Yozakura: Night Cherry Blossoms

 Harue is one of my fonts of Japanese knowledge. I always learn something fascinating when we get together. And just last week, Harue and I went to Tenshochi Park before our joshikai with Chisa. It was our last one in Kitakami because Chisa has recently moved to Morioka City for her new job! She's been making trips between Morioka and Kitakami for our Ladies' Nights but her move means we'll start meeting in Morioka in the future.

While Harue and I waited for Chisa to arrive, we drove to Tenshochi to kill some time. It was early evening and the sun was beginning to go down. The paper lanterns and tree lights were on and glowing softly in the fading orange light. Even at this time of day, it's popular to walk Tenshochi's tree-lined lane and admire the blossoms in, shall we say, "a new light."

The Japanese even have a word for this very occasion: yozakura. "Yo" is written with the character for evening, and "zakura" refers to the sakura blossoms (it's  placement in the word changes the "s" to a "z"). It literally means "evening sakura." And it's beautiful!

 

 

 

 

Sports Day: Blood, Sweat and Tears in Japan

Team Houou: Phoenix

Picture high medieval times: knights bearing their liege banners and colors charging onto the field with a battle cry on their lips and dreams of glory in their hearts. Parties compete in battles of skill, speed and precision. In the end, honor and pomp go to the victor.

Now, remove the chain mail, the lances, the glossy horses and instead give the knights blue polyester track suits, relay batons and scuffed sneakers.

And you're looking at Sports Day.

Team Ookami: Wolf

Sports Day is an old annual tradition in Japan, proposed by Admiral Archibald Douglas of the British Royal Navy and later created in 1874. And there certainly is a militaristic atmosphere to a few of the elements. The opening ceremony begins with an announcement of the year's theme as students march around the athletic field with the school, city and national flags. At the blast of a whistle, the marching students turn their heads and sharply salute the teachers and honorees under the judge's tents.

Yes, Sports Day is a judged affair.

Judges include teachers, the principal and vice principal, PTA members, Board of Education members and city officials...and sometimes the visiting ALT.

So what is there to see? Well, every school does a few of the same traditional games. Races are the predominant event and they run the gamut...excuse the pun. Relay races, long distance and variations therein. Many schools also have the tug of war, large group jump rope, and my personal favorite; kibasen, cavalry battle. Three boys carry a fourth as the carried boy tries to grab a hat or bandanna off a member of the opposing team.

Let's get going with some Radio Exercising!

Schools customize the traditional games and also add a little flair of their own, too. One of my last schools' variation on kibasen involves the carried boy wearing a helmet and arm bands with balloons. The boys brandish bundles of twigs and pop the other teams' balloons! It's gloriously violent!

Of course, if it was all about the kids, why would the parents and PTA stick around for the whole day? As I sat under the teacher's tent sipping hot tea a student brought over, I thought of all the concerts and talent shows I'd been in as a kid. I'd invite my dad, but his question was almost always "Will you be in the early or later part?" My dad loves me, and of course he's always supported me, but I understand the tedium of a concert when all you want to see is your kid doing their best. It's not selfish to think the sun and the moon of your child. One way the schools entice parents is by coordinating special parts of the program where their involvement might be required. At ゆ中学校, the PTA designed the "Chance Relay" where students raced to pull handwritten tasks from a box and would race to complete the assignment. At a few points, the kids were required to find a teacher or a sibling, a "beautiful" mother or "genki" grandfather and race them across the finish line. Willing participants danced on the sidelines, screaming "Here! Here! Me! Me!"

Even the PTA gets involved!

Actual parents at せい中 got out on the field and played a game where they tossed beanbags into a net on top of a pole before the timer went off.

Even the teachers get involved in one race at せい! In a relay of teachers v. students, I was asked to participate. Teachers wore green polos and ran short distances in competition with the kids. I'm proud to say I didn't trip and fall and secretly suspicious that we let the kids win. Hey, I'm in full support of that. It was their day, after all.

Cheers and dances are also an important part of any Sports Day. Oendan, or cheering groups, are usually all boys, but for events like Sports Days, everyone's voice counts! The sound that comes from these kids, however small or willowy they might be, may as well be the blood-curdling battle cries of the fiercest Celts, Picts or Mongols. Students work for weeks to choreograph and perfectly execute their cheers and dances, often performed to taiko and pop music complete with pom poms and pyramids made of boys.

