tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220610402012-01-17T05:14:09.355+09:00Thoughts, happenings and photos of Japan in the eyes of a first time visitor.Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.comBlogger391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-64595817657196596732008-11-03T13:24:00.001+09:002008-11-03T13:24:30.807+09:00

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-48101172230955401252008-02-24T22:48:00.006+09:002008-03-09T09:42:39.892+09:00

Damn, I haven't posted since early January.Well, it's now almost the end of another school year and I will be saying goodbye to all my favourite 3rd years, which I have to say is a lot of them. The last couple of months has flown by. I had my Iaido grading on the 13th of January and passed my Shodan grading. (Yah me) You can read more about it on my martial arts blog.A couple of weeks ago, we had

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-77672259078409971652008-01-03T12:56:00.001+09:002008-02-24T23:09:47.869+09:00

Matsumoto is a great little town and Mel and I had a great time there at Xmas. The first place we visited was Matsumoto Jo (castle) one of the 4 castles in Japan that are considered national treasures.One of the interesting things from my point of view was that firearms are a big part of the display and firing slits for both firearms and archery are built into the castle. I always enjoy making my

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-29257063239975931882007-12-23T09:51:00.000+09:002007-12-23T10:02:22.258+09:00

Mel and I are off to Matsumoto tomorrow for a short holiday. Matsumoto has one of Japan's best castles which I am looking forward to checking out. I will post a short trip report when we get back.I would just like to wish everybody the best for the holiday season. Enjoy the food, drink and the time you spend with friends and family.

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-78893011132150863582007-12-09T13:56:00.000+09:002007-12-09T14:01:55.295+09:00

I took Mel out for breakfast yesterday to a cafe that we have visited before (but not for breakfast)Our breakfast set comprised of1 croissanta small salad of primarily shredded cabbagea drinkand a cup of ice creamI think the title of this blog said it all. (^_^)

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-91961877782390178632007-11-25T12:04:00.000+09:002007-11-25T12:08:09.325+09:00

I posted this on my Fitness Journal but thought it appropriate that I add it here as well.Weight Training in Japan One of the difficulties some people face when training in Japan is the lack of free weights. This is not to say that there aren't any hard core weight training facilities, it's just that they are few and far between. Sadly there are none in my area. The gym that I currently go to has

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-28527233165965526692007-11-18T18:10:00.000+09:002007-11-18T18:23:43.741+09:00

Mel and I went to the latest movie adaptation of Hairspray on Friday night. Being a musical, I was a little concerned that I would be bored (I'm not usually a musical person.) I need not have worried - it was great fun. One of the interesting things about the evening was the lack of laughter coming from the Japanese patrons. I am not sure how well the subtitles conveyed the feel of the words, or

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-41620204964316982092007-11-12T20:29:00.000+09:002007-11-12T20:42:34.756+09:00

Just a quick note on some of the happenings here lately- I have started doing some boxing coaching which has been a lot of fun.- went to a professional boxing card in Nagoya - it was a good day and we went eating and drinking in the afternoon. I don't think any of the contestants weighed more than 57kg.- I went to the barber last week, my score from him on leaving this time was 2 x 500ml cans of

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-30707991264158019982007-10-20T14:37:00.000+09:002007-10-20T15:06:13.274+09:00

It has be a busy couple of weeks, with multiple festivals to take part in and attend, having my car run into and helping out at a boxing gym after finishing work. All in in I feel like it's time for a break (^_^)Mel and I were invited to take part in a village festival in Inuyama. On the day, I was honoured to be invited to take part in the Shinto ritual that is the culmination of the festival.

