Onsen

Yesterday was our first experience of visiting a Japanese hot spring. There are a lot over here and it's a fairly usual relaxing activity to visit one. They're not expensive and have a cafeteria and everything you'd need there.
The first and most obvious aspect to be dealt with is that you are nude in the spa area. Men and women are separated and cannot see one another so it's not too strange. I went with Tomomi so she told me what you have to do. First you have a long shower washing your hair and getting really clean. Then we went into a stone bath inside the bathhouse and relaxed in the hot water for a while. Afterwards we went outside and sat in a beautiful big stone pool which was really warm. It was night time so it was lovely to sit with your face and shoulders in the cool air. We sat outside for most of the time and went back in at the end for a quick sauna and a plunge pool then a last 5 minutes in the jacquzzi. It was really relaxing and left me feeling all calm and happy.
http://www.sekikanko.jp/e/index.html here's a picture of the spa-no nude people though! xx

Golden Week begins

Hello.
Golden Week is a week of public holidays that begins today with the celebration of an ex-emperors birthday. Most people only have about three days off but we're having a week off of school.
Today we went to visit Mino city which is very near to Seki-10 or 15 mins drive. It's very beautiful and has a long street of old style houses which are really interesting. It is famous for making Washi paper which is a traditional Japanese paper. It comes in all different shapes and sizes-huge reams of it like bolts of cloth in different coloured patterns, as well as really fine white paper with gold and silver patterns or leaf shapes across it. There are lots of shops selling cards and notebooks and paper. It's really lovely to wander around. We found a great coffee shop and had bagels and a ham and cheese pastry. Across from the centre is a big park on lots of levels with a stream running through it. It's really peaceful and beautiful. It was full of families today. Sadly I forgot the camera so you'll just have to imagine or more than likely google Mino in Gifu prefecture.
Now for Royal Wedding excitement.
Love Jo xxx

Royal Wedding

 School decorations.

In celebration of the upcoming British Royal Wedding I have decorated the reception of our school with red and blue bunting and am teaching lessons based on wedding traditions from around the world. I have learned some interesting facts. For example as church weddings become less important in England they are rising in popularity in Japan. Churches are mocked up inside hotels and local English teachers are hired to be vicar lookalikes!
This has happened over the last 25 years or so. Some students put it down to the huge popularity of Princess Diana whose wedding was watched by many. Her style began to be copied and so slowly out went Kimonos and in came huge fluffy dresses.

Happy Easter

We had a very unofficial Easter weekend. Some Japanese know about Easter but many people do not so there's absolutely nothing in the way of Easter treats. We've been teaching the all important chocolate aspects of Easter to our students by handing it out and explaining the tradition. Only when I had to explain chocolate eggs and the connection to the Christian religion did I realise what a strange society we live in. I gave up and started to say it was a Spring festival and a Christian holiday combined as one. Is that right?
Saturday evening we found ourselves in a 'coffee shop' (bar) called the Rock and Roll cafe with our new Japanese musician friends. We watched the first half of an acoustic set which was pretty good. The cafe has guitars dripping from the walls and so much Beatles stuff everywhere so felt quite familiar.
Afterwards we had dinner at our friends house and ate Okonamiyaki which is a batter type mix with cabbage, ginger and a meat cooked on a hot plate and eaten with soy sauce, ketchup and mayonaise. Very delicious-particularly with octopus.
On Sunday we bought ourselves a feast of salads, calimari, cooked chicken and desert from the supermarket and had our Japanese style Easter lunch with a beer.

Sushi Restaurant Last Weekend

Ginzushi was small and had low tables on the floor. There was a bar with seats facing a long fish tank with seafood in it. The chef is large and very jolly and prepares the food in the restaurant. The other customers were friendly but not staring. We drank beer and then later green tea. Mike's student brought us a selection of dishes as we couldn't read the menu. We had the standard amuse bouche of tofu in sauce (tasted like marmite!). Then a platter of sashimi. Raw squid is good-it's a firm texture. Raw prawn is a tad squishy for my liking and the same for raw trout but raw tuna works well. The flavours are very delicate and it was beautifully presented with cherry blossom and what looked like cannabis leaves! Then she brought small fishes in tempura like whitebait but without the horrible crunchy bones and pepper in tempura. Then we had a some sushi on rice; fish raw and cooked, raw beef, egg (a bit like spanish tortilla sliced up on some rice) and finally the little wrapped seaweed rolls tuna ones and cucumber ones. We couldn't eat it all and asked her if we could take the rest home as it was so good we couldn't leave it! They made us up a bento box with lots of extra stuff in it to take away and offered to drive us home (we declined and took the opportunity to purchase beer from a vending machine for the stroll back-such civility).  
http://www.ginzushi.jp/ If you're interested. 

Cherry Blossom continued

The weather is so warm and sunny here and the river so beautiful that exploring has kind of ceased in order that we can go and sit by the river under the cherry blossom trees and soak it all in. It's so quiet and peaceful and calm.
The blossom is falling now and covers the river in white spots. When the breeze blows you get a blossom shower which is like being in a warm snowstorm.

Cherry Blossom at Night

All along the river hang small lanterns that come on at night and light up the cherry blossom. Many other lights are off at night to conserve power since the earthquake. But these little ones cast enough light to see the blossoms which look white against the dark. It is atmospheric and magical. There is also something poignant about walking under the trees. The beauty and fragility juxtaposed with the harshness of nature in the North-East of the country where they are endlessly being thrown and shaken about. Here are the pictures: 

With love xxxxxxxxx

Cherry Blossom Today

Being English Abroad

I've always thought that travelling meant trying not to be English, trying to shed some of whatever Englishness is. But far away from home it is an identity that is easy to wear. People have certain expectations of you as English and most often they are quite true. English people can take the piss in a certain way that often offends other nationalities but not our own. There are certain words that flummox others and there is the obsession with drinking tea.
I sat this afternoon sipping Earl Grey on my balcony reading The Guardian with Radio 1 in the background enjoying being in Japan. Can that make sense? But I think it does. Although all around me is Japan, Japanese people and culture inside my head will always be England and when I relax I will always relax in English style.
The build up to the Royal Wedding has surprised me. The amount of excitement from people here I expected-they are pleased to have something to link to me. But staying in touch with the media back home I hear genuine happiness instead of cynicism! What's happening to our snide asides and witty put downs? I like that there is something in the joy of marriage that seems to cross out our scepticism. 
On our second night here we sat around a restaurant table with an Aussie and two Canadians and realised that however much was different we shared the same Queen. It was a strangely bonding moment and we toasted the fact; all of us for the first time ever.
So while I try to learn Japanese, try to cook Japanese food and try to see as much as Japan as possible I will celebrate being my own little English Island too.