Hawaii

My favorite family vacation was our 2-week stay in Hawaii (Oahu/Maui) back in 1982. My dad worked really hard as he was running his own pharmacy, so until then, he had never taken more than a week off. The next time I visited Hawaii was in 1993. I had just finished teaching a year on the JET Program in Okayama and wanted to stay in Hawaii for an extended period of time. I got a job working on the Waikiki Trolley. I started as a conductor (glorified ticket puncher). Then suddenly the bi-lingual Japanese/English staff quit and they needed a "Japanese Liason". They asked me if I could speak Japanese as I had just come from teaching in Japan. I said, "yeah sure" hahaha. When I think back to how bad my Japanese actually was at that time it makes me laugh (not that I'm any good now)! :) Anyway, my pay was raised to 10 bucks /hour and my hours 9 to 5. I wasn't making much but didn't have to spend much either (except for rent). I rode my bicycle or took the bus everywhere and my entertainment was bodyboarding or hanging out at the beach. I call the time I spent there my "working holiday" as every day, even working days were spent very happily.

Earlier this month my family returned from a one-week vacation in Hawaii. It still holds all the charm that it had for me in my teens and 20's. I love the sun, the nice breeze, the daily rainbows, good local food (L & L Barbecue, Matsumoto Shave Ice, Crack Seed Center), North Shore beaches, local people and their friendly casualness, Ala Moana Center and the beautiful sunsets. What made this vacation even more special was that my parents met us and we stayed in a nice hotel/condo together. Taiga could enjoy time with his grandparents and Aki and I could enjoy some time to ourselves too.

The panic from the terrible disaster has gone and life is just about back to normal for those of us lucky enough to live far away from it. We still feel the aftershocks but they're getting weaker. Rolling blackouts have stopped until summer when the use of A/C will probably force them to start up again. Everyone has been cutting down on energy consumption. Self-restraint is being preached by some politicians and many festivals and other events have been cancelled or toned-down. I'm not sure if this is for better or worse. It is part of Japanese culture and I respect it (self-restraint), but, on the other hand, people do need to let out their stress. Businesses also suffer when people stay home. Golden Week just started and I hope people will go out and enjoy life. :)

3/11

Just a week ago at 2:46pm local time, the worst natural disaster in postwar Japan occured. It has changed the lives of most, if not all, that live here much like 9/11 did in the United States. Although I'm 270 miles (435 km) from the epicenter in Sendai, the uneasiness, stress and worries of it all are still quite strong. This quake was like no other; it moved Honshu almost 8 feet (2.4 m) closer to North America. Our classroom shook violently for 6 full minutes! The first 20 seconds I was standing at the whiteboard thinking it was another one of the 1000 or so earthquakes Japan experiences each year, but then it not only didn't stop but it grew stronger. After a couple of minutes, a wise student said that we should go under the table which we all (5 adults) did. One gentleman ran outside. When the shaking did finally stop, we all walked outside. The streets were filled. Everyone was calling loved ones which jammed all the phone lines. Finally I got mail on my cell-phone from my wife saying they were OK. I had to teach a couple more kids' classes that afternoon. Suprisingly, about half the kids showed up. That evening's adult class no one came because the train lines had all stopped running. Many of our students work in Tokyo and had to stay the night in their Tokyo offices (about 50 miles/80 km east of Odawara).

Rolling blackouts started this past week. We lose power for about 3 hours a day. Fortunately, we haven't had to cancel any classes. We're having candle-light classes and students have been bringing their flashlights. These rolling blackouts will last until the end of April and could possibly continue for a full year.

Japan generates one-third of its electricity with nuclear power. The nuclear power plants that were hit by both the earthquake and then the tsunami in Fukushima provided a good chunk of power. Now there is quite a scare going around about the radiation leaking. It's a real and serious problem for those who live within 100 kms of the nuclear plant. Those people should definitely evacuate. As for the 20 million or so people living in the Tokyo area (roughly 170 miles/270 km away), I don't believe they are putting themselves at risk by staying put. Some foreign governments are urging their citizens to return home. This is causing people to panic as they think the Japanese government is being untruthful. Now I am not saying that the Japanese Governenment (or any government) is always truthful, but I ask: Why would they lie about this? If deaths occured now or in the future from the radiation leakage, how would they be able to hide from this? This type of scaremongering is not helping anyone.