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-44440234465258079612007-09-29T00:00:00.000+09:002007-09-29T00:30:30.771+09:00

I have to admit, my rate of posting on Blogger lately certainly leaves a lot to be desired. So now it's time for me to start letting everybody know what has been happening in my world.Summer holidays - unfortunately I didn't make it to the Sumo in Nagoya this year but we did get an invite to eat Chanko Nabe at a local Sumo stable - it was great.- the trip to Vietnam and Cambodia was great but "

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-51251850233664827752007-07-09T20:03:00.000+09:002007-07-09T20:19:41.119+09:00

You Are Green Tea PockyYour attitude: natural and zenPeaceful yet full of life. Deep and thoughtful.You're halfway to tantric bliss!What Flavor Pocky Are You?If you have been to Japan you will probably know what Pocky is. If not it is a biscuit style stick coated on one end with one of a number of flavours. You can check out Mel's flavour at My Life as a Gaijin. Enjoy

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-32240125274247007912007-07-08T12:10:00.000+09:002007-07-08T12:18:29.715+09:00

I have to admit I have been slack about posting for the last few weeks. It is coming up to summer vacation here in Japan which means for me - 7 weeks off from school. Many of the students however, when asked about what they are doing over the break answer - study very hard. At the school Mel works they actually have summer classes. Luckily for us, Mel doesn't have to teach so it's off to Vietnam

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-58157310787568505722007-06-12T17:55:00.000+09:002007-06-12T17:58:39.628+09:00

During summer holidays, Mel and I are going to Vietnam and Cambodia for a few weeks. As part of the preparation process, I needed to get my Hep A and tetanus booster.In Brisbane, this would entail going to a travel medicine clinic. In Japan, it is a little different. The first step was finding out where I could actually get the vaccinations done – not an easy task. Luckily one of the teachers I

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-6175894909289233082007-06-05T17:42:00.000+09:002007-06-05T17:44:53.814+09:00

As part of school lunch the other day, we (every student and teacher at every school in the area) were given two (2) cherries - no more no less.What more can I say. (^_^)

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-9656367796197902932007-05-28T18:38:00.002+09:002007-05-28T18:47:28.370+09:00

My wife is involved with the Camera Club at her school, and on Saturday they went on an excursion to the zoo at Higashiyama Koen in Nagoya. I went along for the outing.The day started well when a Japanese women (thank you again) came up to me while we were waiting to buy tickets and gave me two free entry vouchers.The zoo itself was enjoyable - it has a good layout and a good variety of animals

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-39060710845579856682007-05-21T22:21:00.000+09:002007-05-21T22:28:44.818+09:00

I went to my barber today - great service as always - and just as I was about to pay he asked me to wait. He took some change out of the til and raced across the road to the drink vending machine.I guess his wife was not around to pick up drinks for me while I was having my hair cut.Just another snippet of my life in Japan. (^_^)

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-10230057349752587792007-05-05T13:57:00.000+09:002007-05-05T14:34:53.662+09:00

On Thursday, I went to Kyoto for the day with a good friend of mine. He was competing in a kendo competition and intended to make a day of it.One of the reasons he wanted me to go was to see Yabusame (Japanese mounted archery.) Yabusame is a religious ceremony, with the archers riding down a narrow track and firing at wooden targets.It is quite spectacular with some of the horses at full gallop.

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-35020737435342716192007-04-30T18:08:00.000+09:002007-04-30T18:31:24.852+09:00

Today is the first day of "Golden Week" - a week that due to a number of public holidays means travel for many Japanese, and for me a full week off.Today was a BBQ - what a feast, good food and good company. A great way to start the week.

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-84125846674906389522007-04-21T09:24:00.000+09:002007-04-21T09:31:38.034+09:00

Damn - It's been about a week since my last post.Apart from being busy, my computer has decided to be a little idiosyncratic lately and has decided not to do what I want it to. I have been spending a lot of time trying to get it to behave. Dell Japan, who have techs with good English, has been helpful, but unfortunately it looks like I will have to reinstall the OS - something that I am not

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-58496853074778159382007-04-11T18:14:00.000+09:002007-04-11T18:33:07.030+09:00

Last week I received a text message from a Japanese friend. He wanted to know if I would like to go to a nearby river to view the cherry blossoms (sakura), this is called hanami (flower viewing).Hanami is an important time of the year for many Japanese. The short life of the sakura is seen as a thing of wonder and beauty.After walking along the riverside, both sides of which were covered with the

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-78578907610549867872007-04-09T17:40:00.000+09:002007-04-09T17:49:21.153+09:00