Students demonstrating kagura dancing

It's also not uncommon to see more traditional dancing. In Iwate, kagura is an old and beautiful style of "god entertainment." At one school, mothers actually design and sew traditional costumes for their children so each student is another snowflake (or as it's spring, cherry blossom): alike in theme and execution but subtly unique.

And really, that's the best way for me to explain the spirit of Sports Day, from my perspective. In Japan, a common mindset is to "hammer down the nail that sticks out." But every once in a while, some excellence is allowed to "stick out." Such parts of the culture include exceptional celebrities, festivals and annual events, especially the beautiful cherry blossom season. Across Japan, the trees come to life after many drab months and the Japanese people go crazy exalting the beautiful flowers. A single tree or a lane of them make a stunning sight, but every blossom makes it a more complete picture. They bud, bloom and fall together in beautiful unison, even the chaotic elegance of the petals falling has a sort of methodic madness to it. And still each flower is singularly lovely.

Spring Sprung!

First Week, Sports Day and Bike Safety

My first week back to classes is behind me and I've nestled into my sofa nook with a glass of wine and some milk flavored sanbei. Let's do this.

Here's the deal: I'm no longer teaching in Kitakami. Their board of education can't afford a private contract anymore so they bade me a fond farewell. Now, it's all about Hanamaki. Last week, I met with a supervisor from the Morioka branch office and we did the rounds. This means we first went to the Hanamaki Board of Education in Ishidoriya City and said hello. My supervisor--a very cheerful and polite man with a permanent smile on his face and a sharp waist-low bow at the ready--introduced everyone and explained the terms of my contract. After that, it was off to the schools. They are as follows:

Doing an encore are な中学校　and　や中学校, "Na" and "Ya" for those still getting the hang of Hiragana. There's been moderate turn-over of teachers at both schools (whether you've been there for one year or five, you're expected to pick up and go wherever the BOE sends you...principals and vice principals even more frequently!) So I went back to see who was new and who would be my superior. In both cases, that much hasn't changed. At な, it's still Ms. Forest, who vaguely reminds me of the actress who played Mother in "Memoirs of a Geisha." (The book will always be better, but I'll just fan-girl for a second and say "The artistry! The Watanabe! Squeee!") She's smart, strict and still motherly. We have a great rapport.

At や, same again. But this time, I'm determined to see things run a little more smoothly. We have that rocky first year behind us, he knows how I like to work, that I prefer to wait until the students are ready to get me for lunch rather than barge into the class, and that as long as I get a schedule before 11pm, I'm easy-going and glad to do whatever I'm asked. Just earlier today, my first day back at my desk, he said he was glad to see me and I look "well." We'll take that as a good start.

The same groundskeeper who always makes sure I have a fresh coffee and loaded me up on gourd, tomatoes and eggplant last year is also still there. Fingers crossed!

Then we went off to the new schools. From entirely superficial impressions, they are like black sesames and white.

せい is brand freaking new, maybe just a year old. The school still has the crisp, clean white walls and that new shoe locker smell. Everything has a patina of newness to it from the trophy case in the front hall to the guest shoes on the rack by the door: not a single scuff. And it's a big building, too! The teacher's room and main hallway are bright and airy with plenty of windows to let in the sunlight. The head English teacher was a kind woman with very good English who asked that I simply prepare a short introduction and worksheet with "difficult words and long sentences." Looks like these kids are up to the challenge!

ゆ is much smaller and much farther off the beaten path...which suits the area. The character for "yu" in this case indicates it's proximity to plenty of onsen. I know what I'll be doing on my Fridays after school! To give you a sense of how small the school is, each grade has only one kumi or class. Roughly, that's about 100 kids in the school. I didn't get a chance to see much of the building, but the vice principal assured me that they look at themselves (kids included) like "one happy family." This too bodes well. They even invited me to their Sports Day on the 26th and asked specifically that I wear "appropriate clothes." Words cannot tell how excited I am to maybe participate...and not wear a suit jacket!

So my first week back has consisted of visiting only な and や so far. And because the second and third graders already know me, there wasn't the official welcoming ceremony and pomp from last year. Instead, I launched right into it alongside the teachers. Still, I keep my "Bag-O-Merica" tucked under my desk in case a lesson calls for big laminated pictures of Americana or some silk flowers.

