"Awaiting Gateway"

I'm a sucker for shrines in Japan.  I want to see (and photograph!) all the
sweeping roof tops of traditional buildings with their orange-red wooden
frames and stone guardians.  When I asked people "what can I see in
Ajimu?" they responded with blank stares and then urgings for me to travel to
other places to see anything special...Usa, Kyoto, Hokkaido.

When I look out over the narrow balcony on the back of my apartment, I see
extensive green rice fields and distant green mountains.  Morning mist often
hide the mountain tops and on windy, clear days you can see all the way to
Mt. Yufuin.  Surly there must be something to see out there.

One day after work I put on my tennis shoes and went for a run towards those
mountains.  I wasn't really concerned with the exercise as much as the chance
to explore in an efficient manner.  I had only run about one kilometer
along the rice fields when I came upon a stone torii at the foot of a large
hill.  A torii is a Shinto shrine gateway and marks an entrance into a
spiritual realm.  I was happily surprised to find one because whatever lied
beyond the gate was surly sacred.  About 50 stone stairs ascended upward from
the torii and disappeared into the trees.  I took a deep breath and began to
climb the stairs, noticing the worn stone as a sign of the shrine's old age.

At the top there was a small bridge and then even more stairs leading to a
second, smaller torii.  This gateway was guarded by to two stone lions.
Well, they could have been dragon-dogs, but I don't think dragon-dogs exist
in Shinto (or do they?).  The point is, there were two of them at the
entrance to the actual structures of the inner shrine.  I politely bowed to
the guardians and passed into an orange-red courtyard consisting of several
small buildings surrounded by stone columns.  There was no one else around
and the shrine say silently in the hot afternoon sun.  I was so amazed to
have found this place...here in little Ajimu.

I walked around for a while just staring at the sweeping roof tops and
orange-red wooden frames.  I wondered why in all the times I asked about what
to see in Ajimu no one had ever mentioned this place.  Did they remember the
shrine was here?  Was I the first to see it in the last 100 years?  Would the
shrine still be here when I left?

Eventually I had to leave because the heat was draining me and I needed to get
home for water and shelter.  On my way down the stone stairs I stopped for a
moment to look over the rice fields and the town beyond.  I could see most of
Ajimu from the height of the stairs and it wasn't until that moment that I
really acknowledged the beauty of my town.  Somehow noticing that natural
beauty made the distance to me American home not seem as vast.

Just before I took a step to pass out through the torii, a shiny gleam caught
my eye from the ground.  A single copper 10 Yen coin was reflecting the sun
and sat just inside the shrine grounds.  I picked up the coin and took it as
a gift from the divine...a reminder of how sacred places are out there
waiting to be found.  Japan was slowly revealing herself to me...and in
response I was slowly feeling more at home.

I Fell Off My Bike

Seriously, I really did fall off my bike.  The incident marked what I'm
referring to as my "low point" in Ajimu.  The accident occured a week ago
Sunday after my first weekend in my tiny Japanese town when I was tired and
feeling a bit frustrated with my lack of phone, email, and transportation.

I had gone down to the "large" grocery store in town called "SELF ONO - Value
Price" to get dinner.  Why the store's name is in English I have no idea
because nothing inside the store has a bit of English on it.  Grocery
shopping is currently my second favorite activity in Japan (my first being
eating the groceries later) because of all the new and strange items on the
shelves and in the bins.  Some things I recognize: tofu, fish, apples (for
$2.50/each!)...other things are totally new (yakitori, hiyamugi,
wakame)...and still other items appear to be something I know, but end up
tasting quite different (normal bread?  no, that's sweet bean paste inside;
just a cookie?  no, it tastes like salt and garlic; refreshing water?  of
course not, that's carbonated with lots of sugar).

Despite all this confusion, I still manage to pick up both familiar and new
items to create a wonderful meal.

On this particular grocery outing I was feeling rather "genki" (happy,
energetic) however I was soon to discover that I did not have the money to
pay for my cart full of groceries.

Here's the scene: get to check out counter, smile, "konnichiwa", watch as
items are scanned, reach for wallet, realize wallet is not there, panic, try
to remain calm, try to explain situation, try again, try a third time using
lots of big gestures, run out of store, race home on bike (in the rain), race
back at top speed, wipe out 10 meters from the store's entrance, bleed, get
up, run inside, pay for groceries while being covered in sweat, blood, rain,
and dirt, leave feeling defeated.

