TALKING NORIEXPLAINS IT ALL

7

LOOKING AHEAD
TO LIFE AFTER JET

11LET’S ENJOY
JAPAN!

15

The Magazine of National AJET
May-June 2004
Volume XV Issue 5

2

AJET Across Japan

With the publication of this issue, my year

F
R
O
M
T
H
E
E
D
I
T
O
R

as AAJ editor comes to an end. The conclusion of my term is just one more indication of
the clock that’s ticking down until August 5,
2003, the day I depart Japan. As the months
wind down, I am reminded every day of thethings that I may never see, smell, hear orexperience again. Certainly there are somethings I will be glad to never experience again— the smell of a salaryman-packed last train,or the rigid adherence to that all-important
procedure, for example — but all those minor
prickles (and major irritations) will be gonesoon enough, left in the trail of smoke behindan America-bound Boeing 747.

Making friends at the bar at 4 a.m.
People-watching on the train
Riding my mama-chari around town
Guys in business suits at punk clubs“Gudo moooorning! Gudo baaaaai!”
Smap X Smap
Melon cream soda
Cranes flying overhead on my drive home

So, in the limited time I have left, I want toconcentrate on savoring and commiting tomemory all the day-to-day moments, sights
and sensations of my life in Japan. It’s thoselittle things, not the crazy adventures andblowout parties, that have made up the bulkof my existence here. I can have crazyadventures anywhere, but nowhere else can I
come home to the smell of warm tatami onthat first hot day of spring. These are thethings I will miss:

Candy and figurines shaped like poop

Hearing temple gongs at dawn on the way
home from a long night out

The attendants in uniform at the gas station

Carefully coiffed orange mullets
Hunched-over women with huge bonnets
The taste of mugi-cha on summer days
Irraishai!
The willingness of my highschool girls to hug me
The willingness of my highschool boys to hug each other
The willingness of strangers to
invite me into their homes
Hot drinks from the vending
machine on a bitterly cold night
Monks riding mopeds

Cheap, delicious teishoku meals
Sake from strangers in the street at festivals
Smiling at people when I catch them staring
The first step into a rotenburo in the snow
Women in high heels at the grocery store

Toy-size cars
39 students trying to pronounce Labrador... and laughing with friends, both gaijin andJapanese, in a thousand different places at a
million different things.
I realize that some of the very things I will missmight be things that drive others
crazy about Japan. But you no
doubt have your own list of things
that, while fleeting on their own,
compounded comprise the bulk ofyour Japan experience. You’ll
probably have no trouble remembering the first days in Tokyo, theclimb up Mt. Fuji or the trip to
Okinawa. But those small, precious
moments and sensations are easierto let slip. Pack them in a mental
box and take them with you.

Stores for teenagers full of cute plastic crap
Catching the whiff of incense from a shrine

2003-2004 AAJ Editor

3

March/April 2004

Contents

AJET
AcrossJapan
EditorAshley Atkinson

REGULARS
From the Editor

2

From the Chair

4

Kiosk

5

News from AJET to you

aaj@ajet.net

JET Setting
Advertising Editor

Yves Laforge

19

What fellow JETs are doing with their spare time

ads@ajet.net
Contributors
Michael Acton, Craig Allender, Craig Bennet,
Kristen Coco, Amber Cordell, Amanda
Cornaglia, Dominic, Reuben Hernandez, Kristy
Hunt, Niccole Kunshek, Michelle Luffingham,
Emilie McGlone, Shawna McMurran, Ben
Myers, Brittney Schoonebeek, Jesiah Shotton,
Robert Tunick, Kim Vlach
AJET Across Japan is the magazine of the
National Association for Japan Exchange andTeaching (NAJET). It is published bimonthly forthe benefit of NAJET members.
Unsolicited submissions, letters to the editor,
questions and comments are welcome andencouraged. For submission guidelines, seeaaj.ajet.net.
All advertising correspondence should be sent
to ads@ajet.net.

FEATURES
Talking to Nori and the
Ripple Effect7

A disaffected ALT finds solace in his bento box

Thumbs Up to Fuji Rock9

A hitchiking adventure

The Zen of Beer

10

JETs have always depended on thekindness of strangers

Looking Ahead

11

How to make the most of your last months here

Quiz: Do You Want to Stayin Japan?

12

Analyze the motives behind yourdecision to re-contract

Lost and Liking It

14

Navigating Japan, both literally and figuratively

Let’s Enjoy Japan!

15

How to make the most of your time here, period

Stay or Go?

16

On the privilege of having the choice to go home

Glimpses17

A brief meeting with a former Japaneseexchange student brings back memories

ON THE COVER
A jizo statue in quiet contemplation amongst
the greenery at Kyoto-fu’s Kannon-ji temple.
Photo by Amber Cordell, Kyoto-fu

To contribute to AJET Across Japan,
see our guidelines at aaj.ajet.net.

4

AJET Across Japan

From the Chaira time of transition
As I’m writing this, I can’t help but wonder when thesnow will stop and the sun will start to shine. I’mhoping that by the time this is printed, cherry
blossoms will be in full bloom and I will haveemerged from my third and final winter in Hyogo. I’mlooking forward to shedding a few layers and joining
in all the traditional spring festivities. I can’t reallyimagine a better way to spend a warm spring day
than in the company of the flowers, the sun, a little
sake and a few good friends.
Spring is customarily a time for new beginnings, andfor AJET it means we will soon be handing things
over to a brand new council. After speaking with thecandidates, I’m assured that AJET will only continue
to improve in the year to come. I’m especiallypleased to announce my successor, Dave CowlandCooper, who after a productive and successful year
as Block 8 Representative willtake the reins at the end of May.
From now until June, the outgoing and incoming councils will beworking together to ensure aseamless transition into the
2004-2005 JET Programme year.
At a point of transition in prettymuch every aspect of my life, I’ve
taken some time over the lastfew weeks to reflect on myexperience on the JET
Programme. What exactly have I
done with the last two and a halfyears? After coming up with adecent list of personal andprofessional accomplishments, I’m trying to feel lessnervous about the uncertainty of the upcoming
summer. Honestly, I’m still a little jittery, but at least
I’ll have a great armory of stories for my grandkids.
All that musing made me realize just how much
AJET has improved since I first joined the National
Council in May of 2002. I consider myself extremely
lucky, having had the opportunity to work with twooutstanding councils. In any large organization,change is going to take time. I’ve watched 40
dedicated people tackle issues and projects thathave and will continue to improve the JET
Programme. Even as volunteers, they have been
more than willing to pour hours of their time into
researching and preparing reports, reading andreplying to emails, organizing projects and discuss-

