Homestay in Japan with Volunteers for Peace

I got a question via the Talk2Me form from a reader who plans to go to Japan with Volunteers for Peace next year.

I had never heard of Volunteers for Peace, and wouldn’t even have expected Japan to be an option for a program like that, so thanks for the info! Has anyone reading ever met anyone who has done this program? I’m curious! Remember a while back we tried to gather up other possible ways to get to Japan for some time? This should be added to the list.

Unfortunately¥ the reader forgot to leave their email address…  so I can’t contact them back directly!

So if you’re reading this, drop your email address via the Talk2Me form again and I’ll get back to you.

Anyway, there’s another option for anyone looking for a way to spend some time in Japan while doing good!

- Harvey

Okinawan Dancers in Shimoda

I have actually had these pictures for quite some time, but never got around to posting them.

These are from an Okinawan dance performance that I saw… in Shimoda (on Honshu, far from Okinawa). I love how colorful their costumes are. I have been many places in Japan, but Okinawa is one of the places I have yet to visit. Some day…

I’m not even sure if these performers are actually from Okinawa – but they very well could be. Anyway, doesn’t really matter does it!

In case you missed it back in 2005, here are some Okinawan dancers in Osaka!

- Harvey

Now I’m On The Record US-VISIT Style

Every foreigner in Japan has heard of Japan’s new United States inspired (or, better put… driven) US-VISIT style fingerprint and photograph system to inventory foreigners as they enter the country. The program is sometimes referred to as Japan’s version of the US-VISIT program and started in November last year. I hear that similar program will start in England shortly.

Foreigners here are generally quite upset with the new system. I have yet to mention anything about it in a blog entry. It’s not that I have been avoiding the subject, but I didn’t feel that I had anything to add to the conversation that hadn’t already been said. I mean, there are entire blogs devoted to the issue, and JapanProbe has covered it frequently in the past. Unfortunately, the passage of time has taken its toll and the clamor seems to have died down. Maybe this post will start it up again?

Again, it’s not that I don’t care. In an attempt to validate myself, let me say that I was one of only two foreigners in attendance at a lecture given by Barry Steinhardt (the head of the ACLU’s Technology and Liberty Program) in Osaka in early November pointing out the failures of the US-VISIT system as a warning to the then soon to be released Japanese version. I am also currently translating an article for IMADR’s (International Movement Against All forms of Discrimination and Racism) newsletter which denounces the new system as discriminatory. As you can see, I’m not a fan of the new system.

So why am I finally writing now? I recently popped out to take a trip to India, so on the way back into Japan I was fingerprinted for the first time.

I’ve been filed! At Kansai International Airport.

I have heard a lot of talk about being held up at the line and the finger print readers and camera slowing people down. I don’t care what anybody says. The process was painless.

Maybe it’s because I arrived during the middle of a day on a workday, but the line was incredibly short,  and I was whisked through because I had a re-entry permit, and the entire fingerprinting and camera ordeal must have taken all of 20 seconds. It was easy. I flinched just as the photo was taken the first time, and the system prompted me to hold still for a second shot, but it was very intuitive and I knew exactly what was going on.

Don’t get me wrong, the fact that the technology was able to record my biometric data quickly and painlessly does not make the system right.

The system is terrible.

Blanket targeting all foreigners , excluding those with special status (i.e., Japan-born Koreans who still carry Korean passports) and collecting their biometric data is discriminatory, and does little to make foreigners feel welcome in Japan.  The system also has an unpleasant emotional impact as well. Even if a foreigner gains permanent resident status they still must be fingerprinted and photographed each time they re-enter the country. Even if I stay here for 50 years, when coming home from a family vacation overseas I’ll still have to line up separately from the rest of my family and be fingerprinted and photographed. Welcome home indeed! It’s bad enough that even long-term foreigners have to endure  compliments on their ability to use chopsticks once every few months… and now this. And how is this system supposed to catch the Japanese terrorists?

