Japan Day 12

I had spent 12 days in Japan and our full immersion was about to begin. The next phase of our program was the either eagerly-anticipated or highly-dreaded host family stay. Yup, we were forced out of our cozy hotel rooms without our handy translator and guide to spend time with a Japanese family.

Each one of us in our group of 16 teachers in Kamisu had different experiences. Simultaneously the other 144 teachers scattered across the other 9 host cities across Japan had their own unique moments. While a very small percentage had a difficult time, most of us had very wonderful experiences that left a very discernable impression on us. Mine was phenomenal.

Our group had all assembled in the lobby of our hotel in Kamisu to be picked up by our host family. I watched intently as families came one by one to whisk away my fellow teachers. I was starting to get a little anxious when the Matsushitas finally arrived. Tadayuki and his daughter Izumi came to pick me up. Izumi and I are very similar in age and she used to teach English in a Japanese junior high which made things very comfortable and easy for me. While I have picked up a few key phrases and terms in Japanese, I was hardly able to communicate fluently. So, Izumi's English skills made the stay a lot less stressful. All in all, the Matsushitas hit it off and got along great.

Their unwavering generosity and gracious hospitality seemed to be fairly indicative of most of the host families. One might think that the concept of honor and "losing face" played a part in how well they took care of us, but I believe that the people we've met are just genuinely caring and giving.

So, after getting picked up, we drove off to Kashima shrine. Yes, I went before, but the first time was just for 30 minutes and that really didn't do justice to the shrines so I had requested to go again. I'm so glad I went again. We went deeper into the thick of the forest and found a shrine and a torii gate WITHIN a pond filled with giant koi fish. I also got to see the reindeer eat orange peels again.

They then took me to Itako for the famed Ayame Matsuri (Iris Festival) where we got to see fields of purple, lavender, and white Irises in bloom along with a reenactment of a Traditonal Wedding Ceremony where the bride is sent to her wedding via boat along with her dowry of rice and sake. We also went for a boat ride along the river where we got to stop by floating shops for treats like mochi.

After Itako, we had lunch and had tonkatsu. Mmmmn...yummy.

We then went to their home and got situated. There, I met Nobuko, the wife of Tadayuki and mother of Izumi. She is one of the most creative people I have ever met. She described herself as a housewife on the info paper that I got about their family. However, what wasn't said was that she works part time making cell phone parts...not the cute little charms, but the electronics inside the phone. Plus, she does the house cleaning and coooking. Also, she has a wonderful garden full of flowers and veggies which she uses for cooking and she even pickles her own food such as umeboshi. She also dries, flattens, and arranges the flowers and other garden materials in special paper and Washi to make a picture. For example, she'll use cotton to make waterfalls, petals to make rabbits, and roots to make tree limbs in order to create these scenic landscape pictures that look so realistic from across the room. Oh yeah, she sows kimonos as well. But I digress, after meeting my host mom, the ladies immediately went to work on cooking while Tadayuki san and I went driving around.

He took me to his work place which is a construction company that handles cranes of all sizes. From little cranes the size of regular construction machines to towering behemoths that take at least a week to assemble and lift over 200 tons, he drives them all. This is apparently a very lucrative job since construction of skyscrapers in Tokyo and even around the new city of Kamisu has been booming.

We returned home to a nice surprise. They arranged a small little block party with some of their friends and neighbors. I felt really honored as their guests brought little gifts for me. We feasted on tempura and unagi along with other yummy dishes. Oh yeah, Nobuko made all the ceramic bowls, plates, and cups that everyone used that night. Wow.