Ori, Hakone, the Fuj, and a Japanese Haircut

On Sunday morning I woke up early and took the shinkansen to meet Ori in Mishima, which is a little south of Tokyo. She’s been in Japan for about a week now, completing her last teaching practicum while living with her brother (who is also an English teacher). Anyway, we thought it would be cool to meet up in Japan and have a girls’ day, so we ventured off to see Fuji-san and the serene area that surrounds it—Hakone. Hakone is a very popular destination for relaxing and especially going to onsens (hot springs). It’s a peaceful little area nestled in the valley of a very mountainous area and picture-perfect views of Mount Fuji can be seen from nearly every angle. We both figured experiencing an onsen was a must before leaving Japan and let me tell you, it was a very interesting and somewhat strange ritual. I still haven’t wrapped my head around the whole tradition yet, and probably never will. It’s just another case of cultural contradiction that exists in Japan.

Ori and I also went to the POLA Museum of Art. The museum itself is an architectural wonder and is tucked away in the forest, which seems a little strange, but it was bustling with crowds. We figured they were probably there for the same reason we were—to see the Monet exhibit (Sunday was the last day). Ori and I were pretty blown away by the whole thing, especially because the seemingly ordinary art gallery had two floors of Monet originals including “Waterlillies” (1908)—perhaps his most well-known work. The permanent collection was equally impressive and included many works by Renoir, Degas, Gauguin, Picasso, and Dahli, to name a few.

In other news...I got my first Japanese haircut. Last week while I was tutoring my rich student over an elaborate Japanese-style dinner, I attempted to make conversation with his somewhat low-level English girlfriend and asked, “So...where do you get your hair cut?” Right after I asked the question, I heard a bunch of mumbling in Japanese and then my student said that his girlfriend wanted to take me to her hair salon the following week. Haha. I didn’t know what to think at first—disaster? opportunity? Anyway, I willingly accepted the invitation to be polite and adventurous. I guess there was nothing to be worried about after all because today, I received the best haircut of my entire life. The hair salon owner was so meticulous that it took him two hours from start to finish and he even curled my hair at the bottoms (which is a popular look in Japan right now). It was a little silent while he was snipping away because we couldn’t really communicate, but I enjoyed flipping through Japanese magazines and getting a better glimpse at female culture. From the newest dieting fads to the hottest “It” bags—I learned it all.

Anyway, one more week of work and then we’re off to Korea!

Hope all is well back home and see you sooner than ever!

xoxo

Jo & Scott

Hot. Not. Hilarious.

For your entertainment, or perhaps to cure your boredom, we collaborated to create a Hot, Not, and Hilarious list from some of our recent experiences in Japan. Enjoy!

Hot

1. Stare-offs on the train

2. Making nabe and eating it after...yum!

3. Getting free twelve course dinners from rich private students (and eating abalone, a shellfish delicacy that costs about $100 a plate!)

4. Festivals dedicated entirely to “otakus” (Japanese nerds or anime lovers)

5. Mama charis or charinkos

6. Ume blossoms and picnicking in the park

7. UniQlo and never-ending sales

8. Saying sayonara to not-so-nice students

Yes, these students may look really cute, but I assure you, they were my most challenging class. One student can, unfortunately, transform the whole dynamic of the class.
Believe it or not, the baby was my best student and actually listened the best even though she couldn’t even speak.

Not

1. Missing your train by a split second

2. How intolerable the Japanese are to precipitation. Even if it’s a light drizzle, they have their umbrellas up in a split second.

3. Being laughed at for biking in the rain even though you can handle it

4. Being called “kawaii”

5. Working until age 80. Yes, one of my students takes English lessons for fun and is still working at this crazy age. Why, why, why?!

6. Japanese mullets

7. Suffocating from the smoke in bars, restaurants, and pretty much every public place.

8. Holes in the ground that they call toilets.

Hilarious

1. Old Japanese ladies who bow to you and smile because you’re white

2. The look on my male students’ faces when I tell them my dad is an amazing cook. Haha...it’s PRICELESS!

3. Engrish (name for Japanese English) apparel

4. Parents who dress their eight-year-old child in a hoodie with a marijuana leaf on it and the phrase “Good Life Be High.”

5. Drunken salarymen

6. Drunken salarymen singing karaoke

7. Drunken salarymen singing karaoke and not knowing why you’re laughing at them because they’re too plastered.

8. The man purse

9. Married students telling you about their “secret friends” and trying to justify their actions.

10. Male students who rock out to Fergie’s song “Big Girls Don’t Cry” while keeping a straight face and just don’t see anything funny about it.

