“In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.” 

I have just done another article  about teaching in Japan for GaijinPot (the No.1 resource for foreigners living and working in Japan) which includes a small sketch for the website. I  thought I would also share it on here too.

My next blog post, about climbing Mt Fuji,  is ready and I am adding the finishing touches to my painting, so keep checking my blog! 

Many many English books! 

  

On the 24^th July, we all embarked on our first trip outside Numazu. We were bound for Kamakura, just an hour and a half North of Numazu, and an hour South of Tokyo in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Kamakura was Japans first feudal capital. Its glory days coincided with the spread of populist Buddhism in Japan, a legacy reflected in the areas high concentration of stunning temples and statuary. Contemporary residents have added a laid-back vibe complete with many restaurants and summer beach shacks – which can be added to sunrise meditation and hillside hikes as reasons to visit.

The Great Daibutsu - Kamakuras most iconic sight

As we stepped off the train, I grabbed a walking map of Kamakura from the information desk. Kamakuras most iconic sight is an 11.4 meter statue of the The Great Daibutsu (Buddha), and this was our first stop. So how hard can it be to find a massive iconic Buddha? Rather difficult actually! As soon as we started walking we had no idea where we were going. As I have said in previous posts, when you pull out a map in Japan you can pretty much guarantee that a Japanese person will ask if you are okay. True to form, a small little Japanese lady hurried over to ask if we were okay. I said we were looking for the Daibutsu, she turned around the way she came and told us she would take us there.

How kind I thought, but surely it’s not that far, especially as we had a walking map in hand. Half an hour later and we were still climbing a mountain, Tom was dying from the humidity but the Japanese lady continued to bounce along merrily carrying her weekly shop. Often I think Japanese people want to talk to English people to help brush up on the old English skills, but this lady happily just marched in front and 40 minutes later, dropped us off right at the entrance of the Great Buddha, and walked back the way we came.

It was 500 Yen to see the Buddha, it was raining earlier in the morning so it was rather quiet which was nice. So we came to Kamakura to see the Great Buddha and well it was a big, massive Buddha, exactly what you expected! Obviously, it was a great sight and the Buddha is hollow so for an extra 20 Yen visitors can view the interior.

Ink and water colour sketch 

Tom, James, Ali and I  - we lived together at
university for 3 years and the last place we thought
we would be re-united is Japan! 

Next, we visited Hasedera Temple, which was a short 10 minute walk downhill from the Buddha and 300 Yen to enter. This was James’s favourite place from the whole trip. Hasedera is built along the slope of a wooded hill and split across several levels. As we entered we enjoyed the beautiful traditional Japanese gardens and a spectacular view from the viewing platform which provided a panoramic of the town and the bay.

On the same level as the gardens there was a small cave, called benten kutsu cave. The ceiling was extremely low so poor James struggled a little as we wound our way through the tunnel. There were many statues and devotionals to Benzaiten, the sea goddess and the only female of the Seven Lucky Gods in Japanese mythology.

Wooden plaques adorn the entrance of the temple (near the cave), these are found at all Shinto temples and are tokens of good luck. Many people write a wish on the plaque which they hang up in the hope that the wish will come true. We decided to add to the wall but nobody could decide what to write, especially as many of those hanging up were really deep and heart wrenching.  

Our  wish!! 

Further up the slope is the temples main hall – Kannon-do Hall. The focal point of the temples main hall is a 9.18 metre carved wooden juichimen (11-faced) Kannon statue. In addition to the main head, three heads are in front, three to the left, three to the right, one on the top and another at the back. Each face has a different expression, signifying that the deity listens to the wishes of all types of people. It is covered in gold leaf and it is a really exquisite statue. Unfortunately no photos were aloud inside the main hall. 

The temple is also famous for the Jizo shrine where there are numerous small Jizo figurines laid out by parents dedicating them for their unborn children lost in miscarriage or abortion. It is to help the souls of the dead children to reach paradise. There are thousands of Jizo figurines which is really heartbreaking. Apparently, statues remain in place for about a year before being removed to make way for more statues; it is estimated that some 50 000 Jizo statues have been placed since WW2.

After the temple we were all cultured out for one day, so we headed to the beach for some Mexican food, bear and beach games before wrapping up our time in Kamakura and taking the train back to Numazu. (Before jumping on the train we did try and find the famous, sweet potato ice-cream, but to no avail as shops were closing up for the day).

Jizo figurines

Mary and I at Hasedera Temples main hall
- Kannon-do

Steps leading down to the garden

A very successful day trip to Kamakura with great company, next on the itinerary, climbing Mt Fuji!

Marion  

Talking (or more like moaning) about the state of the weather is a staple of British chit chat! So I believe that a post about the weather is a must, because boy have I moaned. As rainy season came to an end the ridiculously hot weather arrived, this also coincided with the arrival of my visitors and the start of an unforgettable 2 weeks around Japan.  

My very attractive rain suit! 

