Ube Material Industries, heart of the city

Boats in the air

Big boats

Small boats

Shallow soil, wide roots

There's just something about this bear that bugs me

Spring is starting

An elevator ride

I was just headed out to the 7 & i-holdings (that's 7-11 to those of you stateside), when I ran into one of my neighbors in the elevator. An elderly gentleman. We had a pleasant chat about the weather, I said goodbye and wandered off towards the convenience store. It struck me then that it ws odd to see a man in his early seventies headed out at one in the morning. But then, I thought of my friend Hide Aniki. He's seventy-six with diabetes and I have ran into him several times at Joker's. He is always in the process of ordering drinks and food for himself, the bartenders and those sitting near him. He's seen me going into the Fuji Grand for work several times now and always calls out to say hello. Truly a friendly man.

Haircut

I had my haircut a few days back now. Went to a monk that lives in Asa on Jim's reccomendation. There was no telling them what I wanted, Hiroki, the monk, just felt my head and started cutting - it turned out nice, but I'm not gonna bother with a picture here and now, it'll just have to turn up in the course of things. It was about time to my boss, my boss's boss and my boss's boss's boss had all told me to get a haircut. Now it's trim the sideburns and buy a new suit, it's never done. Hiroki and his wife Kiyoka are some of the nicest people that I've met so far in the greater Ube area. We chatted about anime and video games, and after the haircut Hiroki showed me his airsoft guns. They also told me there's a kofun in Asa (which for reference is a little nothing town a stone's throw northwest of Ube [half an hour by train]) - and to this kofun they will take me. On their ATV's. But, first they're taking me to Saga prefecture to see a temple, and maybe a ninja village. Saga is between Fukuoka and Nagasaki, and to hear the students tell it, it makes Yamaguchi seem packed full of things to do.
In NOVA news, they cut the office supply budget. Completely. We were kinda wondering why there were no pens and staples seemed in short supply, and now we know. So us teachers and the Japanese staff are now completely responsible for the purchase of pens, staples, whiteout, tape, and, well the list goes on. It's a move I don't understand. Sure, they lost money last quarter but I think a multi-trillion yen corporation can afford eight hundred thousand yen a month for staples (both literal and fugrative staples here - man I'm deep). Perhaps they could cut down on expansion and refocus, you know, and other business things.

Iwakuni and Majime and Tokiwa (again)

About two weeks ago I took a trip to Iwakuni with Akemi and Miho to see some cherry blossoms. It was still a little early in the season, so they were only twenty percent open or so, but it was still a lovely trip. We were able to see Kintaikyo, the famous five arched bridge in the evening. And we could walk across it for free, because it was after hours. I understand that, yes it's a historic landmark and very important, but I still don't understand being charged five hundred yen to walk across a bridge. Meandering around the town we saw some more cherry blossoms and a nice view of Iwakuni-jo and thankfully, no Army guys. For dinner we went to a restaurant called Sanzoku, in the middle of the mountain, decked out with fire pits and outside dining, souvenir shopping and taiko drums you could beat on. In the parking lot was a car the was completely not suspicious. A black Bentley with tinted windows with a man in a flashy suit and sunglasses getting something out of the back.

On Friday last, I went to Tokiwa for a bike ride around the lake before work. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and it was a zoo. There's not a terrible amount to say, pictures are below.

Sunday was the NOVA hanami at the Majime River, near city hall about one click from my apartment. A pleasant if uneventful time of light drinking and snacking with coworkers in the park. The Japanese staff came, ate some Moss Burger off to the side and then left. It started to rain and we all went our separate ways after an hour.

Hanging out and snacking

Palms and cherries together again

Kintaikyo. Another view.

