Way back when I was in elementary school, I remember seeing a washed out old movie (on a reel to reel projector) documenting life in Japan. I think it painted a pretty bleak picture of overcrowding, a strict social order, and a whole bunch of people on bicycles. For some reason, I was really interested. When the opportunity came up to travel there, I took it. It’s been a long time since I sat in that class dreaming of visiting Japan, but now I’m going to do it.

The first thing I did was enroll in a Japanese language class at the local community college. In July of 2002, I read about the JET program – a program that brings young people from all over the world to Japan to teach English to students in their schools. I knew then that this was the chance I was looking for. I was “between careers” at the time, and so I made the decision to pursue it. At the end of July 2003, I’m headed to Japan to see how reality compares with the dream. What follows is a little bit about how I got where I am, and some of the flaming hoops I had to jump through to get there.

I put together this journal to keep people up to date with what I’m doing, but also for my own interest. I look forward to reading back on these notes and writings when I’m older. I thought it would be fun to share this with you, so dig in and enjoy. If you do enjoy reading about what I’m doing, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Next, check out applying for JET.

Today I got up reasonably early and did some chores around the house. My folks called, so I had a nice long conversation with them, and then after I hung my clothes out to dry, I went into Befu to do some shopping.

I picked up some T-shirts at a place called Uniqlo. The shirts were very cheap, about $4 each. They aren’t exactly high quality, but they will work. Their XL size is about a Large in the US. I also picked up a few things at the local superstore to make props for my first class on Tuesday.

Miss Kageyama came by and picked me up around five to go catch a movie. Since she is single, and I am single, there is a certain protocol that we have to observe. I’m just kind of figuring this out. She called me from her car outside, and then I went down to meet her and we left from there. It would be really bad news if she came up to my apartment alone. I am learning on the fly, but basically treating this situation like you are being followed around by a jealous husband seems to be the best way to handle it.

We went out for 100 yen sushi, kind of an inexpensive sushi boat type arrangement, except instead of boats they have a conveyor belt. Miss Kageyama powered down some sushi, and gave me some pointers on how to eat some of the tricky ones. Afterwards, we went into the grocery store on the bottom floor and she helped me identify some tricky grocery items that I had been wondering about for a while.

On the sixth floor was the megaplex. It is owned by Warner Brothers, and the introduction clip about refreshments, no talking, and trash was given by Warner Brothers characters speaking Japanese. The previews were great, but almost none were in English. There was one in Spanish with Japanese subtitles, so I was able to follow it using my Spanish language skills, which are suffering greatly here in Japan.

As for the main attraction, it was in English, with Japanese subtitles, and it was no problem for me to enjoy the movie. I laughed out loud at a couple parts, and I did notice I was the only one doing it – but that may be a function of the subtitles or the culture difference. The price of a large soda was 400 yen (about $3.50) but their large size is much smaller than the same thing in America. The popcorn large size was 500 yen (about $4.25) and it was the same big tub of popcorn that you see in most theaters. The price of admission was quite high, with regular price at 1800 yen (about $15). Miss Kageyama had a discount card that got us in for 1500 yen each ($12.50), but still it was expensive. There are some discounts available – if it’s your birthday, or the first day of the month, it only costs 1000 yen. Also, there are “ladies nights” where women get in for 1000 yen. One interesting thing was that this movie theater had assigned seating, so you could request a certain area at the ticket counter, and then your tickets had a seat number where you are required to sit. Miss Kageyama said that not all theaters do this.

It was a fun night, and I’m back here relatively early drinking a bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon that I found at a local store for $5. It’s not too bad.

Tomorrow I’m making props, and relaxing around the house. I’m trying to take it easy this weekend as it’s so hot lately. The temptation is to go traveling around the countryside, but it is expensive to do that every weekend. I’m hoping to visit some JETs in the Kobe area next weekend, but we’ll see how that goes. I’m sure everybody’s first week will be tough, but maybe it would be good to compare notes together next weekend.

I was pretty nervous getting ready for today. It is the last day before classes start, and I had to introduce myself to all of the teachers by making a speech in front of them. Traditionally, as you might imagine, this speech is done in Japanese, and despite taking classes and some training in this area, I was a bit apprehensive. A speech in front of a hundred people in any language is difficult.

