Why did you come to Japan/Why do you like Japan?

A question I get asked a lot is “Why did you come to Japan?” or “Why do you like Japan?”  It is not an easy question for me answer, so I always have to be vague about it.  I suppose it all started when I was in Elementary school in the early 1980s.  Ninja stuff was all the rage, and honestly I could not tell the difference between China and the rest of Asia.  There was a movie that came out, that now I look back on as being so incredibly stupid, but back then I thought it was awesome.  It was a series called “Revenge of the ninja.”   The video I posted just makes me laugh... what the hell is that they are doing with their hands!?

But what really clamped it for me was when my parents came upon a Japanese art shop that was closing down.  Everything was on clearance so they decided to decorate the living room in an oriental theme.  That included a large screen that went on the wall showing a pastural scene in the sumi-e style.  Being a kid that loved to draw, that was what really started me off.

As I grew up as a somewhat artsy kid with a big imagination, I quickly fell into playing Dungeons and Dragons and other RPG games.  Suddenly, a new expansion came out to D&D that I immediately had to get.  D&D Oriental adventures.  Reading this is where I really started to get a glimpse of Japan through its mythology.  D&D has always been based on the mythologies of many different cultures, and it was my first separation of Japan from say China or Korea, what really focused me on Japan eventually was the advent of Teenage mutant ninja turtles… Not the Saturday morning cartoon version, but the older black and white, very violent comics, through that comic I was introduced to Usagi Yojimbo, which is an anthromorphic comic roughly based on Miyamoto Musashi and retelling Japanese myth and legend.  Most of that comic is very accurate to Japanese history despite its cartoony nature, and the story telling is so good, I am still quite the fan of that comic.  Like all things though, I grew apart from it (until I picked it back up in my early 30s), and my interest in Japan went in torpor again until college.  Here is where I first started seriously studying Japanese history and took some basic Japanese language courses.

Scene from Usagi Yojimbo

After I graduated college, the fascination with Japan subsided a little, until a new card game and RPG came out using Japanese mythology as a center piece entitled Legend of the five rings which allowed me to use the little information I had picked up throughout my life.  It was more than most people knew about Japan, but it was still extremely basic information.  My interest in Japan was still at the potential energy stage, and did not really become kinetic until the release of a historical video game;  Shogun total war.  That let the genie out of the bottle…    The total war series is now a huge success in the historical video game world.  Its attention to historical detail is amazing, and it is through playing the game and devouring the readme files that got me permanently hooked.  I still had no intention on moving to Japan… maybe visit, but not move.  

The first Shogun video game

 It wasn’t until I had just graduated college and finished with my army obligation, that found a job working for a big English company called NOVA.  I hated my job in the US so much at the time, that it looked very appealing.  So why?  Did I come to Japan?  I hated my job and all the reasons before.  It was an impulsive move based on intuition and what my heart said rather than good sense.  But in the end it was the right move.  Now I am in Japan as a permanent resident.

So now I still read Japanese history as a hobby, and the total war series has put out a highly addictive revamp of the original Shogun total war, but including expansions for not only Sengoku jidai (戦国時代 Sengoku jidai) encompassing the 15^th and 16^th century, but for the Gempei war (源平合戦 Genpei kassen, Genpei gassen) (1180–1185, and the Boshin war (戊辰戦争 ). 

 

 

Rise of the Samurai or the Gempei war

 

  Shogun total war 2 or Sengoku jidai.

 

Fall of the Samurai or the Boshin war

And that is how I became interested in Japan in a nutshell.  It’s a bit glossed over, but those are the key points I believe in how Japan came into my life.  Through history, mythology and imagination.

Ok. I'm back.

Ummm... Happy New Year.. 2012... In March... Ok I am late.

Wow! My last post was in November… and now its March.  Well, the lazy award goes to me for not updating my blog.  Like most of my journal entries of past, they were abandoned after a few months, but I still hang on to them… I don’t know why.

A nice little snack with the wife and mother-in-law.

Ginza

 

Ye ole mini tree

Christmas was pretty good actually.  This being the first holiday season away from my family, but we had a video skype Christmas.  I was on the computer watching everyone open presents, which was kind of cool.  I also got to have the first Christmas alone with my wife, which is closer to the Japanese image of Christmas anyhow.  Christmas not being a family occasion, but rather a romantic thing.  I did set up a very mini tree and put presents under it though.  My inlaws also came through and took us into Ginza for dinner and some shopping and then to a jazz show at the Cotton Club Tokyo.  I had a great time there.

  Anyhow, in November, I hadn’t been to all my schools yet, and didn’t have a proper feel for them like I do now.  So now I do… Let me make fantasy names for them and describe them.   The fantasy names shall be:  Oomaru chu (chu being short for Chuugakkou, or junior high), Nakamaru chu,  Shomaru Chu, and Chibimaru chu.  There are infrequent trips to elementary schools too, but I won’t go into that.  Here is a video that shows pretty much what all my students are like:

Oomaru has the best view from the bathroom!