Hanami spot at the Majime River

Kintaikyo and Iwakuni-jo

Sculpture, palm and cherry trees

Flower lined path

Roller coaster and blossoms

Family at Tokiwa hanami

Why Daisuke is the coolest bartender in town (sorry Ezra)

I was just settling into bed with a book last night when my phone rang. It was Daisuke, the bartender at Healing Box Bigi. The conversation went as follows (in Japanese [I speak in blue]):

"Hello?"
"Hi, this's Daisuke"
"This is Evan"
"What're you doing?"
"I was just about to go to sleep"
"Well, this really cute girl just walked in to the bar, I was telling her about my cool friend Evan, so I think you should come down to the bar tonight."
"Aw, man, Daisuke, I'd love to, but I gotta work early tomorrow."
"That's terrible."
"Yeah, I know man, but watcha gonna do?"
"Yup, well, I'll call you later I guess."
"Right on. Night."
"Night."

Now, of course, this is just an approximation based on memory and translation. But, I got the important part right.
Daisuke has never called me before.

Visitors

Dansen stopped by last Wednesday night, which, in all honesty, was awesome. He's just returned to Japan after a year in Korea and three months in Hong Kong. The plan was to fly to Pusan and take the ferry into Fukuoka. But, there were some difficulties with his arrival; originally he was scheduled to come on Monday, however trouble making a timely connection from HK to Pusan and sold out ferries because of the equinoctial travel season led to his delayed arrival. Moreover, there were some minor difficulties in catching the correct train from Hakata to Ube. Minor difficulties which resulted in his, exceedingly brief, stay in Hiroshima. But, hell, I haven't seen the dude in two years, so delays are really quite inconsequential.
Wednesday, after I got back from work, we went out. First to the izakaya pictured at right, Doma, for tasty foods and drinks, but unfortunately they were out of chicken hearts, so we had to do with knuckles - a poor substitute. After, we went to Healing Box Bigi where where Daisuke, the bartender, was more than happy to help us out in our quest for potables. While there an interesting succession of people entered an exited the bar. First was a young couple, soon after they left a salaryman and a much younger woman entered and upon their exit a biker, leather and all, arrived in the bar. Needless to say, the topics of conversation covered that night were broad, but stuck to your standard "Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll" formula. We left Bigi and adjourned to Maybe Tomorrow but, at that point Dansen had begun to, as the French say, "pound in nails with his head." To be more direct: he fell asleep at the bar. Feeling that it was in his best interests to rest, we went home.
The next morning Dansen woke well before I did and rose me in time to get ready for us to meet his old friend from his Tokyo Nova days. So, at the crack of noon, we marched down to Higashi-Shinkawa (my local train stop) to meet Tanya. While they met in Tokyo some years ago, she's now in Onomichi as a JET. Together we hoped on the first train to Shin-Yamaguchi (the major local hub) and then sprang into mulling around aimlessly whilst deciding what to do with ourselves for the afternoon. We knew there was sightseeing to be had but our thought process had not extended much beyond that. But, the choices were quickly pared down to Tsuwano and Akiyoshido. This was a decision easily made as the train for Tsuwano came in two hours and the bus for Akiyoshido left in fifteen minutes.
Akiyoshido is a large cave. Very large. In fact I believe it may be the largest cave in Asia, however I will be willing to accept any and all correction on this point. But Akiyoshidai is a small , tourist town, depending on the cave, Akiyoshido, and the expansive boulder studded plateaus in the surrounding area. After some enjoyment in wandering the cave and enjoying the beautiful scenery we decided three things. One, we were hungry, two it was starting to rain, and three, we were a little lost. Eventually though we found the bus station just in time to catch a bus to Yamaguchi city and enjoy some quite stunning Indian food at Shiva, a noted restaurant in the area. After an immensely satisfying meal of naan and curry we struck home. Had a late night snack at Hai Kaladori, a friendly if mediocre izakaya where we attempted to meet a friend. Minor difficulties, not worth elaborating upon, ensued.
I saw them off to Beppu the next day, and am looking forward to Dansen's dropping back in on his way back up to Tokyo. If he is able to he should arrive within the next fifteen hours. Even if he cannot, it was good to see Dansen and meet Tanya. Having him around, a reminder of America if you will, made Japan seem much more foriegn than the familiar country it is fast becoming. A strange experience.

