Now. You're looking at now, sir. Everything that happens now is happening now.

There is little in this life more wonderful than a 100yen tie. In Japan there are hyakuen (100yen) shops everywhere. They are the equivalent of your local pound stretcher, or dollar store. They sell literally everything. Need coffee filters? 100yen. Need an umbrella? Stationary? Underwear? Bike accessories? Fuses? Instantnoodlesgardenwareslipperskitchencleanertoolstoystapes-
thingsemblazonedwithBritishorAmericanflags? Everything. It doesn’t seem to have the stigma attached to pound stretcher or dollar stores either – it’s mostly quality stuff too (apart from the shelf brackets – dont get them they’re rubbish). The crockery is Sainsbury’s or Kohl’s quality but at low low prices. Almost everything is 100yen (well actually, 105yen), so much so that the few items that are more are pointed out to you at the till: “This 30 piece tool set is 200yen – is that ok? And this twelve shelf mahogany corner unit, you do know it’s 300 yen, yes?” The great irony of course is that everything has ‘Made in China’ stamped all over it.

In class today we had a quiz – a map with arrows etc pointing at various Asian countries and the kids had to shout out in English what each was. We got to China and the teacher said “well, I don’t need to tell you what this one is” and quickly moved on. Also, they frowned slightly when I answered their “what did you eat in America” question with “Chinese food, I’ve really missed it.” And it gots me t’ thinkin’. They really don’t like China here. Understandable of course, but they do go on about their unique Japanese culture, most of which came from China (tea, sushi, miso soup) and their unique seasons (apparently Japan is the only country that has four seasons).

Before Christmas I was asked by the librarian to write something for the library 'newsletter' (a 50 page glossy magazine) that they’re giving out at graduation. She showed me my predecessors effort and told me to follow that. So for your edification:

(Bear in mind that it’s written for a parent/student audience. Also, you may have read some of this before in a different form...coughcough)


An Occidental Oriental
Geoff Davies

Introduction
I have been in Japan for nearly six months now. So far the most notable thing about me is how tall I am. Almost all of the students at Kureha High School have asked me how tall I am, and all of them have been amazed at my answer of 190cm. Where I come from many of my friends are the same height. In fact, many people are over 185cm. So, where do I come from, The Land of the Giants? No, I am from Wales, a small country that is part of the United Kingdom. The UK is the home of soccer, rugby, cricket, and parliamentary democracy.

Adaptation
It has been a strange experience, getting used to life in Japan. When I first arrived I was highly intimidated by how much my predecessor here, a Canadian girl called Mariette, seemed to know. I thought I would never know as much or be able to find my way around as well as her. Over time however I started to figure things out, I learned what I needed to know and how to do things like pay bills, work the ATM, go shopping, and a few essential Japanese phrases. Eventually things didn’t seem quite as daunting as they did when I first got here.



Bowling in Toyama






However much you might get used to life in Japan there are things that will always stand out for a foreigner: vending machines everywhere; individually wrapped everything (fruit, candy, cookies); people saying ‘sumimasen’ or ‘gomenasai’ all the time; queuing in strict lines for train doors; strange foods often uncooked; students wearing blankets in class but wearing just a thin jacket outside in the snow; loudspeakers blaring music in the street; people yelling into megaphones in shops, malls and the bowling alley.

As I was stumbling through the snow out of the train station the other day I found that I had lost my train ticket. I did not notice it before because I was so wrapped up in coats, gloves, and scarves to battle the cold. I stopped and looked around me, almost instantly a ninensei student from my school skipped up to me with my ticket in her hand. This is the thing with being a foreigner in a small city like Toyama – almost everybody knows who you are and what you’re doing. From the teacher who sees you holding your girlfriend’s hand in the street, to the student who sees you shopping for groceries, to the neighbours who see you in town with your friends on a Saturday night. I do it too – I notice foreigners all the time in Toyama, I can’t help it because they stand out so much. Some foreigners find it annoying that everybody knows them, however other foreigners find it comforting.

A facet of Japanese life that is a constant amazement to me is the ability and energy of the school children. When I get to my school in the morning, at around 8.15am, there are always many students already there, practising their musical instruments or studying. When I leave in the afternoon the students, who have had seven lessons already, are getting ready for their after-school club activities, usually sports, music, or academic clubs. When they get home from school around 6 or 7pm they might then go to a cram school or study at home until as late as 11pm. This workload would never be tolerated in the UK, but the pressure in Japan to get into good schools and universities means that many students have to work extremely hard.
I have travelled a little in Japan so far, I would like to travel more but it can be difficult finding the time. So far I have visited Tokyo, Kyoto, camping and the onsen in Toga, the gassho Houses in Gokayama, Kanzawa, Shimao beach, and Shiminato. I have also climbed Tateyama and Mount Fuji. Of all the places I have been my favourite by far was climbing Fuji in the dark. It took most of a day by bus to get there and in order to see the sun rise at the top of the mountain we had to start climbing at night. We finally reached the summit at 3am - I have never been so cold, hungry, and tired, or so happy to pay 500 yen for a small can of hot green tea.

While I’m in Japan I plan to travel more – to see Osaka, Hiroshima, Okinawa and the Sapporo Snow Festival. While I am in Asia I also hope to visit some of the other countries around Japan such as Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea and Russia.



Visiting Kanazawa
Anecdote
Unfortunately my anecdote is a prime example of how easy it is to misunderstand and be misunderstood in a foreign country. It also demonstrates the importance of being able to read Japanese train signs.

It was very late on a Saturday night and I was at the train station heading home from visiting some friends. I was a little out of sorts and very tired because I had been up late the night before as well and it was very cold. I trudged up the stairs and down the stairs to the platform and got on the train and buried my face into my coat collar. After about five minutes I realised the train was totally empty, but I didn’t think it was strange because it was very late and the train station wasn’t very busy. All the train doors closed. Then all the lights went out.

I became very concerned, in the dark and all alone. When the engine started, I realised I’d got on the wrong train, that this train was finished for the night and that I was about to spend the night in the railway yard! I got up and tried the doors, but they were all locked. Then I ran from one end of the train to the other. Suddenly a man in uniform saw me and wildly motioned me to get off the train. I didn’t know what to do, because I didn’t know how to get off the train while all the doors were locked. After a minute the man walked down to me, talking rapidly in Japanese, and took me by the arm. Suddenly I remembered that the Japanese signal for ‘come here’ is the same as the western signal for ‘go away’ and I was very embarrassed. He pushed me out of a tiny door in the driver’s cabin and I was finally off the train.



Camping in Toga