Recently some friends and family members have told me to go home. I want them to know that we are completely safe from any radiation leaks where we are. I do appreciate that they are thinking of our safety and well-being but we are more than 225 miles (350 km) from the nuclear power plants in Fukushima. This is a good video explaining the nuclear reactor situation in a way that even I can understand. It's in Japanese with English sub-titles on the bottom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1aH2-MhEko

We'll never be completely safe from earthquakes here but I face that same danger in my home-state of California. There have already been literally 100's of aftershocks and more than 10 earthquakes that registered higher than 6.0 magnitude after the "big" one that registered 9.0. Each one brings a sick feeling to my stomach and images of the destruction I've been watching on the news. After another month or two, things will calm down (earthquake-wise) and my body will stop feeling the movement that it does sometimes even when things aren't shaking.

To sum things up, things aren't rosy but they will get better. I have a lot of faith in the people here. There's a word in Japanese called "gaman" which loosely translates to mean "patience and perseverance". These qualities along with being a very orderly society will help to bring Japan back up on its feet. The people here in Japan feel the love and kindness that is being sent from all over the world. Personally, this gives me strength too. Again, thank you for your love and prayers.

First Birthday Customs in Japan

Taiga is one-year old! This may not seem like a big deal to you but it was for us. :) He now weighs 10.5 kgs. (about 23 lbs.). It's mostly in his cheeks (hoho). He's not quite walking by himself but uses his pushcart by himself and will be walking any day now.

I want to share a couple of "1st birthday" customs here in Japan. One is for the birthday baby to carry red & white (traditional celebratory colors) mochi (pounded rice) wrapped in furoshiki (wrapping cloth) and strapped on his back. The mochi's quantity is "issho" which represents 1.8 kgs. or about 4 lbs. of rice. The word "issho" has another meaning which is "for the whole life", so carrying the mochi also has the significance of good health and prosperity for the child's entire life. Taiga's name is written in kanji on the mochi.

One more custom is the baby is given a selection of items to choose from. The object the baby chooses is said to represent his/her future occupation. Traditionally, these have been an abacus, a writing brush, money and rice. These days, however, families can have fun by putting out all kinds of things representing different fields and occupations. We laid out a basketball to represent an athlete, a calculator for a business type of job, a bottle of vitamins for a doctor or pharmacist, a piano for a musician or artist and an apple for a teacher. Watch video below to see what Taiga's future job will be. :)

I should mention that when I talked to my students about these customs, only about half of them knew. The other half may come from a different region in Japan that doesn't have these customs or may have simply forgotten about them. I enjoy celebrating using Japanese customs and am glad my wife is very knowledgeable about such things.

Castle Towns

I've lived in Japan about 15 years now and have moved around quite a bit. One thing in common is that the 5 cities I've lived in all have (or had) a castle. I started in Matsuyama which is, in my opinion, the best castle (of these 5). After that I was in Okayama, Shibata (Niigata Pref.), Sendai (Aoba) and now Odawara. I live just a couple minutes walk from the castle and get to pass it every day I go to work or the station. In the spring time, the more than 350 sakura trees make it one of the "Top 100 Cherry Blossom viewing places in Japan". Odawara Castle is also the nearest castle from Tokyo (35 minutes by bullet train), so we get quite a few tourists (including foreigners) visiting every day. Odawara is also the city I've lived the longest here in Japan (approaching 6 years). It's a great place to live with it's proximity to both the beach and mountains and to Tokyo. The best castles I've been to are Himeji which is the largest and most visited castle in Japan and Matsumoto which not only has the best name but is also a beautiful black castle. :) Pictures above are Matsuyama Castle and cherry blossoms at Odawara Castle.

