How school is during February

So, just last week I had the contract for re-contracting with JET before me on my desk. This is the 2nd time I'd seen this paper. In my first year it came a a surprise. You receive the paper in January and must submit it sometime in February. In my first year I felt like I had only just arrived, and I was being asked to decide on another year (with 6 months remaining on the current contract).

Sumo in Fukuoka - tastes of Japan

So, I hopped on a bus with some friends from Nagasaki and took of to Fukuoka for a 1 day 1 night holiday. The main thing on the schedule was Sumo wrestling! I really had no idea about it, but I have learnt a few things. Firstly, this is something you have to do at least once! It is far more interesting to go there in person than it is to watch on TV. Here are a few things i've learnt:

-Most of the famous fighters fought later in the day. Since we got there early we saw all the juniors fighting each other. They weren't even displayed on the ranking sheet. Though, this was still really awesome. You can see that there are hardly any people in the picture (taken in the morning)

- Acquaint yourself with the schedule.

- You'll probably be there for quite a while. Get some food because I don't think you can go back out (though in Fukuoka there was food and omiyage (gifts) down in the lobby.

- If your getting a cheap seat (in the back) make sure your camera has a good zoom... obviously mine didn't.

Yeah, but really try it out once at least. It cost me about 3000 yen for a cheap reserved seat.

Summer in Japan - a couple of hints - something practical for the incoming JETs

So, it is pretty much summer here in Japan. I believe that it is still suppose to be the rainy season, but including today we've had 3 fine days. You know when it is summer when your on the way to school in the morning and you think it would be a great idea to go for a dip in that small river next to school. When you are hoping that the bus gets here quicker so you can sit/stand in the nice air conditioned interior. When half of the English department goes for a mission to the closest supermarket for icecream.

The event called Hotaru ホタル in Japan (fireflies)

One thing that I love about Japan is that it seems to have a season or time during the year for everything. Sakura (cherry blossom) in spring, maple leaves and colour in autumn, Hotaru in the rainy season, etc, etc. I live in Nagasaki, a small city, but it has a fair share of its own events, some of which are famous around Japan (e.g. Lantern Festival).

Anyway, last night I went to see about the 蛍、ホタル、Hotaru (fireflies) around Nagasaki. In fact, I found that Nagasaki has a website setup for giving Hotaru reports (check out other locations around Japan here). So the fireflies are doing their glowing, dancing business from the end of May to mid June. Some famous spots will also have a Hotaru Matsuri (Firefly festival). 

Personally, I loved seeing these things floating around, giving off a kind of magical feeling. The best moments are when you get a good view down the river/stream and see like a tunnel of glowing, pulsating orbs swirling around.  These things were tricky to photograph but I got 1 or 2 keepers that'll i'll post up later.

Any way, cheers, these critters are still about for a bit longer, so get out and see them if you can ;)

Prefectural high school games - kousoutai 高総体

Hey there, long time no post.
So as I have said through some of my posts, working at schools in Japan is not only about the classes. There are many events through the year. At different times in the year, you may feel like you're attending more events than actual classes. One of these events in high school is Kousoutai 高総体 (high school athletic meeting). This event (in Nagasaki prefecture anyway) is prefectural. That means all the high schools in Nagasaki-ken (prefecture) have to compete against each other in different sports.

This event is quite big. The sports are played in various high schools and sports grounds around the prefecture. Usually it has a city that it is based in, but the events are held in various places. During this time students either participate or cheer on their fellow students. There are no classes, but there is no stay at home option ;) Students are given tickets they must hand to teachers to show they had attended the event to support their high school. Though in reality they only needed to hand them in and then leave, but the many I saw enjoyed watching the sport. Same goes for the teachers (including me), we had to attend. However, teachers don't need to hand in tickets. The Kousoutai takes place over about a week, and narrows down to the winning high school sports teams.

