I ♥ Typhoon!

Image courtesy of Space.com

Classes were cancelled Thursday due to heavy rain in the wake of Japan's first typhoon of the season. As soon as the public announcement sirens sounded, the second years students began to cheer, shouting "Yay! Lucky! I love typhoon! I love rainy!" as they jumped off their chairs and threw their pens and pencil cases into the air in celebration. A rumble of joy erupted throughout the school, echoing through the corridors and courtyard as students shouted similar sentiments from the balcony of their classrooms (except in Japanese). It was a wonderful way to begin 3rd period, and you can imagine how productive a period it was. The students had to stay in school until 1:30, wasting time in a special homeroom waiting for lunch. When the time finally came to send them home, the rain miraculously stopped, as it always does.

School is often called off in Japan for heavy rains associated with typhoons, even here in landlocked Ena, buffered by a barrier of mountains on all sides. Although students are often sent home after lunch or told not to come to school at all, teachers are required to report for duty and stay for the remainder of the day. This is especially fun for ALTs who have little or nothing to do to begin with, let alone when there are no students in the school to entertain. Luckily for me I was asked to give a "video letter" farewell speech to be broadcast on the school TV system during lunchtime next week. I only had about a half hour to pull it together, but as I sat there writing entirely in Japanese,without hesitation, complete with kanji, I realized how much I have learned just from being here for the past three years...

My Last Elementary Visit

A thousand tiny paper cranes and books full of letters from my Oi Elementary students. Usually students write short messages on shikishi, but my 5th and 6th grade classes insisted they needed more space. Instead they wrote me letters which the teacher bound up into little books.

After bursting the flood gates during my last day at the Beautiful Mountain School, I knew my last day at elemntary would be tough. When I first came to Ena as an ALT, I visited 16 different schools. Usually I went to a different school everyday, which made getting to know the teachers and students very difficult. I mostly visited elementary schools, which was fun at first, but soon became very taxing. Often the teachers at the school forgot to prepare for my visit, without asking me to prepare something, and I was thrown into classrooms of almost 40 students with minimal Japanese and no teaching ability. Many times the teachers walked out, sat down and read a book, or stood in the corner , completely detatched from the chaos that would ensue.

For the past year and a half, however, I have been assigned to 3 main schools, including one elementary: Oi Sho. I've always loved it there. The teachers are kind and cheerful, helpful during and interested in the lessons, and the students are genki and adorable. Before I began my lessons there, the students would see an ALT maybe 2 or 3 times a year. I was fortunate enough to begin teaching there once a week, and the incredible progress the students made before my eyes astounded and encouraged me. I learned a lot during my first year as an elementary ALT, and from the start at Oi I planned my own lessons and activities. I was always in charge of the class, and the students always participated and enjoyed the lessons. I really began looking forward to my visits, even though I would continually stress about the lessons and activities I planned. Students would often come talk to me during free time, recess and after school, trying to use the English they had learned. I realized that just having an ALT in the school on a regular basis makes a huge difference to the students, motivating them to speak in English and giving them a genuine chance to do so. The relationship the ALT has with the students is the biggest motivating factor of all. If the students like the ALT, and feel close to them, regardless of how little interest they have in English, they will try to learn and use it.

My experiences at Oi Elementary have been some of the most challenging, rewarding and fun of my JET career. I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know the children there and to make so many beautiful little friends. I will never forget them.

The Oi's Outdoor Soji Crew, including the famous "Monkey Man" (front and center).

5th graders... 3rd graders...
2nd graders...

Last Day at Kindergarten

Yuuta, Takumi and Haruka, just a few of super cute kids of Ena.

The first in a long line of lasts, I suppose. It wouldn't be so sad if they weren't so cute!

Postcards From Ena

Freshly planted rice rice fields in the shadow of Kasagi mountain as the sun sinks beneath the smokey blue hills.

It didn't take me long to learn that my lens and I were less than capable of capturing the beauty of landscapes, and so for the past three years, I've smiled over sunsets reflected in flooded rice fields and tides of blue mountains fading into evening, content to be blessed with the privledge. With less than two months to go and the nagging suspicion that there's a very fortunate pre-JET out there searching for info on this mysterious "city", I decided to take my camera along with me for one of my "walks in the rice fields". Yokoso, Ena! Welcome to Ena!

Disclaimer: Actual objects are a million times more beautiful that they appear, especially when complimented by the soundtrack of cicads, choruses of croaking frogs, the steady giggle of running water and the appearance of an occasional fire fly.
One of many traditional houses, surrounded by flooded rice fields.
The Nishio Minshuku, a traditional Japanese bed and breakfast nestled at the foot of the mountains.
A view of the rice fields from the top of a hill behind my apartment.

A Day in the Life...

A la "Stick Figure Masterpiece Theatre"...

In a cruel twist of fate... a la excellent English of Beautiful Mountain School's second year students.

Oshi (close)! I am pretty delicious, if I do say so myself (^-^)

Alive and well, uneaten by unagi (eel) and enjoying every last minute with my super-cute students. God bless them. Every one!
Kickin' it with the kings of the jungle gym. Ena-san, R E P R E S E N T!