2010 - "Year of the Taiga"

What a year it's been! The 'Year of the Tiger' brought us our little Taiga and probably made this the happiest year of my life. I always knew I wanted to be a father but still never dreamed being one would bring such joy. :) There are more responsibilities and restrictions now that I'm a dad. I have to think of my family first now. I can't just go to the gym anytime I want to. Telling Aki that I have to go to the gym to keep young and healthy for our baby only works so many times, haha. This year my family and I have been able to stay healthy and I've actually gotten in better shape (endurance wise). It is a goal of mine to play basketball and other sports with my son as he's growing up, so I do have to keep it up.

Another highlight of this year was my parents' Golden Anniversary, yes 50 golden years! The surprise party for them in Tahoe couldn't have been any better. My mom & dad really do have a happy marriage. They were good role-models and I learned a lot by just watching them. They hardly ever fought in front of us and their fights never lasted for long. When they did fight, they'd talk about the problem, compromise and solve it together. They share some of the same interests and have some that are different. I think it's important to continue doing things you enjoy. I just remembered something my dad often said, "No matter what, love your mom". I think I get this now. Watching the way Aki takes care of our baby, feeding him, loving him, playing with him, etc. I doubt Taiga can payback all that he's been given and he isn't even a year old yet! :)

As we move into 2011, I wish you all peace, happiness & health. For me, I have one more wish and that is to get more sleep. I'm sure my wife has the same wish too. Akemashite omedetou!

Power Spots

Do power spots really exist? The belief that our earth has areas with elevated levels of energy has been debated for centuries. I'm a pretty skeptical guy but have to admit that after visiting some of these "power spots", I can honestly say that I've felt a little different. It's a hard to explain "good" feeling (a spiritual elevation?). Is it caused because the earth is naturally covered with energy lines? Now I believe so. I don't claim to have gone through any kind of spiritual transformation, just maybe a slight enlightenment of the mind. :)

What is the key to the mystery of these power spots? Why do millions of people flock to them every year? Let me try to answer. The main reason (for me) is the striking aesthetic beauty that can be found at each of these spots. The other reason is that these spots have been visited by millions of people for hundreds of years. These people have continuously charged the sites with energy, with love, with a spirit of peace and a healing power.

A couple of weeks ago, my family and I visited one of Japan's most famous power spots (along with Mt. Fuji), the Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture. I did my best to take in as much of the positive KI energy. It was a beautiful fall day; the sun was shining on the trees and we all felt very calm and relaxed. Ise Shrine is also the most historically significant shrine in Japan. It is the Imperial Household's family shrine dedicated specifically to the emperor. In the past, even the emperor's mother and wife needed his permission to worship there.

The most powerful spot I've visited were the Pyramids. Looking up at this magnificent sight was overwhelming. It really did take my breath away. In conclusion, everyone should go out and experience a power spot. At worst, you'll get to see a beautiful spot. At best, you may awaken your soul or heal your body and mind. On top are pictures of Ise Shrine. The very top picture is Mt. Shasta in Northern California, said to be a "global power center".

Funny Engrish

You don't have to spend much time here in Japan to find out the pronunciation problem between R/L sounds. The sound in Japanese is right between these two and there is no R/L sound (as we have in English). This can lead to some funny sayings. I'll start off with the classic joke about the Japanese guy who went to see the eye doctor. The doctor told him he had a cataract and he politely told him that he didn't have a Cadillac, he had a Rincoln. My favorite is the one I heard from a fellow English teacher. He was a judge at a jr. high school English speech contest. After the contest ended, the Japanese teacher said in perfect English, "Let's give a big crap to all the contestants." He went on to say, "and a big big crap to all of their teachers". Wait, he didn't stop there. Finally, he said, "Last of all, we should give you a big big big crap for coming here today!" Another one that I'll never forget is the student that wrote: My pen is small. He didn't leave enough space between 'pen' and 'is' so you can get what it looked like. Don't ask me why he wrote this sentence! :)