Rewind a few months. On the 28^th May Numazu council announced on the city tannoy system that rainy season had officially begun!!! It was early this year. The rainy season, known as “tsuyu” had already spread its cloak of high humidity and unpredictable down pours over Okinawa (Southwest Archipelago) and had arrived in Numazu.  Despite the fact it’s called rainy season, it doesn't rain all day every day, it varies from days with intensive down pours to other days with occasional sprinkles.

Heavy down pours can occur without any prior notice. So if you are in Japan during this time, always carry an umbrella or a rain suit with you. On my way back from Sawada School (a good 35 minute cycle from home) I was caught in a sudden shower that appeared on an otherwise sunny day. The rain was so heavy, I could barely open my eyes to see where I was cycling, my hair and clothes were dripping wet. Since this day, I have never forgotten to put my rain suit in my bike basket again!  As you can see from the picture, rain suits are not the most attractive garments to wear. It is illegal to cycle with an umbrella in hand (although many still do), so rather than risking a rather large fine from the police I opted for the unfashionable alternative to get me through rainy season. 

Ink sketch: Start of the summer begins with
rainy season. It is illegal to ride and bike and
carry  and  umbrella.

As the rainy season began to come to an end, the rain became extremely heavy for several consecutive days. One morning, in the early hours, there was a local announcement on the city tannoy system. Now this system is designed to warm people of earthquakes and tsunamis, so it is jolly loud. That morning, at 5AM, it was used to tell people “that it was raining really hard, be careful.” Whilst it is nice to know that we are being carefully looked after, I can only imagine that most people were very much aware of the horrendously heavy rain outside and were all tucked up in bed.

Rainy season is not the most comfortable time to travel Japan, but it is a great time to avoid the crowds as most people don’t travel during this time. The majority of Japanese people stay indoors avoiding the rain and eating lots of food ready for the hot summer around the corner.

The end of the rainy season was marked by a heat wave which enveloped much of Japan on Saturday (July 6^th) sending temperatures soaring beyond 30 degrees, the start of scorching temperatures and high humidity had begun, just in time for my guest’s arrival. August has been the hottest summer on record in Japan, with temperatures in Numazu reaching 36 degrees and humidity well above 80%. The city tannoy system regularly reminds us to drink lots of water and stay indoors. I have tried all methods of trying to cool my body down - you name it I've tried it, ice packs, three cold showers a day, drinking and cuddling frozen bottles of water, air conditioning, minimal clothing, towels on my head and neck… but not matter what the beads of sweat continue to pour. The heat and humidity just zaps you of all your energy and motivation and sleeping becomes impossible, but this wasn't going to stop us from having the best 2 week, non-stop tour of Japan.

It was 33 degrees and 85% plus humidity, but being reunited with my long-term boyfriend James at Tokyo airport was just the best! Weeks building up to the day I dreamt about our re-union. I imagined that I would be screaming, shouting and jumping with excitement when he walked through arrivals, but what I actually did was simply burst into tears! After a whistle stop tour of Tokyo we met Mary and Tom, it was amazing seeing my sister again and great to finally have Tom join the teaching team! Ali and I have struggled to acclimatise to the heat so you can only imagine how it felt for James, Mary and Tom. They described walking off the bus at Numazu station like walking into a sauna.

RE-UNITED with my best friend! <3

Mary, Tom, Myself, James and Ali reunited over three
hours of karaoke. 

Whilst summer brings unbearable whether, it does bring matsuri (summer festivals) and Hanabi-taikai (firework displays).

Matsuris are often a time for the Japanese to let their hair down. Small food and other festival stores line the streets. There are many delicious foods to try but I would recommend takoyaki (ball shaped Japanese pancakes with a chunk of octopus inside), and chocolate bananas. Numazu matsuri is a 2 day event over the last weekend in July. Elaborate shrines are carried by chanting locals wearing traditional dress, and if you look really enthusiastic you might get roped in to helping carry one of the shrines.

Carrying the shrine through the streets

Mishima summer festival is a 3 day event and is much the same as Numazu matsuri just larger. My favourite part of Mishima matsuri was taking part in the dancing with Michael-san and Junko-san. It was so so so much fun, everyone was getting involved and the moves were easy to pick up after a few beats.

Each night, Numazu summer festival ends with a spectacular fireworks show along the Kano River. Firework displays are a typical summer scene in Japan; they are BIG in Japan, both in scale and in popularity. Think London New Year but bigger, these are not your average village bonfire night displays! Tens of thousands of fireworks are set off at each show, with the show lasting up to an hour. This summer we have enjoyed several shows including Numazu summer festival fireworks, Atami fireworks and Ito fireworks.  There is a great atmosphere at these events. Throwing on your yukata or jinbei, grabbing some delicious festival food and drinks and finding a good viewing point with some great friends makes for a perfect evening.  

Numazu fireworks

Atami fireworks

I love wearing a yukata. They are often made of cotton and worn with an obi around the waist, and geta (wooden clogs) on your feet, although finding geta for my size 7 feet is almost impossible in Japan. It is casual and comfortable and has become popular and fashionable with many people wearing yukata at matsuri and hanabi-taikai. I have done a small painting of a women wearing a yukata in the heat of the day. 

