Sensei and Sensibility
Monday, February 23, 2004
The Nail that Sticks Up, or The Art of Ijime
The other day, I made my way up to the fourth grade classroom of my elementary school. I heard a strange noise in the corner of the room.
There, a little boy was curled up and crying. I looked at the other students and asked what happened.
"Oh, he`s just a cry-baby," they replied.
"What made him cry this time?" I prodded.
"He stinks."
"He stinks?!"
I walked over to where he was and sniffed the air. It smelled about as good as one expects from any nine year old boy.
"I don`t smell anything." I told them and walked over to where the perpetrator was sitting. I knelt down and looked the kid in the eye.
"Ijime desu yo, " I locked eyes with him, "Nan de yasashikunai?" That`s bullying. Why aren`t you kind to him?
The kid looked down at his desk, ashamed for a moment, then looked up at me and stated, "but he stinks."
Then the other teacher walked in, went over to the crying boy who, still sobbing, made his way over to his desk.
Did the boy really stink? No.
Was the boy different from the others. Yes, you see, he`s deaf. He cries a lot, mostly from frustration. His Japanese is very difficult to understand, and he can`t hear. There is a special teacher, hired just to help this boy. After everything I say, she shouts it into his ear. He has hearing aids, but his hearing is so bad that they have to be turned way up and squeal throughout class.
So, yah, he`s different. He`s a smart boy who tries harder than anyone else in the class, but he stands out because of his funny pronunciation, his inability to understand what is going on, and the fact that he gets frustrated because he can`t communicate with the rest of the students.
At first, I wondered why I felt for this poor one kid. Then, I realized that I too have funny pronunciation, can`t understand everything that everyone is saying, and I get frustrated because I can`t communicate with anyone.
The difference here is that it is cool to be foreign, and it is not cool to be Japanese, but different. I am the nail that sticks up, but I don`t receive any ijime (bullying) for it. However, a Japanese person who is different, will. Especially with the younger kids, who don`t understand.
It hurts to be left out, it hurts to be bullied. I can run to the other foreigners to whine and complain. A little deaf kid has no one to run to, no one who can understand him.
I am trying to find a way to help the other kids understand. I remember in high school that I once had to do a challenge - I had to wear ear-plugs for a whole day to see what it is like to be hard of hearing. Even though I could still hear a bit, it was still difficult.
Anyone have any ideas of games or things I could do with these kids to help them understand what this other kid must feel like??
I`d sure appreciate it!
:)
RG
 Sabine . 9:48 PM . Comments
Yippee!
I got so wrapped up in the Lost Temple, that I completely forgot to tell you guys that I passed the 3rd level of the Japanese Proficiency Test! Yippee! Level 1 is the highest - basically, you should speak like a native with that, and be literate as well. You need level 2 to get a job which isn`t in language teaching. Level 3 basically means that you know enough to have every day conversations, and you can read a little bit.
So there you have it! I am certified to be able to talk about the weather, go shopping, and point out about 400 Kanji on signs (not enough to be able to actually read the sign though)
Yay!!!
:)
Sabine . 7:16 PM . Comments
Yearning for the Lost Temple
...but I have been too busy!!!!!!
I worked last Saturday, and when I came home, the spring-like weather was whispering to me to head to the mountains. Sadly, Yoshi had taken the digital camera to his sister`s wedding, and I really want to put some pics on the web! So I opted to hike to the old graveyard nearby instead.
As I was poking my nose around the old gravestones and lanterns, I spotted an entrance into the seemingly impermeable forest. Naturally, I was enticed. I headed into the darkness, and almost fell down an old stone well. I peered through the thick cedar trees, searching for a path up, up, up.
I spotted some deer tracks, and decided to follow them. Deer are evidently far more sure footed than I, for in no time, I found myself climbing up small cliffs and boulders to make my way to the top of the mountain. Why the draw to the top, you might ask. This mountain happens to be directly opposite the elementary school - and the forest of the Lost Temple. I figured that perhaps from the top of this mountain, I would be able to rise above the thick forest surrounding the temple and see a clearing.