I'll finish with one of the funniest English mistakes I've ever heard. Former Japanese Prime Minister Mori was not good at speaking English. In fact, he was so bad that upon meeting former President Bill Clinton, he mistakenly said "Who are you?" (instead of 'How are you'). Clinton, with his sharp wit, answered "I'm Hillary's husband". Mori, who was still clueless, smiled and said, "Me too". :)

My friends

We all need friends. I'm lucky to be blessed with many. Here in Japan I've made some good friends. Most of them have been other "gaijin" (foreigners). The problem is, foreigners usually end up leaving Japan at some point. Of course, I have Japanese friends too. But getting to the really close friendship level is sometimes tough with the language/cultural barriers. I've also noticed that the older I get, the more reserved I have become. I remember when I first came here, I was much more outgoing. I'd go up and talk to people without hesitation. Is it because I have too many friends now? I don't think you can ever have too many friends. The reason, I think, is because as I get older, I also become more careful/guarded. Is this a good thing? Hmmm...

I've spent 15 of the last 20 years outside of California. It's a long time. But my friends in CA are my life-long friends and they are the ones who will always remain the dearest to me. They are the ones who have supported me, put up with my selfish moods, forgiven me for my childish acts and accepted me for doing what I want to do. These are the friends I grew up with and went to college with. To me, that bond, that connection you make when you are younger can be so strong that 20 years can pass and you can reconnect and pick it right back up again. As we all have our own families and responsibilities now, it's difficult to make the time to get together and stay in touch. So it was very special when I got to meet many of my old friends while I was back in CA over the summer. I didn't get to see all of you and believe me I want to! For those of you I did get to meet, thank YOU so much for taking the time and making me and my family feel so special. Here are some of the pics. from our vacation.

Golden Anniversary

In 1960, 3 very good things happened. The Beatles were born. JFK was elected President. And my parents got married on this very day 50 years ago!

As a child, I always felt my parents had a happy and good marriage; I still do. They hardly fight which I think is healthier than never fighting at all. :) They're both basically easy-going and my mom never stays mad for long. I'm still trying to learn how to do this, haha.

So far I've been to two Golden Anniversary parties. The first was my grandpa & grandma's. My parents and aunts & uncles gave them a nice party and invited many relatives and friends. I hoped my brothers and I could do something like that for our parents. We invited a few relatives, including my dad's sister from Arizona. We also invited a few of our parents closest friends; friends that they've had since they were in high school. And we managed to keep this all a secret from them and pull off a "Surprise" 50-year anniversary party! Most of that thanks goes to Kevin/Cheryl for making all the arrangements. The party took place a couple of weeks ago. This is because we could only be in CA until mid-August.
The party was held in Lake Tahoe , one of my favorite nature spots.

Aki and I only have 44 more years to go until we hit our Golden Anniversary! I'll only be 88 years old, LOL! That birthday will be extra special since 88 is a very lucky number here in Japan. So Taiga, when you're old enough to read this, please don't forget about us. :)

Tanabata（七夕）

July 7 is "Tanabata" festival in Japan. In English, it is also known as the "Star" festival; it originated more than 2000 years ago from an old Chinese legend in which two lovers were separated on the opposite sides of the Milky Way by their king. They were only allowed to meet once a year on the 7th day of the 7th month in the lunar calendar. They can't see each other if the day is rainy, so people pray for good weather and also make wishes for themselves. They write their wishes on strips of paper and hang them on bamboo branches.

Many cities display long colorful streamers on the streets. The two biggest "Tanabata" festivals in Japan are held in Hiratsuka (just 20 minutes from Odawara) and Sendai (up in Tohoku). These festivals attract millions of visitors each year. Here are a few pics. from both festivals.