Today was my first day back at school for the new school year.- New students to "talk to" and to teach.- New teachers to meet - I am working with 3 new English teachers at this school alone. I also spent part of the day trying to work out which teachers had been transferred.- A new staff room to work out of - Well, it's not actually new but it has been extended which means I now have a bigger

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-12393172069433407752007-04-04T12:31:00.000+09:002007-04-04T12:46:37.637+09:00

Although I have already blogged about how I am sent home with a take home pack of drinks when I go to my barber, I thought that my drinks today are worth mention - a bottle of water and two cans of beer. I'm not joking, I walked out of my 10 am appointment today with two cold cans of beer. (^_^)

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-42339896550234166732007-03-29T11:06:00.000+09:002007-03-29T11:34:27.300+09:00

A couple of weeks ago I attended the graduation ceremony at one of the Junior High Schools I teach at. It was the first time I had attended a Japanese graduation and it was quite an experience.Unlike Australia, where most students attend the same school for junior and senior, graduating Junior High in Japan, is a true rite of passage. Students who have been together for Elementary and Junior

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-70035769935756164422007-03-19T17:52:00.000+09:002007-03-19T18:02:48.342+09:00

As of the 16th, we have been in Japan for one year.Wow - I can't believe how quickly the time has flown.Other than my first ever hospital stay, my time here has been great. In actuality the hospital stay was fine, it was the reason for the stay that was the downer. I have had no "culture shock", no "what am I doing here?" (well actually I did have a couple of hours of it (^_^)) and no missing

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-15258014677213788622007-03-14T19:24:00.000+09:002007-03-14T19:37:51.825+09:00

Wow - it's coming up to the end of my first year of teaching in Japan.Yesterday was my last day at one of my schools. The students and teachers have been great to work with, and when I was saying goodbye, they all said that they want me back again next year. (^_^)I'm not sure if I will be going back to the same school, but given how welcome everybody has made me feel, I hope so.

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-78621694276638350362007-03-06T19:19:00.000+09:002007-03-06T22:32:37.759+09:00

We went to Osaka via the Tokaido Line. Catching the shinkansen would have been faster but much more expensive. Mel was motivated to do some writing, so she used the travel time that way. I on the other hand used the time to doze.On arrival we had a quick lunch, then on to Osaka-Jo. We had plans to visit a few different sights on Saturday but we ended up spending the whole afternoon there.Osaka-Jo

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-90082596560426075542007-03-01T18:42:00.000+09:002007-03-01T18:49:45.594+09:00

It's amazing. (^_^) Mel and I have been married for almost one year, and we have been in Japan for just a little less than that. The time has flown by.So to celebrate, this weekend we are off to Osaka. We are so looking forward to it. We have decided to travel light, but I don't know how either of us will cope without our computers. Hopefully I will have some good stories and photos for this blog

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-41299208282145678802007-02-26T18:36:00.000+09:002007-02-26T18:48:05.683+09:00

When I walked into the staffroom at school today, I was a little surprised to see some 10 foot cherry tree cuttings in a bucket.I found out that using the warmth of the room, the teachers speed up the flowering of the buds. They can then use the spectacular cherry blossom laden branches to decorate the auditorium for the upcoming graduation ceremony.

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-70669150465099308032007-02-22T20:54:00.000+09:002007-02-22T21:03:55.243+09:00

I know, it's another food based post. You may have gathered that food is important to me.If/when we leave Japan, one of the things that I will miss is the availability of good quality, inexpensive sushi. Whether it is a take home pack from the local supermarket (yes, you can buy sushi at the supermarket), sitting down at the local Atom Boy (a sushi train chain) for a quick lunch or for a bit more

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-28550108489602981442007-02-19T17:35:00.000+09:002007-02-19T17:45:41.881+09:00

Most Japanese I know like the fact that I try every food put in front of me, and that I enjoy almost all of them.The are some Japanese foods that most gaijin agree take some getting used to. These include : * natto - fermented soyabeans (Mel has forbidden anybody bringing them into the apartment)* umeboshi - picked Japanese plum* sliced raw chicken liver served with oil and salt (In Australia we