ing the issues, not to mention constantly looking forways to do it all better than ever before.
Some of AJET’s more recent accomplishments
came into the spotlight over a February weekend in
Kumamoto. The National Council doesn’t get tomeet face-to-face very often, so it’s nice to geteveryone in the same room. It’s even better when
everyone brings a bit of good news. Our treasurer,
Jason Wians, announced that AJET continues to befinancially stable despite investing even more in
programs like Peer Support Group, Tatami Timeshare and AJET Across Japan. Our Corporate Teamannounced that the GAM program (which invites
relevant companies to offer services and discounts
to AJET members) has grown in both numbers andsupport. The addition of companies like Kintetsu
International and the Kyoto Journal will mean that
AJET will be able to make JET life just a little more
comfortable in the year ahead. Guidebook liaisonand general idea man Dave C-C brought creative
improvements for the upcoming Re-contracting
Conference Guidebooks which include haiku, photoand cartoon competitions. We hope that many JETs
will take part in the competitions and renewing firstyears will enjoy the new format.
Interpreter Adam Chapin announced
that the basic translations of the
Web site are complete, and over the
next few months AJET hopes to offer
a completely bilingual site. The
future of Tatami Timeshare looks
bigger and brighter as Coordinator
Ryan McDonald has plans to makenext year’s edition a complete travel
guide including both well-known andnot-so-well-known spots and travel
hints. The list goes on and on, andthere were many improvements
made to the structure of the National
Council as well. The big change willbe the split of the CIR-SEA Representative position
into two separate jobs. The split should give both
titles more focused representation; we hope that thiswill also encourage more CIRs and SEAs to join the
AJET circle. Additionally, we decided to nominate
two interpreters for the next year. Both comeequipped with a high level of Japanese skills as wellas varying talents that should prove beneficial as
AJET moves to become completely bilingual (andhopefully, multilingual!)
If you have any questions or would like to learn more
about AJET’s recent accomplishments, pleasecontact me. There are only so many ideas 20 people
can come up with … we’d be interested in hearing
what else is out there. I hope the warm weather andcherry blossoms help inspire you!

BY AMANDA CORNAGLIA, AJET NATIONAL COUNCIL CHAIR

March/April 2004

K
I
O
S
K

5

New Anime/Manga Special Interest Group Created
A new Anime and Manga Special Interest Group (AMSIG) has beencreated under the umbrella of National AJET. The purpose of thisgroup is to bring together JET Programme participants that enjoy
the art forms of Japanese animation and comics. The group will
discuss popular trends in Anime/Manga fandom in Japan andabroad, as well as ways to utilize the hobby in classrooms as atool to teach English. This is a free SIG, and anyone is able to join.
If you are interested, please see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
AJETAMSIG or contact the founder, Trevor Lalish-Menagh, atjumex@trevreport.org.

The ULTIMATE Weekend, June 5-6
Next up in the AJET Games series, Hyogo will
host an Ultimate Frisbee Tournament on June 5-6.
Conveniently scheduled for the weekend immediately
following the Kobe Re-contractors’ Conference, takeadvantage of your trip to Kansai by spending theweekend in beautiful Tajima.

New Japanese Culture Group Formed
A new special interest group, the Anthropology SIG,
has been created to provide a positive forum fordiscussing, understanding, and describing Japaneseculture from the JET perspective. The group will use
anthropological theory as a starting point for interpreting experiences and evaluating the JET presence inJapan. Although a degree in anthropology is not
required for participation, an interest in anthropolgy isquite helpful! Perhaps this can also be a starting point
for those interested in learning more or those looking
for a different viewpoint on Japan.
In fulfilling this purpose, members are asked tocontribute articles, personal experiences, weblinks,
general thoughts, etc. in order to encourage discussion of Japanese culture. Members are invited toshare their thoughts and opinions in a respectfulmanner, facilitating sharing and building an understanding of Japan.
For more information, see http://groups.yahoo.com/
group/anthrosig or contact moderator Shana West at
anthrosig-owner@yahoogroups.com.

The tournament will open with round-robin matches
at 10 a.m. on Saturday and finish up by 2 p.m. on
Sunday. In addition to game schedule, social events
include a barbeque and DJ party.
Team registration closed on May 14th, but teams
may bring as many spectators as they like.
All details about the tournament are available at
http://www.geocities.com/tajultimate. If you have any
questions, please contact the AJET Games TAJ
Ultimate Committee at: tajultimate@yahoo.com.

AJET NEWS

AJET-CLAIR-MEXT Meeting May 24
National AJET met with representatives of
CLAIR and MEXT in Tokyo on May 24-25. If
you have questions about the meeting procedures or results, please let your Block Representative know. Find contact information at
www.ajet.net and look for full reports on all
topics discussed at the meeting to be postedon the site in the coming months.

6

AJET Across JapanAND

THE RIPPLE EFFECT
By Jesiah Shotton“So, there are still a lot of problems with this program,” I say. “For example, the underutilization of
ALTs. Not that I complain, mind you, as the free time
I have allows me to ponder about the mysteries of
the universe, and as you understand, that’s animportant job, and somebody has to do it. Still
though, it sometimes grates on me that things can’t
be done better.”
Pausing, I take a sip of my tea before placing thesmall ceramic cup down, next to the disposable
waribashi. “I just don’t feel that the students’ needs
are properly satisfied, especially inregards to the English curriculum.
This job does get frustrating, as noone wants to learn, and it makes it
harder to teach. The motivation just
isn’t there, and a lot of the students
don’t give a damn about English. I’m
just generalizing but that’s the way it
feels. They are more concerned withthe other important things in theirlives, like how their hair looks, who
has the latest fashion accessory andhow thick that book is with all theprint club stickers. It’s just like that,you know. Just like that.”

Your presence is the rock that will cause this ripple
to occur. This is evident enough of the purpose you
serve.
“Hmm…” I say, momentarily taken aback by theanswer. It was both well-constructed and madesense. Mine was not and did not. Staring at mymiso soup, I noticed the tofu and nori slices entwined together, dancing away in the swirls like acouple of tragic opera lovers. As if in silent
acknowledgement, they turn and gaze back at me,smiling, before reaching a crescendo and settling
down in the bottom of the bowl. Lifeis not so grim, they seem to say, in
unison. You have it easy compared
to us. Just take a look at us.
We’ve been cut, boiled, simmeredand cooked all morning. That is our
purpose. To serve others. Ourneed, our existence. We are allhere to serve a purpose. Just relax
and don’t think too much. Toomuch thinking will only twist you up.
Don’t worry, things will be fine. It’s
not so bad. Just drink us up andeverything will be better. Go on.
Just like that.

It’s quite
exhausting to do
nothing. It takes agreat deal ofeffort, energy andconcentration ...

