Koyakaido Matsuri

Last Saturday Nagano High School had a short day of three periods in the morning. I don’t really understand why they bother for that short amount of time, but it meant I went to gym, had Japanese B (literature class), and a study period. It was pretty fun and I always enjoy being able to spend more time talking with my classmates. After that short bit of school, I return to Tani Tool and had lunch with Papa Kazuhiro, his brother, and Baba. Yummy! It’s a good thing that I like fried noodles because it’s a very popular dish for both lunch and dinner. I returned to school and met up with a student representation of the intercultural class at Nagano High School and the English Speaking Society. There were seven first years and three third years. The second years were excluded because they had to get ready for their school trip. I suppose it would be helpful to mention why we gathered. That Saturday, junior high school students from Nagano Junior High School were visiting to see if they wanted to attend Nagano High School next year. We spoke to a group that’s interested in joining the Intercultural Course that’s offered. It basically means that there is a stronger focus on learning English and they have a lot of interaction with the international teachers. They also have the opportunity to travel abroad as a class to Australia. It was a really fun time. I was the current exchange student representative because Soo-jin (YFU exchange student from Korea) was busy. The three third years that spoke had all participated in some sort of exchange in the US the year before. One had spent a week or two at a leadership building workshop in San Francisco, California. Another had spent a month in St. Louis, Missouri, doing a homestay. The third had done an eleven month exchange with AFS to Detroit, Michigan. All three of them have absolutely superb English and it made me envious to speak Japanese at the same level. I hope that the three of them can influence some of the first years to consider an exchange. I’m currently working on it!

The first years had a variety of things they presented. One talked about the Australia trip that the first years can go on in which they do a ten day homestay. Three others presented for the English Speaking Society. A pair talked about the Intercultural program and why the junior high kids should join it. The last three presented the presentation they gave at the Kawachinagano English Festival (See October 8 blog). After the presentation, we split all the junior high kids into two groups. I went with Darryl’s (the English teacher from Australia) group and a few of the first years and a third year. Darryl held a model class so the kids could see what English classes for the intercultural class are like. I think they are much better run than the normal English classes at the high school because they actually get kids involved and talking as opposed to just listening to a lecture about the language they are learning to speak. It makes a lot more sense to be thinking about what to say and actually saying it rather than just hypothesizing if it is right or not.

After the junior high kids left, I spent a while talking with my friends about exchanges and Aikidou. I then walked back to Tani Tool with two of my friends. I don’t think I’ve continuously talked in Japanese for that long yet. The two friends are both in my class and have very good English, so they were able to help me where I got stuck. I’m really beginning to get a little bit of a rhythm down. It’s exciting!

I took a break from Aikidou on Saturday night because I was still recovering from my illness last week. When I got home from school, there was a package for me from Michelle Fredrickson! Thanks so much Michelle! It was wonderfully decorated and full of all sorts of Halloween goodies! The peanut butter tastes delicious and so do the skittles!

Sunday was a long day! I spent the entire morning laying around on the electric carpet in my room reading a book and being nice and warm. After lunch, Baba and I drove to Tani Tool and met Mama Akane, Papa Kazuhiro, Mitsuki, Nanako, and Nanako’s Friend. Mama, Papa, Mitsuki, and I then walked to the area around the station to see Koyakaido Matsuri. It is a festival where people walk from Kawachinagano to Koyasan in Wakayama-ken. Kawachinagano has been the gathering point of many pilgrimage routes for centuries. Around Kawachinagano Station, there were street vendors everywhere. They sold everything from hand-crafted mini bento boxes to fresh fish, fruit, and pastries. It was incredible! There were tons of people everywhere. You’d think I’d be used to staring by this point, but there was more staring on Sunday than I’ve ever experienced so far! It was very strange.

Along with all the people at the festival were the three Kawachinagano mascots; Mockle, the happy tree, Kuromaro, the happy history mascot, and Fururu, the happy Kawachinagano botanical garden flower.

We visited Nagano Shrine right next to the station. It had an absolutely massive tree stump with a tree growing in it! Yay for symbolism in the right place!

We walked from Kawachinagano Station to Mikkaichi Station along the Koyakaido route. The asphalt along the entire way is a different color so you can easily find your way. There are also engraved stones with ”Koyakaido Matsuri” imbedded into the pavement.

We had some amazing views of the mountains and some old houses. This was my first time doing a little bit of wandering in Kawachinagano. You can get a lot of places in a car, a train, and a bus, but you really don’t see all the cool stuff without doing a little bit of walking. The path follows a tiny road that winds it’s way through the city past small forests, tiny shops, historical markers (English and Japanese), decrepit buildings, and farm fields.

It was (and I’m going to say this without worrying about being cliché or corny) charming. I think I also found my favorite part of the city. The old neighborhoods are so pretty and full of traditional houses. Along the path, we came across the first police station in Osaka Prefecture. It is made of wood and is now a small museum.

When we reached Mikkaichi station, we discovered that these days pilgrims don’t actually walk all the way to Koyasan (some 25 km), but they walk from Kawachinagano Station to Mikkaichi Station, and then ride the train the rest of the way. A little cheap if you ask me. I mean, come on. Kobo Daishi did set up a pretty freaking awesome temple out of the way of bustling Japan and here people are just riding a train straight to it in two hours. So much for seclusion.

When we returned to Kawachinagano Station, Mama, Mitsuki, Nanako, Yoshino and I went to a barber shop so I could get a hair cut. Yay! My first Japanese hair cut!

Baba joined us and we went out for dinner. Afterwards, Baba and I went to Morishita-san’s restaurant for a concert by a friend of her son. It was very good even in the tiny space. The musician played guitar and piano. He had taught himself the piano and is absolutely incredible! Morishita-san even bought me a CD! It was great!

Today I made an incredible discovery. I stopped by a convenience store on the way home from school today and bought these chocolate crunchy/gooey things.

At home I was sitting there eating them and suddenly saw this.

HOLY COW WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF IT EARLIER!!!

It’s just like a Reece’s cup and now I can explain some American candy to my friends! Yay! Success! Now just to make sure the peanut butter lasts long enough to share it……

Tonight I also went out for ramen with Baba and Gigi. It was delicious! I had a bowl of ramen that probably would have flushed a toilet three times! I also had two rice balls and a bunch of dumplings. I love ramen! The kind I got was kimchi ramen. Yummy! Here’s the picture.

ありがとうございます！来週の日曜日、富士山へ行きます。私はたのしみです！たくさんしゃしんをとります。富士山は車で七時間にです。O.o

またね！

Wes