Panting, I clawed my way up to the top of the ridge. I knew I needed to head north a little bit, so I followed the deer path further and further into the forest. Dogs started howling in the distance. An empty boar`s lair lay off to the right of the path. I shivered a little as the sunlight dipped its way down toward the western mountains.
I looked up, and was faced with a tall cliff. I didn`t even stop for a moment to ponder my decision. I didn`t even think about the foolishness of free-climbing to the top, when no one knew that I was out here, it was an area frequented by animals but no humans, and there would be no hope of rescue. I didn`t even think about the setting sun, nor did I contemplate how I would make my way down the 10 foot cliff should I reach the top.
I just dug in.
Once at the top, I was rewarded with a fabulous view, albeit through the trees, of the forest beyond - the forest that hides the Lost Temple. How I yearned for my binoculars! I looked as hard as I could, but to no avail. There were no clearings, only uninterrupted rows of trees. However, in one section, the trees appeared to have grown smaller than the others....
I made note of that spot in my mind, and its proximity to local landmarks so that I could find it again, took a large gulp of water, and turned toward the setting sun. My mind was full of thoughts and ideas. I made it down the mountain, but I have no recollection of how I managed to do that. Luckily, I had along my old 35mm camera - the pictures will be done tonight, and I will examine them more carefully for signs of a clearing.
I will let you know what I find!
Sabine . 7:13 PM . Comments
Life at Ikuno Junior High Shopping Mall
Today, I got my fix.
...an iced soy milk latte that is.
It happened sometime in between 2nd and 3rd period. There was a joyous shout of, "Shitsurei shimasu! Yakuruto desu!" (Excuse me, Yakult is here!), and a bubbly lady entered the staff-room, plopping down yoghurt and fermented milk drinks.
I eyeballed her, and whispered, "do you have it again today?"
"I brought it especially for you, sensei," was the reply.
Yippee!!! Gleefully I whipped out my wallet and handed over my shiny 100Yen coin. She then passed me my tetra pak of soy milk latte and I went off to the tea room to poke my straw into my treasure in privacy.
Yesterday, I admired some shiny new Adidas sneakers. They sat there, glowing like gold among silver, in their cardboard box in the middle of the staff room. The shoe man had come to display the spring running shoe collection. The man in the other corner, selling ties, envied the way the ladies flocked around the shoes. Surprisingly, the tie man had no customers. Meekly, he called out, "Maybe your husbands need new ties?" to no avail. When there are shoes in the room, all women around the world react like iron to a magnet. We ignored him.
This friday, the bread- lady will come. I have already requested that she bring me my "Pain de Campagne" - sort of a crusty, wheaty, French-style concoction. She usually throws in a pastry or two for good measure.
Last week, the Ramen guy came by, and gave us free samples. We no longer complain when he parks his truck out front and it plays the Ramen song at full volume. The baked potato guy, screaming out "Yaki iiiiiimo!" has yet to give us a free sample, so we don`t like him.
Two weeks ago, the track-suit guy came by, offering pants for 700Yen and zip up polyester sweaters for the same price. Now, I am all toasty in the staff room.
Who I really want to see, however, is the fish man. He hasn`t come by in a couple of weeks. Perhaps someone complained about the smell as he plopped down his styrofoam boxes of writhing fish in the middle of the staff-room. The thing is, he always carries the most delicious fish jerky. I am willing to plug my nose for 30 minutes or so, I am willing to listen to the sounds of flopping fish, I am even willing to deal with the squiggly, unidentifiable stuff, just for a taste of his famous jerky. He`s always ready with a smile and a free sample.
We like him.
:)
PS. No, I didn`t get the Adidas - the bank guy, with his withdrawal slips and bag of cash hadn`t come by yet. I did, however, admire a lovely watch and platinum ring when the jewellry man came by - but both cost over a thousand dollars! Arakawa sensei did by a big down jacket from the coat man though, so we all lived vicariously and got our shopping fix through her!!!!
Sabine . 6:58 PM . Comments
Monday, February 16, 2004
WOW!