On my way up to the meeting, the principal pulled me aside and was curious where Spring Valley was in America. He had my address from my application, and the PO Box I happened to get while in San Diego was in Spring Valley. When he introduced me, he said that I hail from Spring Valley, USA. So weird that a small little town like that gets a mention in Japan by a school principal. I’m sure all the teachers were thinking, “Where the hell is Spring Valley?”

I got up and did my introduction in English, and the teachers watched carefully – the ones I knew were smiling, but most were just curious. After the introduction in English, the principal announced that I was going to do the same thing in Japanese. The looks that came over everyone’s faces were amazing. It was as if the principal announced that I was getting on board the space shuttle that afternoon and flying to Mars. I hashed up my introduction a bit in Japanese, but got through it OK. There was a big round of applause, and I think I made some new friends in the crowd.

After school we went back to Akashi to pick up my alien registration card. I’ve had to haul around my passport everywhere I went to prove I am who I am, but now with the card I can leave my big bulky passport at home.

On the way back Mr. Komuri, one of the Japanese language teachers, invited us to eat at his favorite takoyaki restaurant. I’ve had takoyaki at a couple of places, and it really doesn’t do a lot for me. This was served in a different style, and even though we’re in just the next town, it is supposedly a “regional variation”. You actually dip each piece in a soup broth, with hot chili pepper flakes floating on top. It was really awesome – great flavor and a little easier to eat.

When I got home, I was so tired that I passed out on the couch and woke up stuck to it about an hour later. After extracting myself, I decided to go out and check out a yakitori restaurant near my place. I ducked into the restaurant and sat at the bar to watch the end of the Hanshin Tigers game. After ordering some beef, chicken and a couple of beers, I attracted the attention of two drunk guys about my age at the end of the bar. We ended up trying to talk in Japanese and then English, and they insisted I looked like Tom Cruise. I told them that Tom Cruise doesn’t walk around with all the weight I’m carrying, but they insisted on buying a drink for me. They wanted me to try what they were drinking, a drink called Shuu-Cho. It was a clear beverage with a slice of lemon in it. I took a drink and it tasted like slightly alcoholic water, not too exciting. They were a bit disappointed to hear my review, but maybe too drunk to take offense. I have a feeling I’ll run into these guys again – the food was great and cheap. For six meat skewers and three beers it only cost me $17.50.

Tomorrow I’m doing laundry and hanging out around the house. In the evening I’m going to catch a movie, and then on Sunday I’m going to work on some of the props for my school lessons starting next week.

Today we bagged out of work early and went for Indian food in Kobe. Mr. Hayashi drove Miss Kageyama and myself all the way out to Kobe, and then treated us to a big Indian lunch. The food was fantastic, probably the best Indian food I’ve had anywhere. The weather was rainy on the way into Kobe, but once we were there, it was just fine.

After a big lunch we drove around Kobe a bit to see the sights, and then they took me home. Not exactly the toughest day I’ve ever worked, but I’m not complaining. Mr. Hayashi’s weakness seems to be expensive restaurants, and he sees me as an opportunity to share what he has learned. So far, I’m having a great time enjoying all this interesting food. Other JETs I’ve talked to haven’t had nearly as much opportunity to try new things, and are really left to fend for themselves. I’m pretty lucky that my master teacher is taking care of me like this!

The rest of the day I spent organizing my thoughts for my speech on Friday, and doing some Japanese language study. Dinner tonight was a bit of an experiment – Coconut Milk Curry over noodles with spicy tofu. It turned out OK, but the sauce was a bit runny – my cooking continues to be an experiment in progress.

Last night some big storms rolled into my area, and we had thunder and lightning almost all night. At first I opened my curtain so I could watch as I fell asleep, but they were so strong and lasted so long, that I ended up shutting the curtain. My back porch is a great viewing area. I’m not quite high enough to see the inland sea, but you can see things blowing in.

This morning I went into school around 10:30. Mr. Hayashi was visiting his father who is in a hospital on Awaji Island, which is across the Pearl Bridge in Akashi. Miss Kageyama gave me a ride into Kakogawa to run some errands. Part of the problem with getting my internet going may be that I’m trying to use an American credit card to pay for a Japanese service. There is a free credit card that you can get at the local shopping mall, and with it you get 30% off movies, which at 1800 yen a movie, is pretty significant.

