Senkoji

On my first weekend in Onomichi, I felt the need to escape from people for a while. I hadn't really had any time to myself for about a week, so it was that I set off exploring on my lonesome. I left the apartment around midday and went in search of the cable car up to Senkoji. Within about 5 minutes of leaving the apartment I was sweating profusely. I felt so foreign. My embarrassment increased as I climbed into a cable car, crowded with Japanese people who seemed comparatively immune to the heat. Once we reached the top of the hill there was a reasonable breeze and the usual wide range of drink machines you can always find in Japan. I got a popular drink called, “Pocari Sweat” an isotonic kind of flavoured water which seemed rather appropriate.

I meandered around the top, doing my utmost to stay in the shade, like a ninja in the shadows... or perhaps more like a chunky Australian trying to avoid slowly sizzling like a sausage... Anyway, I took some photos from the observation deck, chucked a hundred yen into one of those telescope things and decided that I was indeed, somewhere in Japan. I then decided to to take a wander down the path of literature. Along this path I could see several boulders with what may or may not have been lovely poems, written in the squiggly lines I had been seeing so much of lately. Sun streamed only occasionally through the foliage and serenity seemed to abound until out of nowhere, a slightly old looking Japanese man popped up in front of me, "Hello! Where are you from?" he beamed.
I told him and he smiled a wide grin before dragging me away saying, "I show you good view". So much for my 'alone time' of pondering and contemplation.

He pointed to one of the stones with the beautifully engraved squiggles and explained that it meant something to the effect of,

"There are beautiful views here... but it is so very hot".

I found it hard to believe that this was what the poem actually said but if it was indeed what had been engraved on that stone, that profoundly wise poet was onto something. My new best chum suddenly climbed up onto a massive boulder with surprising ease before encouraging me to join him. With a little more effort than he, I joined him up on the boulder. There was a sudden and a sheer edge, leading to a considerable drop. “Tourist pusher strikes again” I considered tomorrow's headlines. It was a little precarious up there but it was, as he promised, a good view. We made a little bit of chit chat. He wasn't so bad at English and I discovered that he had learned from a radio station which broadcasts free conversational English classes. His name was “Kazusi” or “Kazu” for short.

I began to worry a little about this older gentleman making friends with me so quickly. The last time this had happened I was working at George St Cinemas in Sydney. After some time chatting with that man outside my designated theater, I was invited to watch the Gay Mardi Gras at his Oxford Street apartment. I was also offered lots of money to help him 'move furniture'. I turned down both offers. The rainbow coloured t-shirt really should have tipped me off. I digress...

“You like Japanese ladies?” He asked me. I was relieved that he wasn't going to invite me to move furniture but I didn't really know how to answer appropriately. It didn't matter though, because before I could say anything, he had invited a Japanese lady up on to the rock with us. “Double rock-pushing-murder shocks sea-side town”. That ledge was really playing on my mind...

She spoke no English but seemed smiley and friendly. The guy kept saying how I was so handsome and I feel he tried to set me up with the lady. I assumed they knew each other but I soon discovered that was not the case. They chatted together a little and then he related to me, "Her name, Yukiyo. She single! She 37. Divorced! She okay for you!" The lady seemed to know what was going on and seemed equally embarrassed.

Anyway the three of us tried to communicate, had some laughs and Kazu suggested some good places to visit. He showed me some little sketches and a nice painting he had been doing. He was from Fukuyma and Yukiyo was from Osaka.

Then, Kazu decided his art couldn't wait any longer and he sent Yukiyo and I off in the same direction. What we wanted to do was irrelevant. We shared the same path for a while. She spoke no English but we both smiled so it was fine. At a couple of the temples she modeled how to offer prayers and do the incense and stuff. It was cool to see how it was done. We parted ways quite soon though and I set off on my own again. She tried to dish me off onto an older couple. She must have assumed I spoke to the old man and needed to have Japanese guides with me? Did I really appear so helpless and lost? The couple discussed amongst themselves as I stood there awkwardly. Would it be rude of me to leave after being introduced to this random couple? I decided to point to the top of the hill, said farewell, bowed, and walked briskly away. I climbed some huge boulders using old chains (I think I was allowed to do that?) and found a tiny shrine with a gorgeous view. It was a great feeling getting up there.

After wandering around for a little longer I discovered that Yukiyo had actually stealthily slipped her fan into my pocket. I really was so hot and sweaty. She must have pitied me but I thought that that was a really lovely gesture. I saw more rocks with poems that I couldn't read. I saw more old shrines and temples. I climbed a lot stairs and attracted many stares. Butterflies and cicadas wizzed around everywhere. It was all so beautiful.

Up on the hill was a quaint little shop with Buddhist trinkets for sale. An old lady called me over and explained what each one was used for. She mentioned one which was to be put on your car windscreen for safe car travels. This one appealed to me most. Walking and cycling in Onomichi had been a totally new and frightening experience. I am dreading driving to my schools for the first time. So I bought the Buddhist thingo. Buddha had great foresight to have invented plastic protective car charms.