And for the schools, let me start with the biggest… 

Oomaru Chu.  This is absolutely the largest school I have worked in.  When the teachers meeting happens, it’s kind of like a model United Nations… Everyone barking over each other and shuffling around.  Each grade has 2 English teachers for a total of 6 English teachers.  The vice principle there is really cool, but the principle doesn’t like me much.  Its creepy kind of.  He avoids eye contact even when interacting, and I don’t mean by looking at the floor, he looks in the opposite direction.  One of the teachers told me that he really dislikes English and Music, so gets kind of an attitude there.  I still really respect the guy though, he is very active in the school and is constantly on the move, as opposed to most principles who aren’t really seen that much by the students.

Classroom from Nakamaru Chu

Nakamaru chu is one of my favorites.  All the teachers are really cool except for one.  That teacher is nice, but always seems to clash with the kids.  They don’t want to deal with the teacher and so act out when she is around, but are a little nicer with me.  I like that teacher, but working with them is hard because the class is rebelling.  The first year teachers there are really creative and always think of really fun things to do with the students, and they respond in good way too.  The vice principle is great there too.  He is the most laid back Japanese man I have ever seen, and in a relaxed, cool way.  Not a lazy way.  The students there are almost all really friendly.

Shomaru chu is the school I am at the most, and is also the most hostile of the four.  I don’t mean in a ‘Dangerous Minds’ kind of way, but in comparison.  There is almost always an incident going on were a student has destroyed something or got in big trouble.  Last week, one of the teachers was attacked in class, and the kid is still in school.  That particular kid is a Mega-douche too, and is the only one in the school system that has shown open hostility.  Usually it’s just noise making and being annoying.  The Japanese school system is unfortunately very fluffy and doesn’t punish kids for things which would be jail time in the US.  Some of them run rampant through the school and the teachers office with impunity.  Those kids are just a loud minority though.  There are plenty of really bright and fun kids as well.  Being outside the Japanese mind set though, I am not a target, and when I do talk to them, they aren’t sure what to expect.  

This particular spot on the way to Shomaru Chu has got to be one of my favorite photo spots.

Chibimaru chu is the smallest school and my favorite.  I just enjoy small schools more.  The corp de esprit among teachers is just amazing!  They are always cutting up and laughing.  It’s just an awesome work environment.  The kids here are a riot too.  I am rarely at this school however, and that’s a bit of a disappointment.

Let me make one thing clear though.  I love the kids at all the schools, and the teachers are, on a whole, awesome!

 

So… what has been up since November.  Well, I had a huge break where I did nothing but sit at home.  My wife lost her job, so we are just working on my income now, which is a little harsh.  She runs the finances though, and she is pulling it off.  Not sure if we are saving anything though.  Now that the school year is winding down, I am looking at another long break and a new contract with the city.  I got a promotion to head teacher now, so we will see how this goes.  I don’t know what to expect, but I hope I don’t become one of those people who is given a little bit of authority and drops the ball.

 

Teaching and chillin, relaxing like a villian

I guess I will only be updating this blog sporadically.  With such a small readership, I am sure no one will blame me.  I have been incredibly lazy however.  I won’t even try and claim that I have been busy.  I really haven’t.  I am just lazy about it, and would rather just play my PC games. 

 

While yeah, I am in Japan, and yeah, it’s cool, I am also pretty broke, and even when it looks like I am going to be saving some money… boom! Something happens to eat all the cash up.  Case in point, our refridgerator is leaking.  So we have to buy a new one.  Granted the old one was a hand me down from the early 90s… It was free.  So that is a bummer.  At least we will get a lot of points on our Yodobashi Camera card.  I would love to go out and do some touristy things, but now is not the time really.  Thank god I like games, and 50$ can hold me off for a month.  Just going to Tokyo for a day would cost twice that I think.  From my last post, I was playing Shogun 2 (Which I still am.. ) Mass effect 2 and WItcher 2… All of them were great games.  Now I am downloading Space Marine, LA noir and Dragonage:Origins… let’s see how this goes.  

As far as work goes, I am teaching at 4 different middles schools, peppered by an occasional Elementary school.  Middle school A, the biggest of the lot, is my least favorite.  That doesn’t mean I don’t like it, but I go so infrequently, I have no relationship with the students or other teachers.  I feel bad about this school too, because I really don’t do a lot there.  They always schedule me with so much free time, and I get the feeling that the principle isn’t too keen on me either, and if it were his choice, I wouldn’t be there.  The English teachers are all really cool though, and I have only taught the 3^rd year students.  I have no idea about the other grades.  They are the only school that has invited me to 2 different functions; I have unfortunately not been able to make them, so maybe they think the feeling is mutual. 