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-52179166042570918642007-02-16T23:29:00.000+09:002007-02-16T23:50:47.701+09:00

Although I have been to a couple of hairdressers since I arrived, I now go to a barber who is about a ten minute walk from home. Even though he doesn't speak any English, he understands what I want and he does a great job. The session includes a shampoo and blow-dry and a neck, shoulder and head rub. A great bonus is that when I leave I am given a takeaway pack of drinks. On my last visit I left

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-87451093088207697392007-02-13T17:24:00.001+09:002007-02-13T18:24:54.519+09:00

I have to drive to work and depending on where I'm working I have a minimum 35 minute drive every morning. I try to use the time as effectively as possible by listening to a Japanese language lesson/podcast by JapanesePod 101.The basic lessons, which are the ones I'm doing at the moment are usually 10 - 15 minutes long, which means I have plenty of time to listen to the lesson and review the

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-68479225719567583352007-02-11T08:59:00.000+09:002007-02-06T15:04:28.886+09:00

Yesterday Mel's father and I went to the Robot Museum and store situated in Sakae in Nagoya. The store has a wide variety of robot based merchandise priced from a few dollars and going way up. If you want a present for anybody interested in robot based toys including amime, this is a great option.Our first stop in the museum was a ride of the Segway, a two wheel self balancing one person

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-3470797676641803762007-02-05T18:54:00.000+09:002007-02-05T20:32:51.235+09:00

The weekend before last, Mel and I visited Gifu castle (Gifu-jo), situated high on Mt Kinka in Gifu. Neither of us was feeling like a hike so we caught the ropeway (gondola) to the top.Originally built about 1200, the 3 level donjon is like many other Japanese castles, a reconstruction. I enjoyed roaming around the castle and the 360 degrees views from the top are great. An added bonus for me is

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-14225169215952627192007-02-01T21:12:00.000+09:002007-02-01T21:23:42.404+09:00

At school, I eat lunch with the students, which is good fun. The fact that I eat the same thing as them means that I have tried a greater variety of Japanese food ( including natto) than I would have otherwise tried.The food is always good and nutritious, but the food combinations that we sometimes get are not what I am used to. Yesterday is a case in point: a croissant, cocoa covered fried

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-79345056672202131582007-01-24T21:56:00.000+09:002007-01-24T22:25:08.616+09:00

When I came to Japan, one of the things that I wanted to experience, was to train in one of the Japanese martial arts. Once we were settled, I started to make some enquiries. One night I was talking to Mel's boss and I mentioned that I was interested in seeing Iaido. The next thing I know, I had an invite to watch a class at a local dojo.Mel was especially nervous when we went because she had to

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-48585105628582843632007-01-22T20:08:00.000+09:002007-01-22T20:09:17.990+09:00

On a visit to Tokyo, Mel took a photo of me standing next to a life-size model of Ultraman. This is the result after adding the nightlife of Shibuya.She has this on her monitor at work, and she tells people that she is married to Ultraman . I'm not sure which one she is talking about???

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-65130638363632475392007-01-21T21:00:00.000+09:002007-01-22T20:02:13.106+09:00

I am one of those gaijin that thoroughly enjoy the spectacle, sport and religious ceremony that is Sumo. I went to my first tournament in Nagoya last year and unless we are travelling I will be going again this year.Today was the last day of the January Tournament held in Tokyo. The phenomenal Mongolian Rikishi (Sumo) Asashoryu won his twentieth grand sumo tournament. His opponent for today's

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22061040.post-57732006090088402652007-01-21T09:21:00.000+09:002007-01-21T10:07:38.159+09:00

I have been living here (a gaijin in Japan) for about 10 months now and the time has flown by. I have to say "I love Japan".Imagine, getting married and two weeks later you are living in another country, and to top it off, you don't speak the language. I was of course, a bit nervous when I arrived but I shouldn't have been. I took to the culture like a duck to water, although the language is

Waynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03227918082167040871noreply@blogger.com1