World Cup Soccer

It's June 29th. Japan has made it to the 2nd round knockout stage for the first time ever on foreign soil. Kickoff is just 90 minutes away (Japan time @ 11pm). I've got my Japan jersey on and will be cheering for the "Samurai Blue". I predict them to win Paraguay 2-1 and then get whipped by Spain in the quarterfinals. My other (not so bold) prediction is that Brazil will win in the finals over Argentina. Anyway, why am I writing about the World Cup?! Most Americans couldn't care less about soccer and after team USA was booted by Ghana, those few who were tuning in have probably lost their interest. The fact that I'm living in Japan and Japan is still playing (well at least one more game) has kept me interested. However, I would still at least be reading about the games and watching them when I could.

How did I get interested in the World Cup? I was living in Niigata pref. in 2002 and Niigata was chosen as one of Japan's host cities. I was able to experience real WC excitement as fans from all over the world gathered in what is usually quite an ordinary (if not boring) city. There were huge parties going on, fans dancing and drinking in the streets. It was all good vibes from soccer fans celebrating. I'm hopeful that I can someday watch a WC game live, preferably with the US or Japan teams playing.

Many of my friends here in Japan ask me about the popularity of soccer in America. I answer that's it probably around #10 in terms of people attending a game or watching it on TV. But in terms of people playing it, many are surprised to learn that it is the most popular sport for both boys and girls. I played it for a couple of years in elementary school. In fact, our neighborhood (Morada) gang had a decent team with almost all of us going on to play in high school too. As a freshman, I played (American) football. When I decided to make the switch over to soccer (both sports are played during the fall) my sophomore (2nd) year, one friend (JB) teased me for not playing the "man's" sport. This is precisely the reason that most boys when they become teenagers switch from soccer to another sport (or at least it was back then).

I do have a couple of complaints about soccer. The first and biggest is that the players should cut out the theatrics. How many times a game do you see a guy go down and stay down and roll around on the pitch and scream and cry like a baby?! That is the most disturbing thing for me to watch. Play the game! Quit acting and Quit crying!!! OK, enough on that rant. My other complaint is not so big. But how can a sport that is played for 90 minutes (sometimes 2 full hours) end with the score 0-0?! Is that exciting? Can that be considered a show of athleticism on both sides? I find it hard to answer yes to either question.

I'll end with my soccer predictions. The next world cup in Brazil will see Japan making it to the 2nd round again but that's it. However, team USA will make it to the semi-finals. And in my lifetime, I'll bet that team USA will win the WC for the first time (maybe 20 years later). I kind of like how the USA is now the underdog when it comes to soccer. It really can't be said about too many sports the USA participates in. That is one of the beauties of soccer, how a country with only a few million people or a very poor country can play and often outplay the larger and richer countries. So let me say, "Go Ghana!"

May 5th

May 5th is a very important date for me. On this, the Hojo Matsuri (festival) is held in Odawara. This year I carried the big mikoshi (portable shrine) into the sea. It doesn't look so big nor heavy but it weighed a couple of tons and felt like even more! My parents were here visiting during this time, so they got to see the festival. It was so fun to show them one of my favorite parts of Japanese culture, the matsuris. What made it even more special was that it was Taiga's first matsuri （初節句 Hatsuzekku) and his first Children's Day (formerly called Boy's Day). I love how the whole community comes together and helps out. Some carry the mikoshi, others direct traffic, while others are back at the make-shift base camp preparing curry, onigiri, yakisoba and keeping the beer on ice. And this all couldn't be done without the generous donations from the local businesses and townspeople. Every one chips in and this matsuri tradition that started about 500 years ago in Odawara lives on.

But the main reason May 5th holds such importance to me is that it's the day I met Aki. It was during Golden Week in 2001 while I was hanging out with my buddy Ari (from NY). She was with her friend Hitomi and our paths crossed and I've never looked back. On a side note, when we met way back then, Aki's English was at the beginner level. In fact, my Japanese was even better than her English! I know that's hard to believe now and my Japanese hasn't really improved (maybe this was because I was too busy teaching her English, haha JK). She's far from being a true bilingual but can communicate fairly fluently and naturally in English. This shows that with a lot of hard work (as she did), you can also improve your English to a high level. Keep studying hard and keep having fun!