School B is one I have to take a bus for, and the kids at that school are the roughest lot of all the schools.  Most aren’t very motivated, and there is quite a lot of acting out by the students.  The poor teachers are always trying to keep things under control more than they teach.  They are all really nice people there, and it seems that I am at that school the most, so I have a bit of a relation with the kids.  Being a foreigner and the fact that they know I used to work for the Department of Juvenile Justice, makes most of them back off immediately, but I still get tested… and they still lose when they do.  I am not enforcing any rules and I am not getting on their case, but they hardly scare me… and most of them see that when they try to do that, they actually encourage me.  Like all schools, that is a minority though.

School C is a smaller school which I could technically walk to, but if I take the bus, its paid for and I get to ride with a bunch of cute nurses who get off at the University hospital down the street… *sigh*….  This school is smaller, but has a good concentration of really motivated kids and teachers.  The teachers there are very accepting of me, and are generally relieved I speak a smattering of Japanese.

School D is my favorite, and is the smallest.  Small schools have always been my favorite, since I can better develop relationships.  The teachers there have an amazing corp de esprit, and the students are a riot.  The only bad part is the girls are openly, and uncomfortably flirtatious…  My job is to be as friendly as possible, develop a working relationship with the students, and basically be an entertainer.  This complicates things a little, but it’s a minor and innocent thing, I’m sure.  I have a lot of fun with everyone there, but unfortunately I go there very rarely.

To finish this off, let me talk about teachers in Japan.  Teacher is not the correct word for them, and is only vaguely similar to what we refer to as a teacher in western society.  I would rather call them social custodians.  They are never off duty, and I mean that in the most literal of senses.  When they are not actually teaching a course, they are coaching or leading some other club… That includes the weekends too.  If one of their students does something stupid outside of school, then the ‘teachers’ are involved sometimes before anyone else.  They are a second set of parents, working for peanuts.  A western teacher would find this untenable, and unions would certainly go berserk.  But they all knew what they were getting into before they joined, and the ones that survive are made of really tough stuff.  You see that while US teachers do less (I am not saying they do little, I am just saying they are only in charge of the lessons), they receive better preparation and much better support.  Teachers here figuratively sink or swim, with only a few weeks of on the job training. 

So here’s to you! Japanese teachers that survive! And to those ALTs who dare call themselves teacher… yeah… you’re really not.

Game galore...

Cornbeef hash skillet...

Blueberry, cheesecake pancakes

Now that work is in full swing, I have let the blog kind of go by the wayside.  My wife and I have kind of settled into a routine as well.  It seems I have become the chef since I get home about 4 hours before she does.  This wasn’t really a rule, its just how things ended up.  A couple of my creations have been the breakfast skillet and my blueberry, cheesecake pancakes...

I have been cruising other blogs lately from people who just arrived in Japan not too long ago, and I am reminiscing quite a lot.  They are all in their Disneyland phase of Japanese life.  It’s the best phase to be in and usually last for only 3 months.  This is when everything is so new and interesting that everyday is an adventure.  Every little festival is a gold mine of culture.  Since my return to Japan, I didn’t get any of that… I had mine long ago I suppose.  I am also saving a lot of money for things like pension payments, initial apartment set ups and healthcare, which isn’t much now, but it will be next year.  I do really miss going out to explore on my days off or going into Tokyo to be irresponsible with my money.  Instead, I stay home and play video games… Not that it’s upsetting me.  Truly, I love it.  I have 4 great loves right now.  

The first is Dawn of war II…  I have always loved the Warhammer intellectual property, and since I can’t play the tabletop games anymore, I play the computer games and read the books by black library.  Incidentally, I am going to try and snag a gold copy of ‘Aurellian’ tonight.  Shipping is free, so it’s worth it.  Wish me luck… They sell out super- fast, so I will be playing quick button on the computer.  Plus its by Aaron Dempski-Bowden… One of my favorite up and coming authors.  As for DOWII, its actually an uninspiring game as far as story goes… It’s just really gratuitous violence, and Astartes.

The second is Shogun Total War 2.  I am a huge fan of the total war series.  They are usually about 90% historically accurate and a great way to relive tumultuous times in history.  The whole total war series started with Shogun… and this is such a beautifully rendered version.  It gets my strategy fix on.

The third is the Witcher 2.  Honestly, I haven’t played it a whole lot… yet, but its stunningly beautiful and really adult.  Most games for adults are PG13 if they are movies… but the Witcher 2 is definitely R.  I haven’t played much, but there is full nudity and a whole lot o cursing.  I like to call this low fantasy.  High fantasy is your D&D realm stuff, which borders on science fiction.  This feels like it could be what medieval Europe would be if it had magic.

And lastly is an older game… Mass Effect.  Oh my god! It’s like playing a movie.  The story is amazing, and what makes it more amazing is that you can import your files to the next installment, and from there you can further do it to Mass Effect 3… coming out soon.  Since they all link, the game has a lot of replay value.  I am stuck to this game like crack… The trailer is for the second installment... which I have yet to play... but its better than the first, which does it no justice.

Anyways, I have been living vicariously through the blog of someone I interviewed with for my current job.  It’s kind of like reliving a lot of past experiences.  Of course she has a bunch of experiences unique to her, but the over- all jumble is very familiar to me.