While we were there I picked up a couple of blank CDs, and we went over to check out what movies are playing. Miss Kageyama really wanted to see Pirates of The Caribbean, and so I agreed to go with her this weekend. It’ll be my first movie in Japan, but I’m told that it is in English with Japanese subtitles. Should be fun to try out!

The rest of my day was pretty uneventful – I got caught in a storm on the way home but I did have my umbrella, so no worries.

Today I went into work and got my first crack at teaching a class. We’re starting off with some students working through the summer session, so I spent about half an hour with them and Mr. Hayashi, going through some questions and introductions. I was most amazed with how fast the time goes. I will be team teaching with another teacher for about 50 minutes at a time. Their class is considered to be one of the best English classes, and as Mr. Hayashi warned me, I wasn’t too impressed. They are so shy when you talk to them. We (I) spoke mainly in English, but Mr. Hayashi kept things going in Japanese to make sure they were getting it. It was a great warm up, and I’m putting together my first lesson for next week.

Once I got home I started up my routine – laundry, water filtration, eating two bowls of shaved ice, and trying to sort out the mail. The mail is the most difficult – it can take 20 minutes just to figure out what is important and what is just junk. Usually you can tell pretty easily, but sometimes they are tricky and I have to call in Miss Kageyama or Mr. Hayashi.

While sorting out my mail on the couch in my living room, a truck starting driving through the neighborhood, and some guy was singing big time through a microphone and a giant speaker mounted on the top. I’m not sure what he was singing, but he covered my neighborhood thoroughly. His singing wasn’t particularly good, and after my karaoke experience I feel uniquely qualified to judge this kind of thing. It was an odd moment that reminds you that you are in a strange country and it will take a while to get used to things.

I found some sausages at the supermarket last week on sale and I cooked one up last night. I’m not sure what’s in there, but it tasted great. Tonight I’m going to cook two more and go for broke. The contents of sausages are uncertain enough in the USA – I’m really taking a chance here. Best not to think about it…

On Wednesday I’m going to a BBQ hosted by a couple of Japanese guys for JETs. I’m not sure why they are throwing it, it’s just something that I heard about through Nyasha, one of the JETs that we met up with in Akashi. Thursday Mr. Hayashi is taking us out to lunch in Kobe – there is a great Indian food place that he wants me to try. He says that it is “Japanized” Indian food, so it should be an interesting culinary experiement.

Today I went with Melanie and her friend Mary to the train station, and from there we rode the train into Himeji. The ride is only about 25 minutes – really not that bad at all. Himeji is famous for it’s castle, and we were there to explore the castle and the town.

In Himeji we met up with Melanie’s friends Elena, Jenny, and Kate. The six of us traveled through town towards the castle, but in a very enterprising fashion, they have built shopping malls all along the way, so the only way to get there on foot from train station to castle is to pass through a huge shopping center.

This led to all sorts of delays, as everyone had to slow down or stop to check something out. I didn’t mind, actually, as the stores were air conditioned, and it was very hot outside.

Once we arrived at the castle, we faced a long climb. The 500 year old castle is on a hill, and was designed to make it tough for invaders to penetrate. The first barrier is a 600 yen fee to get in, but in one of the change slots I discovered 9000 yen (about $75) that someone had forgotten. After a few minutes of looking around, we declared the money mine, and I was actually in positive cash flow for the day. We marched up the fairly steep mountainside, and then through the corridors in slippers, as shoes were not allowed. Once we got inside the main part of the castle, then we climbed very steep staircases to the top floor, about seven floors in all. It sure is difficult to do all that climbing in slippers.

The view from the top was spectacular, and it was amazing to think that you are in a building that has seen so much. The signs and information were in both Japanese and English, so that helped a lot. After resting at the top, we went back into Himeji to do some shopping. Kate and Elena live in a pretty remote place, and so they had to buy quite a bit of gear while they were in the big city. Finally, we all got on board the train and went back to Futami. Melanie is hosting the group for the weekend, so I offered the use of my shower while they are here – Melanie only has a bathtub and a bucket.

