Noodle Slide

There are so many fun summer event, festivals, experiences, and traditions. I think this is partially due to the general fondness for heat in Japan. Since I love the cold, I don't share their fondness for the warmer months of sweltering, humid, heat, but this noodle slide was one of my favorite ways to cool off. One sultry summer evening after a church meeting, long bamboo poles - cut in half lengthwise - and a skein of hose were transformed into a magical noodle slide. It is called nagashi-somen, like dinner and a show. In theory, the running water keeps the noodles cool. You catch the slipping noodles in your chopsticks, dip them in the bowl of savory broth and slurp them down. 

There  are some great videos about it below, with my favorites first:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2LMsuYPRk4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgW5d4VghzM

http://pogogi.com/catch-your-noodles-flowing-somen-slide

For me, this experience really redefined "You can eat whatever you catch"...

On either side of the slide were lines of people, probably 20 or more people each catching their noodles in turn. There is a trick to catching the noodles...beyond just eating noodles with chopsticks. If the noodles made it past the feasting horde then it was gathered in a straining bowl at the bottom of the slide. I really liked this tradition. It is a great way to gather people together, and have fun and games over a meal. 

War

I do not think I have talked about this before, but there have been several moments here in Japan when history forced its way into center stage. There is no doubt that the war and its outcome are deeply embedded in the culture and landscape of this country. Every time I become aware of what has happened here, the juxtaposition, the sheer contrast between past and present, is then as real as an earthquake. 

My city, Mito, has been here in different forms since the fourth century A.D. 

The samurai "castle" and gardens were first built in the sixteenth century. Maps of my city from that samurai period can be seen on display in different museums throughout my city, but the samurai house on the hill is not the original because of World War 2.

          I studied the Wars in school - extensively since I was a history major in college. I know the statistics.  But I did not understand them. I still do not presume to understand them. Nonetheless, for the first time I got a taste of the humanity, the loss, and the destruction of that War.  For the first time I felt chest-crushing loss and a real anger - the kind that makes you feel like you have to do something. I don't know if you have ever come face-to-face with history like that, but I hope that someday you do.

           Mito, Japan was the eighth city targeted for napalm aerial bombings. On August 2, 1945, 68.9% of the city was destroyed by bombs and another 7% was destroyed in fires. There are people in my church who are old enough to remember that. Their experience, their memories are beyond my naivety. If I try to grasp the tragedy my mind still reduces it to numbers. Dehumanizing tragedy is often one of the ways disaster victims cope.  A small information bulletin in the Kaerakuen gardens (http://linguadiscipuli.blogspot.jp/2016/03/plum-blossoms.html ) was more real to me than than the numbers that I have heard about loss of life. The human numbers I still struggle to wrap my head around and feel real emotions as a result. However, there was another number that held my heart and made me still. During the bombings, more than two-thirds of the gardens and the grounds surrounding the samurai house were destroyed. Thousands of trees, dozens of species, were gone in an instant in the night. Standing in the middle of those gardens in full bloom, for the first time, I felt more than just numbers. I felt loss. The scope of the human loss I cannot conceive, but the loss of the beautiful trees was heart-wrenching. It helps me to understand, even if only a little.

       I have never had to witness the terrible reality of war although it is ever-present. I acknowledge that I still cannot begin to grasp the immensity of the human suffering and cultural loss of the War, although the echoes and reflections of it still haunts Japanese culture and I believe will continue to influence them indefinitely. I just want to remind my readers, if you will listen, that history is real and it touches our day-to-day lives even if we do not notice.

In what I write, I am not trying to vilify the fighters who took part in the bombings, nor justify either side's violence. There were so many horrors. I only want to share my grappling with history. Nevertheless, I do not write as one without hope. God is telling His story throughout history and from the ashes comes new growth. Below you can see a placard in my city showing a street corner that is now in the center of the city, next to the train station. The arrow is pointing to two small, fire-worn trees. Below that photo is another image that I've taken. You can see those same trees today, standing tall, witnesses to history, whose trunks are too large for me to wrap my arms around.

http://www.ditext.com/japan/napalm.html                                  

https://vimeo.com/149799416

Thank you God for rejuvenation.

Thank You for hope. 

The River きれい

Just a year in its life.

I have made my home here in Mito for almost one full year now. I came in the dead of winter and it has returned to us again - let the cycle begin anew. From the beginning I have taken "time lapse" pictures of the Cherry Blossom River by the train station.

Both sides of the river are lined with Cherry Blossom (sakura) trees. The South side blooms first with the faint pink of the traditional trees. The North side bursts into bloom just as the South side has died and has a whiter hue. During viewing season the river is lined for more than a mile with pink lanterns, extending the viewing season late into the night

                                   For more about the cherry blossoms, see my other post.         
                                   (http://linguadiscipuli.blogspot.jp/2016/05/sakura.html)

When the blooms fall the river becomes dormant again, a dead grey, waiting for the green of summer. 