My first day back at な, I had the opportunity to watch a new kind of ceremony, specifically created by the teachers at the school and certain traffic safety police. Ms. Forest explained that I was going to see a "Daruma Giving Ceremony." The tradition goes like this: Every year, the students and some traffic officers gather in the school at the beginning of the year. On the stage, the officers sit in a row behind a desk with two daruma on it. One daruma has one black eye, the other stares blindly. The students listen to a lecture about bike safety and are encouraged by the police to watch signals, wear a helmet and always use the utmost caution or face penalties: First, a warning, then one week without using the bike and finally, no bike for the rest of the year. If the students can obey the laws for a year without any serious accidents, at the next ceremony, they will paint in the second eye of the previous year's daruma to show the achievement.

Ms. Forest told me that they were close to not reaching their goal last year. A boy recklessly ran into a man on the crosswalk and hurt the man's ankle. It just so happens the man was the husband of the woman who brings the school lunch every day. She convinced her husband to give the boy a good scolding and forget it. Greasing the wheels happens everywhere...even in Japan!

At the end of the speech, a girl from the student government walked onstage, picked up a brush and dipped it in ink, then painted in the second eye on the first daruma. The previous year was a success! Clap clap clap! Then, an officer painted the first eye of the new daruma. Clap clap clap. And so the ceremony ended.

Of course, the very next day during the teacher's meeting, one teacher explained that already a boy had been caught not wearing his helmet for the second time! He'll hoof it to school for a few days and hopefully learn his lesson with every footstep or be banned from bike use all year. Shape up, kid!

So my first week is concluded. I think I'll celebrate with some hanami this weekend. Tenshochi should be looking nice right about now...

Also, I'm famous! This was in the Hanamaki City newsletter

Hanami-mi

It's that time again! The cherry blossoms are back and have been sweeping up the country for the past few weeks. The Japanese government even has a department that predicts and tracks the progress of the blooms for the year. As each region's sakura explode to life, crowds flock to each prefecture and each town and each park to participate in one of the most ancient and sacred of Japanese traditions: hanami.

For about three months, Japan enjoys watching the blossoms bud, bloom, peak and are swept from their branches. The procession ascends Japan's complexion like a sake-induced flush. How appropriate, yes?

This weekend, I went south to Sendai to watch some hanami goers...what I like to call, "hanami-mi."

 At the station, there was a large coral set up where people could buy beautiful bento! Urchin, tuna, ikura, egg, and so many other delicacies were for sale. Of course, this is Sendai, so you could also buy lunch sets with the signature staple of Sendai: beef!

Nishi Park is one of the most popular places in Sendai for hanami. I got the feeling it's mostly popular with families with younger children. There was a playground down the hill and the park is near a couple schools. Giant blue tarps were laid out for office workers out for their lunch break. Small tables were set close to the food stands for those who wandered into the park for a quick snack. And families spread their colorful tarps to feed their children home-made onigiri and freshly purchased takoyaki or yakisoba.

 I met a lot of very friendly people in Sendai. And believe it or not, most of them spoke fairly good English. Our conversations involved the same points of interest: Where are you from? Why are you in Sendai? How long have you been in Japan? Are you here by yourself? One man asked if he could take my picture under a sakura tree. He just moved to Sendai from Tokyo and was experiencing a whole new hanami. I ran into another couple on the hike up the earthquake-damaged road to the Sendai Castle ruins. They each took a couple pictures with me and implored me to enjoy the flowers. On my way down the same road, a traffic cop suddenly asked me, "How are you?" in strong English! Same questions, "Have a nice day," and "Take care." Color me impressed!

If Nishi Park is for young families, then Tsutsujigaoka Park is for party animals. There is still a playground for kids nearby, but a larger park means a wider sampling of your typical hanami goers. Young families and small and large groups of high schoolers. But also, you see skateboarders, office workers and college students...all in various stages of sobriety! One corner of the park was literally crawling with drunken flower viewers. You could actually smell the beer in the air! But everyone was having a good time, so it's all good.

So that was Sendai hanami. Up next, Kitakami and Tenshochi Park! Already, the food stands are set up at the park and paper lanterns are hanging from the trees. But it's going to be a couple more weeks before the peak season. It'll still be a lot earlier than last year's peak! 

In the meantime, I'll endure the wait by getting back into teaching!