Beautiful Mountain School Sakura

A peak of the Kiso River through clouds of soft, white cherry blossoms at my Beautiful Mountain School. Whenever I visit this school, I realize how blessed I have been to be placed here. To think that I only have 3 more months in this beautiful valley, encompassed by rolling, green foothills and snowcapped mountains, a brilliantly blue-green river winding gracefully through it, following me wherever I go...

I wonder if my successor knows how lucky they`re about to be. There isin`t a day that goes by that I don`t thank God for placing me in Ena where Mt. Ontake greets me every morning and the snow-covered southern alps welcome me home.

Operation Explore Gifu: Inuyama

Hakutei-Jo, the White Emperor Castle. With less than six months to go here in Japan, and a rather willing amiga de viaje, I've been trying to make the most of my weekends by exploring something other than Kyoto: Gifu, my home for the past three years.

Standing proudly on a small hill 40 meters above the banks of the Kiso River, Japan's oldest original wooden castle keeps watch over the now concrete-covered plains and slowly rising mountains to the north. Below, hidden in the Urakuen tea garden (so well so that we did not find it), is the Joan tea house, considered one of the finest of its kind (which, for some reason, was brought from Kyoto in the 70's). Bushido, the way of the warrior, and Sado, the way of tea, have always existed side by side. The great warrior Toyotomi Hideoshi, who unified Japan and brought an end to the warring states period, once said that a fine tea cup was worth more than his castle and all its men. Of course, he also forced his loyal retainer tea master to commit suicide. Luckily we don't have to choose the castle over the cup, or commit seppuku if we never find the teahouse. With a little planning and a few directibles (also known as directions to those who speak proper English) we can have our matcha and drink it too, with time left over to savor the soba.

I should start by saying that, I have been extremely spoiled. The first Japanese castle I ever laid eyes on was Himeji, the king of Japanese castles. Once you see Himeji, everything else is just kind of, well, maa-maa. What remains of Inuyama castle is small, as are the castle grounds, but a slow and slipperless climb up the steep, unequally spaced steps is well worth it!

Key word being "slipperless".

Gifu: A River Runs Through It. The Kiso River, that is. From the wrap-around balcony of the main tower, you can see it cut gracefully through the concrete covered plain as it makes its way to Ena (as seen in the picture of my beautiful mountain school: top right, under the page header).

Abbey Sensei braces herself for the brutal winds from atop the tower. Fly away Abbey! Be free!

Brilliant red torii (shinto's spiritual gateways) and crimson banners line the entrance to a small inari shrine at the foot of the castle.

Ema (from e:絵 meaning picture, and uma:馬, meaning horse) are small, colorfully decorated, wooden prayer plaques sold at shinto shrines for about 500 yen. After writing their wishes and prayers on the back, people hang them on racks in hopes that the kami (gods) will read them and grant their blessing. The pictures on the ema also have meaning. These were bought by junior high school students hoping for good scores on their high school entrance exams.

Happy Chinese New Year everyone! Inoshishi: The Wild boar.

Colors of Spring

枝垂れ桜　【しだれ桜】（shidare・zakura) A beatiful, weeping cherry tree on the banks of the newly flooded rice paddies, soon to be planted with this years crop. Most of the cherry blossoms have long since fallen to earth, petal by petal like snowflakes in the warm spring wind, gathering in pink puddles beneath the trees. I found this tree in full bloom near Nagano, in　Magome、 a small yet remarkably well-preserved Edo period post town on the Nakasendo (中仙道･The Road Through the Mountains), which once connected Shogunate power center Edo (now Tokyo) with the Imperial seat of Kyoto. Magome is also the birthplace of one of Japan's most revered and beloved authors, Shimazeki Toson. (Conveniently located about 20 minutes from my humble abode! (^-^)/)

The Daily Commute

Snow-covered persimmons, dangling over the shivering surface of the Kiso River like tangerine tear drops of sunshine. This is the view from my beautiful mountain school, North Ena Junior High. (Click on the photo to see a larger version).

Nothing says "Saftey Driving" (as our Japanese friends say) as operating a motor vehicle on a slippery, winding road through the mountains with one hand out the window taking pictures! The ride to work, this morning was just too breath-taking. The pine covered slopes, frosted with a fresh cover of over-night snow, seemed to rise higher on every side as I headed towards my beautiful mountain school. The blue sky, the warm sun, and the way the sugar powdered mountains melded with the fluffy, frosty, clouds hanging low with heavy snow was like a dream...a winter fantasy. Before the snow started falling, I could have sworn I would be happy to skip winter all together, but i will never be able to forget the way the mountains look blanketed in snow, or seeing Ontake's pristine peak rise over the southern alps that embrace my town. Yay for winter!

Snow in Ena?

