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Published: August 17th 2011
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The last few days have been the Japanese Obon period which is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the deceased spirits of one's ancestors. It seems to be a very family focussed time, and although not one of the 15 or so official public holidays, most people seem to take some if not all of this off. Last week my supervisor told me to take Monday to Wednesday off (although I'm a bit confused if this was my "official" holiday leave or not!).
Monday was Takagi village's festival. It was a real community event - practically the whole village turned out at 3.30pm to the little green outside the school for the disabled. There were drumming displays from the elementary school and the disabled school kids, and the junior high school band also played. The very young kids put on a dance show and in the evening there was (rather bizarrely!) a flamenco display by some local women. After seven, there was an enormous firework display that seemed to go on for hours. This was interspaced with announcements which I later found out was advertising for the firework sponsors (which explained how a small village could afford such a major
display).
The next day a group of us new teachers were keen to explore the area. One of the teachers who has been here a few years offered to show us where we could find a secluded swimming hole right out in the mountains in the river Tenryu valley. It was about an hour and half drive away, but through pretty spectacular scenery and a huge reservoir that I found out was built by British and Chinese POWs in what was then one of the most brutal camps in the county. It is so easy to forget these things but there are reminders every so often.
The swimming hole was breathtaking and very welcome in the summer heat - it really was one of the most idyllic spots I've ever been to, and the nice thing was we were the only ones there as it was so remote. We swam for a bit, had an afternoon BBQ and then decided to head to Minamishinano onsen, as a few of us had yet to try one.
Before I came to Japan I was under the misconception that you wore swimming suits in an onsen....well, not so - the
Japanese custom is to bath in the hot pools as nature intended, which for the uninitiated is a bit daunting. I'm not particularly self conscious of being naked in front of others, but you do get quite a few stares from the Japanese people as you look so different....and sometimes you scare them off! The onsen we went to, I was very excited to hear, was the inspiration for Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away animation. It was very large, with lots of beautiful inside and outside pools. It was also separated by sex, which helped - although you do get some that are mixed.
Before you go into the onsen you strip in a changing room, then have to wash thoroughly in a wash area - shampoo, soap, scrub everything! Then you enter the onsen spa - stark naked, apart from a small towel the size of a face flannel. You are not allowed to use this to cover yourself really as it is rude to let it get in the onsen water, so we wore ours round our heads and necks.
There were several pools, some very hot, one cold, others like a jacuzzi and a steam room.
Very much like a spa back home. After you've turned into a lobster from the heat and had enough, you have to go through the same cleaning ritual as the water in the onsen is very sulphurous. You actually feel amazing when you come out - skin soft and glowing. The older teachers have said in winter when it gets so cold you want to hibernate, a hot onsen it is the nicest place to be.
We were quite late heading back and I'd parked my car in a local supermarket to save the others picking me up from my house....bit of a shock when we realised the car park was now chained up! One of the other teachers, Dean, kindly dropped me home, but it meant I had to jog down the mountain for the first time. I got up at 7am so it wouldn't be too hot and made it to my car in 45 minutes running all the way! Glad I could drive back up.
Tomorrow is my first day in school for a teacher introduction in the staff room of all three of my schools (two elementary and one junior high)....so back to wearing
a smart suit again in the heat sigh....Friday will be my introduction to the whole school and next week lessons should start.....YIKES!
Oh - and I got my bank cash card - yay! It has a lovely fish design and it is very weird seeing my name written in katakana on the card. I also experimented making a Japanese curry dinner tonight. You get these little curry paste boxes, fry up a few veggies (and meat if you eat it - I don't) add water, add the paste and then simmer. Nice curry dinner in half an hour...yum yum. Still keep buggering up my rice in the rice cooker though...I'll suss the timing one of these days.
Hmm best try and sleep now as I need to get up at 6.30am to Skype my boyfriend Dave. This time difference thing is a pain!
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