I quite enjoyed the Kousoutai. It is quite a nice time of the year for it to be held. Now it has just entered the rainy season, so the days are warm, but not too hot like summer. I, myself, went to watch Karate on the first day, and then swimming and volleyball on the second day. The atmosphere of the city changes a bit with all the highschool students out in groups wearing uniform. It was an interesting day, meeting students, walking around, watching sport, relaxing, etc.

Well just a quick post explaining the event. Might put some pictures/video of some sports later. Cheers.

Sakura (cherry blossom) in Nagasaki (plus a Sakura song)

So, it was just the end of May. That means the 桜 Sakura (cherry blossom) is starting to fade away. At school this is a time when some teachers are transferred to new schools. Perhaps it is not the best time for some teachers. However, it is a exciting time for others (as they get to leave, or are happy because they get to stay). Some ALTs supervisor are transferred... sad day. I, however, have been lucky, my supervisor and the teachers I'm close to are staying. Unfortunately some of the younger teachers were transferred.

Anyways, during Sakura it will be common to see families or companies set up picnic style under Sakura trees. Some will go all out with BBQ, chiller and all. I went up 立山 Tateyama (Tate hill) in Nagasaki for "Hanami" (Cherry blossom viewing). Here are some photos:

Here is a song which is kind-of related, Sakura by Funky Monkey Babies (a popular Japanese band at the moment):

My thoughts about buying your first cellphone in Japan

So, I came to Japan some time ago, and have had a while to think about what I should have done when first buying my cellphone.
At one point in this blog I said it may be a good idea to buy a Nintendo 3DS and get the Japanese dictionary software instead of buying a Japanese Electronic dictionary. However, it would be far better to buy a decent cellphone right from the get-go. So, for starters, there is 3 main cellphone providers in Japan: Docomo, Au, and Softbank. Asking around, I can't really find many differences in quality/service (this may be different if you live far from the cities in the mountains next to a rice field). However, Softbank in particular seems to focus on smartphones (IPhones, etc)

To cut this short my advice is... think about what you will need during your time in Japan. You are paid well, think about what new things you want to acquire in the next year or two. So, if you wrap all this up in to what you cellphone could potentially do, what do you get? For myself, I found after a while I wanted/needed a Electronic Japanese dictionary (with Kanji input of course), and a way to check up Japanese sentences/travel info. Thinking about this, perhaps it would have been best to get an Android (hint hint, bias here) or Iphone which has dictionary apps for free or cheap, and good internet capabilities. That way you can input kanji by the touchscreen, etc etc.

Also more advice, forget the gimmicks that Japanese phones offer. There is so much packed into some of these phones, but in reality you may never use it. For example, water-proof phones. How often do you plan to submerge your phone in water? If your prone to dropping things in the toilet, this may be actually useful. Many other games/apps/tools loaded by the provider end up never being used. Built in camera? Surely useful, but don't go overkill. A handheld will always be better, and a good one isn't hard to come across in Japan. Solar phone? Good from trampers (hikers), but if you don't do that regularly you can always charge it every night. Ok, get the idea. Don't buy the phone for a gimmick. Check out that it has what you want, you are likely to get a 1-2 year contract. So make sure, if you want a alpha keyboard, that it has a software/hardware one. Does it have access to those apps you want, etc etc.

Also, for those that have signed up and want to change your contract, I have heard (needs confirming) that some providers (Softbank) will pay-off your current contract (on another network) and sell you a phone cheap. Check it out at the nearest store or something if you really want to change.

Omiyage (お土産）- about bringing gifts(souvenirs) for your fellow teachers - First months with JET programme