At about eight o’clock we went into Akashi and got some dinner in a great Japanese restaurant. I’ve found that restaurants are rated good and bad not based on food quality or service, but rather by whether their menus have pictures or printed English. The format was very interesting – we ordered a bunch of small appetizer sized portions and drinks, and they kind of trickled in all night. We met up with two more JETs at the dinner table, and then left from there. I plunked down the 9000 yen to knock down the bill significantly, and that worked out great. Easy come, easy go!

Afterwards, we spent two hours in a private karaoke room, singing badly to old music. It was actually fairly fun, and the group was a good sport about all the Beatles songs I kept picking. While we were there, it was all-you-can-drink, so it got pretty out of hand. I can’t imagine an all-you-can-drink situation working in the U.S., but it worked great here in Japan. You just pick up a phone, and a guy runs the drinks down to you.

The final stop was an Irish pub that Melanie had been telling me about for a while. It’s run by an Irish guy, who really enjoyed having some foreigners in the bar. The best news was that they have Murphy’s Irish Stout on tap. We stayed there for two or three hours, and then finally got a taxi home around four a.m.

I’ve been settling into a routine of going in to work this week, staying for a few hours, and then heading home. The rest of the time I spend hanging out around the house. I go into work for a couple hours in the middle of the day, so that kind of limits my options for traveling about.

One disturbing thing I’ve found is that I can’t find a good local bar to visit. The problem is that although many places look like bars, I can’t be sure. A couple of times I’ve gone into places, and about fifteen people turn around and stare at me… it turns out that it’s a store or a restaurant. Once I went into a place, and the owner kind of freaked out. She said that she was closed, even though the signs on the outside said that they were open for several more hours.

My internet connection is in the works, but I’m not sure how progress is going. There are all kinds of hurdles to jump. Fortunately, they have a website where you can check your progress. Unfortunately, it’s all in Japanese. I’ve enlisted the help of one of the neighbors, and he’s being very patient with the process. I’m antsy to get it going!

Today I stopped by the shaved ice stand, and not only did I get shaved ice, but an iced tea, and three big chunks of watermelon, which is very expensive around here. I’ve got to think of something to give back to the shaved ice lady – it seems like everyone is so friendly here once they get to know you.

Last night I broke one of my rules, never drink with English girls. Melanie came down from her apartment upstairs, and we had a couple of the Guinness I found at a store in Befu. She talked me into changing my plans on Saturday. Originally I was going to Kobe to explore the town a little bit, but she and some of her UK girlfriends are going to Himeji castle to explore there. She insisted that I go along, and so it looks like I’ll be drinking with a bunch of English girls. The rule is way beyond broken. I did manage to avoid going to Akashi with them tonight – I’m an old man and I have an image to maintain!

I have a continued affinity for white, cloudy beverages. I’ve discovered yogurt flavored Qoo. It is a kids drink, I think, that has yogurt suspended in a sweet non-carbonated soda. It’s really good, and it makes a nice after dinner drink. Yogurt flavored Qoo. I’m still a Calpis fan, another white cloudy beverage, but without suspended yogurt solids inside. I’ll keep you posted on other Japanese products as I discover them.

Today was a very relaxing day, pretty hot, but not too much work to do. I went into work around 11:30, and sat around with the teachers and told stories in English and Japanese. We recapped last evening’s drink-a-thon, and basically wasted a couple of hours until we left. I had received a notice in my mail that said that there was a package waiting for me in a remote postal office, so Mr. Hayashi used that as an excuse to take off and go get it.

Once we got out there, it was only about 2 minutes in line to pick it up, and then I was done. It turned out to be my bank card for my new bank account. I’ll have to try it out in the next couple of days.

Afterwards, Mr. Hayashi dropped me off at the local hardware store/superstore in Befu. I picked up a few things including a floor lamp, odds and ends for the apartment, etc. I asked one of the clerks in broken Japanese where I could find a little brick of chemicals that goes into your toilet tank to keep it clean. After five minutes of looking around, she took me to where they were – perfect! I felt pretty confident, but while browsing somewhere else in the store, a security guard came up to me. I thought maybe I had said something in Japanese that was offensive accidentally… or maybe they thought I might shoplift toilet chemicals.

The guard approached me and started talking in English. His skills were quite good, and we had a long conversation. I guess they had paged him because everyone knew that his English was great. He was eager to practice a little, and other employees kept coming by and pointing/giggling. I think it was a pretty good highlight for his day.