11. The Japanese name for a “hoodie” or hooded sweatshirt is “parker.” HAHAHA!

Today was a national holiday to celebrate the beginning of spring. Ironically, it was one of the rainiest and coldest days we’ve had in awhile and we were worried we wouldn’t be able to go to the otaku festival in Den-Den Town. The rain stopped just in time and we biked over to Nipponbashi area where we met Marcus and another friend to watch a hilarious parade. At this festival, many otakus dress up in costumes or dress as their favourite anime characters and everyone just embraces their inner nerd. It was pretty fun! Here are some pictures from today’s festivities! Check out the sign one of the maids is carrying...it's hilarious.

P.S. Yes, that is Cloud, Sephiroth and Reno from FFVII!

Ume Blossoms and Too Many Pictures

One look at the ume (EW-MAY) blossoms at Osaka Castle’s lavish gardens is a sure sign it’s spring. Ume blossoms, also known as plum blossoms, originally came from China and are usually the first flowers to open in Japan. They’ve been a traditional part of Japanese history for as long as anyone can remember.
After hearing about the ume experience from Laura and Colin, Scott and I finally decided to view the blossoms for ourselves. We biked to Osaka Castle’s grounds for an ume matsuri (plum blossom viewing “party”) had a picnic, and absorbed the beauty of everything that surrounded us. It’s funny, because for the short time that the blossoms are out, almost the whole Japanese population flocks to a shrine, temple, or public park for a “party” which means drinking an Asahi Super Dry, Chu-Hi, snapping far too many pictures, or simply admiring the beauty. Before we saw the blossoms, I really didn’t understand the hype about these “parties” that involved looking at blossoms for hours on end, but now I fully understand why—it truly is a remarkable sight and Scott and I spent several hours enjoying them.

The weather here has been about 16 degrees lately and hopefully it doesn’t get cold again. Weather in Japan usually has a pattern of three days cold/rainy/gross weather followed by four days of enjoyable weather. The start of the warm weather kind of caught us off guard too since it was about 3 degrees last week and suddenly seemed to warm up overnight. The cherry blossoms (sakura) will be out by early April so hopefully we’ll catch a glimpse of them in Kyoto before we leave to come home!

Osaka Castle is absolutely gorgeous. It reminded me of Himeji Castle (from the exterior) and although we didn’t take a castle tour, we were still able to admire it from afar. Apparently, it’s one of Japan’s most famous castles and was built in the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Unlike Himeji Castle, it was badly damaged in bombing raids during World War II and has been restored since then. While the outside of the castle appears as it would have when it was first constructed, the interior doesn’t resemble a traditional Japanese castle in any way. The castle grounds sprawl over one square kilometre of land—quite a large area for a country where space is at a prime. Although the castle is unarguably a beautiful sight, it’s also strange to see such a historic landmark right in the middle of one of the busiest parts of the city.

I’m off to Mount Fuji next Sunday with my friend, Ori, who is coming to visit her brother and do her teaching practicum. We haven’t really sorted out all the details yet, but we’re going to visit an area called Hakone, which is around the base of the mountain and is famous for its many onsens (hot springs). We’re only going for a day, but I’m sure I’ll have lots more to blog about next week (including pictures of Fuji and my experience of bathing in a public place)!

Work is going well for both of us, but we’re excited to be finished on March 31^st. We depart for Korea the very next day and we’re even more thrilled for our adventures ahead!

Well, see ya later!

Jo & Scott

My Natto Experience Turned Experiment

Yesterday night, Scott and I did our routine grocery shop at the Super Tamade supermarket. Although we've become very accustomed to grocery shopping in Japan, it is still a much crazier/trippy experience than in Canada. I should have made of video of the first time we walked into one. The combination weird food, no English, bright lights/colours and tacky displays, and crazy store clerks yelling "Suuuuuuuppppper Tamade, Suuuuuuuuuuper Tammmmmade" were all just a little too much to handle for fresh-off-the-plane gaijin. Located only a five minute bike ride away, the shop's neon lights and loudspeakers are sure to draw in any passer-by. While frantically running around the supermarket, I passed by a display of natto. For those of you who have never heard of natto (and you should be thankful you haven't), it's considered one of the most healthy foods in Japan, if not the world.

If I could compare natto's appearance to anything, it would be animal turds but it's actually fermented soybean paste and is not only gross to look at, but is also sticky and emits a strong cheese-like odour. It's unfortunate that I can't share the smell of natto over the internet because you really haven't experienced natto until you've smelled it! People often say natto is an acquired taste and many of my students warned me that foreigners steer clear of it. I figured, I’m leaving Japan in a month and I’m probably never going to have the opportunity to taste it again—even if it is gross, so I picked up a pack and dropped it into my basket. Natto is typically sold in boxes which contain two small polystyrene containers. Each individual container also includes a small packet of tsuyu sauce (similar to soy sauce) and karashi (strong, flavourful mustard) that you’re supposed to mix in with the beans. I bought one box for only 48 yen!