I just realized something!!!!! If you scroll down to the bottom of my journal`s page, you`ll see a picture of an old suspension bridge over the river.
Look to the left. Somewhere in that forest is the lost temple!
By my calculations, it actually should be about 500 metres deeper into the forest on the left. Maybe more. Mind you, none of us can agree on the exact location, but then again, no one can explain to me why that suspension bridge was built and what it was used for either....
I wonder if that used to be the old entrance way to the temple! I am DEFINITELY going to have to check this out!!!
:)
Sabine
Sabine . 10:56 PM . Comments
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
The Lost Temple, Part 2
So, there I was yesterday, cooking Lasagna (6 of them!) and Chocolate fondue with about 20 ladies from my town, when suddenly it dawned on me - this would be an excellent group of people to ask about the Lost Temple!
I posed my question to the oldest lady present (70-ish?). She stared at me blankly and blinked. I repeated my question again. She tilted her head to the side and said, "Daiyouji Temple?"
"No, no, " I assured her, "That`s the temple beside the school. The other one. The one that is in the forest behind the elementary school. There are no paths to get there, no buildings left, only the stones, a tea field, and a reflecting pond."
She looked at me again, puzzled, "Daiyouji has a reflecting pond?!"
Suddenly, a lady at the end of the table spoke up, "Ah! I think I know which temple you are talking about! Is it the one where all the Samurai are buried? The one with the giant leeches?"
Ah! I didn`t know. I pulled out a napkin and drew her a general map. She didn`t know much about the place. A quick confirmation with the rest of the ladies showed that neither did they. Some of them had heard of it, like a lost legend, passed down from generation to generation, though, so I will share with you the snippets of my discovery:
The Lost Temple, and I will have to call it that for no one knows its name, is somewhere between 300 and 800 years old. Back in those days, there were two neighbouring clans, the Tajima clan, and the Harima clan. Ikuno, then called Shino ("meadow of death" - changed to "meadow of life" about 100 years ago) lay at the border of these two areas, which is why there used to be a small castle on top of the mountain overlooking the town. It was a heavily defended area, with many samurai and ronin roaming the forests. Coups were planned in the local temples to take over the Shogunate. Lots of blood was shed here, by both the samurai and the workers in the silver-mine. The mine workers started usually around age 12, and only lived until their early 20`s, so toxic was the dust. This is why my area of town, so close to the mines, is also so full of decrepit cemetaries. Our hike led us to many Edo area graves, and many more whose dates had worn off the stones.
The lost temple was a vast complex, and very famous at its time. It was where samurai went to be blessed, and where they went when they died. The graveyard there is apparently full of the samurai`s remains, as well as the remains of high-ranking officials from the silver mine. It was a wealthy area. We followed small statues of Buddha and of various Kami sama (gods) when we were searching for the temple. Apparently, these were erected in the forest, one for each fallen samurai. Each one had a number on it. The highest number we found was 73 - so there are at least that many samurai buried in the woods around the temple.
Many years ago, an old temple master went to visit the temple one evening - or so the legend goes - to light candles for the souls of the fallen samurai. He was also a JHS teacher, and was quite respeced in the community. This was when the temple ruins were still easily accessible from behind the school. Something happened while the temple master was there, but no one knows what it was. Legend has it that a ghost (obake) entered his stomach in the form of a leach, maybe, and caused the poor master to go insane and become a ghost himself. No one remembers exactly when this was - perhaps as recently as 40 or 50 years ago. The end result was that no one ever returned to the temple, more trees were planted in the surrounding forest to make it effectively disappear from the collective consciousness, and the temple has fallen into extreme disrepair. Judging from the fact that none of the wooden structure remains, my guess is that the temple had fallen into disrepair long before the temple master visited.
Now, no one goes there. Japanese people are incredibly fearful of ghosts, for the most part (but who isn`t, really?). They were absolutely incredulous that I had been there! Even today, that area of mountains is famous for giant leeches - 6 inches to a foot in length and as thick as a baby finger - and these are said to contain the spirits of the samurai ghosts. They are known to fall from trees, climb into clothing, and enter into one`s skin. The ladies looked at me fearfully, and warned me that if a leach from there had attached itself to me, my soul would surely have been replaced by that of a ghost.