I hauled all my gear back home on the train, and then ran over to my neighborhood shaved ice shack. The lady there was glad to see me, since I had been in Yashiro all last week. I actually think she was kind of worried about me.

She made some shaved ice for me, then asked me to sit down in the shade underneath her house. When she came back, she had a Japanese ice cream, some cold black tea, and a beautiful girl with her. She introduced us and we took a crack at communication. Her English was probably better than my Japanese, but she was pretty shy in using it. We talked while I scarfed down all the food, and I think I learned that she is the fiancee of the son of the shaved ice lady. It was tough going trying to explain everything, but I think we did OK. I thanked everyone for all the goodies, and they both waved to me until I disappeared around the corner. It was a bit of international goodwill over shaved ice – I never know when something like this is going to happen.

Tomorrow I’m hoping to get signed up for internet, but even if that works, it will be at least two weeks. I’m logging these entries on my computer, and I’m hoping that I can upload them soon.

Tonight after work, Mr. Hayashi, Miss Kageyama, and a Japanese History teacher joined me for sushi on the town. Earlier they had taken me to McDonald’s for lunch, which was quite funny. It was weird to be the only American in a McDonald’s. Everyone watched me to see my reaction to the food – almost like they were making sure that they got it right. After that, I was definitely up for some sushi.

The first place we went to was already sold out of fish, so we went to another sushi place, and I let them order up the food. We ended up with a wide assortment, but my favorite was the tuna sashimi. We also had eel, scallop, mackerel, egg, and deep fried tofu. We had a couple of giant beers with dinner, and so everyone was feeling good and more food came along. They brought fried chicken, and a sausage platter – I guess they weren’t sure I was full from the sushi.

Afterwards, we went to the history teacher’s favorite bar, where they serve Guinness. It turned out it was served from the bottles, and without the little widget, so I had to make do, but it still tasted great. The servers all knew the teacher, and so we had free appetizers while we drank. We had fried shrimp, edame beans, pizza, and Chinese dim sum. The pizza was my favorite – maybe a little too cheesy, but otherwise quite good. The bar itself was as close to a dive as I’ve been to in Japan, in a rough neighborhood. We sat in the smoke-filled back room, and listened to a strange mix of American music, like Radiohead, Bryan Adams, and Whitesnake.

We finally stumbled out of there, and on the way back to the car, passed by a strip club. Standing outside the club were various women trying to reel in customers, but one was a foreigner – she looked American. She had seen me coming and I could tell she was a little embarrassed. Outside of my meetings with other JETs, I’ve only seen a couple of foreigners. She probably stands out there every night and sees a foreigner once a month. I said hello as I walked by, and she gave me a grin and said hey. It was an odd moment – it’s a big event to meet a foreigner, but to meet one in that circumstance was really weird. I guess they put the foreign girls out front as they are considered more exotic. I think they do the same thing in the US.

Miss Kageyama drove everyone home, as she was kind enough to drink juice all night, so we all got home safely, and ready for work the next day.

Today I woke up refreshed and ready for a hike – a real hike. I’ve been walking all over Japan; without a car it’s the only option. The exercise is great, but without any hills to climb, I’ve been getting antsy to go upwards.

I researched a hike in Northern Takasago, the same town where my high school is. According to the pamphlets I read, the mountain, Mt. Takamikura, is this area’s version of Mt. Fuji. I started by taking the train into the area, and then set my GPS so that if I got lost, at least I could find the station. As it turned out, that was a really good idea.

As I started out from the station, I made an immediate wrong turn, and after consulting with some people on the side of the road, I turned around. Luckily, I had brought the pamphlet about the hike along with me, so I could show them that – the title was in Japanese. Once I got on the right road, it was about half an hour to the base of the mountain.

At the base of the mountain, there was a large shrine, the Kashima Shrine. It was a beautiful old shrine wrapped into the hillside, surrounded by trees. Apparently it was a bit of a destination for other people, as there were about twenty or so Japanese people there going through the rituals. I admit that I don’t know shrine etiquette, so I observed quietly, and tried to figure out what was going on. The smell of incense was strong, and because it was a partly cloudy day, some fog would blow through every once in a while.