Adventure Day in Akita

What has a new camera, two thumbs and a lust for adventure? This girl! One of the best things about flying solo in a foreign country is you have the freedom to pursue your own interests without much regard for last-minute timing or fretting about dragging a less than enthused companion. You can let that Frontier Spirit fly high like your own personal sigil.


One of my New Year resolutions was to be a little more selfish, to take some time to abandon group-thinking and not worry about my obligations to the society. Instead, I'm trying to take care of myself first and part of that includes solo-ventures! Tuesday night, I was tingling with the need to get out of Kitakami and thought about where I'd like to go. It occurred to me that I was recently on the East coast at Goishi, and I realized that even though I've been here for an entire year, I hadn't made it to the Sea of Japan!

Naturally, this had to be rectified.

After a little researching I decided to head-west-young-woman and check out Yurihonjo and Nikaho. Never heard of them? I hadn't either. This was all shot in the dark, "I wonder what's in that city?" planning. I made note of a few promising sites, marked them on my phone's maps and hit the sack.

Kanman-ji Jizou

Under the roof of the giant bell at 1000 Jizo shrine

8 am, I was out the door and on my way. First stop, Yurihonjo and the 1,000 Jizo. Off the highway, tucked high in the foothills, about 1,012 small stone figures flank a small path in tiers on the western side of the hill. Jizou, or Ojizou-sama, is a form of the Buddha that traditionally protects the spirits of deceased children. It's one of the most commonly spotted divinities in Japan. You might see them in large temples or on the side of a country road, but in most cases, they'll be wearing a red cap and big and might have flowers or small children's toys at their feet.

It's a little sad to see so many Jizou in one place, but they're also comforting. They're protectors, after all. And each one has a small small on it's stony, slightly different face.

To see each statue, you have to start at one end of the path and work your way up and around, winding back and forth across the face of the hill, at times climbing stairs so steep, you might as well be climbing a ladder! Still, it's worth every next-day calf cramp.

After the 1,000 Jizou, the next stop was the Koufuen Sumo Ring in the city. Located on a hill in the city park, the ring is actually available for 200 yen an hour for public sumo practice! It's great for those who will participate in the Akita Prefecture Sumo Competition.The ring has been in use since 1907! Unfortunately, nobody was practicing on Wednesday, but you can feel the history if you stand on the blue tarp under the heavy wooden awning.

Next stop, Nikaho and the Kanman-ji Temple. Driving along the coast, I left the window open to feel the warm spring sun and smell the salty fishing ports just beyond the sloping tiled roofs. Hard to imagine half of those houses might not even have the land to stand on if nearby Mt. Chokai hadn't blown it's top 2500 years ago. The boulders blown into the ocean changed the nature of the coastline so drastically, that some "hills" in the area are actually former minor islands! It also explains why there's so much inland sandy soil, perfect for the local lettuce farms!

 At Kanman-ji, I wandered the temple grounds, taking pictures of the beautiful statues and temple carvings. I noticed an elderly man and woman chatting by the souvenir stand, but mostly kept to myself. My main reason for visiting Kanman-ji was to see a little more of the life of the great poet Bashou. He had heavy influence in Tohoku, so I want to learn a little more about the man and get a little insight.

So I took a few pictures of the temple and was heading back to my car when I heard a bicycle approaching from behind: it was the man! Using simple Japanese (how nice of him!) he said he saw my camera and asked if I enjoyed taking pictures. He then showed me some large photographs he carried in a file folder. They were all seasonal aerial shots his friend took of the rice fields behind the temple, formerly seabed. He even gave me one from the spring! We chatted about my teaching in Kitakami and his friends' photography, then bade each other "sayounara."

My last goal for the day was to get away from civilization and see Naso no Shirataki, one of the 100 Most Beautiful Waterfalls  in Japan, tucked away in the hills east of the coast of Kisakata. Driving up and down the hills, the docile Mt. Chokai looms like the dorsal fin of some albino leviathan, appearing and disappearing, glowing in the late afternoon sunlight.
 

All in all, it was a long and interesting day. Spring Break is drawing to close (I'll be back in the schools in two weeks) and I have enjoyed my onsen, sleeping, hiking and mini-ventures more than I would have enjoyed a week long, booze-soaked, high-speed Florida Spring Break that most college students lust after. To each her own.