When I traipsed through that forest, in search of the Lost Temple, sadly, I didn`t see any ghosts. Nor did I see leeches, although I have had previous experiences with them in hiking nearby mountains. And strangely enough, these leeches only exist in this one small area of Ikuno.
Another odd thing that we noticed as we were hiking, were strange formations suspended from tree branches. It was as if people took a fallen branch, a few inches thick, bent it in two, and suspended it in an upside-down V shape from another tree`s branches. In a couple of cases, the rotted stump of a tree, roots included, was suspended 1/3 of the way up another tree. This part of Japan is not known for having any parasitic tree species, other than a few vines. But these suspended tree parts were all belonging to ground-dwelling deciduous trees. We thought it strange at the time, but just tossed it out of our minds, attributing it to the bears, boars, and deer that lived in the area. Michi, however, noted that the area reminded him of The Blair Witch Project...
I remember when we were sitting at the temple. Or rather Yoshi was sitting and Michi and I were exploring. Yoshi quietly said to us that he wasn`t comfortable. We thought that he meant that the rock he was sitting on wasn`t comfortable. Later he told me that the place felt funny . I laughed and told him that it was an old, rotten temple in the middle of the forest, so of course it felt funny - it`s not often that one comes upon places like that, after all! Still, when we got home, Yoshi firmly stated that he would not go back there. Strange, for a man who works in the woods to be scared of this particular forest.
The last funny thing that we noticed was when Michi told us to stop talking and just listen for a minute. The air was eerily quiet. Not the rustle of one leaf, the sound of any animals, nor the hum of a distant car was distinguishable. There wasn`t even any wind! It was as if the place existed in a vacuum, in a bubble, separate and apart from the rest of the forest and the nearby settlement.
My discussion with the ladies ended with them begging and pleading with me to not go back to that place. I politely thanked them for their concern and gave them a reassuring "Unh".
Then I went home, and started to make plans for my next trip to the Lost Temple: this time, equipped with a digital camera, and my videocam.
Anyone want to come with me??
Sabine . 7:10 PM . Comments
Sunday, February 08, 2004
Raiders of the Lost Temple
It all started one chilly winter evening, as the Gaijin Gang were gathered around the glowing kotatsu. Paul and Michi, the crazy Germans; Sato-san, the avant-garde taiko drummer; Andrew, the high school ALT, and Yoshi and I were fortifying ourselves against the cold with some sake. Suddenly, the topic turned to hiking in Ikuno.
Sato-san looked at us, his eyes glowing orange in the light of the kotastu, and asked us if we had ever heard of the legend of the lost temple. A hush fell over the crowd. Although none of us had heard of it, our imaginations were suddenly inspired. As Sato-san explained it to us, I envisioned myself dressed as Lara Croft, silently creeping through the forest in search of treasure.
Somewhere in the mountains, just past Okuganaya Elementary School, was a temple, nestled deep in a pine forest. It is surrounded by a small lake. This is all Sato-san could tell us. Perhaps he`d been there, perhaps not. One thing was for certain: He could not give us definite directions to the ruins - if we wanted to see them, we`d have to go discover them for ourselves.
Instantly our curiosity was piqued. We made plans to meet up at my house on Sunday to go find the lost ruins. Unfortunately, Paul had to work, but we felt that it was wise to have one of us stay behind anyhow, in case we didn`t come back...
Sunday morning: Andrew was stuck in the city in traffic, and wouldn`t be able to make it. Sato-san, the only one with information, had to attend the wake of his neighbour who had died suddenly. First we were 6. Then fate intervened and turned us into a party of 3. The little hairs on the back of my neck stood on end: old temples are often haunted - was it some unknown force that was keeping our party from going up together?
So, Michi (armed with horrible shoes meant for dancing and one litre of sake), Yoshi (the venerable mountain man of the group), and I (the girl with the hiking stick and knowledge of basic first-aid) strapped on our hiking boots, determined to find the lost temple. We called Sato-san for some last-minute directions. All he could tell us was to go to either side of the elementary school and hike up into the forest.