Other quirks of the hills above Onomichi included an abandoned amusement park and a strange monkey enclosure. I really felt sorry for those monkeys. I am currently plotting a way of kidnapping them and setting them loose in Onomichi. After several hours of exploring the hillside, it was time to walk home. I staggered through Onomichi's long undercover shopping arcade known as the Shotengai. I must have really been a sight. Sunburned bright red, clothes dirtied from climbing up boulders and sweating all over. As I walked along, a strange little shop with a red lantern out the front caught my eye. A young lady sitting inside, near the front door, smiled. I needed a cold drink. I hoped she could help. I tentatively walked over and asked if they were open. The answer was 'no' but the lady invited me inside anyway, rushed around behind the counter and quickly returned with a very cold, moist towel. It was heavenly. A man, wearing a baseball cap and cool clothes offered me a drink. The beer mug came straight out of a freezer and I very quickly cooled down. This was how I met Shunskei and Assan. They're a really lovely couple who run a great little place. They will be getting married in January. Assan, the girl, traveled to Australia a couple of years ago and is not bad at English. Shunskei always has a big smile and he has a good sense of humour.

Since meeting them, I have returned to their little place 3 times. On one occasion, it was my birthday so Shunskei gave me free ice-cream and sang me happy birthday. Awesome...

It's been a month...

Well, it's almost a month since I first arrived in Japan so I thought it was about time posted some information. I should have started a blog sooner I think. It's hard to know what to write and what to leave out...

Despite Japan being very different and strange at times, it is very cool. I miss home, friends and family a whole lot, but there are lots of great people here so I'm doing fine. I hope you're going well and would love to hear any news. Cheers, Tobes.


Now, for the more adventurous among you, or perhaps the procrastinators, or maybe just mum and dad, here's a more detailed account of life in Japan so far...

I guess I'll start at the beginning with the Tokyo Orientation. The Australian JETs were the first to arrive. After an overnight flight we landed at around 6:30am, Sunday. We couldn't check in to the hotel until 3pm so a few groups of us set off to explore Tokyo. Before leaving though, I got the chance to use my first Japanese toilet. Thankfully, the hotel was 5 star and the toilets were western friendly (ie. not a squat toilet). These toilets were however, unusual. For starters, the seat was heated (which I suppose you would appreciate in winter) and there was a sizeable electronic control panel connected to the toilet. So many options...

Anyway, we wandered around Shinjuku with our jaws hanging. We had some food and tried the local beers too... The heat was intense and the humidity was close to unbearable so we would often find ourselves walking into stores that we had absolutely no interest in, purely to escape the heat for a while. After wandering aimlessly for several hours, we returned to the hotel, checked in, freshened up and then went out to Shibuya. So many people. So very many people. We found a couple more pubs and had a great dinner. Schteve did a great job as translator. One of my room-mates, Joel, despite being relatively new to the Japanese language, tried to talk to a cute waitress. However, instead of asking, “Do you have a boyfriend?” he actually stated, “I have a boyfriend”. I think she knew what he meant though, since she covered her face and ran away giggling. Having Joel and Danny as room-mates was great. They're pretty funny blokes and I hope to meet up with them again soon.

The next day, the orientation began. Imagine more than a thousand young people from 8 or so countries in one hotel in Tokyo. At the start of the day, I was given my first taste of the importance of Japanese tradition and ceremony. Four representatives from different government bodies that contribute to the JET programme were due to arrive. They were quite late (very abnormal for Japanese people) and we all just had to sit there. Nothing could be done before these guys turned up and 'officially' started it. More than a thousand people in business attire sitting around... waiting. Anyway, when they finally did arrive, two of the 4 men gave a one minute speech, they all bowed and promptly departed.

With our official welcome over with, we were permitted to start the day. Actually, it wasn't the most exciting day. There were many speeches and offers of advice and optional workshops to attend. A lot of it seemed like common sense but I suppose reassurances can be nice. Anyway, there was a pretty awesome buffet dinner in the evening and then all the people from Hiroshima-ken had a group function to attend as well. We all went out to an Izakaya (kind of a pub/restaurant) and ate more and drank a lot more. Apparently Japan has a strong drinking culture... seeing businessmen swaying down the street and or relieving themselves in alleys is totally normal and relatively acceptable... Anyway, a bunch of us kicked on after the function and hit up a karaoke bar. Good times... Enough said.

The second day of the orientation was much like the first except that in the evening the Australians were treated to a night at the embassy where I was encouraged to promote Australian products. BUY OUR COAL! IT'S GREAT! With the Tokyo Orientation completed, it was time to leave for what would become our new homes for the next year or so.