Not to mention that the system is based on the US-VISIT system… which doesn’t work.

So far personalities including Nelson Mandela, Tariq Ramadan (a Swiss scholar of the Muslim world who was coming to the US to accept a tenured professor position he was offered at Notre Dame – the ACLU flied a lawsuit on his behalf in 2006, info here), and Yusuf Islam (a.k.a. Cat Stevens, author of the Peace Train song, the entry denial incident is documented on Wikipedia) have been flagged as terroists and denied entry into the United States at some point.

Of course, no system is perfect, but the US system currently has something exceeding 720,000 people registered on the terrorist list. That’s roughly 1 in every 500 Americans. It doesn’t make sense. If there are that many potential terrorists we have got a problem… and the database never stops growing.

Some may say… so the US-VISIT system is broken – you’re not registered in US-VISIT, you’re registered in Japan’s system. Why do you care? Well, The database of entries will be shared between countries. So now my biometric data is forever in the hands of the US and Japanese government.

Hopefully I’ll never be flagged as a terroist.

Wouldn’t it be funny if one day when flying from the US to Japan, flagged as a terroist in Japan, and sent back to America only to be refused entry there as well?

Where would I go?

Some dark prison somewhere probably…

Anyway. The technology at the gate works fine. The process gets you through the gate quickly. However, the concept is broken and something needs to be done so that our data is not abused.

- Harvey

Japanese Tea Shop in Shiga

I went to a tea shop in Shiga-ken, in the Shigaraki area last month. We went by car from the station after a failed attempt to visit the Miho Museum. (It was closed! ARGH!) I couldn’t tell you how to get here off the top of my head, but if anyone really wants to know, let me know in the comments and I’ll get the info from my friends. It’s way out of the way and only accessible by car.

The shop had three tables like this. The kettle contains hot water to make tea.

Preparing tea as we browse the sweets menu.

This is called kusa-mochi. Kusa means “grass”, and mochi as you may know, is the Japanese sticky rice cake. It was insanely delicious. The outside is crisp, but the inside is melty-stretchy-sticky hot. The “grass” that is mixed with the mochi is called yomogi. (蓬 or 艾, my dictionary says there is a phrase, よもぎのような髪, which literally means, “hair like yomogi”, and has the meaning of “unkempt hair.” Awesome.)

This is “zenzai”, which is a famous Japanese dessert you can usually find around any traditional sight-seeing area in the winter. It is a sweet (oh so sweet!) soup with anko (sweet red beans) and mochi inside. Excellent, especially in the winter!

If only photos were edible.

- Harvey

Home stay in Japan with WWOOF

Someone asked me recently about possible ways to arrange for a home stay in Japan.

Other than the usual study abroad program via a university, or the YFU program (this is how I first came to Japan when I was in high school), the first thing that came to mind was WWOOF Japan (Willing Workers On Organic Farms Japan).

I have never done WWOOF myself, but have met someone who has. Basically you sign up for the program and start looking for potential hosts. Once you have found a host you are interested in, WWOOF helps arrange your visit, and you live with the family while helping them work on their “farm”. The farm work could include anything from actually planting or harvesting crops, to working on a ski resort.  I think WWOOF would be a great way to experience the “real” Japan outside of the major cities.

Does anyone else know of other ways to hook up a home stay  in Japan?

Your advice is appreciated!

- Harvey

Things I still haven’t done in Japan

Every time friends come to visit it makes me realize how many interesting places there are to visit and things to experience in Japan that I have started to take for granted. I mean, Kyoto is like a 45 minute train ride from my place, I can go any day right?

For example, I went to see KODO yesterday, the world’s finest Japanese drumming group (no exaggeration). It was my second time to see them live, but I only went this second time because some friends were visiting from Italy and I thought it would be an awesome addition to their tour. I ended up enjoying it just as much as they did! I should have been seeing KODO play every single year… Which reminds me, I have never been to KODO’s Earth Celebration (jp page here) which happens every year in August on Sado Island…

Now that I think of it, there are many things I still haven’t done in Japan… Time for a list!