So you've probably heard about people brining souvenirs from their home country to give to their fellow teachers. This is a part of the culture in some ways, and is a good idea.
In Japan the word souvenirs can be translated as "Omiyage" お土産.
I knew about this a bit before I came, thanks to my embassies introduction. In Japan, buying Omiyage while your away on holiday & business trips to give to your co-workers is a normal thing. Generally the Omiyage are not that expensive in Japan (１０００円ー２０００円） When I go on holiday around Japan I usually grab some Omiyage for my co-workers just before I leave the city.
I say all this just to give you an idea of the culture you'll be coming into. The teachers aren't expecting you to give them anything, it is just a nice gesture and shows you understand the culture. As in Japan, you don't need to bring a expensive Omiyage from your home country. Usually Omiyage here are boxes (20-30 pieces) of small food items local to places in Japan. If you have some peculiar food in your country it might be a good idea to try and find a small box of them.
I went to a local souvenir store and brought many small cheap items (not tacky, but cheap). I brought a nice Paua shell letter opener for the Kouchou-Sensei (principal), and a small plate with a scene on it for Kyoto-Sensei (head teacher). For the teachers I worked with I brought small key chains (accessory culture here is big ;) of New Zealand animals/famous things. I brought some local soaps (Kiwi fruit soap, Manuka honey) for my supervisor (some Japanese will regularly use their bath).
So pretty much, I brought some small interesting items for the key people i'll be working with. You can't buy something for every teacher, so if you can bring something to share (like I said, 20-30 piece pack deal) then that'll be good. Also, some people may have many schools, if that is the case then maybe just buy small things for a few key people or just a pack of home country food to share around each school. Also, check about how many staff members you have in your staff room (職員室 Shokuin shitsu). I usually need about 2 packs of Omiyage to go around my main school. Yet, my previous school 1 pack would easily suffice.

Also, if you want to try some Japanese, this phrase might come in use as you hand someone a small gift: これはつまらない物ですが、どうぞ。　Said like: Kore wa tsumaranai mono desu ga, douzo. Literal: "This is a uninteresting thing, but please take it." Translation: "This is only a small thing, but please take it"

Anyways, nothings to hard about this. Just understand that it is nice to include people in where you have been by buying them small Omiyage (also you might be involved in good conversations as you hand out your first Omiyage to staff).

Let me know if you have any other tips.
Cheers.

A few things I wish I brought

• Weird food that rivals the Japanese Natto (fermented soybean). If they try an inflict Natto on you then whip out some of your own countries terrible food to let them try.
• Some crazy as tea flavors. They love tea here, so if you have some crazy as tea flavors, it might be good to take out on a rainy day.
• Chocolate. The chocolate portions you can buy are pretty small here, it might be nice to surprise someone with how generous the chocolate portions are in other countries (bear in mind that it may be frying hot summer when you arrive).
• As I said above, small local foods that all the teachers can try.
• Bring a few local recipes with you. Cook them up one day and bring them along to a party or share it at work.
• Energy drinks are a lot different here. I was surprised to find they were nothing like "Red Bull", V Energy drink, etc, etc (I have actually been able to find Red Bull in a few convenience stores). Still, I miss my Guarana hit.   

What to bring with you to Japan --updated view--

So, I did a post some time ago about what you will really need to bring to Japan. I've looked at it again and will change a few things. If you are about to come to Japan on the JET programme, maybe this will help.

Toothpaste. Well, the toothpaste I brought from home ran out, and I've been using Japanese toothpaste ever since. Before I came here many said that it couldn't protect your teeth, but my teeth seem to be doing fine after 4 months. Perhaps my Japanese toothpaste actually has fluoride in it? Anyway, just saying, it is no big deal if you decide to forget toothpaste.

Shoes & socks. So my opinions about shoes haven't changed. You'll still need to bring plenty of shoes if you have large feet. US 12inch (30cm) seems to be the max size. Even then I can't find many size 12 shoes here, pretty rare. Another thing, if you do have big feet, then bring big socks haha. Many of the socks here seem to stop at about 28cm.

Clothing. Most people don't have many problems with clothes. But if you are larger (esp if your a lady) then it may be harder to find some clothes. You may be limited to a few stores (and that is if you live in a city). In my home country (NZ) I would fit a M or L t-shirt. But in Japan, it always seems to be Large that works.

Anyway, that is it for the revisions.

Another example of Japanese Church & Worship

Here is another video of worship in Nagasaki, Japan.

Church in Nagasaki

Hey there,

So just a quick post about going to church in Nagasaki. In general, church in Japan is probably not as big or the same as wherever you come from. I came from a very large church and now attend a small family like church in Nagasaki.

