiken statue in Osaka. I found it odd, why would there be little devil statues hidden throughout one of Japan's largest cities? So I decided to investigate.

Billiken in the Dormy Inn Lobby - Namba, Osaka

In 1912 Billiken came to Japan. He was brought to Luna Park in Shinsekai, Osaka. Shinsekai means "New World" in English and was an amusement park created in 1912 to model both New York City and Paris. My only experience there has told me that the place has seen better days. Credited as being the most dangerous area of Osaka, there is a large gambling problem and countless homeless and prostitutes littering the streets. Even though it is considered dangerous by Japanese standards, I would venture any trip during the day to be pretty safe as long as your not throwing your wallet around. Act like you would in any neighborhood in America, and I see it no more dangerous. Leave your wallet at the ramen shop and you may not get it back however.

A quick stroll around the streets and you will see Billiken around every corner. In front of restaurants, stores and pachinko parlors. So was Shinsekai once a city of sin that the devil soon forgot?

As it turns out, Billiken was born in St. Louis Missouri, U.S.A. in 1908. Billiken appeared in a dream of a woman named Florence Pretz, an art teacher and illustrator. Characterized by elf like ears, a small patch of hair on head, short legs and mischievous smile Billiken became known as a symbol of good luck. The only thing luckier than buying a doll of Billiken, was to have one given to you. Soon to become a wild fad of the early 1900s and a symbol of Americana in Japan for the amusement park in Shinsekai.

In Luna park a wooden statue of Billiken was enshrined as "The God of Things As They Ought To Be". Unfortunately, this slice of history went missing when the amusement park closed in 1923. However, you can see a replica in the Tsutenkaku tower in Shinsekai on the 5th floor, and countless images are near impossible to miss by just opening your eyes while walking down the decrepit steets of Shinsekai. Once and a while you may even see Billiken sitting somewhere far from his roots in other wards of Osaka or even in Kobe City. Billiken is a Symbol of Osaka as much as the Hachiko dog statue is of Tokyo.

If you find him, it may be wise to rub his feet and wish for luck. For he is "The God of Things As They Ought To Be."

Happy Halloween

It's Halloween in Japan and I celebrated with my friends in Kyoto. The theme for my costume was the Arabian Nights.

This is probably the only time I will have a harem.

I'm not quite sure who would be the more effective assassin.

It was a fun weekend. However, I didn't sleep Saturday night and ended up wandering the streets of Kyoto for a little longer than expected. Sunday I slept till 6PM!

Dinner

I received a gift of Omi Beef, special Wagyu beef from Shiga. It is similar to the more internationally known Kobe Beef. Decided to use some culinary art for a random Tuesday evening dinner.

Cooked with a squeeze of lime. Delicious!

Sweet Dreams of Summer

It seemed like a short lifetime ago that summer started, but now that it’s over it seemed all too quick. The days have ended where I can come into work late and take extended lunches away from my desk. Something I dearly miss. I’m surprised at how unproductive I’ve actually been, and find myself with a pile of work that I have to complete within the coming week with absolutely no drive to get it done. I guess that’s a good queue that this should be my last year. Maybe this will change when I am starting to work back in the classroom, I doubt it, but I really hope this lack of motivation isn’t permanent.

Although I’ve been present at my desk for the majority of the summer, my mind has been anywhere but. In a dimension far, far away! Dreaming of weekend parole when my mind can escape from paid imprisonment and my body can move in a free world.

Early summer was filled with Japanese summer traditions of festivals and fireworks, the most famous being Gion Matsuri in Kyoto. Gion is a famous festival in Japan with a long history. I won’t go into much detail about the festival since it is easily researchable, but in short, hundreds of people gather to watch traditional style floats in the streets. From within you can hear the sounds of traditional drums and shrill flutes. This was the second time I went to Gion Matsuri, and it was both fun and nostalgic. It was definitely different than my first time, but a moment marking being in Japan for another full year. A crazy time for reflection on how much things have changed and yet how much has remained unchanged.


Smokin' your tobacco and your meat!


No funny business allowed.

On August 6th I went to a fabulous fireworks display in Osaka along the Yodo River. We ended up with reserved seating which included a lunch and drink. It was very impressive and I thoroughly enjoyed my company, making it one of the most memorable firework festivals in Japan, if not the most memorable.


Common summer sight in Japan.