Awaiting a response, I gaze at the clock on the far
wall ticking away, counting the seconds. One…
tick… two… tick… three… tick. After the third
second, the response finally comes.
Well..., the response begins. English, for Japanese
students is very much the same as physics andcalculus. Another difficult subject to study and theytreat it that way. Only a few gems actually seeminterested in it in order to actually communicate.
Those are the ones that make the job worthwhile.
The job is really fairly basic, although I guess you
give yourself the challenge of trying to motivate thestudents. And while the job can be quite dreary attimes, you are being paid a lot better than mostother dreary jobs, for example, a factory worker or alabourer. You are here to do a job, and some of yourstudents will benefit and appreciate the job you do.
Although it may not seem like it now, you are making
a difference. Like a ripple in a pond, the effect will
eventually reverberate and spread, to be felt by all.

Nodding, I pick up the bowl, and then look around,wondering if anyone else notices the soup talking tome. However, the cafeteria is noisy, erratic conversations buzz loudly, with the clamour of dishes being
cooked and washed in the background. No one
seems to find me talking to my lunch strange, tosay the least. Finding ignorance in the happeningsof reality around me, I finish my tea and drain the
miso bowl, satisfied in its having served its purpose.
Now with renewed warmth and vigour, I head back to
the teachers’ office, to find the reason for my own
existence and purpose here.
Even after being here half a year, life is still somewhat confusing. Seems like yesterday, I was in adifferent world, assured in my surroundings and wayof life. Now though, all semblances of life andnormality seem unbalanced, swept away in a hugesea of confusion and indifference. Even the daily
conversations I have with my lunch is starting toborder on the brink of insanity. How did all thisMarch/April 2004
happen? Where exactly did my world disappear to?
Like a black hole, it seemingly got swallowed up andvanished without a trace, with me as the only
survivor, left to pick up the pieces.
Returning to my desk, I shake my head and dismiss
the thoughts of my world having gone super-nova.
Picking up the latest copy of Asahi Weekly, hoping
to retrace the threads back to reality, I browse
through the articles.
Celine Dion now has a star on the Boardwalk of
Fame in Hollywood. She was officiated on January 6,
2004. Great! My heart will go on …and on.
In a recent survey, 73 percent of American women
dislike Britney Spears. Why is this important?
Virus outbreak in Asia, called the Avian flu. Chicken
related. So far, 600 chickens have died and a further
35,000 chickens
will be put down
and destroyed in
Yamaguchi
prefecture alone.
There are also
cases that bad
eggs have beensold to unsuspecting people.
According toJapanese healthauthorities, eggs
should really
only be kept andconsumed within
two weeks.
Guess thismeans I should
throw out myeggs from last November.
Not finding anything interesting, I fold the paper inthirds and put it away. Sitting at my desk, reminiscent of an old Roxette song, I spend my time,
watching the days go by, staring at the wall. Looking
around the office on this sleepy winter afternoon, I
see teachers, survivors of a planet gone super-nova,
dozing away, dreaming Japanese dreams, where
everyone lives in an anime world, filled with brightcolours and high pitched voices. The elders are in
their fire-cave, breathing their Salems and SevenStars, while the womenfolk gather around the gas
heater like some primordial tribeswomen around afire, talking about the latest hand-painting designs todecorate their tatami-matted homes.
Unable to fully comprehend the language to communicate effectively, a feeling of isolation swamps overme, the sounds and noises alien, like the clicks andclacks of a machine often ignored. Met with a sea of

7

blank looks and strange gestures, confused in alanguage I barely understand, let alone speak, theserhythms and reverberations only compound the
feeling of isolation. Feeling detached, disconnected
and disregarded, I reach out, but only grasp empty
air, the fading sunlight passing through my fingers.
Living in this new world is not without its fair share ofdifficulties.
It’s another empty day, I think to myself, the hours
dragging on, and my very presence here alone isdepressing enough to make me tired. It’s quite
exhausting to do nothing. It takes a great deal ofeffort, energy and concentration just to do nothing.
This Art of Nothingness. An art that takes years ofmental discipline and practice to perfect. Lacking
the appropriate qualifications, my mind whiles away,seeking some form of mental stimulation. Not finding
any, I’m left alone with my thoughts. Thoughts that
aimlessly wanders, lacking form and purpose.
There’s thatword again.
Purpose.
Sitting insilence, andwondering what
to do next, I
thought about
what the miso
soup had said.
We are all here
to serve a
purpose.
What exactly
did the soup
Photo by Craig Allendermean? Purpose? Whatpurpose? What is the purpose of purpose? Thinking
long and hard for a whole minute, I quickly grab a
pen and jot down the following: Suppose, you say,we have only one purpose. Say that our purpose is
to serve another being of their purpose, which only
exists because of purpose itself. If Being A serves
Being B’s purpose, would there be any purpose left
for A? Then again, suppose that A realized that inreaching its very purpose, it would then lack purpose
after, would A still fulfill its original purpose, only tohave no purpose after? Maybe a new purpose would
surface, but then Being B’s purpose would bemeaningless. Is that what purpose is really all
about? Is purpose perpetual? Reading back throughmy notes, I try to relate this to the triangular JET
Matrix, as I call it (ALT to teacher to student relationship). This only leads to more confusion. What aconundrum!
Regardless, I continue to write, a letter this time, topass time, hoping to find CONTINUED NEXT PAGE