In the summer, the grass grows un-manageably high, being cut every few weeks by a whole crew of men. You can see, even the water turns a vibrant, virulent green (maybe from algea).

Then the colors of fall. 

Once again, for more on that see my previous post. 

http://linguadiscipuli.blogspot.jp/2016/12/turning-of-time.html 

Then back to the dead of winter, waiting to start again. 

Turning of Time

When the flowers and energy of summer give a final bow and concedes to the changing of time, 

then comes Fall.

In a brisk wind the weather changes from the sultry summer heat to a crisp autumn day, stealing life from the trees and filling me with the energy of a new adventure. 

The Japanese word for fall leaves is "koyo", specifically connotating the brilliant reds of maple trees. In this posting I want to share the beauty of the season.                                       

 Please enjoy. 

Mito has been very intentional about cultivating the beauty of this season, lining the streets with gorgeous, deciduous trees and displaying nightly illumination of the ginko trees (yellow leaves below). 

Even the flower arrangements reflect the colors and sentiments of the season. 

For a moment it is beautiful and brilliant, 

then it falls and fades to await the pageant of next year.

How to Set Up a Kotatsu

I need one.

More than a year ago I started this entry with those three words and left it hanging.

I bought one.

          But now I feel qualified to share my elation on this piece of wonder furniture.If you have ever watched a Japanese drama or even anime you may have noticed the central table around which everyone gathers in the summer and the same table bundled in blankets for the winter. That is a kotatsu. Here is a picture of my kotatsu set up for the winter with soft and fluffy polar bear blankets from Nitori. (Nitori is my favorite furniture store here in Japan. It is like the Japanese version of Ikea and they make home deliveries. Here is their webpage for kotatsu supplies  https://www.nitori-net.jp/store/ja/ec/%E3%81%93%E3%81%9F%E3%81%A4?ptr=category)

           There are  several components to a kotatsu. Let me start by saying that it is, most basically, just a regular table in the hotter months. When winter comes there is another feature that I simply cannot believe the US does not sell. Under the table, built in, is a heating element that you attach the cord to . This heater  has insulated coils inside of it and a fan to spread the heat. It gets intensely warm very quickly - you can see the glow - but even on the hottest setting I can safely touch the heater box. 

Below is an aerial view of the table without the top. The table top is removable. The heater is built in under the beige, particle board center piece.  On this frame you lay the blanket and place the table top on top of that.  Then place your legs (or whole body) under the fuzzy blanket. Then turn the heater to your temperature of preference and relax. I  did a lot of research on kotatsu safety before investing and I found that it only poses a fire danger if you store fabrics under it and leave it on unattended. Even leaving the kotatsu running continually or sleeping under it is safe they say - although not advised. Folk wisdom says that sleeping under a kotatsu will give you a cold. In my experience, cold or not,  once you are under the kotatsu you can't leave till spring. There is an amazing new level of laziness that it inspires... which is not helped by my newfound ability to reach everything in my little house from one spot. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb_KCaslfBk

For a visual of how to set up a kotatsu, here is a youtuber setting up his own.
https://youtu.be/rygN2liuqFk

In the US, apparently the only way to get one is by making it yourself  which is not advised for general safety reasons or shipping it overseas. There are some places that offer them online in Europe, but do your research. I have never bought one in the West.
http://www.levraimeublejaponais.com/authentic-japanese-furniture-en/catalog/nagomi-line/furniture-list.htm

  

Mito To-Do List

My friend asked me for this list, so I thought I would share it since it has already been compiled.
I will have another post about the things which are available in Mito itself, but here are things which can be found in the area:

In Mito

http://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-city-guides/mito
http://www.travel-around-japan.com/k35-06-mito.html
-Kairakuen
           samurai house
           http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6201.html
           http://www.koen.pref.ibaraki.jp/foreign_language/en/
- Museums and aquarium
- Senba Lake
- Cherry Blossom River
- River walks (there are three)
- Discount shopping (book off and house off) and Sushi (Kappa Sushi conveyor belt)
- Parks and quiet places

- Mito art tower

- Mito history museum
- Mito Prefectural Office
- Small and Quaint shops or stores

Near Mito

-Fukuroda Falls
           http://www.japan-guide.com/blog/koyo15/151111_fukuroda.html
           http://www.pref.ibaraki.jp/bugai/kokusai/tabunka/en/oneday/20140217-fukurodafalls.html  
- Mito Station Shopping
- Omika (kawarago beach)
- Hitachi station (beach and mountain view)
- Hitachi naka seaside park
- Tskuba Station (shopping)
- Tskuba Mountain (hiking)