Earth Festival on Sado Island

Snow Festival in Sapporo

Okinawa island hopping

The 88 temple Shikoku Pilgrimage (wikipedia link)

Daimonji in Kyoto where they burn the character 大 into a mountain side. (pics)

Climb Mt. Fuji properly

Visit Miyazaki Hayao’s museum

I was close to doing the Shikoku Pilgrimage the summer of 2006, but decided to do a three week south east Asia trip instead! No regrets.

Neputa Matsuri in Aomori

I have been to Aomori and got the following pictures at a museum featuring the festival.

They’re gigantic paper floats lit from the inside. These things are huge. The exhibit hall had an upper level that you could climb up on to view the top portions of the floats. They’re that big!

Stunning aren’t they?

I’ve been in Japan a long time, and done a lot… but there’s still so much more!

What are some of the things on your “Japan To-Do List”? Maybe I can find some more to add to my list!

- Harvey

Tips on How to Drop Everything and Move Abroad

I’m going to publicly reply to a comment I got from a long-time reader via email because I think it might be useful to a lot of people.

The reader had the following question…

I’ve been reading your blog for about 2 years now and I was really
impressed with how you seamlessly went from Iowa to Japan. In 3 months
feb 11, 2008 I’ll be moving to shanghai for an undetermined amount of
time. What advise would you give someone in my position. I’m about 5
years older than you and I’m not leaving for china straight out of
school. I graduated college in ‘01. So leaving my first cozy apt and
life long friends is a little un-nerving.

Tough question! I’m trying hard to keep this post to a reasonable length.

First of all, China and Japan are very different.

Here’s an anecdote. I was in Beijing for one week a few years ago. In Beijing, while doing the tourist thing, I was stopped by some people I had never met. They had their cameras out and were asking things in Chinese that I did not understand. It turns out they wanted me to pose in a picture with them. I happily confusedly volunteered. They passed around their camera and took turns taking pictures with me as if I was some kind of celebrity or something. This happened 3 times before I left. Once at the Temple of Heaven, once on the Great Wall, and once some other place I don’t recall, but I do think it was at a sight-seeing location. On a side note, this also happened to me in Taiwan and India, but that’s another story.

I assume the requested-paparazzi-shot-joiners were Chinese coming from rural China to the “big city” for some tourism of their own, and were excited to see foreigners roaming around. But still, my point is, this doesn’t happen in Japan – At all. I was blown away. I had been living in Japan for more than three years before I made that trip, and I still had culture shock in China. So I’m no China expert.

But hey, they’re both East Asia, so there must be some similarities – right-right? Yeah-yeah? Especially when seen from the eyes of a Westerner. Can’t read the signs, clothes don’t fit, people stare, you know what I mean. I’m assuming the reader who posed the question is from the United States, or some other Western English speaking country. I’m also assuming he’s male… not that it matters, but it will make my pronoun management easier.

First of all, let me point out what I think are going to be the major differences in my Japan move and the readers upcoming China move.

I moved to Japan pretty much a clean slate with no planned return.

I was coming straight from college (out-of-state student at that) so I didn’t have much any “baggage” to leave behind or take with me. Our reader seems to be very settled in, so he’ll have to deal with things like… furniture.

He also knows that his trip to China is temporary, even though the total duration is unknown. The knowledge that he won’t be there “forever”, and also that he is us unable to control how long he will be there is going to be a huge factor psychologically. In my case, I came because I wanted, and had no plans to leave. In addition, I knew that I could leave anytime I decided to.

I already spoke Japanese, and had been to Japan before.

I’m guessing here, but it sounds like maybe the reader has never been to China? Not sure… But whether or not one has visited the country they’re about to live in before moving there will make a big difference in the whole experience. And China! Wow.