The only other firework festival I went to was in Otsu, Shiga’s capital. The display was huge! I mean, I’ve never seen so many fireworks in the sky at one time. Night began to look like day. The only thing more crammed together than the fireworks in the sky, were the people on the ground. Thankfully, my height insures me a good viewing angle no matter where I am.

On the topic of good viewing angles, I was also super lucky to see my favorite band, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, play at Summer Sonic in Osaka. For a price of nearly $170 I rocked out to the funky beats of the Chili Peppers and was introduced to some really good bands such as Panic at the Disco. It was expensive, but well worth it! I’m pretty sure I would have paid the price to just watch the Chili Peppers since I’ve been a fan for over 10 years and don’t know if I’ll ever have a chance to see them again.


An ocean of sound waves.

I also climbed Fuji for the second time, and still couldn't see the perfect sunrise. The view was still breathtaking though!

Sea of Clouds on a Beach of Volcanic Rock.

Gate to heaven.

The following week I took a week off of work for some travel and the highlight of my summer. I purchased a used Seishun 18 Ticket at a discount store and took 5 hours worth of trains to Okayama, definitely the cheapest way to go saving me a few thousand yen. After some ramen, Spanish tapas and a night’s sleep in a capsule I woke up early to get in a Doraemon blue car with a beautiful girl waiting for me. It was definitely a great start to a most fantastic vacation.

We drove for about an hour to Uno port listening to the Chili Pepper’s album “By the Way” and caught a ferry to Naoshima. Naoshima is dubbed the “art island,” and is filled with incredible architecture and modern art such as light sculpture and giant dotted pumpkins. It even has a few original Claude Monet paintings, for those who prefer more ‘classical’ pieces.

Polka-dotted Hallucinations

My favorite was an exhibit that is part of the Bennesse Art House Project. It is called “Backside of the Moon.” A light sculpture created by James Turrell. Basically you are lead into a completely dark room and guided to a bench by a staff member. When I say completely dark, I mean you are blind. Eyes open or closed, it doesn’t matter. You just sit there, and after a while you start seeing faint reddish light. After about 10 minutes a room faintly materializes in front of you, filled with dim light that your eyes have finally come to see. You then stand up and walk into this space. It almost feels as if you are walking into a picture frame, or following the light at the end of the tunnel after death. At the end is some kind of endless abyss through the wall, which you only dare to stretch part of your arm into. At this point the room is clearly visible, and you can even see the faces of awe surrounding you in a space that feels extraterrestrial. The amazing thing is, the light intensity is never changed. It is only the eyes that adapt to such a dark space filled with so much light, a strange metaphor of the world if I’d say so.

After a day of peering into a crazy imaginary world, we boarded the ferry with our car and headed to Shikoku. Shikoku is possibly one of Japan’s most undeveloped large islands, although I think Hokkaido still wins the competition even though Sapporo was a booming icy metropolis when I was there two years ago. We went to Kagawa prefecture and headed to a quiet hot spring town. Here I stayed in what was possibly the nicest hotel, at least in Japanese decorated fashion. I felt as if I was a guest in a castle during the Heian period of Japan. The dinner was a piece of Japanese culinary art and the onsen (hot spring) was bliss on top a roof.

The next morning was an equally impressive breakfast, minus the tiny little fish embryos which I wasn’t a huge fan of, followed by a hike up many stone steps to one of Shikoku’s most famous temples at Kompira-san. Many people make a pilgrimage to wish for the many things the temple promises to improve in one’s life, the most famous being happiness. What I learned is that the road to happiness is hot and sweaty and requires climbing a lot of steps, but is usually followed by a delicious shaved ice and a mango smoothie. Happiness indeed!

Hot, sticky and sweaty summers of Japan.


Finding enlightenment at the temple courtyard.

Besides onsens and happiness, Kagawa prefecture is known for udon. But not just any ordinary noodle mind you, but deliciously chewy Sanuki Udon. So good in fact, that we almost didn’t have a chance to eat it since most restaurants ran out of ingredients by 1:00PM! But it turned out that at one restaurant which said they were out for the day still had a little left, so we were in luck. We threw down our 400 yen and had thick and chewy goodness. A texture that is so perfect, that I can describe it in no other way but the texture of Sanuki Udon.

Our last destination for the day was some whirlpools in the neighboring prefecture of Tokushima. However, we would arrive too late to catch a good view. So instead we went on a short river cruise, climbed Japan's official shortest mountain and watched Awa Odori. Awa Odori, is a traditional style dance that Tokushima is famous for. Turns out I also got to try my own hand in this dance, and I wasn’t too bad at it. I won a prize for being one of the top dancers! However, I know I’m pretty bad when it comes to dancing. So most likely I won the prize because I was the only foreigner dancing.