8

AJET Across JapanTALKING TO NORI, CONTINUED
a purpose. Maybe in writing, a purpose will manifest
itself through my words. After all, words are all wehave, the proof of our existence. Without them,without words, life may very well amount to nothing,
if anything at all. Through words, we reach out topeople and make a difference. It’s nothing special or
rare. Everyone has words, and everyone has something to say. It’s just a matter of saying it. If you careenough to make a difference and to write, the words
will breathe their own life, creating a story, a way of
expression. This expression is nothing more thanwhat we experience, a sum of our lives and memories. Thus, I start my letter.
***“It is now 12.53 p.m. I am bored, so again, I havedecided to write. Having finished lunch, I feel sleepy.
I know this is a result of having blood flow to thestomach, to help digest the food, so the explanation
is purely scientific. Regardless, I felt sleepy thismorning before school, am feeling sleepy now,
during school, and will feel sleepy later, after school.
The only reasonable explanation is that I am sleepy,
regardless. It is, after all, a sleepy winter’s afternoon.
I have only one class today, and it isn’t until period
six, the last period of the day. A sleepy class. So,
until then, the day is pretty much entirely mine. I
have brought my latest Murakami book to read, “TheElephant Vanishes,” and if fate dictates and boredom persists, I might even finish it today. Presently,
this piece of writing will alleviate the stillness in myday and pass time, and also act as a buffer for myboredom. Hope you don’t mind.
With so many hours in the day spare, I was hoping
to have done something constructive. Ashamed tosay, I have not. What then, have I done all day? It’s
all a blur. All I can remember are bits and fragmented
images. I vaguely remember trying to get online towrite an e-mail, but the server is down. Apparently,
the mainframe at Yashiro is down for repairs soInternet usages for the high schools in Hyogo areout. Being in Osaka, I guess this won’t affect you.
Have some shopping to pick up today after school.
Mostly ‘sundries,’ which, you informed me, werehousehold goods. I am still contemplating a heatedfan, as there is only a month of winter left to go.
Guess I could rough it out for another month just to
save a few dollars, or yen, so to speak. Having said
that, I am feeling pretty warm now in the teacher’s
office, what with all the fire breathing around. I’msure that my decision will change tonight as I lay
freezing in my apartment.
About the problems with your school, why don’t you
write to AJET? I’m sure someone would address theissues of teaching alone. We shouldn’t be made toteach alone, regardless what our schools or JTEs
tells us, although I’m aware that many ALTs conductsolo classes. It breaches our contract, a dismissible
offence, but then again, so is not abiding to ouremployers’ desires. A double quandary. It’s a shamethat the Prefectural Advisor couldn’t have been of
more help.
However, don’t dwell too much on the negative
aspects of the job. As wise Yoda once said, “Anger
leads to hate, hate leads to suffering, suffering leads
to violence.” Something along those lines anyway. I
might have gotten the order mixed up. Regardless, I
don’t suggest you resort to violence. It’s very un-Jedi
like, and would definitely be in violation of ourcontract! As we’re constantly told, “Every Situation
is Different,” although this now sounds more like acurse. Yes, playing now in prefectural schools allover Japan, “Curse of the ALT,” now showing!
Don’t stress though, you’re not the only one having
problems acclimatizing. Sometimes I feel like giving
up too, as there is no point being here. Although I
adore Japan and the atmosphere, life at school canbe the pits, given that that is a major part of our lives
here. At times, it seems that our efforts are being
neglected and/or wasted. With each passing day, alittle bit more of us slip away, our sanity hanging
precariously on the threads of reality and craziness.
At some point in time, we will get washed away inthe tsunami of cultural indifference, feeling its
unrelenting wraith and fury, and like ants struggling
to escape after being sprayed with water, ourdesperate pleas for rescue and help will be ignored.
Oh, what an existence! However, don’t give up or
despair. According to my miso soup (long story, I’ll
tell you about it another time), we all have a purpose, and we do make a difference.
Don’t lament about things lost, or of a time past.
Don’t ponder about a world that’s disappeared.
Spending time contemplating questions about life’s
purpose – questions such as “Why am I here? Whatam I doing? What is my purpose?” – all the while
trying to fit in and belong, seeking acceptance andcontentment, will only lead to more confusion.
Questions such as those have no definitive answers.
After all, we are not here to find questions, but todiscover answers.
All in all, don’t ruminate or let things digress. We arehere now, so live, exist and make a difference.
That’s our purpose. Inevitably, there will be obstacles, circumstances and events that will attempt
to pierce through our safety bubble, pushing us to
the limits, but never over them. That’s all part of theexperience. In years to come, we will be better
people because of the adversity CONTINUED P. 19

March/April 2004

9Thumbs Up to Fuji RockBy Kimberly Vlach, Saga-ken

July 23, 2003 — We were standing in the drizzle next to a Kyushu expressway rest stop,
holding out our thumbs, carrying a sign that said, “Oneigaishimasu.” My mouth dropped
as an imported Mercedes Benz pulled up to us. This was our first ride on our hitchhiking
adventure to Niigata-ken for the Fuji Rock Festival!
It took us 28 hours and only five rides to complete the 1,200 km journey, and each rideand each rest stop had its own unique imprint on the entire memory of Fuji Rock. Our
second ride was from a 28-year old truck driver who had a TV and VCR and collection ofporn in the seat next to him. Next were a father and his 9-year-old son whose shyness
quickly dissolved when we became 9 again.
At 6 a.m., after seven hours of being rejected, barely awake at a rest stop, we werebeing stared at and contemplated by a couple, 68 years old. They had never picked up
hitchhikers before and saw this an adventure for themselves as well! And then our lastride (talk about chance!) was a 24-year-old seasoned Fuji Rock veteran whose station
wagon was filled with CDs of this year’s lineup. We could not have planned our door-todoor service any better — being able to roll into Fuji Rock, jamming out to the music wewere about to hear live … “luck” would be an understatement.
We gave each ride omiyage pastries from Saga, and generously, no one would accept
money from us. Each ride was excited to talk to us about where we werefrom and where we were going. We
learned a lot as well, from the meaning of the three lights on the front oftrucks to Osaka-ben.
At the end of each ride,
pictures were taken andhugs given. Perhaps weeven had an impact on
the people we met
through these random
circumstances. No
matter, they certainly left
an impression on me.

10

AJET Across JapanTHE ZEN OF BEER
A ride and a six-pack — what more could you ask of a stranger?
Especially one you can’t speak to.

By Niccole Kunshek, Miyazaki-ken
I arrived in Miyazaki during the hot, humid summer. The night was muggy. I was sweaty and had had a few
drinks. There is nothing like a cold Asahi beer to cool you off and make you think a bit unconventionally. The
evening at the local ex-pat bar was ending. I decided it was a nice night, so I would walk back to my room.
Well, more like I did not want to spend the $20 cab fare to go five miles. Probably not the best decision for asingle female at 2 a.m. when all the streets are deserted. I convinced myself, or rather the Asahi beer helped
convince me, that a beautiful evening mandated a nice long stroll home.
So I began to walk. About 50 feet into it, my black kitten heels came off. They looked cute with my outfit,
but the blisters they were giving me were not so pretty. Shoes in hand, I continued my hike. I wasn’t even afourth of the way home yet. That’s when a white van pulled up beside me. The man inside began asking mequestions in Japanese. Since I had studied French for eight years, I had no idea what he might be saying. In
my pidgin Japanese – “O.K. desu” – I told him I was alright. Well, that’s what I was trying to communicate,but my Japanese vocabulary didn’t extend beyond sushi and sayonara. However, I had in actuality agreed toaccept a ride from him. And he was not going to leave until he made good on his offer.
For the next 10 minutes he trailed me home. Despite frantic gestures that he should go; that I was fine; that,really, I wanted to walk in my bare feet, he would not leave. So, ignoring my mother’s voice in my headtelling me never to accept rides from strange men, even if they look like Buddha, I jumped into the passenger seat and prayed I’d indeed make it back to my room. The ride was short, as were the words we exchanged. Mostly we sat in monk-like silence.
I arrived at the hotel and my driver thrust a six-pack of Asahi into my hands. I shook my head saying, no, I
couldn’t take it. In my eyes, the ride was more than enough. But he insisted with a firm stare that indicatedleaving the beer behind would be an insult. I profusely thanked him, repeatedly reciting “hairy otto,” which
was what arigato sounded like to me at the time. He drove away into the night. And I was left to contemplate
the zen of Asahi.