Even all-seeing-Vishnu couldn't tell us where the bus stop was

A desolate grave

Walking down the long hall

The "King of the Cave"

The famous Akiyoshido pillar

Photography is hard in the dark (I knew I should've brought my tripod)

The mouth of the cave

A beautiful spring day in Akiyoshidai

From Tsunoshima to Kitakyushu

About a week ago I took a trip with my friends Akemi and Miho out towards Tsunoshima, a little island on the Northwest corner of Yamaguchi, just past Kottoi. However, this time we were driving, so it only took an hour or so and we were also able to stop at some kofun. At Doigahama, of course, but also at a nice little roadside kofun too. The museum at Doigahama was nice, with some good examples of Kofun-period culture and some neat artifacts, especially pottery, but it was quite small, and fairly skull heavy. I'm not quite sure that skull shape has changed enough between modern times and the Edo-period to warrant comparison displays of skulls, but I suppose it doesn't hurt. From Doigahama, it was off to Tsunoshima, where there was a lighthouse, a parking lot and a squid drying machine. It was quite a nice turn of the century lighthouse, and after a climb to the top, the view was quite spectacular. From Tsunoshima, we meandered down to Kitakysuhu where we gazed at the turn of the century buildings there in Mojiko town and were pestered by jinrikusha (or, in English: riksha) drivers looking for a fare. It seems like there's not too much to say as it was a siteseeing expedition, so I'll let the pictures below speak for themselves.
There is one last thing though, upon our return home, I was treated to what I believe was a "challenge" meal, in other words: "Let's see what we can get the white guy to eat." Having passed the eel liver earlier that day, I was served blowfish (easy), crab brains (good texture, but horrible flavor), sazae - whole sea-snail in the shell, raw and boiled (tasty, but chewy) as well as some hirezake which is sake served with a dried blowfish tail in it (quite tasty).

Monkey and trainer, Kitakyushu

Tsunoshima lighthouse, forlornly lamenting GPS

View from the top of the lighthouse

Looking down from the lighthouse

Doigahama Kofun turned Intrepretive Center

Inside of the recently remodled Doigahama Kofun

Ube-Kosan at night

Ube-Kosan at sunset

One man's public art is another's only hope of fixing his Gremlin

I still don't care much for swans

This way!

Fallow fields in Winter

Cabbies and Cursing, Beamers and Buddha

The other night, I was out having a drink, at one of my favorite shot bars in Ube, "Healing Box Bigi". Whilst chatting with some of the other patrons I discovered that the fellow sitting next to me enjoying a beer and a smoke happened to be a monk, I took down his temple and number, told him I would visit the next day and exitied the bar. I flagged down the nearest cab and told him to take me to the 7-11 (or, as it's now known in Japan, 7 & i-Holdings) nearest my house. I was a little curious when he asked if I was a university student, but I payed it no heed. However, either he wasn't listening well or I was not speaking well but he took him quite far out of the way to a 7 & i near the local university. I corrected him and exited the cab some minutes later at the correct convenience store, grumbling to myself about a cab fare just a thousand yen short of my bar tab.
The next day, awaking at the crack of noon I set out to take some fresh pictures of Tokiwa. Only to realize that even though I had taken a cab home, I had rode my bike out to the bar the previous night. Thus, I had to walk downtown to retrive it before making my way to the lake. Eventualy though I was able to accomplish my picture taking mission to my statisfaction, so I decided to call my new friend and man of the cloth, Yoshi. As the temple was hard to find he arranged to pick me up nearby. He arrived some minutes later in his BMW, explaining, when I complimented him, that "I like cars." We arrived at the temple, which his grandfather built and where he lives with his parents and grandmother. He was kind enough to give me a tour and show me the tombstones he'd built, the kimono he wears when he prays, and even to identify the statuary for me. After this I joined him and his parents for a cup of tea and an hour or so of pleasant conversation. Unfortunately the conversation was limited to the scope of my Japanese, however they seemed to be lovely people. Early in the conversation his father asked me if I liked nihonshu, and when I replied in the affirmative he handed me a giant bottle of said fluid, from Niigata Prefecture. I'm saving it for hanami, when I will be surrounded by sake, barbecues and cherry blossoms. His mother, as I was leaving, told me to come again, I hope to be able to take her up on that. I shall just need to remember how to get there.