Japan's shortest mountain. Mountain?


Awa Odori

That evening I said farewell to my traveling companion as she started on her long drive back to Okayama. After checking into a capsule hotel I ate an incredibly delicious bowl of ramen at shop called Todai Ramen which is famous in Tokushima.

The next morning I woke up early and headed to the train station. I asked for some information on how to get to the Naruto Whirlpools and it looked like the best way to get there was by bus. The next bus didn’t leave for about an hour and a half though, and I kind of regretted waking up so early. To try to find a happy equalizer between sleepiness and boredom I decided to enjoy some high grade Starbuck’s caffeine.

By the time my bus arrived at Naruto the tide already changed so I couldn’t see the whirlpools. I still purchased my 500 yen ticket for the glass bridge walkway and attempted to satisfy my curiosity. Unsatisfied I decided to kill about 6 hours at an art replica museum and return at the next tide.

The Otsuka Art Museum is a huge complex constructed by Otsuka Pharmaceutical, which also strangely produces ceramic tiles as well as famous sports drinks such as Pocari Sweat. The museum claims to contain 100% accurate and to scale replicas of world famous artistic works. It is quite impressive to walk into a copy of the Sistine Chapel or follow the artistic timeline from ancient Greek paintings to present day creations. I think I discovered that I enjoyed the Baroque period, and works by Rembrandt more than most works prior, since the paintings used a lot of dark colors such as black and somehow seemed a bit more sinister than the purity and perfection of the earlier Renascence. I also enjoyed the artwork of Norwegian artists from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. However, I actually didn’t have enough time to explore the museum after nearly six hours, and headed back to catch a glimpse of the whirlpools a little after 3:00PM.


Japanese Sistine

More people were gathered around the glass framed squares facing down at the ocean than when I first arrived earlier in the day. I definitely could see some small whirlpools form and then die out. It was interesting but did not satisfy my craving that movies such as Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas instilled in my imagination.


Beware of Kraken

It was a unforgettable trip, but it was finally time to go home. I was lucky to arrive at the bus ticket counter at 5:00 since one minute later and it would have been closed. I bought my ticket and headed back to Kobe, caught my train to Shiga and fell asleep in my own bed dreaming of further adventure.

Cicada Buzz

On July 21st summer vacation finally came to the school where I work. However, summer vacation for teachers in Japan really doesn’t mean anything except that there are no classes. It’s still business as usual, except a lot more boring without real work to do. I’ll never really understand why teachers have to come to school during summer ‘break’ and why students still have club activities. Do students ever actually have a vacation? Do teachers ever have a vacation? I guess this explains the overall lack of getting involved in activates of personal interest and the underwhelming response to “What’s your hobby?” being “Sleeping.” There is no personal time outside of club and work commitments for anyone to actually explore something they are interested in for personal reasons.

However, part of me enjoys summer vacation. Taking two hour lunches and coming in at 9:30 or 10:00 instead of 8:00. The four hours at work where I’m attempting to be busy is a lot easier than the normal eight.

On July 27th, I officially signed my contract to say at my current position for another year. It is also the date that I officially came to Hino two years ago.

My computer is broken so I’m waiting until my next post to upload some of my summer adventures so I can include photos.

Anonymous Friends

I like the city. Esspecially Japanese cities. Safe cities full of people. A collection of culture and ideas viewable in the eyes of the crowd.

Walking the streets in a day dream. Letting the unknown faces make their way into my thoughts. Dreaming about how it would be if we knew each other. Who are you? The dream escaping the reality.

Never alone, always anonymous. A chance.

Joyfull

If life in Japan has taught me one thing, it is the Joyfull is open 24/7. At any time if you so choose you can enjoy the company of strangers exchanging glances across the smoke filled room and drink an endless cup of coffee while downing fried delights.

Such as life, a life of joy is always available to you if you take the good with the bad and make the bad better. A 24 hour roller coaster with high and low points. All of which should be enjoyed both out of exhilaration of the ride and the moment you know you've survived. Just as the smoke filled room, the moment you leave you can feel joy for the clean air that has been discovered.

This too shall pass, so take notice before it is gone.

Yakushima: Day 3 - The Last Day

My last day in Yakushima wasn't a whole day. Most of it was spent repacking everything and checking out of the hostel.