Acrylic painting of a women in a yukata
in the heat of the day. 

Large-scale firework displays are very popular, but enjoying small hand-help sparklers and low-risk fireworks in backyards or on the beach is also very popular and great fun. During our holiday, we often grabbed a packet of sparklers and headed out to the beach with some food and drink!

Junko and I in our yukatas at Mishima Matsuri 

James and Ali wearing a jinbei and Ryu
in a mens yukata.

Matsuri and Hanabi were the beginning of a spectacular and unforgettable two weeks exploring Japan. The art is progressing and the blog posts are coming along. It’s going to take a while to post about my 2 week adventure as there is just so much to say, but keep checking my blog. Thankfully (in a strange way) typhoon season (oh dear) is at our door step, ready to give respite from the scorching heat of summer so hopefully my energy will return to update this blog asap.

Marion

Ito is a seaside city well known for its sandy beaches, hot springs and spectacular summer festivals. Every first Sunday of July, the city hosts the Tarai-nori Kyoso, otherwise known as the wash tub boat race, on Matsukawa River, a fun and slightly wacky event that draws in competitors and spectators from all around the world.

You may be thinking why? Well, the Japanese women of Ito city used wooden tubs and wash boards to clean their laundry at Matsukawa River. When these tools became outdated and replaced with washing machines, the people decided to hold on to their tradition, by starting a tub race along the river. The first race was held in 1956 and it has been organised yearly ever since.

Ryu and Junko representnig Japan, Jo-Jo representing the US,
Cheryl representing Austrailia and Ali and I representing the UK!
Go Team International!!!!! 

Many people gather on the banks of the river to watch the contestants steer the 1 metre in diameter, 30cm deep tubs along the 400 metre course, using giant wooden spoons. Also, contestants usually dress up in themed costumes. Our group decided to paint our faces with our national flags.

There are about 35 races and if a group of you want to participate then you need to sign up before the day. We only found out about the race a week before so it was too late to sign up, but we were lucky enough to be given a spare slot. Before the race there is a great atmosphere, all competitors mingle about and many spectators love taking photos and chatting with you. When they call up your race number, you walk out on to the walkway across the river with the crowds cheering as they read out your name. Now, it sounds quite easy and straight forward guiding you boat down the river, especially when the speed of the water rarely goes above a snails pace. However, the boats are neither streamline or stable and often fill with water and flip upside down. As many of you know I am super competitive so trying to out-paddle the others without falling out of the tub was pretty difficult.

Ready. Set. Go!!! 

I came a respectful third place

In fact, I fell in, my tub sank. Contestants are allowed to chase after their tub and try and get back in and continue, but this was easier said than done. I was all over the place. I wasn't the first to fall in; poor Ryu fell in as soon as he got in his tub. It was surprisingly tiring paddling all the way to the finish line but the crowds were laughing and cheering and it was a good bit of light hearted fun. If you are in the area next year, I would strongly recommend taking part. One of my favourite days in Japan yet.

News article

Once the races were over, we wondered down to the beach for lunch and to relax. It was an unusually hot day for the time of the year and down on the beach was a film crew for the local news. We were asked if we didn't mind being filmed 'having fun in the sea.' So now we are famous. In fact, that day we were on the local news and in local papers a few times. Certainly stars in the making.

In the afternoon we met a lovely Japanese family that owned a couple of jet skis and a banana boat. We were lucky enough to be allowed a go on the banana boat. They had so much fun trying to throw us off the banana boat!! I fell in three times, the third was more of a 'panic and jump off' moment as I thought the banana boat was tipping over. When the banana boat didn't tip over, I just looked rather silly! 

We didn't know Cheryl or Jo-Jo before our day in Ito. In fact, Cheryl had contacted me via Facebook the night before responding to a Facebook post I made inviting anyone to come and join us. Travelling and living abroad has often been romanticised, making it seem effortless and easy, when in reality sometimes it can be hard. For me, I have realised the importance of having friends, particularly English speaking friends. Every day you are faced with having to try and overcome a language barrier, whether its in a shop or on the street. Admittedly  you can overcome this by studying the Japanese language everyday, but some days you just need to have a good fun day without getting wires crossed. I love both Cheryl and Jo-Jo's passion for Japan and life, they have great enthusiasm and energy which is really infectious.  

To top off our day, my student, Hide-san invited Ali and I for dinner at his home in Ito. His apartment was truly amazing! Most Japanese homes are small and cramped, but Hide-sans home is modern, open and high-tech. His apartment is part of a luxury hotel in the mountains, so we were able to take advantage of the free hotel spa facilities including a lovely onsen (hot springs). Later in the evening Hide-sans wife cooked an amazing Japanese dinner. 

Great day! 

I have been so busy this last month so the blogging went quiet. Now that my visitors have left I am getting back to the painting, drawing and blogging. I only have 4 months left now, and I am going to make the most of it!!! 

Marion