In totally unrelated news, its been snowing for two days in my sleepy little town nestled at the foot of Mt. Ena. The snow began falling shortly after I had snow tires put on my car, and did not stop until some time last night. Usually the snow stays in the mountains, avoiding the slide down their slopes into the rice fields, but this morning when i awoke everything was covered in snow! Its going to be a long winter...

Tono Crew Conquers Mount Ena

At 2190 meters, Mount Ena is listed as one of the top 100 hikes in Japan. (The view from near my apartment last spring).


Following the Nakatsugawa river back to its source...




The narrow trail winds its way through thick, green vegetation.


What trail, you ask?


Just follow the slippery, moss covered rocks uphill for, oh, let's say 2,189 meters!

Along the way, don't forget to stop and smell the fungi!







The view from the summit, after 3 and 1/2 hours of hardcore hiking. Somewhere, tucked beneath the folds of those mountains, is my home.


J looks remarkably excited about the prospect of sliding down Ena on his oshiri as he slips over the edge.

The tough kids who climbed Mount Ena, and lived to tell the tale.

A Walk in the Rice

Ena's emerald waves of grain cover the foot of the mountains like an old, patchwork quilt from Gee’s bend.

A friend, who shall remain nameless, requested that I take a few pictures of my surroundings (obviously he does not appreciate my obsession with Geisha). Since I've had Kuruma-chan (my beloved car), my rice feild wanderings have significantly decreased, which is an absolute travesty! I decided to rectify the situation by reaquainting myself with the country side through which I so often meandered when I first arrived in Ena.


Ena's countryside is dotted with Edo period store houses, built separate from the main house to protect family heirlooms and valuables from fire.

Back at home in the states, I remember smelling winter on the autumn winds, shuddering with the brightly colored leaves. In Japan, it is the mouth-watering aroma of autumn, wafting from rice field to rice field that I look forward to during the long summer months. Imagine the sweet smell of popcorn mingled with the fresh scent of summer rain and the smoke of a campfire; the sound of water flowing down from the mountains into moats encircling each emerald patch; pine covered mountains, rising like islands from the steady waves of wind-blown rice; dragonflies hovering over swaying stalks, heavy with the year's harvest, as butterflies dance to the chorus of chirping insects and burping frogs. As autumn draws near, the smell of the rice begins to hang so thick in the air you can almost taste it. 美味しそう!

Sports Festival at Ena High

恵那高校の運動会　(^-^)/

Presenting the Red Tigers: Kougun: 紅軍


Fellow ALT J-Blo invited me to Ena High School's Sports Festival, which the students have been busy coordinating and practicing for all summer 'vacation'. An academic high school (as opposed to an agricultural, commercial, or trade school), Ena high is famous for the hard work, dedication, and creativity its students contribute to making Sports Festival an unforgettable, awe-inspiring spectacle not soon to be forgotten.

The White Devils:　Hakugun: 白軍

At the begining of summer vacation, the school was split into 3 teams, or 'armies' (as the word translates from Japanese): Reb, Blue, and White. The students were then assigned to an 'army' based on their hometown region. Like an infantry, this division fosters a sense of solidarity, encouraging the soldiers, I mean, students, to fight for the honor of their homeland-- I mean, town. With no army, the residue of Japan's rampant militaristic fervor, left over from WWII, was channeled into outlets such as these. In my experience, high school Sports Festivals are much less militaristic than those at the junior high school level. At Ena High there was no playing of the Kimigayo, the national anthem, which many Japanese consider too nationalistic, no flag ceremony, and no Hitleresque hailing to the Principal, all of which suprised and shocked me last year when I was introduced to this tradition at Ena East Junior High.

The Blue Dragons: Seigun：青軍

Throughout the summer the students work together to create a cheer show, which can only be described as a Japanese Half-Time extravaganza. The Cheering Competition is judged seperately from the sporting events and awarded its own trophy, as is the team mural competition. These larger-than-life frescos are designed by members of the art club and sketched onto oversized tiles, which are then layed out around the base of the school. Because of the great size of the 'canvas', team members shout directions down to the painters from the third floor, telling them what color should be applied where.

Sports Day consists of a number of competitions, like team tug-of-war, 3-legged races with entire classes (more like hundred-legged races), and a variety of relays.

The cheering competition is the most exciting and anticipated event of the festival. Sporting traditional costumes with a trendy, modern edge, a select few students perform a combination of dance and marital arts to the sound of a traditional Japanese drum, or taiko, while their teammates in the stands, beneath the banner of their team mural, chant, clap, cheer, and use colorful props to create visual effects in the background. In these pictures, the cheering section was covered by a orange wave as the flag bearer ran across the field, leading the charge for his cheering soldiers.

White was the team to beat, and dominated the scene for the third year in a row, with an amazingly high-paced　martial arts routine, a sword-weilding samurai devil, strategically popped balloons and the release of at least a dozen white doves!

Seigun (the blue team) finished strong with this Blue Dragon display, depicting the red and white teams powerless before their mighty blue behemoth, but it wasn't enough to overcome the great White Hype of hakugun.

I'm working on a highlight video of the Cheer Competition: It must be seen to be truely appreciated!