Check out their website here 

So my observation of my church anyway: fundamentally the same beliefs, emphasis on singing and praise, many new original Japanese songs but also many older English hymns. My church also has a strong focus on spiritual gifts. I'm not sure if this is common or not across Japan.

Anyway, I really just wanted to post a video here to show you what a Japanese worship song is like. This one i'll post is a regular song at my church. Here it is:

I took this video at the anniversary of the 26 Martyrs of Japan in Nagasaki.
If you do look around Nagasaki you'll find a few memorials and influence from the Christian faith. I think it is great to see. I mean, apart from all the grand old churches around there is the 26 Saints memorial, the waterfall memorial for Christians who suffered at Glover garden (perhaps Nagasaki's biggest tourist attraction).  There really is an interesting Christian history in Nagasaki city. However, as it goes, the 26 saints are famous because they were martyrs, so it was obviously pretty hard-times for that faithful back then.

Anyhow, maybe post more videos later ;) Cheers!

Japan Life - Taking the bus... how to do it!

Sorry, it has been a while since posting last. I have been holidaying around Kyoto!
So, I want to talk about something that you will tackle very early on... Buses!

This is something I had to overcome in my first week here in Japan, and I wasn't told anything.
So here is what happened. My first adventure into the city of Nagasaki went like this: try to decipher the
bus time table at the bus stop. See the bus with what looks like the correct Kanji and Katakana. Decide to go for it. I notice people take a ticket, I take one upon entering. I decide the bus is going the wrong way (incorrect, it was just going another route). Watch kids get off for an example. Figure you chuck the ticket into the machine next to the bus driver to get the price. I chuck in the ticket. Machine reads "Err 2". I'm like "How much?". Bus driver says in Japanese "You don't understand Japanese do you?". Me: "no". Bus driver takes correct fare from my hand.

Well, not exactly a terrible day, but it can be avoided. It didn't help that I don't really do public transport back home (I have my own car), but in Japan....   Let me give you the run down on successfully getting to know your way around.

Generally,

• Ask your predecessor for the name of important destination and routes (and the Kanji of course).
• Learn the closest stops and routes to your school and other important places.
• Learn the route back home. Most people will probably not live at the buses destination, so you have to learn what bus routes you can take back home.
• Figure out what type of bus it is. Is it a flat fare? Or does the fare depend on how far you travel.

Riding the bus:

Firstly, check the schedule at your bus stop. There will probably be 2 schedules. One for normal weekdays, and another for the weekend. There will probably be a grid layout with destinations on the left (and their different routes, e.g. via point A, point B), and the hours running across the top. Usually public holidays use the weekend schedule (unless there is an additional schedule printed).

When the bus comes, check the destination on the front and side screens. Make sure the destination and route are the ones you want. When you're getting in you may realize there is a scanner at the door for cellphones or bus cards. There may also be a ticket dispenser built in to the scanner. If so, take a ticket (or scan away). If there is no ticket, it is probably a flat fare; try find the pricing written somewhere in the bus. If you've got a ticket there will probably be a number on it. It corresponds to a number on a screen at the front of the bus. This will show you your current fare. The bus will usually announce the next stop e.g. "Tsugi wa Arashiyama desu." (Next is Arashiyama). There may also be Kanji displayed for the next stop at the front. When your stop comes by, press one of the many buttons around the bus. There is usually a machine for change next to the bus driver (make sure you use the coin sized slot for the coins that you want turned to change). You can usually get change for 1000yen notes or coins.  You also put your fare into the same machine once you've arrived. There will be a large mouth on the machine, simply chuck the appropriate fare into it (if you have a ticket, throw that in too). The machine should make a happy beep if you have given it the right amount (it will not give you change if you put to much in). 

Getting out of a bus in Japan is usually done pretty efficiently. Make sure you've got the right change before the bus stops. Get change from the change machine just before the bus stops if needed. However, it is not the end of the world if you don't.

Any how, hope that prepares you ;)