Photo by Ashley Atkinson

March/April 200411

Looking Ahead
By Kristen Coco, Gifu-ken
For those of us who are beginning to wrap up our
lives in Japan, there is certainly much to think about.
Whether you’ve been in Japan for almost a year, or
two or three, here are a few things to ponder when
considering what path to take these last few
months.
In a last ditch effort to visit every island, temple and“Top 3” of Japan, will you skip from place to place ina mad dash? “Let’s see, I’ve got 2 days of nenkyu
left. I’ve always
wanted to see Himeji
Castle. While I’mdown there, I can do
one last big night out
in Osaka, check out
Kyoto for the day,and shoot throughNara on my way
back for a glimpse of
the schizophrenic
deer I keep hearing
so much about.” Or
do you hunker down
in your apartment,
vowing to save every
yen of your next
three paychecks? “Iwill go nowhere. I will
go nowhere. I caneat rice and instant wakame soup for the next threemonths straight, no problem. I will commit everybone in my body to finding the perfect job backhome. I will not be broke, I will not be broke.”Of course, you must prepare yourself, because thisis also the time when friends and family come out of
the woodwork to visit Japan, even though you’vebeen wishing them here for as long as the obaachan
have been riding their mama-chari. It figures thatright at the end, you will have a barrage of visitors,
asking you to wave your flag and white-gloved
hands. What happens then?
Will you give up on your Japanese? “Ahh, I can getaround just fine these days. Why keep studying?!”
Or do you work even harder at this last point, whenyour Japanese will be at its height from listening to
the radio daily, watching Doraemon or that horribly
cheesy drama on TV, and chatting with your students about your new boyfriend (i.e., any male over
the age of seven they spot you standing next to at
the train station)? Will you suddenly make 14 new
Japanese friends and take three classes a week inanxious anticipation of your return to the land of
English, as opposed to Engrish? “The proficiency
test is in December back home. I know I can pass it… this time.”
What about that boyfriend or girlfriend of yours? Will
you spend every waking moment together and giveup on all your other friends, both gaijin and Japanese, in an effort to bond before you leave for yourrespective countries and an uncertain future? Can
you incorporate all
people who are partof your life in Japan
without too muchstress?
And perhaps mostimportantly, what
attitude will you taketowards leaving
Japan (because you
will ultimately beleaving, if that’s thedecision you made)?
Whether you aredying to get outta
here, begging tochange your rePhoto by Emilie McGlone contracting form, orsomewhere in
between, what will your outlook be until you go?
Will you spend your last days dreaming of airconditioned homes and oversized plates of food,using the last of your nenkyu for the earliest flightpossible home? Or will you make the most of thetime you have left, realizing you can’t recreate thisexperience with these people at this point in timeever again?
The answer, for me anyway, is all about balance. I
realize that I can’t go back and save the money I
blew in Tokyo last week. I also can’t make it to that
one last festival two hours away I had always
planned to go to, even though it took place on a
weekday during PTA demonstration classes.
Additionally, it’s about the goals I set for myself
when I arrived in Japan. I can only be grateful foreverything I have been able to do, for meeting thepeople who have influenced my life here, and for thegoals I have been able to accomplish. The rest I’ll
just have to chalk up to the experience of it all. The
way I see it, from here on out, I can only look ahead.
And go to Osaka for one last big night out.

12

AJET Across JapanQUIZ:
Do YouWant to
Stay
Another Year in Japan?!?
By Craig Bennett

Photo by Dom
inicYour school is:A) a place I feel I can make a difference.
B) a convenient internet café/place for lunch/Japanese lesson/place to sleep.
C) a center for teaching anally-retentive social constructs, group psychology and cleaning.
Your teachers are:A) pleasant, able people, ready to adapt, tale your ideas seriously and have a good orfunctional command of English.
B) Not sure why they are here.
C) Part of a decrepit, archaic system developed to keep everyone docile and continue thegovernment’s control of a placid population.
Your students are:A) genki, inquisitive individuals with all the strengths, weaknesses and problems kids haveeverywhere. Sometimes you love ‘em, other times you hate ‘em. When you leave, you’ll
miss ‘em.
B) asleepC) Borg Drones.
Your supervisor is:A) helpful, but cannot cope with every problem. If this happens, he/she always suggests
someone else who can help and checks up on you from time to time.
B) a sexist/racist/elitist/patronizing/ignorant prick.
C) never there.
Your pay is:A) good.
B) barely enough.
C) the only reason why any foreigner would want to stay in Japan after a year.

March/April 2004

13

Your position as an ALT, CIR, or SEA is:A) to be an ambassador for your country/the West and to further promote an interest in
English language and western culture.
B) to make tea and tidy up the staff room.
C) to look good on paper.
You feel your position in Japanese society is:A) as a warmly welcomed cultural ambassador.
B) transient to say the least.
C) as an intruder that is politely ignored and endured by the public to pay lip-service tointernationalization.
Your view of the Japanese government is:A) a group of intelligent people, who, as much as any government in the world, suffers
because its only human.
B) the biggest old-age retirement home in the world.
C) A bunch of racist, sexist, elitist and ignorant old men; who are basically all employees of
the Yakuza/major Japanese conglomerates and who would rally to the old Imperial flag
should the right time present itself.
Your main interest in Japan now is:A) a place to continue my job, learning new perspectives and ideas whilst making plans to
use this as a springboard in a future life either here or back home. Oh, and its culture
and history.
B) moneyC) hot chicks/guys.
D) as a deferment of responsibility to commitments/obligations back home.
E) videogames/films/music CDs/gadgets/toys/commercial products
Mostly As: You are a perfect bastard. Some day you’ll be in charge of some great big company in Japan.
Chances are you already had a good command of Japanese when you arrived here and secretly think thatthose who can’t should be whipped and flogged. You have a great Kocho-Sensei who invites you for longfishing/golf holidays and the teachers happily sacrifice their scarce free time to go to restaurants/bars withyou. You probably live in Tokyo as well, with your Japanese partner of three years who you intend to marry.
We all hate you.
Mostly Bs: You are a lazy son of a bitch. You spend all your time at the bar. You very rarely cook, as the
Local “conbeenee” has everything you need, but you eat “chicken teriyaki burgers” if you want to “eat local.”After a year, your level of Japanese is less than the English level of a junior high first grader. You see Japanas a great place to get laid, paid and made. Your current Japanese partner is whoever has the shortest skirt/tightest t-shirt in the bar at the time and your apartment still resembles a university student’s. The plus sideis that your indifference to the issues pertaining to Japan helps you to chat happily to the teachers who
secretly despise your blasé manner and long time on the only Internet computer.
Mostly Cs: You hate Japan. The chances are that it hates you too. You are probably overworked by an
uncaring workforce in a small, isolated village with no one but old ladies who try to introduce you to theirpathetic, toothless sons/daughters. People avoid you, even if you can speak good Japanese. There are noother JETs in the immediate area/prefecture and you forgot to get e-mail address of your “friends” at theTokyo orientation. Everywhere you look, you can only see racism, bigotry, sexism and nothing good about it.
You are always complaining about how great your country is in relation to Japan. The fact is, however, thatyou were complaining bitterly about your own country just prior to departing. You have no Japanese friends
and have little or no interest about Japanese culture because you’ve already read loads of books and believe
every sarcastic entry in the “Lonely Planet” book is completely true. You believe that your view of the world
and current affairs topics is correct and will not be satisfied until everyone agrees with you. Go home, before
you die of depression.