The night before I went out to a izakaiya with about five people staying at the youth hostel. Besides the ancient trees and moss covered everything, the people I met on this trip will be just as memorable. The nights drinking shochu in the hostel and a few fantastic dinners made this one man trip anything but lonely.

Just to spite me Yakushima gave a sunny day after driving a motorbike through torrential rains. In order not to waste the day I rented a bicycle and headed out to a hot spring about 10 km away. So I slipped on my neon green plastic sandals, a temporary fix to my soaked shoes, which were five sizes too small and headed out.

The onsen was very tiny and to my surprise the only other guy in there was a foreigner who was also in Japan on the JET program. An even more interesting occurrence was that he knew the guy who I shared a hotel room with in Seattle before I departed for Japan two years ago. Apparently he is a Kumamoto JET and the guy I stayed with in Seattle, Jason, is going to be the Kumamoto Prefectual Adviser. It is a small world indeed.

After a soak I finished my last meal in Yakushima with black noodle ramen.

Yakushima: Day 2 - Riding Not Walking

A delayed story. Yakushima continues.

I didn’t have to start my day until 9:30, which was fine after a long day of hiking and a night of drinking. This is when I would rent my 50cc bike and ride it around the island for a day. It is also something I would highly recommend, more than a car, despite the rain since the air is sweet with the smell of Jasmine.

It was a rainy day, something I thought of as normal. I was a little surprised when the rental shop asked me if I was sure I wanted to go today. My response was natural in that it rains every day in Yakushima. I think I even received a discount. I should have taken this as a clue.



So I headed north on my bike going around the island counter clockwise. My first stop was a beach that in a few short months would be the nesting grounds for sea turtles. Since there wasn’t much there I just spend a few minutes admiring the rock formations carved from the ocean.

Onward I hit the NW coast, with narrow winding roads climbing up above but along the sea. Here is where a 50cc bike makes it worthwhile, since buses and large vehicles are not allowed on this road. Normal sized cars are fine, but there is something about smelling the sweet jungle air mixed with the ocean breeze as well as passing monkeys and deer not from behind a windshield.



I little ways up I stopped at a lighthouse.



I continued on, by this time my gortex pants were already failing. Slowly water began to seep in. By the time I reached the first waterfall, I was 80% soaked. After enjoying the waterfall I continued on. Passed a few hotsprings, including one that was in the ocean, and decided it was time to find refuge from the downpour that began. I found a small café & restaurant and went inside. I got a few stares since I was dripping water by this time, forming a small lake under my chair.

At the counter I enjoyed a few cups of free coffee and order a miso pork cutlet. I also started a conversation with the old man next to me. He was trying very hard to use English, and it turns out he used to live in Tokyo before retiring in Yakushima. I explained some of my history and purpose for coming to Yakushima and taught a few interesting facts about Montana. It wasn’t long after finishing my meal that he asked me if I wanted to go to an onsen.

Honestly, I wasn’t very keen since I was already soaked and really didn’t want to take off the clothes just to put them back on again. I also wasn’t keen about being naked with a strange old man. However, there I found myself in his car no less, heading to an onsen. It must have been his broken English telling me that travel is suppose to push someone beyond their boundaries. So I guess I leaped.

I entered the hot spring. And to call it hot is an understatement. It was near boiling. However, I decided to store up as much heat as possible before I had to put on my wet clothes. Apparently, I was too “rushed” though according to the old man. He couldn’t believe I was finished so quick. However, I agree. Both the situation and water temperature didn’t necessarily make it completely relaxing.

After being taken back to the restaurant where I parked my bike, I headed onward to another waterfall. This one had a sweeping view that made me feel as if I was some explorer in the Amazon. After a quick photo, I pushed forward. By this time the rain was falling hard. To ride over 50km/hr made the rain hitting my face feel like gravel. I took off my rain hood and tied it around my face, bandit style. This helped quite a bit, although there was a small space on my forehead that kept getting pelted.



I finally reached my last destination goal. By this time the rain had washed away my cheer. I almost decided to pass the hiking trail to the last waterfall, however I know opportunity only knocks once even if it’s when you aren’t ready. Not to mention, it would be the first time I would see a waterfall that fell into the ocean. So after a short hike and a semi obscured view of the waterfall, I mounted my bike and headed back to Miyanoura as fast as possible. After about 50 minutes at max speed I was back and returned my bike.

Soaked to the bone, I had to figure out a way to get dry shoes.