After taking lots of pictures, I had a short conversation with the people that worked there, and figured out where the trailhead was. The trail ran behind the shrine and up the hillside, through some strange jungle-type brush. After about a half an hour of climbing, the trail turned sharply, and there was a rope tied to the top of the rocks. That’s it.

Apparently the people that designed this trail felt that rather than cutting out switchbacks to make the ascent easier, climbing a rope like Batman was the better option. Since I was already halfway there, I climbed the rope, and once I got to the top of the rocky hillside, things settled down into a nice easy trail again.

At the top I was able to enjoy a great view of Takasago, Kakogawa, and even Himeji. I could see pretty far out into the ocean, despite the cloudy weather. The view was worth the climb.

After enjoying the view for a while, a couple of people passed by and said hello. I was able to find out where there was a trail going directly to my train station, instead of going back the way I came (I didn’t want to go down the rope). The rocks were wet with some earlier rainfall, and it was difficult to maintain your footing – I fell down twice.

As I got back to the base of the hill, there was a bus waiting right there. I jumped on, since it was going to a station closer to my home. Unfortunately, I didn’t check my money situation before I got on. I had the equivalent of a $100 dollar bill on a city bus, and that doesn’t work well. Fortunately, I had some change, and I was able to get off without causing an international incident. The driver was a little confused, but then so was I, so I’ll call it even.

Once the bus left, I turned on the GPS, and it was only 1.3 miles to the station. I figured there was another nearby, but I thought that it was best to stick with the sure thing and I hiked the 1.3 miles. From the station it was a half hour train ride home, where I showered and relaxed.

Upon further reflection, the hike probably wasn’t such a great idea. Without literature in English, I’m really unprepared for terrain and weather. Without knowledge of the local flora and fauna, I don’t know what could be around the corner. In California I could identify dangerous things – rattlesnakes, poison oak, etc. Here, it’s just guesswork. Once I get the internet connection going, I’m going to have to do more research and learn a little more before I go out.

Yashiro. It was called the “concentration camp” by others that had survived. Yashiro is the name of the town that was hosting a four day mandatory seminar for all the new Assistant Language Teachers. I was told there was nothing to do there, and it turned out to be the truth.

Rather than bore you with the details, a few short memories will suffice to summarize the entire seminar.

During the day they pounded us with information, much of it repetitive. The food was bearable, and sometimes quite good. We did our own dishes. We lived in rooms shared with three other people. I got a good poker group together. The showers were communal. The beer vending machine ran out on the first night, so everyone went to the nearest convienence store where the clerks all had an expression like they were being taken over by aliens (which they literally were). I was the number two ranked ping pong player in all of Yashiro. Somebody had bought a large beer… 2 Liters of beer. Oh, and never drink with English women… they can drink Irishmen under the table.

All together, it was a good time, and it was nice to meet people in the same situation. I think I’ve got a few poker regulars, and certainly I have the space to accommodate a poker party now and then.

I’m glad the experience is over – I was really happy to get back to my modest apartment and get back into a routine.

Andrew worked through the night, and the apartment looks great. He even took out all the trash, and really straightened up the place. It was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get all his stuff in, so he’s going to have to ship some to Australia.

I went into school and practiced English with Miss Kageyama. She had made sandwiches for herself, me, and Mr. Hayashi, so we sat around during lunch and had some great sandwiches. These were primo sandwiches. Crust cut off, small slices of bread around the edges to make sure none of the insides came out. There was a mix of egg salad and tuna salad with ham and cheese. I’m not sure how it worked out that we got a free lunch, but I wasn’t complaining.

Afterwards, we went into town and I opened a bank account. Initially there was a delay while I had my personal stamp, called a “hanko” made. The stamp is used for all banking transactions – my signature is not considered to be a reliable form of identification. I asked Mr. Hayashi about that – anybody could get a hold of my stamp, but not many people could forge my signature. He just shrugged – it’s the way it has always been done. Now my account is open, and I’m ready to start putting paychecks in there.

In the afternoon the apartment was inspected by the landlord, and it was deemed habitable, so I’m all set. I spent part of the evening moving things around, but it will be a long time before I can get it all the way I want. I leave for a teacher’s seminar in Yashiro tomorrow, and I’ll be there until Friday afternoon. I’m just going to have to wait for the weekend to really get organized.