14

AJET Across Japan

LOST AND
LIKING IT
Tales from thattumultuous first month

By Brittney Schoonebeek,
Nagasaki-kenoPhot

I came to
Japan to disappear, todissolve, to suddenly melt away fromthe life I knew so well I often didn’t even know it wasthere. I yearned to lose myself, to really delay andreshape the regular rhythms and tendencies of mydaily stride. So in agreeing to live here, at thebottom of a tiny peninsula attached to the southern
most island of an archipelago, I was agreeing (as we
all were) to a life with few directions, few recognizable signs – a life almost completely free of boundaries, traffic lights, and time.
Everyday I am reminded of this melting, of thisdissolution into oblivion. Sometimes I seek out
particular situations to explore my escape, andsometimes I need to feel found, to feel at home in an
overwhelmingly coherent, familiar landscape. Mostoften I find myself involuntarily plunged into the one
state when I am so desperately looking for the other.
Take last night, for example. Getting ready to departfrom Nagasaki City, alone in my new baby-shoesized car, the only thing I really wanted was to beback at my apartment and in bed with a good book.
What transpired instead – a seemingly endless
scavenger hunt along the curvaceously intestinal
roads of a Sunday night metropolis – was certainly
not unexpected, but was definitely less than satisfying than the solace I hungered for.
First I struggled to remove my car from a very muchclosed and blocked-off lot. The realization that I had
left my wallet on the roof did not occur until I pulled
off the road, fully distressed and lost in the center ofthe city, seeking to make a few “help me” phone
calls. Somehow the wallet was still there, having
survived a few wrong turns and sudden swerves.
Somehow also no one in the JET family managed tobe home to give me directions out of the Nagasaki’s
large and fully indigested digestive system.

ick
rt Tuneboby R

But still I continued to drive, acquiring aheadache and occasionally turning into that familiar
but so wrong right lane. You might blame all thesemishaps on a number of things – the language
barrier, my spastic driving, or the fact that moststreets are without names and numbers, or perhaps
on something much more indefinite and cultural.
What that something would be, I don’t know. What I
do know is this: living in Japan as a foreigner who
cannot read, write, or speak the language constantly
reverberating around them is an intensely horrific,
frustrating but also beautiful and satisfying thing.
So often the horror and frustration is too alarming –so distracting that I lose sight of that deep, inner
solitude and the fact that I came here to dissolve,
not to gain weight. Last week, long before my driving
experience in Nagasaki, I was dwelling on September 11th, the hardships of school, and the language I
can’t ever seem to use. By focusing on the anecdotes of my exterior environs, I was forgetting to lookinside, forgetting that I came to Japan to lose myself
in the jelly – that new beauty – not in the rigors of its
often impenetrable doughnut skin.
So to once again reacquaint myself with Japans
hidden treasures, I traveled with a few fellow JETs toa weekend-long rave at Mt. Aso. Dancing in the dirt,
barefoot and smiling, letting the dull and consistently
fierce throbs of the music sing through my blood, I
knew that I was once again melting – voluntarily –into that mysterious center, that indelible orb of
existence where the trees, young children, straydogs, bedazzled foreigners, and all other living
things speak a common language. Living and losing
myself there, in the middle of the world’s largest
volcanic crater, Japan was suddenly so readable andwarm. She was eager to help me swim through aseries of not entirely unexpected moments, throughthat dream where I was so central and necessarythat I was lost. The only thing she asked? For an
attitude as open as a massively radiant window, atiny sky that has never known night.

March/April 200415

e moved …
b
d
n
a
ls
e
w
r bo
p within you
e
e
d
r
e
h
e
By Michelle Luffingham
Experienc
Being in another country always involves a bit of a roller coaster ride, and a tug at all sorts of emotions. This
is what I personally like to do to keep me sane and on track – not to mention appreciative and grateful.
1)

Find a patch of soil, sand or earth anywhere you fancy. Close your eyes. Dip your feet real deep andfeel the texture. Run the earth through your toes and consider where you are: “To get to know a country,
you must have direct contact with the earth. It’s futile to gaze at the world through a car window.” –Albert Einstein

2)

History brother – just like you have history and baggage, so does everywhere else. It goes without
saying – find out about it. It’s the key to understanding where you are and will make your stay thatmuch more interesting and rewarding. Better late than never.

3)

We all know that the locals are the source.
They’ve been around forever and they know
the ins and outs. Of course there’s always ahierarchy. So, find out who’s at the top andmake sure you nurture a budding relationship there. That goes for the neighbours,
teachers, farmers, fishermen and businessmen – for everyone you come into contact
with. And especially the yakuza. Befriend
them. Probe them. Enjoy them. Let’sinternationalize.

4)

Early rising always brings great surprises and rewards. Do both – watch acity wake up and a rural area slowly
come to life.

5)

Hang out at your local port – watch a fisherman teachPhoto by
Kristy Hu
his kid the trade and pass down the knowledge. While you’re there makentsome connections and get out on a boat – experience Japan by sea, fisherman style. Afterall, the sea makes up 70 percent of the earth’s surface. Experience it in the Far East.

6)

Most of my weekends are unplanned. Spent on random missions to nowhere in particular. Taking backroads, following the small signs to parks, castles, temples, shrines, graves and other places of historical interest. I have a passion for photography, which usually means I don’t get very far. Sidetracked bydetail. Stop. Pause. Listen. Look. And let your curiosity roll … There’s so much detail to be appreciated… second by second.

7)

Challenge yourselves by land, sea or air – whichever does it for you. Cycle to another prefecture! Thenjog all the way up a mountain!

8)

Go hitchhiking – consult Dave at letsgethitched2004@yahoo.co.uk for his wicked insights.

9)Pachinko mate. It has to be done! And while you’re at it, go check out the roof – often the best view intown. The ultimate sunset spot!