Japan in General

- Akihabara Tokyo (electronics)
- Shibuya Tokyo shopping (music and clothes)
- Harajuku Tokyo (the experience
- Onsen
- Different animal locations (cat island, rabbit island, animal cafe, fox village, or petting zoo)
- Karaoke
- Daiso, Seria, Watts or any other dollar store
- Kimono or Yukata (you can rent them if you do not have one)
- Food Varieties (neba, skimono, sashimi, natto, mochi, wagashi, ramen, sake, pan)
- Grocery store shopping

Learning about Japan

So, before moving to Japan I did a bit of trolling about the internet. How do you learn about a world I had no experience in? So here are the best solutions I came across:

Texan in Tokyo
They are a mixed culture couple (American and Japanese) and they address the contrasts between their home cultures. Sadly, they stopped posting new videos about a week ago, but they have over two years of regular vlogs, lots of blogs, and several books which are both informative and delightfully funny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfb8hJlMMwA

Rachel and Jun
They are also a  mixed culture couple. I particularly like their earlier videos because their later videos are clearly sponsored. Jun (the husband) often does his vlogs in Japanese while Rachel (the wife) produces in English. Both have bilingual subtitles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4CuEiVtG58
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92wtDKCtOiU

Japanology Plus - Begin Japanology - Tradjapan
These are videos produced by Peter Barakan and the NHK (the BBC or PBS of Japan). If you are looking for a sheer quantity of good and accurate information then this is a phenomenal way to get it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFBEOEVghYs&list=PLafjw5RRdR7K7Nhk5yNHDPbwHYd0fEDpb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL95mM4_Ewg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJHCGPp4G4k

NHK Japanese (culture and language series)
http://www.nhk.or.jp/lesson/english/learn/list/

Gaijin Pot
I have found that they always has accurate inform which is usually posted by expats.

Japan Guide
This is a wonderful website for planning your tourism and sightseeing. This is created by the government and is becoming even more useful as they prepare for the upcoming Olympics.
http://www.japan-guide.com/

Who's line is it, anyways...

           Right now I am both a language learner and a language teacher, an interesting and excellent diametrical opposition. It is interesting because it forces me to examine how my students study the language in order to tailor the class to their needs and develop new techniques to help them. It also means I look at many different aspects of language education as well as the various students in order to solve each problem. Being both a teacher and student it makes me a better student and teacher in ways that one role independently could not. I can teach my students tricks that I use, and the anomalies that I discover in class improve my own studies. I get to discover which difficulties exist because of the language barriers and which ones are personal problems.

        So I thought I would share a few things I have learned... but instead of the specifics of the Japanese language - which has already been categorized and catalogued by so many other wonderful sources - I want to share some tricks to keep in mind when learning any language. 

First, do not assume that the new language is the same as any other (only with different vocabulary). Treating multiple languages the same is like treating masses of people the same; if you  are looking for a shortcut or need to deal with an urgent problem quickly then it might just work. However, in the grand scheme of things it will just breed confusion and misunderstanding. Take the time to get to know the language on its own terms. So you cannot speak it fluently yet and this is not the easy way out... but you will be fluent soon enough (so long as you keep at it) so calm down. Taste the sounds of the language and learn to identify each building block (whatever you do, do not box the new language into the sound or grammar restrictions of your old language). Before binge-studying vocabulary you should really be trying to answer this question: What is the flavor of your new language?

If you actually want to know another language then one thing you just have to come to terms with is the time commitment. There is a certain number of hours (although it will slightly vary by person and situation) which you will merely have to commit to hard core studying. There is no way around this. There are thousands of ways to study - from immersion conversations in a coffee shop to repetitious writing of vocab. Choose your poison and come to terms with the time sacrifice.

Prioritize what parts of the language are most important for you and your current position (business, entertainment, travel, friends) and work towards that. Do not try to conquer everything at once. Set realistic goals. Put in the work to achieve those goals, and celebrate when you reach them.

Use good study materials (I just posted another article about my favorite materials if that would be helpful).

Do not isolate a language from its culture. The two concepts are inextricably linked (not jut for socio-linguists). You cant really feel the language unless you somewhat understand the people who speak it, and you cannot understand the people unless you have walked (at least) the metaphorical mile in their shoes.

Be eager to try out you new language skills and be willing to make mistakes - even in front of a native speaker. So what if you are not perfect. So long as you did not (falsely) tell your friends you are fluent then making mistakes should not be embarrassing. In languages, any chance to practice is an opportunity to improve and be corrected - both of which are good things. Be willing to try. If my students are any evidence, a willingness to try is more important in language learning than natural cleverness or sheer time spent immersed in the language.
 Just try.
*** If you did lie to your friends about being bi/tri/multilingual then you should probably go confess now before it gets out of hand...

So go out and study.
Be reminded of the beauty of God’s creation, because learning a new language is wondrous and inspiring. It is like having a secret password, like solving a riddle or getting a joke, like putting on glasses for the first time and realizing what you couldn't see before.
Learning a new language opens your eyes.

Mt Fuji is in this picture. Can you find it?