I have only once had to go to a country where I had never been and didn’t speak the language and start living there, and that was France for a short 6 months. Needless to say, an American going to France versus an American going to China is like comparing apples and oranges. (Or should I say, baguettes and rice?) Anyway, even France was tricky at times. Simple things like, what are the major cell phone companies in this country? Where exactly in the city is this apartment that the company has arranged for me? Public transportation strikes? Huh? Even if you’re given country info packets and whatnot before departure, once you hit the ground it’s a whole new world. China is about as foreign as foreign countries get from a Western perspective.

Similarities? Going abroad for work.

That said, one thing we have in common is that it appears that the reader is heading over with a job already lined up, as I did.

This means that he will already have a type of social network available. People at work will take him for lunch, and show him the city after work. He’ll have people he can ask questions to, and also get help from. This is huge. These people will also likely speak English, unless the reader is already fluent in Chinese and that is the reason he is being sent over. If my going abroad for work theory is true, he he’ll also have a corporate safety net to help him through thick and thin.

3 Tips for your Move Abroad

Now to address the readers question. I’ve babbled on long enough.

1. Get up to speed on the expat community scene asap.

I can hear the hardcore ex-pats now moaning, “get up to speed on the ex-pat community?? Why go to China to hang out with a bunch of foreigners?!” You know me, I’m the last to endorse foreigner herding when one is trying to learn the culture and language and totally emerse oneself in the host countries culture… However this situation is different. Our reader might be in Shanghai for 3 years, or he might be there for 3 months, it’s totally undetermined. Getting in with a knowledgable ex-pat crowd will allow him to jump-start his ability to function in Shanghai and get his information flood gates wide open – and let me tell ya, information is the key to having fun in a foreign country.

Major cities abroad usually have some type of English language information magazine targeting ex-pats from around the world. In Japan we have things like Kansai Time Out and Metropolis. When I was in Beijing I noticed a great mag, I think it was called Beijing Now! (Xianxai Beijing). I’m sure Shanghai has one too.

Also, one of the best China-related forums I have come across is modestly titled, Chinese-Forums. Tell everyone there your situation and I’m sure you’ll get tons of good advice. Also, there is a hardcore (as in, rather exclusive feeling) mailing list about deep China topics that would be good to lurk on for a while called oriental-list.

The point here is to start setting up your information sources. The more information you have available the less daunting the move will be.

2. Get excited about the move.

I would suggest getting excited about the move abroad. For example, start planning vacations. You’re not sure how long you will be in Shanghai right? This may be your first and only visit to China! When are you going to go visit the great wall? When are you going to take the train into Tibet? Japan is close now! Start marking up your calendar! The more things you have to look forward to in China the easier it’s going to be to pick up your suitcase and go.

3. Make the language decision early.

Going to spend time learning Mandarin in Mandarin and Shanghai-nese speaking Shanghai? It’s an important decision to make.

With a language like Chinese, I think it would be best if you make a conscious decision as to whether or not you’re going to try to learn the language at all before you get on the plane. Since your time is undetermined it’s even trickier. I think if you end up being in Shanghai for a full year and never attempt to seriously learn the language you’ll be missing out on a lot, and probably be kicking yourself for it later in life. That said, if you end up only being in Shanghai for 4 months, spending your time in the books trying to learn Mandarin might actually be, and I hate to say it, but a waste of time. Or, at least not worth the time. You could be spending that time wandering through the back streets of the city, or burning your tongue on baozi.

The reason that I put the language decision on this list, is that I have met many foreigners in Japan for whom the language thing has greatly impacted their experience in the country. For some, the daily successes they have in communicating with Japanese locals who do not speak English is motivation to continue and makes everyday fun… For others, the constant reminder that they are effectively illiterate after living in the country for 3 or 4 years is a constant drain on the self-esteem. Plus, if you give the language a shot, the locals will love you for it.