I found the nearest large mountain, so naturally, I’m making plans to climb it. There is a shrine on the top – bonus! I’m aiming to climb it on Saturday or Sunday.

Today I tried to sleep in a bit, but it wasn’t in the cards. Around seven o’clock, I got out of bed and ended up taking a walk around town, and taking some pictures of the nearest temple. The temple is called the Mukuriya Shrine, and it is fairly large. I spent some time photographing it, and then I went back to the apartment to check on the packing ordeal.

Andrew is sure that it will be no problem to leave tomorrow morning, but I’m not as optimistic. He’s got a lot of extra stuff that I will probably have to deal with. Two of his students, Haruna and Hidemi, came over and were hanging out for a while. I took the opportunity to jump on the train to Akashi, and I spent most of the day walking around exploring. I ate at a take away sushi place for only 180 yen, and finally headed back to the apartment around three o’clock. The students were still there – they had cooked up some natto for lunch, and they even left me some to try out. I’m guessing that it’s an acquired taste – I’ve never eaten anything quite that strong.

After the students left, Andrew and I walked down to the liquor store so he could get a parting gift for Mr. Hayashi – a bottle of Booker’s whiskey. It was around 5000 yen, which I think is an OK price. The store had a couple of bottles of tequila – excellent! They had Jose Cuervo (ugh), but they had silver label Herraduras, which would work just fine.

In the evening, some friends of Andrew’s came over to wish him well. They brought Kentucky Fried Chicken, and it was just as greasy here as it is in the US. They brought a japanese wine, which actually was quite good. I’m saving the bottle, and hopefully I can pick up some on a more regular basis.

Andrew is packing all night tonight to get things ready for his departure tomorrow.

Today we went into Kobe to have a big dinner at a French restaurant that is a favorite of Mr. Hayashi. The trip itself was easy enough, and I was impressed with the train station at Kobe. I also bumped into quite a few foreigners like myself – I’ve been used to being one of the few. Before going to dinner, Mr. Hayashi wanted us to go to a “trade show” and check it out with him. We followed him through a giant shopping mall, and eventually found our way to a tiny conference room in the back of a spooky building. Nobody was sure if we were in the right place, but when we opened the door, there was about eight Japanese in suits, waiting for us.

I’m not sure what the event was, but it wasn’t a trade show. The people put us each on a machine and measured our bone density. Then we sat down and read some pamphlets (all in Japanese… I faked it). Afterwards, the president of some company stood up and talked for about half an hour about his products, which as far as I could tell, are algae based foods and supplements. He passed out green tea as refreshments, and I figured something was up when all the employees watched us while we drank them. There might have been algae in there, I’m not sure. Then they passed around pills that they wanted us to eat. I skipped that – a couple of weeks ago I was at home in California, now I’m downing pills with a bunch of Japanese people I don’t know… how surreal is that? Afterwards, they passed out some kind of sports drink that had something to do with blueberries and bees. I drank two of those, figuring I would be out late tonight and I needed something to keep me going. I was willing to put up with a lot since all the teachers were springing for dinner.

After we snuck out of there, I threw away the crap they gave me, and we took a taxi into another part of Kobe to eat dinner. The restaurant was in a part of town that used to be full of foreigners. The architecture was European, and the neighborhood was very cool. There are restaurants all over, and the streets are very narrow. Lots of young people were running around, and it had a good feel. I snapped a few photos, but since we were on the move, I’ll have to come back to document the experience a little better.

The restaurant was in a 102 year old house, and the food was quite good. Mr. Hayashi had called ahead and our menu was already set. The food was excellent, and for the first time since I arrived in Japan, I used a fork, knife and spoon. The waiter was very concerned that everyone used the right utensil at the right time, and I had fun throwing him off and moving things around. Everyone was very serious at the table, and we could have used a couple of shots of tequila to loosen everyone up. After a couple of rounds of drinks, things started to get moving. The cameras came out, and we took a ton of pictures. I understand the restaurant was quite expensive. I’m probably not going back anytime soon.

Kobe seems like a great city, and I’m eager to go back and do some more exploring on my own. Tomorrow I’m sticking around the apartment to help Andrew pack, and then the next day he’s leaving early in the morning.