The natto was sitting in the fridge all day today. Every time I opened the fridge, I looked at it, picked it up, smelled it, then chickened out before placing it back in the fridge. Tonight for dinner, I finally opened it, almost puked from the putrid smell, took a bite, then put it back in the fridge. Then, I decided eating it plain was rather gutsy for a natto-newbie, so I cooked some rice and mixed it with that. It was just barely bearable, but I’m proud to say I did it! It may be healthy, but wow, there is nothing tasty or enjoyable about it (for now, at least). Maybe I’ll develop an odd liking for it just before I leave...

My motivation for eating natto is not only because I consider it one of those things that must be done before leaving, but also because there are numerous health benefits. It contains a compound called pyrazine, which can reduce the likelihood of blood clotting, heart attacks, and strokes. Natto is also extremely rich in Vitamin K, which has been shown to prevent osteoporosis and Vitamin PPQ, which promotes the development of healthy skin tissues. It also has a plethora of other benefits: it’s rich in protein, prevents obesity, ageing, and baldness, and even lowers cholesterol.

Although natto is still a part of the traditional Japanese diet, it doesn’t mean it’s consumed by everyone (especially the younger generations). Whenever I see people purchasing it at the grocery store, it’s never someone from my generation—it’s always a mother or grandmother. I guess that’s why Japan has one of the highest life expectancy rates. I guess it’s true what they say, “You are what you eat.” I’ve decided I’m going to eat one serving of natto for the remaining month here and see how it goes.

Wish me luck—I sure will need it!

xoxo
Jo

A Sumo Good Time

Hey everyone!

It’s been an eventful day here. Today marked the beginning of Osaka’s annual Grand Sumo Tournament, which is held at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Namba and we were there to watch it! Our friends Tatsu and Yuka (eight months pregnant!), who helped us with the very hard task of getting tickets, came with us.
We were surprised at how many people were roaming around the streets of Namba as we approached on our charinkos (bicycles). The tournament will continue for fifteen days and is apparently one of the annual must-see events in Osaka—I guess the most appropriate comparison would be the Stanley Cup Playoffs in North America. When we entered the gymnasium, a cute little lady escorted us to our seats and even gave us a little pamphlet (in English) explaining the sumo tradition, rules, and all that good stuff. Scott and I were immediately surprised at the low spectator turnout around the gymnasium and asked Tatsu why there were so many empty seats. He explained that there has been some questionable news circulating about some famous sumo wrestlers, including a death that was inflicted during training. He also said that’s sumo wrestling just isn’t as popular as it used to be. It’s been around 1,500 years or so—it’s impressive that it’s still a celebrated tradition in Japan today.

The four of us had a fantastic time and it was great because Tatsu and Yuka could actually explain the rules of sumo in a language we could understand (the pamphlet did a pretty good job too). Sumo’s origins are actually religious and some of the first sumo matches were a form of ritual that involved praying to gods for bountiful harvests. As for the rules of sumo—they’re pretty straightforward. The sumo ring is called the dohyo and the two opponents (referred to as “rikishi”) wrestle with two objectives: 1. Thrusting the other rikishi out of the ring or 2. Pushing him on the ground. We had a good view of the dohyo from our seats and witnessed some pretty intense matches (see videos)! I was totally unaware of this before our sumo experience, but there are actually five different sumo rankings (“banzuke”). In professional sumo, the lowly trainees are called the “maegashira” and the highest class of wrestlers are in the “yokozuna” rank. The yokozuna always wrestle at the end of the day because they’re the most exciting to watch (we watched this part of the tournament and the tail end of the rank before the yokozuna). Each rikishi only wrestles once per day for fifteen days. After the outcome of each tournament is determined, wrestlers are either promoted or demoted to another rank. They rarely stay in the same rank (except for the yokozuna).

Sumo is a sport that’s deeply rooted in ritual and religion and is very formal, especially concerning etiquette and ceremonial aspects. Most of the tournament consists of ceremonies, while the actual matches are fairly short—one minute at most. At the end of the day, there is always a dance (“yumotori-shiki”) where the winner climbs on the dohyo and performs a twirling routine with a very long bow. Many Japanese consider this rite brilliant, but Scott and I agreed that we could probably do the same thing but twice as fast. Haha.