Make the decision of whether or not to study before you go, and if you decide that, yes, you want to give Mandarin a try… Get signed up for Chinesepod.com today! It’s freakin’ great. Actually… I think they’re based in Shanghai…

Personally… If I knew that I would be in Shanghai for at least six months, I would probably go all out and try to pick up as much Chinese as possible.

Here’s another anecdote. When I was in France for six months I went to night school at Alliance Francias to study French. It was one of the best decisions I made. It gave me a social group to hang out with (travel buddies too), and a way to learn things about France that I never would have learned between the office and my apartment.

That’s a wrap.

I asked a friend who recently dropped everything and moved from NYC to Tokyo what he would say in response to this question.

I have American friends living in Shanghai making a GREAT living and indicating no intention of moving back to the U.S. anytime soon. That said, these guys invested heavily in learning the language and don’t need any help to navigate their way around Chinese business. So, I don’t personally consider Shanghai a long term winner for a Westerner looking to live in another country, but if your interest is strictly business (say, 5 years or so) and you are willing to learn the language, Shanghai is probably the best place in China right now. Many people who know what they’re talking about call it the new Tokyo. I don’t agree, but I would feel guilty not relating what I’ve heard.

I’m sure that many JapanNewbie readers have been through similar situations. Let us know what advice you would give in the comments!

Ah… A few last pieces of advice.

It might be a good idea to buy the domain ShanghaiNewbie.com and start a blog. That would let you meet all sorts of other China ex-pats and learn from them while giving back a little as well! (I’m serious)

Also, you might want to start doing research into what steps you could take to extend your stay in Shanghai, just in case you end up loving it.

I’m totally serious. One of my friends, Kitty, who comments here occasionally was randomly sent to Japan from Georgia years ago. Didn’t want to go. Went kicking and screaming. Yet she ended up asking to have her stay extended. I think this actually happens quite frequently.

Living abroad is a ton of fun. I would jump at the chance to live in Shanghai for a while, you’re going to love it!

- Harvey

A Visit to Tokyo Tower

Back in March I climbed the stairs to the top of Tokyo Tower and am finally getting around to posting about it. I’m a little behind.

Here is a shot of the Tower in all it’s majesty. It’s a bit taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and the tallest man-made structure in Japan.

On special occasions it lights up, and it can even do some fancy tricks. Back in 2003 it was lit green with the release of Matrix Reloaded. You can see pictures of the different ways that they have lit up the Tower on this Japanese Tokyo Tower fan’s web page. Search the page for マトリックス to see the Matrix green shot.

Surprised that the Tower would participate in such a cheesy commercial tie-up promotion? Well… You haven’t seen anything yet…

We decided to walk up the stairs to get to the top of the tower. There is also a high speed elevator available… But where is the fun in that?

This Tokyo Tower photo opportunity backdrop is located right under the tower… I’ve been in Japan a long time now, but even I can see that this doesn’t make any sense. It’s ridiculous that anyone would want to get a picture of themselves in front of this poster, while actually at the Tower… Right? Right??

If getting a picture of yourself standing in front of a picture of the Tokyo Tower while standing under the Tower itself isn’t enough pre-main event memorial fun for you… You can also get a picture with the official Tokyo Tower mascot. His name is NOPPON (ノッポン)… Because, the verb to “climb” as in, the “Tokyo Tower climbs into the sky” is “NOBORU”, and, well… -PON is just cute. The tip-top of Noppon is a little bit dirty and showing a little wear and tear, but he’s a nice guy.

If you want to see NOPPON in action and read his profile, check out the NOPPON official website. Be sure your computer speakers are turned on so you can enjoy Noppon’s hip-hop rhythm. (I can hardly take this anymore. Please make it stop.)

On the way up to the top of the seemingly endless caged-in staircase to the top of the Tower there are friendly signs such as this to help you keep your spirits. A literal translation of this sign goes, “NO SMOKING. Let’s sing a song or something to blow away (our) fatigue.”