Yakushima: Day 1 – Shiratani Unsuikyo to Jomon-sugi

I wasn’t the only one up for the early bus and on the trail head at 6AM. Early on I met two girls, in their mid twenties, and we exchanged a few words. But I had a mission, so I hiked on up ahead. I had to try to complete a 12 hour hike in 11 hours in order to catch the last bus into town.

According to Yakushima locals, it rains 35 days a month. Although not the best hiking weather, it is the constant rain that makes the island so special. Everything is covered in moss and the enormous twisting trees send you away to a place I thought only existed in fairy tales. I was in a real rain forest. So fantastic that it seems enchanted.

Even with the nonstop rain, somehow there is more forest than rain. Life sprouted from everything, from old stumps, around rocks and even from other living trees!

I hiked through ravines, over winding roots, rock paths and under thick canopies. These were the forests that inspired artists in the Japanese anime, Princess Mononoke.

The first half of the trail had many people, but the farther into the forest I went the less people were seen until it was only me and the deer. Anywhere else in the world, I may have feared an ambush by some wild animal. However, Yakushima is special in that the wild population mainly consists of deer, monkeys and an unaggressive poisonous snake.

After about 4 hours walking through Shiratani Unsuikyo it merged with the main trail that starts from Arakawa, the more popular trail to the Jomon-sugi. From here, the biggest obstacle was people. The trail itself followed an old rail road, which made the surface flat. It was about as difficult as walking on a sidewalk, except when trying to pass large groups of Japanese tourists flooding to see the ancient trees for Golden Week.

Upon reaching the end of the railroad, I headed up back into the mountains. First passing Wilson Stump, a giant stump that rivals the size of my living room, and also having a special feature resembling a heart.

Onward, up wooden stairs and rocky trails for another hour or two, I don’t know the actual time since my phone was destroyed by the rain shortly after Wilson Stump, I reached Jomon-sugi—the 7000 year old cedar tree. Or so people think it may be that old. Scientist speculate it can be anywhere between 2000 and 7000 years old. However, it is old. The tree isn’t dead, but the first thing I noticed was that the leaves didn’t look like cedar. They were normal green leaves. Then I realized, those leaves were not cedar leaves from the tree. They were trees growing out of the main tree and in order to see the cedar you had to look up through the strange symbiotic relationship to the highest tree top.

It was an amazing sight; however I wouldn’t consider it more amazing than what I had seen on my hike thus far. But if it is truly is 7000 years old, it is more or less to satisfy the imagination than to admire its beauty. Asking a fellow hiker, I learned it was 11:00. I was making good time. I decided to take a 30 minute break and eat some chocolate and a rice ball.

By the time I began my return trek, I was soaked. My Gortex pants meant nothing and my shoes were so wet I soon forgot the dampness. I would have been dryer if I was naked in a swimming pool.

After hiking for about 2 hours, I ran across the two girls I met at the beginning of the hike. I asked the time and they took a picture with me. Again we parted ways, since I was now on the return route. I was hoping that I would see them on the bus home so we could swap stories.

At about 1:30PM I re-entered the Shiratani trail. My muscles were fatigued and my feet were aching. To my guess, at around 3:00 my muscles were almost stopping. Honestly, I never felt my legs so tired in my life. It was as if they would soon just collapse. Every 15 minutes or so, I had to take a break for a couple minutes, otherwise it would have just been impossible. To my surprise I reached the end of the trail head at 4:00, 10 hours. An hour before planned. I grabbed the 4:10 bus and sat in what felt like the most comfortable seat in the world. The 30 minute ride restored strength to my legs, although they were still fatigued, nothing a hot Japanese bath couldn’t help.

I never met the two girls from the trail. However that evening I met another of my roommates, his name slips my mind but we ended up drinking Yakushima shochu (potato alcohol) late into the evening with a few other Japanese hikers which would become a ritual for the next couple nights.

Yakushima: An Isle of Life and Rain

A night in a Kobe capsule hotel could not supply dreams to surpass the beauty of tomorrow’s destination. The early Skymark flight brought me back to my Japanese roots—Kyushu. Arriving at the Kagoshima airport, sharing a table with strangers at a crowded restaurant, and departing from the harbor on a Toppi Hydrofoil was only the beginning of an epic adventure.

After a few hours at sea, the high speed ship pulled into Miyanoura Port. With only minor planning, I was lucky to have see my youth hostel on the coast upon arrival. Recalling from memory I headed to Miyanoura Portside Hostel, where I was met by Miki. Here I was given vital information about the island which would form my plan the next day.