I had previously hiked up a short way, to a small shrine, on the right side of the school, but I hadn`t seen any path into the impermeable forest beyond the shrine, so we decided to check out the left side. We followed a small creek, up and up and up. Suddenly, the path turned very steep. There was a small tea field to the right of us, and beyond that, a very steep slope covered in thick vegetation. On the other side of the creek lay a thick forest. There, the path ended. We were faced with a decision: do we take the more difficult route, straight up the side of the mountain, or the easier walk through the forest?
We were adventurers in search of treasure, so naturally, we decided on the more difficult route. Using our fingernails and grabbing on to whatever vegetation we could, we stumbled up the rocky slope. Finally, the slope levelled off a bit, and we leaned, panting against the trees. We searched for the small lake that Sato-san had said was near the temple. All we could see were trees. We decided that perhaps we would be able to see a structure, clearing, or the lake from the top of the mountain, so we carefully made our way higher and higher, using the tree bases as foot-holds along the slippery slope.
Suddenly, the forest changed. Low deciduous trees gave shelter to deer and boar, who had long since taken off upon hearing us stumbling up the mountain. The ground was firm under our feet, so we could make good time. We approached the top of a ridge, and out of nowhere, a path appeared in front of us. With much cheering and brushing of dirt off our bodies (and plucking of twigs from our hair), we hustled up the path towards the top of the mountain. There, we discovered a TV antenna! The path was not well worn, although it was obviously created by humans and not animals - the old antenna was evidently the reason for this. Although we were certain that a secret temple would not be hidden along a path where maintenance people had trodden (otherwise it wouldn`t be so secret, now would it?!), we decided that we`d have a better chance of spotting something from the top of the mountain, and so we kept on trudging, up, up, and up.
Finally, we made it to the top. We looked around, anxious to check out the view. The summit was covered in short trees, blocking our view. Suddenly, Yoshi shouted - he saw something! I grabbed my camera and peered through the telephoto lense, and there it was: my apartment building. Yes! From the top of this mountain, the only thing that could be seen through a little opening in the foliage, was my apartment building, way, way down below and about 2 kilometres in the distance. None of the neighbouring houses were in view - just my little grey 2 storey building. The view from the top was not as fruitful as we had hoped. So, we fortified ourselves with a snack and a shot of sake, and decided to follow the maintenance trail back down to the bottom.
At the bottom, we were suddenly enveloped in deep coniferous forest. The silence was deafening. There were no chirpings of birds or snapping of branches. Even the wind had stopped whistling through the trees. Then, we noticed it. A tiny statue to the left of the path, of a Kami sama or Buddha. We couldn`t tell, as the head was chillingly absent. Michi became giddy, and decided to replace the head with a sake cup. Yoshi just about fell down in shock, removed the sake cup, placed it in front of the god and prostrated himself slightly. The last thing we needed on this adventure was an annoyed god making us get more lost in the forest, or worse. Michi had evidently never seen an Indiana Jones movie...
Looking through the deep forest, we noticed another statue, and then another, and another, all broken and covered in moss. Instantly, we knew that we had found the path to the temple. Or to something anyway, which was more than we had seen up to this point. One by one, we counted off the statues as we made our way over the soft pine needles. Suddenly, a stone wall appeared in front of us. No! Two stone walls. The entrance to something! We spread out in all directions to see if we could find anything. In front of us was mountain, mountain and more mountain. Enveloping us was the same deep pine forest that we had been surrounded by before.
Michi shouted: to the left of the structure, he had found another of the small statues, covered in moss! Soon, we were back on a "trail", and on our way up another mountain. We saw a clearing up ahead, and started to run. Like a Looney Tunes show, we crashed into each other when we suddenly stopped at the top. There was a clearing, filled with tea bushes. What were tea bushes doing here, in the middle of a thick pine forest? They hadn`t been tended to in years. Michi insisted on exploring the field, so we trudged through the small creek and made our way through the tea. Once again, Michi shouted. There was a cherry tree off to the right. What was a cherry tree doing here? We went towards it, and then screamed! We had found the lost temple!