The final step! If I remember correctly anyway. I can’t imagine why I would have taken a picture of any step other than the final one… So I think this is it. It was quite the hike. Not very scenic either, as you’re inside of a dingy red cage the entire way up.

Once inside of the tower, visitors are assaulted by gift shops of every imaginable shape and form. Just to put it into perspective for you, in addition to these excellent NOPPON dolls they also had a 4-D Bio Hazard arcade game in a corner, a cafe with a live jazz band, and one of those coin mash-up contraptions that will turn your yen into a Tokyo Tower medallion. I’m sure that anyone who has been to the tower will agree that the goods and services were out of control.

On that note, here’s a view of the city from the top of the tower. The view is great, you can walk around the tower for a 360 degree glance at Tokyo. Which, also happens to be the world’s 4th most livable city!

Also, a quick relevant affiliate link via J-list. They have a larger than necessary (26 inches tall!) replica of the Tokyo Tower available that lights up and displays Japanese on a dot matrix message display.

As many of you may already know, they’re actually working on making a new and improved Tokyo Tower. The project itself is called the Rising East Project, and the Tower will be called the New Tokyo Tower. The New Tokyo Tower is planned to be completed in 2011, and will be 600 meters tall, nearly double that of the current 333-meter Tokyo Tower. There is a Japanese article with more details here, and an English Wikipedia New Tokyo Tower entry here.

And that’s a wrap!

- Harvey

A last shot of the current Tokyo Tower.

Hiking in Kansai: Abandoned Fukuchiyama Railway

Hiking in Kansai! Gotta love it. Get away from the city. Get some air. Listen to a river, look at some GREEN… Sweat a lot.

The hiking trail we went on this time was interesting in that it followed an old abandoned train route (廃線). The course was interesting, and other than the heat, not a laborious hike at all. It goes along an unused JR Train line (fukuchiyama-sen 旧福知山線) for about 5 kilometers to JR Takedao Station. The trail goes right on top of the old train tracks, through tunnels, and follows a river the entire way.

Hiking Course Starting Location：JR Namaze Station (生瀬駅)
Course Finish: JR Takedao Station (武田尾駅)
Total Distance: 5-7 km? Something like that.

JR Namaze Station is about 30 minutes by train from Osaka/Umeda going out towards Amagasaki.

There are a few hot springs in the Takedao area, a great way to end the hike!

You can see the old tracks in the picture above. In this shot the track is pretty buried in the earth, but in other areas of the path they are still sticking out in full view.

Crossing the bridge was great. You cannot walk on the tracks across the middle, but there is a foot bridge attached to the side. A little creepy, but not so bad as it wasn’t that high up.

If you look closely you can see the tracks in this picture as well. The sides of the path are totally overgrown.

Also, at the end of the trail there is a great cafe by the river called Sakuraya. They serve giant kakigouri (crushed ice with flavoring and red beans and stuff…) that really hits the spot after the sweaty trek. If you start your hike from Namaze and go all the way to the end, you simply cannot miss this cafe, it’s pretty much the first commercial building you will see after getting off the path.

Good times. Wake up early one day and give it a try! You might want to bring a flashlight for the tunnels. It’s really pitch black inside, and the trail goes through about 6 tunnels if I remember correctly. Some are quite long… We ended up tagging along with some well-prepared old lady hikers one time!

Here are are a few Japanese blogs that have reviewed the same hiking course.

あろーい日記

プチ美々屋

There are also some Japan hiking books in English available that look like they might be the guides to have for anyone serious about hiking in Japan

Hiking in Japan: An Adventurer’s Guide to the Mountain Trails

Hiking in Japan (Lonely Planet Walking Guides)

Note, the hike that I just did here is -not- serious. More like a casual slacker hike. These books though, have entire day trips, and multi-day hikes. If you’re serious about hiking, you might want to check them out.

Good times!

- Harvey