10) Snack bar is on my list. However haven’t felt particularly loaded to be able to venture there yet. So, inthe meantime it’s porn at the Family Mart with the rest of the rabble.
CONTINUED PAGE 18

16

AJET Across Japan

stay or go

BY BENJAMIN MYERS

the fortuity of choice
I recently had a tough day at work. At my shogakko,
two kids in the third-grade class bumped heads
pretty hard. We hadn’t started playing a game yet,but as I was teaching the vocabulary two of the kids
saw a ball bouncing on the gym floor and broke forit, both diving head-first and knocking heads. One of
the kids ran off victorious with the ball as the otherwrithed on the floor crying, the homeroom teacher
began yelling, and looks of horror swept over thefaces of the other 37 kids in the class.
The teacher had to call the parents of the fallen kid
and I was told by the principle that the kid’s father
was extremely angry at the whole event, never mind
that the game hadn’t started yet, the kid wasn’t
paying attention, and he was doing exactly the
opposite of what he was supposed to be doing.
Later in the day I saw the kid no worse for the wear
trying to koncho a fifth grader, but I somehow
remained at fault for the incident.
I survived to teach another day. The relative insignificance of the episode and the fact that the kid turned
out to be fine helped put it all in perspective, but athought that often helps me get through difficult
times I have in Japan – the knowledge that this job
is temporary and I will someday be returning home,to the comfortable familiarity of my native culture –once again focused my energies on all the uniqueand enjoyable aspects of my life here rather than on
the difficulties I might encounter. I don’t mean to
imply that every day is an epic struggle to deal withinsurmountable difficulties, but we all have a toughday here and there, we all yearn every now and thenfor something from home that we can’t have, andwhen I have these moments the surety of my returnhome reminds me to appreciate the here and now
as much as I can at any given moment, whether I’mhaving a bad day at school, can’t get good pizza, or
the onsen mysteriously empties as I enter it.
Maria taught me to appreciate that surety, that
inevitable return to my native land. Maria is Filipino.
She works at a gas station in Akagi Village and hasa daughter in the fourth grade at one of my schools.
Ten years ago, when she was 22, she emigrated toJapan and now has a husband, a daughter, a houseand irrevocable roots here. She speaks Japanese,but, though she has lived in Japan far longer than I,
we face many of the same challenges in adapting to
a new and rigid culture dissimilar from our own.
After one of the village Japanese classes some time
before Christmas, Maria and I were talking. I would
be returning home over the holidays, my first visit

home in two years. She told me she hadn’t visitedthe Philippines since she came to Japan and when I
asked why, a flicker of sadness swept across herface, the kind of sadness brought about by theacceptance of a less-than-perfect situation.
Maria told me that soon after her parents died shecame to Japan. She had sold her parents’ houseand property, obtained a letter of invitation to Japan,
and bought a plane ticket. She worked hard, but
had little money and little time and the cost of
returning home, even for a short visit, was to her an
impossibility. After telling me this Maria smiled.
“And now,” she sighed, “I have a daughter and ahusband and we are all very busy and, well, visiting
the Philippines would be very difficult.”
During my winter vacation in the States I decided
not to re-contract. I told Maria that I’d be goinghome in July; that I’d decided I’d had my fill of Japanand that it was time to move on. It was then, as
Maria smiled and told me she was happy for me,that I realized how lucky I am just to have theopportunity to return home.
Maria faces many of the same difficulties we all faceas residents of a foreign land: discrimination,
language and cultural barriers, and the desire forelements of the culture we left. Maria and I often
commiserate, sharing little aggravations about
Japan or mild yearnings for something from home.
Maria, however, must face these challenges knowing that she committed herself to live here indefinitely; that she must adapt to these challenges anddifficulties because the opportunity to return home is
not a reality for her, whereas I approach life in Japanas a temporary state, as a small chapter in a
grander scheme, knowing that at the very least I
have the opportunity to return home.
I’ve always appreciated the great difficulties faced bythose who choose to emigrate to a foreign country,
an appreciation that has grown since living in Japan.
I’ve also appreciated the sacrifices people makewhen they cut ties with their homeland and face anuncertain future. Now, as my tenure in Japan comesto an end, I look forward to seeing friends and family
again, to eating good pizza, watching football,reading a newspaper, and driving on a free expressway. As I contemplate the numerous possibilities for
my future, I truly appreciate the fortuity of mysituation and I realize that as an English teacher inJapan I live a privileged life, that I’m pampered andwell-paid, but the true privilege is the opportunity tochoose whether to stay or to return home.

March/April 2004

17

Glimpses
BY MICHAEL ACTON
We last saw Yoshi fourteen years before. In August 1989 he was in high school. I was in elementary
school. He looked so tired when he stepped off the plane with his classmates. Their plane had justflown across nine time zones. He stayed in our downstairs bedroom for three weeks before returning
to Okayama. My parents talked about going to visit him in Japan.
Today my father, my mother and I are all sitting in a coffee shop in Okayama. The hairs on theirheads have turned grey. Their wrinkles are deeper. I am taller and have seen French castles, Sri
Lankan slums and even the Great Wall. Across the table he sits, no longer a high school boy. Every
day he wears a suit and tie as he works in his town office.
He pulled out the items from his suitcase one by one. Despite his exhaustion, I sensed the excitement he had to finally be here. He dutifully split the gifts between my brother and me. We were
presented with plastic swords, storybooks, even yukata. He pulled out some colored paper andturned the sheets into birds, balls and cups.
The waiter places the cups of coffee on the table. My parents show him pictures from the past andpresent. “This is Uncle Henry.” “I remember riding his tractor.” My parents’ smiles mask their exhaustion. They are tired from traveling across nine time zones and through the country on the shinkansen.
We slowly drink the rich coffee, the aroma filling our heads.
He smelled different. He didn’t smell bad, just different. I looked at his toothpaste, cologne andshampoo that sat in our bathroom. It was covered with strange writing. “Is this what Japanese looks
like? It looks nothing like English!” He smiled with his toothbrush sticking out of his mouth.
My mother pulls out a carefully wrapped gift for him. It is a calendar featuring Northern California. He
gives us each a package. My parents were given a vase and English information about his home
town. The box I open has an earthenware cup, a town specialty. We accept each other’s gifts, but weall realize it’s not the gifts that we will treasure most from that day.
He was crying. Everybody was crying: the students and the host families. We had finished thefarewell ceremony. We all knew they would leave the next day. Promises were made of keeping intouch, even of future visits. No one knew if they would be able to keep their promises.
We head to the entrance of the coffee shop. Our train will leave in fifteen minutes. He is happy to see
us; we are happy to see him. He awkwardly grins as my mother and father give him a hug. We say
goodbye, happy that we were again able to glimpse each others’ lives.