Now this story does have a happy ending because life has only improved since
that day.  Ajium is a beautiful place surrounded by natural splendor and
slowly I'm getting use to life here.  In time I know I will discover all the
adventures that are waiting for me right outside my little sliding door.

Nihongo ga wakarimasen

 It`s 4:00 in the afternoon and I`m standing on new green tatami mats on the
second floor of my Japanese apartment (yes, 2 levels!).  My senses are so
overwhelmed by the countless new stimuli that all I feel is the intense heat
and humidity.  Strange bugs make strange noises outside my sliding windows
and I realize I need to eat...and shower.

 Earlier that day I was dressed in my best coat and tie and bowing to my new
supervisor.  Unfortunately two minutes after that I was lugging
my 70 lbs. suitcase through the burning hot streets of Oita-shi (Oita City,
the capital of my prefecture) to her car so we could make the 1 hour, 10
minute trek to the little town of Ajimu, my final destination in Japan.
First impressions are important in Japan, so I was glad to be sweating all
over my dress clothes as we walked those 2 km to the parking deck.

 Once in the car, we headed off through the mountains (beautiful!) and made
moderately good conversation about food, Japanese culture, and tengu (Shinto
mountain spirits).  My supervisor speaks pretty good English...I speak
horrific Japanese.  Our car went up hills, around narrow cliffs, through long
tunnels, and finally, BOOM, AJIMU, my new home!

 First stop, the school to meet the principle and staff (at this
point I should point out that I`ve had very little rest in the 5 days I`ve
been in country).  My meeting with the principle went like any routine
meeting with a Japanese principle.  We bowed, he gave me his card, we chatted
a bit (with my supervisor translating), we had some green tea and a strange snack
wrapped in plastic that we didn`t actually open, he told me to do my best, I
bowed, and left.

 Outside his office I was given a rusty bike that is approximately 57 years old
(but has a bell and basket!) and I was taken to my apartment just up the
street.  I got help deciphering the AC remote, the washing machine controls,
and the hot water panel.  I said "domo arigato" and told her I would be at
school the next morning.

 So now I`m standing in a hot apartment realizing the kanji (borrowed Chinese
characters used in written Japanese) on the AC remote are more complicated
that I thought (I do know the symbols for man and woman so I go into the
correct restroom at restaurants).  I`m in Japan, my journey here truly about
to begin and I have no idea what`s for dinner.

(PS - still having internet issues, so while you all can enjoy reading this, I
cannot enjoy getting any emails from you--either hotmail or gmail.  Until I get something worked out, I
won`t be able to access my email in Japan)

Jet-lagged JET

After 17 hours of travel from Atlanta to Tokyo (13 of those sitting on a plane
next Robina from South Carolina who I had some great
Tylenol PM-induced heart-to-hearts with) I found myself in a fabulous
Japanese eating establishment with no idea what the wait staff were
saying.  "Wakanarisomashinma?!  Nalakerinsoshima?!" were the "words"
being shouted at me.  I just stood there and thought, "Hmmmm, Lety was
right, I should have learned some Japanese before I came."
Thankfully, there were two guys from the Mid-west with me who had some
functional Japanese conversation skills.  With their help, our group
of tired, disoriented JETs were seated and served.

Over the next 3 days in the Tokyo Orientation, I met people from all
over the Western world.  The first day was overwhelming because of the
number of crazy accents coming from the English speakers (British,
Australian, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Kiwi, South African, Texas,
Canadian, Jersey...).  The hotel we were staying at was super nice and
located in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo.  Everything was new and
weird (plus I was extremely jet-lagged so even the normal everyday
things seems mysterious and strange).  By the end of the orientation,
I found myself eating sushi while watching anime during a mild typhoon
in downtown Tokyo.  Awesome.

This magical first stop in Japan soon came to an end and the 1,600
JETs were divided into their respective prefectural groups and sent
off by train, plane, and bus to their new homes for the next year.  My
next destination was Oita-shi, the captial city of my prefecture, Oita
on Kyushu.  But that is a story that will have to wait until later...

Filling in for Justin

Hi, this isn't actually Justin typing....this is Baker (you might know me). Apparently Justin is having trouble accessing Blogger and Hotmail from Japan, so he asked me to send another update out saying this, and also saying that if you wish to email him, do not use Hotmail...use Gmail. Here's the account - justinshaddix@gmail.com

He seems to be fine, didn't really say much to me in his email, except that computers are kind of hard to find in such a small place.

Until next time...