Only use your heating devices for their intended purpose

I had just made a cup of coffee and then decided to run out to the vending machine; I thought to myself, "I can just set this cup of coffee on top of my space heater and it will keep warm warm while I am out." No such luck. I returned and I picked up my mug, expecting a pleasantly warm cup of coffee. But, the space heater had heated only the handle. I was forced to drink my lukewarm coffee while wearing a leather glove to protect my hand. Let this be a warning to everyone.

It's easier to fast and meditate when you're warm

The biggest ice machine I've ever seen

Downtown Kottoi

The middle of nowhere reveals its secrets (or lack thereof)

About two weeks ago I was talking with some students about Japanese history; I mentioned my interested in seeing Kofun and asked if there were any in Yamaguchi. He told me that there were some near Kottoi, I took down the name and planned a trip. Thursday last I set out with Beth, and after two and a half hours of train travel and our transfers we arrived. As we disembarked we found all the locals sitting around the front of the station waiting for a bus, and, as the vibe was not a friendly one, I demured from asking if they knew where as kofun around there was. Moreover, knowing nothing of the local area, we decided that taking a bus would not be in our best interest as we could end up up a creek sans paddle. So we chose a direction and set out on foot; we soon saw a sign saying that there was civilization a mere three kilometers down the way.
After a pleasant walk, in pleasant weather, circled by pleasant hawks we arrived in Kottoi-mura. I was quite hungry and we set out upon a search for resturants and found all three of them to be closed. After purchasing our food at a supermarket, I left and went outside to wait for Beth. She took an inordinate amount of time inside and when I questioned her on this she said, "As soon as you left the cashier started speaking to me in English." (Naturally I was confused by this, was I that intimidating, or did I merely leave too soon?) The cashier told her that the resturants, for some inexplicable reason, were closed until school got out for the day. Mustering what remained of my courage, and hope, I entered the post office and asked there about kofun. Nothing. We then walked back to the train station and took the train home. I have questions I need to ask the student that directed us to Kottoi.

Update (2/14):
So, I related my misadventure to some students in class today and after some initial confusion ("I went to Kottoi." "Eeeh? Why?"), it came out that the kofun and history museum I was promised in fact were located some twenty kilomenters south at Doigahama, which is also apparently a famous and incredibly beautiful beach town.

Fixin' a box

Bowling for factories

The JGSDF springs into action

Last week, Jim (my roomate) and Beth (the new teacher) took a spur of the moment trip to Yamaguchi city. It was already late in the day and we arrived after dark; whlist looking for Rurikoji we became slightly lost. But, to our pleasant surprise, we happened across a Japanese Army (the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force) base. It was decided that, as the person least afraid of the military, I should ask for directions. The gate was about the size of a two lane road, with a spiked portable barricade in the center. The gate guard, and all the other soldiers I could see, was wearing camoflauge fatigues and a helmet. I walked up to the gate, waited for a bicycle and car to exit, then walked toward the guard. He saluted, I nodded back, and walked toward the office - at this point everyone became very surprised and alarmed. The exact thoughts running through their minds are, of course, a mystery to me; however I would suppose they were approximate to: "He walked past the guard! What'd we do? People aren't supposed to do that!" His CO ran over, to asses the threat I assume, and so I just asked directions from him. As we walked off I could hear them laughing at me.
I learned two lessons today, the first, as Jim so eloquently put it, is, "ALWAYS TALK TO THE GUY AT THE GATE!", the second, and aphorism of my own devising, "Where courage won't take you, obliviousness will."

Rurikoji, reflecting pool