The “shikiri” is probably one of the most exciting parts of the match, especially for the yokozuna. This portion actually occurs before the match and is more like a staring contest and helps get the crowd all riled up. Unlike the lower ranks, the yokozuna have about three minutes to perform shikiri before the “gyoji” or referee, signals the beginning of the match. The gyoji is probably one of the most important figures at a sumo match and is always dressed in a traditional and colourful kimono which is similar to the style worn by samurai of the Kamakura Period about 800 years ago. The gyoji enters the dohyo before each match and calls out the name of each rikishi in a very high-pitched voice and then proceeds to signal the start of the bout with his fan. He is not only responsible for watching the wrestlers, but also shouting words of encouragement. Talk about multi-tasking!

We recorded several matches on our camera and have posted some so we can share our sumo experience with everyone back home. Some are absolutely hilarious—in one match, a rikishi was thrusted outside the dohyo and pretty much landed on top of an old woman! Unfortunately, we didn’t get that one on tape. Oh well!

After the sumo tournament, Scott, Tatsu, Yuka, and I went to a nice little Italian restaurant in Namba before heading home. It was so cute because Yuka and Tatsu gave me a present for Doll’s Festival (Hina-Matsuri). This festival is celebrated every year on March 3 and it is traditional for all Japanese girls and women to display dolls decked out in ornate kimonos and wish for such things as health, growth, marriage, and well-being. So Yuka and Tatsu thought it would be appropriate to give me my own set of dolls that I can display when I get back to Canada. They’re so kawaii!

Speaking of what’s kawaii these days...my students at the crazy kindergarten are! Last Friday, I was informed that it was going to be my last day teaching them, so luckily, I was able to snap some photos to remember their cute little faces! I’m going to miss them so much.

Two of my adult ECC students also took me out for sushi after work on Saturday and we all had a really great time together. The owner of the restaurant liked us so much that we even got some free sashimi (raw fish with no rice)! These are the times I’m going to miss the most.

As things are winding down in Japan, I’ve had some time to reflect on our time here—some things I’ll miss and some I won’t so much. Regardless, everything’s been an experience—one that has caused me to grow, mature, and discover things I never knew were possible. I’ll stop typing before I get all teary-eyed and blotchy-faced. We still have a month left—a jam-packed month at that—full of travelling, farewells in Japan, and new beginnings in Canada.

Ja mata ne!

Jo & Scott

xoxo

Homeward Bound and a Little Taste of Canada

Hello from Osaka!

Wow, it’s been awhile!

We’ve been enjoying the past few weeks here (mostly relaxing), but also counting down to the day when we’re finished work and can come home! Don't get me wrong, we've had an absolute blast in Japan, but really miss Canada lately. We officially booked our flight to Toronto a few days ago and will arrive on April 14—less than two months! We were considering the idea of visiting California for a few days, but apparently people can’t book extended stopovers here—weird—so we opted for something better! While I’m on the topic of trips, we booked our final two adventures for early April. We’ll be visiting South Korea from April 1-5 and then coming back to Osaka for the weekend before departing for Guam (from April 7-12). We’re also hoping to visit Mount Fuji in late March. One of our friends, Ori, is coming to visit Japan to do her teaching practicum (and her brother also lives here and teaches English). Anyway, we’re all planning on visiting the famous cultural landmark before we leave. After all, what’s a trip to Japan without seeing Fuji-san!?

Last weekend, Scott and I took it easy and just relaxed around Osaka. We ventured off to Koshien, an area of the city that’s home to the Hanshin Tigers and got to see the outside of the stadium where they play. They’re actually in the middle of renovating it (trust me...it needs it!). We also decided to go shopping at a new mall in the area, but were less than impressed and left empty-handed.

I’ve been working ten-hour days lately and have really come to enjoy the perks of private tutoring (especially when the students are loaded). The one student, Taka, who I wrote about in a previous entry, decided his girlfriend (who is 18 years younger than him) also needs an English teacher. Our lessons involve going to eat at lavish restaurants around the city for ten or more course meals and sampling such things as foie gras, Peking duck, and other delicacies only the rich and “famous” can afford. His girlfriend is really sweet and although she hardly speaks English, I really enjoy teaching them together. I’m really going to miss my private students.

Yesterday, Scott and I celebrated our third anniversary and had a wonderful time painting the town red with friends after a long day of work. It was great to have a few drinks and catch up with people we haven’t seen in awhile. We also discovered a great cafe/bar, “Slices,” owned by two Canadians and its specialty was poutine and custom pizza slices. Let’s just say the real taste of Canada was well worth the hefty price!

Next weekend, we’re going to a sumo wrestling match with Tatsu and his wife and we have seats right around the dohyo (ring) which literally translates to “clay and rice bales” and describes what it’s made of. We’re both pretty stoked and are happy we’ll get to witness such a once-in-a-lifetime event before we leave.

Hope all is well in Canada. Is the weather warming up at all?!

Talk to you later!

Jo & Scott

xoxo

P.S. Happy Birthday, Grandma! I miss you and will see you soon!