Photo by Shawna McMurran

18

AJET Across Japan

LET’S ENJOY JAPAN, CONTINUED
11) Alternative conbini coasting – check out the range from Lawson to Yamasaki, Family Mart, am pm to
7–11. Find the one that does it for you, but whatever you do, don’t get hooked!
12) Rooftops, ropeways, skyscrapers, cranes, cantilevers, air force bases – anywhere for height. Check it
all out from an aerial view and get another perspective…
13) I frequently enter and exit random buildings at no particular time …although public holidays might keep
you out of trouble. It’s amazing how easily you can cruise in, hang out, check around and cruise out
again. Redesign your employment dreams. Pick up some useless information and re-ignite thoseideas.
14) Go it alone. I find one of the best ways to improve my Japanese and meet people is to cruise to places
alone. I’ve been doing it for eight years so by now it’s pretty much the only way I like to do it. However,different strokes … give it a go though, and smile a self satisfied smile thereafter.
15) Go to the temple early and watch the process … people bowing, burning incense, chanting, meditating.
Humility – she’s your best friend at all times and in all places.
16) Go to the temple in the dead of night and experience the glory of its structures and stillness and thecalm that pervades. Venture through a graveyard at the same time and do a double check on yourcourage!
17) Eat! Eat! Eat! Food is at the heart of every nation, and especially Japan. Try everything from mimiga(pig’s ears) to natto to ebi no odori gui (dancing prawns). You may only be here once.
18) And last but not least shack up with your partner/lover/neighbour/willing friend at a love motel. Rejoicein the panoramic flat-top TV screen, play with the sex toys, enjoy the “vibrating payment machine” andmuch much more!
Live and let love!
Become conscious people! Next level up!
Wake up and smell the miso soup!

Results of the AJET Team Teaching Awards, continued from the March-April issue

Block Seven Winners
Konishi Tomoko, Kojo Junior High, Okayama City
Nominated by Michael Ross McCarrin“More than teaching the grammar and vocabulary of thejunior high school textbooks, the work she is doing at
Kojo seems to me to be providing the students for a real
foundation for studying English and foreign cultures – one
that’s based in a genuine enjoyment of their subject anda willingness to take risks, and which has the potential
and momentum to develop into real
understanding.”

Mukai Chiko, Minami Neyagawa High School, Osaka
Nominated by Brooke Eplee“Mukai Sensei sets the standard for teachers of the highest order. She helped me finally understand what itmeans to truly be fantastic at what you do for a living.”March/April 2004

19

TALKING TO NORI, CONTINUED... temperance and mental fortitude we experienced
here in Japan.
Like you, and everyone else, I am also trying to live.
To live, laugh and love. Just like that. Writing to you
has been therapeutic, and it’s a relief to express
these feelings, even if you are giving me the silent
treatment. That’s okay, since this is a letter after all,and the conversation’s pretty much one-sided.
Thanks for reading. It’s been fun.”***
Returning home after school, exhausted after
another hard day practicing the Art of Nothingness, I
park my bike outside my quaint two-storied apartment. Entering, I put down my shopping, mostly
sundries, take off my shoes and replace them withslippers (now being used to this Japanese custom)
before heading to the kitchen. Grabbing a beer out of
the fridge and pulling clear the tin clip, I head to theliving room and crash down on the expensive purple
Mujin couch.
“Hi honey, welcome home!” calls out my partner fromupstairs, before I hear the thud-thud-thud of herdescent to the lower floor. “How was my baby’s day
at school today?” she asks, smiling, before giving
me a hug, and then sidling up next to me. Kissing
her forehead, I take a sip of my beer before relaying
the day’s events to her, including my daily conversations with the talking nori, a routine to which she has
accepted. Or is now accustomed to anyway.
Waiting patiently for the entire minute and a half ittakes me to finish talking, she then turns and looks
me straight in the eyes, grinning. This could mean
many things, and as a male, I’ve learnt to interpret it
as either a good thing or a bad thing.
“We need a break. Let’s go to Hokkaido.” she says.
“My JTE said it’s nice this time of year.” Making amental note that it’s still winter, I swirl the beer can abit, gazing into the froth-less mists, lost in thought.
Finally, I say: “Hokkaido? What’s in Hokkaido,
Beautiful?”“Snow, ice and … sheep.” she replies, the meaningof the last answer lost to me. “Anyway, I’ve alreadybooked a hotel. What do you say?”
I say, “What’s the name of the hotel?” “The Dolphin
Hotel,” comes the answer.
The Dolphin Hotel. It has a nice ring to it, I think tomyself. Taking another sip of beer, I lean back andclose my eyes, imagining the future, another year inJapan. A new cycle of seasons approaches, beckoning another memorable adventure, with friends andstudents old and new. All the while, the ripple effectspreads further.

JET Setting
What are your fellow JETs up to?
New JET Charity Organization
Out Of Sight is a new JET organization that aims
to provide JETs with easy ways to fundraise forand educate about good causes that usually
receive little attention from the world’s media. We
are currently raising money to donate to thepeople of the Democratic Republic of Congothrough the International Rescue Committee. If
you are interested in helping us succeed inraising our target of one million yen, then please
visit our Web site, www.outofsightjapan.org.
There you can find details about how you can get
involved and lesson plans to help promoteinternational understanding. We are currently
recruiting prefectural representatives to help coordinate Out Of Sight throughout Japan; a perfectopportunity for anyone committed to the project
and looking to bolster their CV.

Africa Charity Challenge
Neville Keemer, an ALT in Osaka, and former JET
David Oakes are organizing the “Across Africa
Challenge” to raise money for Save the Children.
The challenge will include a number of fundraisers
in Japan followed by a sponsored cycle stretching
10,500 kilometers from Cairo to Cape Town aspart of the 3rd annual Tour d’Afrique. The organizers are seeking both personal donations for the
charity as well as corporate sponsorship that will
help to cover the logistical costs of the challenge.
For more information, contact
acrossafricachallenge@hotmail.com.

Explore the depths of Hokkaido!
Would you like to explore Japan’s most remotewilderness region? Chris Ballard, Hokkaido ALT
and former professional Expedition Leader for the
British Royal Geographical Society, is planning
an expedition to Daisetsuzan National Park
(Japan’s largest) in the heart of Hokkaido. The
seven-day adventure (August 1-7) will explore thefurthest reaches of the park with a team of 20 to30 JETs from all over Japan. If you would like tojoin, e-mail chriskballard@yahoo.co.uk orchriskballard.1978@docomo.ne.jp for more
information.

parting shot

A young boy greets hesitantly greets a strange visitor
from the sea. Photo by Reuben Hernandez

If you’d like your photo to appear here, please submit it in JPEG or GIF format to aaj@ajet.net.