Sayonara Japan

My lovely ladies of Friday Conversation Class

I have been back in Oregon for almost a week, enjoying beautiful weather before the wet weather sets in.  My last six months in Japan were the exact opposite of the first six months.  Due to existing school schedules that were not flexible to accommodate the new position they created for me, (Coordinator for International Relations between Yamagata City and Florence, Oregon),  I spent my first six months following ALT's around to all 13 elementary and jr. high schools in Yamagata City.  I also visited the many pre-schools and taught adult English in one of the community centers.  After the new school year started in April, I became the ALT (assistant language teacher) at 2 Ijira Elementary Schools and the Ijira Jr. High.  I also started teaching more adult sessions, so needless to say the "teacher" in me was much happier the second part of the year.  Here are a few pics of some of my adult and children's classes I taught since April.

6th graders at Ijira Minami

I told the elementary students in Ijira that this would be my last teaching assignment after 36 years of teaching.  Let's see if I can figure out what to do with myself if I stick to this plan.  Below are just a few pictures out of thousands that we took in Japan.  Charly and I are already missing our wonderful friends to made, the incredible food, the temples and castles, and the amazing beauty we enjoyed in Ijira and all around Gifu prefecture.

Charly loves the creepy crawlies

Amazing food

drying persimmons / kaki

Nagoya Castle 

Even the bugs are beautiful

1,000 year old cherry tree

Every city has there signature man-hole covers / Gujo 

Mino washi lantern.....works of art 

Good-bye party with great friends at our favorite soba restaurant

Tea ceremony in traditional home in Ijira 

Taiko Drumming at Coming of Age Ceremony

Pagoda at Gifu  Koen

Our favorite local temple at Ijirako

Kyoto temple 

Best sushi ever.....thanks Sano-san

Warrior protecting temple at Ijirako

"Ya put your right hip in"    Ijira pre-schoolers

                            Doumo Arigato Gozaimasu.....Japan!
What an amazing year.......where to next?   That's the question.  All Charly and I want to do is travel again.

Waiting for Spring

I have not been very diligent with my blog posts because big changes are coming in April for my job here in Yamagata City.  I will feel much more like a teacher once the new school year starts here April 7th, for I will finally stop following around the ALT (Assistant Language Teachers) and become the ALT at two elementary schools and one jr. high here in Ijira where we live.  I will still be visiting the pre-schools one day a week and teaching citizens English one day a week.  I can't wait to finally feel like I am doing something useful here.  We are still enjoying the people, food, culture, and history here.  So until I start actually teaching and have more to say, I will share some photos of Japan.  

Comorant fishing on Nagara River

Downward looking Buddha in Gifu made of bamboo & paper 

Pagoda at Gifu Koen 

Charly's 70th at our favorite soba restaurant 

Miniature Ooga Catstle or Giant Charly

Nagoya Castle (not a miniature)

       Next time I blog I will show you pictures of cherry blossoms.

my latest flower arranging.....love the class

Year of the Horse

1st Calligraphy of the new year at Ijira Elementary (4th graders)

Happy New Year to all.  Charly and I had yet another interesting Christmas and New Year's adventure. Christmas is celebrated by some in Japan, but it is not a recognized holiday, so on Christmas morning Charly and I found ourselves at a pre-school with about 60 two, three, four, and five year olds. They sang for us and did a little Christmas program.  We presented them with small treat bags of candy and stickers which was our way of making it feel a little more like Christmas.  In the afternoon Charly & I went to our favorite soba restaurant in Ijira for a very nice dinner.  We did get to skype with Caitlin & Zane that day, which always makes us happy.  The Christmas tree Charly drew was decorated with old photos of past Christmas cards, which made me smile when I looked at it.

I hated to take it down.

Our next adventure was a much anticipated trip to explore more of Japan with our old dear friend Marsha.  After her short two day rest from jet-lag, we boarded the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Okayama prefecture and our first destination - Shiraishi International Villa.  Most of our Japanese friends had never heard of this island in the Seto Sea, but thanks to our dear BCF friends Vicki & Ian, we were turned on to this great set of international villas, made for foreign tourists.  Japanese people can only go to these villas with foreigners.  We had this marvelous place overlooking the sea all to ourselves.  It is a small mountainous island with many hiking trails, shrines and temples, and large beach area.  Charly was happy that he finally had a beach to use his metal detector.  While Marsha and I hiked and explored the temples, Charly spent his first full day in a hard cold wind looking for treasure.  He found lots of coins, so even though he hurt his back staying our too long, he was pleased with his bounty.  Marsha & I tried to spend New Year's Eve at the Buddhist temple to bring in the new year.  We were not sure about the ceremonial conventions and with little Japanese to help us communicate we did our own version of meditation, lighting candles & incense, and prayer.  After four days on this traditional small island we boarded the ferry back to   the big city of Hiroshima.

Shiraishi Island

Our first day in Hiroshima was spent at the Hiroshima Peace Park.  This was a sobering experience for us, but one we felt we needed to shed a few tears and pray for an end to nuclear weapons.  After this emotional experience, we accidentally walked into a delightful Christmas Light Display on 6 blocks of downtown Hiroshima.  It was an uplifting experience topped off with wonderful Hiroshima Okonomiyaki (delicious).  This was also recommended to us by Vicki & Ian.  They are Japan experts.

Atomic Bomb Memorial 

Downtown Hiroshima

On Saturday the last weekend of the winter vacation we took a ferry with thousands of others to Miyajima Island near Hiroshima.  This is a World Heritage Site with incredible hikes to the top of Mt. Misen, pagodas, temples, and the large red tori in the picture below.  Our pictures from the top of the island don't do it justice, as it was a bit cloudy that day.  We shopped a bit in the craft stores and bought some Japanese door hangings and ate delicious smoked oysters.  Even though there were massive crowds of people, it was a very good day.

On Sunday we got on the bullet train once again and traveled up to Kyoto.  Our wonderful friend & interpreter Ayako arranged to meet us with two of my adult English students there for a tour of the main attractions.  Our first stop was Gingkakuji Temple, (Silver Temple), where we enjoyed the beautiful zen gardens and vowed to return again in the spring.  We then took a walk along the Philosopher's Path, where Charly and Marsha found a local artist who does remarkable pencil drawings of the area.  After lunch we visited the fascinating Nijo Castle.  The history and restoration of this 16th century castle is full of lavish Edo period carvings and paintings.  Our final stop of the day was the Kinkakuji (gold) Temple.  This was also spectacular in its beauty and gardens.  Having Japanese tour guides to explain the history and meaning of these historic places, made the experience much more meaningful.  It was a wonderful day.

Our final day in Kyoto was spent visiting the Traditional Japanese Crafts Museum.  This is a wonderful museum which shows traditional weaving, pottery, lacquer ware, metal work, bamboo fencing, kimonos, umbrellas, fans, and much more.  We returned to Ijira tired, but very happy to have been able to experience more of Japan.  

Marsha's final week with us in Ijira was jammed packed with two school visits, helping teach the English workshop, a trip to Mino to see the paper lanterns, Ijira Lake & Temple, and a good-bye luncheon with new Japanese friends.  It was wonderful to be able to share our generous and friendly Japanese friends with Marsha.  

At local temple in Ijira