I originally thought of hiking from the Arakawa Trail Head to the Jomon-sugi, but Miki insisted that it would be possible to go from Shiratani Unsuikyo. He said it was a challenging hike and in order to do it in one day I would have to take the first bus departing at 5:30AM and be back by 5:10PM to catch the last bus back to Miyanoura. However, Shiratani Unsuikyo is considered to be hundreds of times more beautiful, and less crowded, than Arakawa Trail Head. Due to the Golden Week Holidays, more people were in Yakushima than usual, but buses also ran one hour earlier making the Shiratani hike possible.

With this plan decided, I checked into my dormitory room. Soon after I met one of my roommates, Daisuke. Also traveling alone we decided to head out for dinner together. Daisuke worked for a French auto parts company in Tokyo. Upon recommendation, we waited for about an hour at a famous restaurant that served Yakushima specialties.

I ate flying fish, including the flying part.



Daisuke was surprised that I was going to hike from Shiratani to Jomon-sugi. He said, it is normally a two day hike. That did not deter me, instead I made sure I packed my sleeping bag in my pack, just in case.

That night I headed to bed early to wake up at 4:30AM and catch the 5:30AM bus that would bring me to the Shiratani Unsuikyo Trail Head.

Monday Reflection

I realize I find myself in sometimes ridiculous or unbelievable situations. However, these situations are not the first time they are experienced. Actually, it's how they are usually experienced when they reoccur.

I now realize they are extraordinary because someone was there to tell me that it was after experiencing it.

The extraordinary is rare, however familiar. So for me, it is an ordinary thing to experience rare extraordinary occurrences. Sometimes awkward, sometimes difficult. However, always memorable. This is what I enjoy most about my life. However, to tell the stories is difficult because I think them ordinary.

Updates and Ramblings

It’s been a while since the last time I have made a post.

A lot has happened, and my head has been swimming with many thoughts. However, I have not got around to sharing many of them.

Every day that passes, the situation in Japan gets better. But progress is slow. There are still thousands of displaced people in Tohoku. But there are also thousands who want to help. The nuclear cores at the Fukushima reactor are still critical, but there are no new developments. News is either starting to die down, or I am reading it less.

Reminder on a Kyoto light post. "Not Alone! Tohoku! Japan! You'll never walk alone."

About a week after the March 11^th earthquake, my mom came to Japan. It was a hard decision for her, since she worried about Japan being in a state of post apocalyptic collapse. Thankfully, her coming has shown her that Japan is a much larger country than just a small speck that was radioactively washed away in a big wave. I took her all over Kansai, and hope that she has fond memories of a country that has played a great part in shaping who I am today, for better and worse.

My mom has many Japanese boy(?) friends.

At an old temple in Nara.

It’s already May! It’s seems like a few weeks ago was the New Year and I was in Thailand. On Saturday I went for a hike through a ravine filled with wild flowers.

My town's flower: Rhododenron

Nature's symmetry

As time passes I am both happy and sad that I will be in Japan until July 2012. Happy that I have a job, but frustrated at the isolation that living in Japan can bring. This is compounded by living in an isolated town. I’m noticing the passage of time moving more quickly, and realizing its effects on my physical body. It’s madding, knowing that every minute that passes is a minute lost in memory.

I’m unsure if I am getting stronger or breaking down when it comes to my social life. I’ve been pretty burnt out at trying to feel included in things, to actually feel wanted somewhere. The amount of money I have to spend to try to connect with people is enormous, resulting in a few recent lonely weekends and realizing that people rarely go out of their way for me. I try to inject myself into situations hoping to give myself the opportunity to meet someone awesome. However, most times even if I do meet someone, a true and lasting connection is never made. The friendship is fleeting and has no concrete value. This superficiality of things has worn on me, and the mask that everyone wears has confused everything down to my very mortal existence. I’ve considered that although I long for this connection there is the possibility that subconsciously I fear connecting with others.

Every time I feel I am moving forward, I am somehow beaten back. I’m starting to think this is how it is suppose to be. I’m becoming less depressed and more complacent; maybe I was destined to be solitary. Although I enjoy the comfort that the invisibility can give— it is empty. The battle against loneliness has been stressful with very few spoils of victory, and it may be less painful to just embrace the emptiness. After all, the better half of a cup is the empty half, if the substance is poison.

In hopes to clear the madness from my own mind, I leave tomorrow for Yakushima, a small island south of Kyushu. Alone in the primeval forest I hope to find something, hopefully some peace from my own negative thoughts and some enlightenment.