In front of us, was a vast reflecting pond, lined with moss-covered stones. An island in the middle was joined to the rest of the land by a few frail poles. Stepping on the end of one, it instantly shattered into dust. All around us lay the moss-covered stone remnants of a very old and very important temple (or so we guessed). The silence was overwhelming. There was not a single sound from either the wildlife or the wind. We sat in the silence, and made plans to try to find this place again, when we had more daylight hours left. We decided that we`d bring tents and camp overnight, just to see if the rumours of hauntings were true.
The sun was setting, and we had no idea where we were in the forest. We only knew that we were somewhere behind the elementary school. We discussed the best plan of action, and we decided to follow the little creek that ran through the temple grounds. Down we went through the forest, until we stumbled upon another stone structure. Looking through this, and over a cliff, we saw the first stone structure we had passed: this was the old entrance to the temple! There must be a path somewhere though these gates! So, we ran down the mountain, sliding down cliffs and jumping over fallen trees. The only path that we could find was the path that we had taken before, and it had led nowhere.
We decided where north was, and where we were in relation to civilization, and stumbled our way through the forest. We came to a cement structure and some testing sites for goodness knows what, and we followed the maintenance path out to the road.
We cheered that we had found the secret temple!!!! We must have been a funny sight, two dirt covered foreigners and a very muddy Yoshi wandering through the streets back to my apartment.
As we made plans for an onsen, we discussed where the temple was in relation to the road, so that we could find it again. As we faced the forest that we had trudged through, Michi pointed, "There." Yoshi pointed, "No, there." I shook my head, "I thought that it was back that way."
Well, at least we know that it is somewhere in the mountains behind the elementary school...
Sabine . 5:25 PM . Comments
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
The Most Complicated Holiday
I bought the beans. I rolled the maki sushi. I was ready for Setsubun!
Every year on February 3rd, people throw beans out the door (apparently the noise will scare the devil away from your house), eat maki sushi (no one really knows why, but they think it is for good luck, or good health, or the smell of fish is offensive to the devil or....?)
So, now that I`ve been here a few years, I decided that I too would celebrate Setsubun. I guess it is the Japanese version of Spring cleaning. But instead of throwing out junk, they throw the devil out of their house.
Or something like that. Other people have told me that it is the official start of spring (then why is it minus 2 out?!).
I dunno exactly, but I made my preparations anyhow.
So, I bought the beans, and threw them out the door just as my friend was coming up the walk. Oops. I ended up throwing the beans (and hence the devil) directly at him.
Then, I went to cut my maki sushi rolls into pieces, when my friend shouted, "stop!". One must eat the entire roll without cutting it, apparently, though no one knows why.
So, I picked the thing up and took a bite. My friend shook his head at me. No, no, you have to face north when you eat your maki. Oh. I did not know that. Did everyone out there face north while eating their maki last night??? I reluctantly told my friend that last year I ate my maki facing south and I didn`t have much bad luck.
"That`s OK," he said, "Last year you were supposed to face south."
Oh. Apparently the direction that you face while eating maki changes from year to year, though no one could tell me why.
Then, my friend made me go outside to pick up the beans that I had thrown. Then, he made me eat them. I protested, citing the 3 second rule, but apparently, if I don`t eat them, then the devil will come back to eat them. Fair enough, I thought as I forced the dirty beans into my mouth.
Next, my friend counted more beans out for me. I tried to think of a joke about accountants but nothing popped into my mind.
Apparently, I hadn`t eated enough with the dirty beans, I am supposed to eat 30 beans in total.
Is thirty a magic number, I questioned.
No, I was informed, we must eat one bean for each year of our life.
"Ummm..." I sputtered, " I am actually only 29."
"No, you`re not. You are in your 30th year. Eat."
And with that I stuffed my mouth full of dried edamame and took a slug of freshly made sake.
Last year, I did it all wrong. This year, I did it right . Does this mean that I`ll have better luck in 2004? That spring will come earlier??!
I`ll keep you posted.
:)
Sabine . 10:55 PM . Comments
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