At Hiroshima airport we were greeted by a number of people all waiting for us with our names on colourful signs. After a couple of photos, we were driven to the office to pick up our bags and do our self introductions. I did an introduction for:
Monden San
Tanawaki San
Inazumi San
Office workers section 1
Office wrokers section 2
Office workers section 3
Guy standing in for boss because boss was away (I will never see this man again)

Lots and lots of bowing. Sometimes they would say something to me in Japanese and I would just widen my smile and raise my eyebrows. I have a feeling I will be doing this look a lot.
Over the next week or two I would introduce myself to the head of the Onomichi BOE, some other higher ups in the BOE and later on, even the Mayor of Onomichi. Common questions include: “Can you use chopsticks?” “Do you like Japanese food?” and “Can you believe how small your apartment is?”

As it turns out, I will be working for the Onomichi Board of Education (BOE). I am what is known as a 'One-Shot-JET'. I will be team-teaching at 6 schools and each day I will visit a different one. I have been allocated 3 elementary schools, 2 junior high schools and one night school for high school students in difficult situations (such as can't go to day-school because they are looking after sick family members). I don't start going to the schools until the first week of September. So, Monday to Friday I am required to be at my BOE from 8:30am until 4:15pm. Later on, when I do go out teaching, if classes finishes at 3pm, I am supposed to return to the BOE and stay there until my day is over.

I spent my first few days in Onomichi getting things like bank accounts and identity cards sorted out. Thankfully I had the assistance of the second and third year Onomichi JETs. Getting a bank account was incredibly difficult. I had to complete a lengthy form twice. On my first form I scribbled something out which made it void. On my second, the base of my number 7 was too thick. Luckily, I was allowed to stamp my inkan over the 7 in order to 'acknowledge that I had made an error'. An 'inkan' or 'hanko' is like your personal seal. My inkan has, トビーwritten vertically, that's pretty much, “Toh Bee” in Katakana. Ross, another new JET in Onomichi also had to redo his form because when he completed the form the first time and stamped his inkan, the ink bled a little bit. The Japanese really are pedantic about their paperwork and there seems to be so much of it to contend with. Another challenge was obtaining my Alien Registration card. All foreigners living in Japan are required to carry this card with them at all times. Indeed, there are stories of 3rd and 4th generation Koreans, who can only speak Japanese and whose parents were born in Japan but are still required to keep the card with them. It is impossible to get a mobile phone or apply for the internet unless you have this card. Again, if I didn't have the assistance of the other JETs I would have been completely lost.

In the Onomichi BOE there are 6 JETs: We have Tanya, a 3rd year from Perth, Gil, a 2nd year from USA, Jen, a 2nd year from Scotland, Deborah is a new JET from New Zealand and Ross is a also new and is from Canada. We all get along pretty well and Ifeel really lucky to have been placed with such a diverse and friendly group of people. During school holidays (now) we all sit, cramped together at tiny quarter circle desks, arranged in a kind of 's' shape. There are two shared computers with internet access. Having my laptop with me makes the day a lot more bearable because Gil has set up some additonal internet cables. Sometimes we get 2 extra people at the BOE, Angela and Simon who are JETs from the island of Innoshima, a short ferry ride away. When all 8 of us are there, we don't have enough chairs and the stale, barely functioning air-conditioning and the cramped atmosphere can drive you a little stir-crazy. However, when school starts we wont be at the BOE very much at all.

During the day, at the BOE, several songs play to indicate certain times of the day:

8:30 am - Ode to Joy plays to indicate the joyous start to our working day. To walk in the door as the song is playing feels pretty good.
Midday - I'm not sure of the song, but it's lunch time...
1pm - another song, lunch is over and you better be back...
3pm - Beethoven for a tea break.



Onomichi is a gorgeous little town. It's surrounded by steep hills and there are many islands near by. There is quite a sizeable seaport in the town and I can often see pretty big ships going by from the window in my apartment. Onomichi really has it's own style and character. From what I have heard from other JETs and Japanese people alike, Onomichi is one of the more bohemian places in Japan. You do get a lot of old people and a lot of school students but there are also a few people in their early thirties coming here to write, paint, make music or open really cool little restaurants and bars. It's a strange thing but even on Sundays in the middle of school holidays, you can see countless school students in full school uniform, riding to or from some kind of study class. They really don't seem to know the meaning of holidays in Japan... A few short days after arriving in Onomichi, it was my 25th birthday and I got invited to go to a great restaurant called Yamaneko. Tanya and her boyfriend baked me a cake and they snuck it into a back window of the restaurant without me knowing. During the night, the lights went out and everyone started singing. I was really touched.

A lot more has happened and there are plenty of other quirks I would love to share but I think I'll stop here for now... Soon, I'll post about:

* Reorientation in Hiroshima City
* Setoda Fireworks
* Language Camp at Saijyo
* Innoshima Pirate Festival

Eventually I will figure out how to put up photos and videos too...

Cheers!