Six years ago in the city of Montreal, Canada, one of my friends predicted that I one day would be in Japan. I laughed and refuted his idea saying that indeed I would travel but maybe not as far as in the land of the rising sun. Little did I know that I actually would find myself in Japan in Aug
ust 2007.
Three months ago, on August 5th, I landed in Narita Airport, Tokyo, asking myself: “What did I get myself into again?” Of course, I knew that I was going to face tremendous challenges as I did not even speak the language of the country, but I was convinced that if others before me did it, so could I. In Tokyo, I was surrounded by other young people almost all as lost, confused and excited as I was. I felt comfort being with them. 3 days after our arrival, the separation from my new found friends and the departure for our host cities were nerve racking.
It is in that context of fear (yes fear!), excitement, and apprehension that me and a couple of others eigo no sensei
[1], one of the only things I could actually say in Japanese, got to the Shinkensen
[2] in order to arrive in Gifu prefecture our new home. I thought I was almost home, but when I meet with my supervisor, I understood that I still had another two hours of driving to go through before I would get to MY home, Gero onsen.
My knowledge about Gero onsen was not extensive since the information available on the internet was very limited. I only knew that it is one of the best places in Japan to soak in an onsen
[3] and that it was a “city” of 30 000 inhabitants, which is very small compare to Montreal where I was born and raise or Toronto where I studied for four years. And I got to my home without any expectations.
At first, it was difficult to adjust. The language barrier revealed to be much more difficult to cross than I anticipated. Imagine not being able to find the margarine or the soy sauce in the store simply because you cannot read! Or having questions to ask your boss but all you can say is: “Kocho Sensei, konnichiwa!”
[4] Moreover, most people in my town never encountered a person of African descent in their lives, thus I became a misfit, someone that is NOT suppose to be there. That was the initial reaction, the infamous culture shock. Furthermore, being in a city way smaller than where I am from, I missed the tons of activities I had access to and the potential to meet people. I was isolated.
After a month of trying to understand my surroundings, I finally realized that everything was in my mind and that my experience was not about understanding Japan, but about living it, everyday. After my mind set switched, life started changing in my town. I met people that were there all along to support me and help me through this life changing experience. I took Japanese lessons and started having pseudo conversations with people. And mostly, I realized that there were a lot more to do in my area than I saw at first.
Many outdoor activities are available in our region, one just have to keep an eye out for them. First thing, as soon as I arrived in my apartment, I did not even touch my luggage that other foreigners already in the region dragged me in Bon-O-Dori. This was an amazing experience that showed me how much Japanese can enjoy themselves even more than Canadians or Americans. That was a good start. On a beautiful day in September, I went shower climbing for the first time in Maze; I truly enjoyed the activity and the experience of our guide. Several times, hiking was on the program with my new found Japanese friends. Later on, I and other Assistant Language Teachers visited a sake factory, the best in all Japan, in Hagiwara. We learned about the making process of the precious liquid and were able to have a great dinner with the owner and his wife. In addition, since I got to Gero, I have been onsen hopping every week. In my opinion, this is definitely one of the best features of our region. I also have to mention the foot baths located in the downtown area of Gero-shi, which are a great spot to stop and chat with friends. Again two weeks ago, I went to the Gassho-Mura Village, right in Gero, where I saw displays such as local life going from the numerous festivals to the everyday life. In one of the housesof the village was featured the making of silk with worms. Silk was the main expertise of Japan in the 1800s and was produced for domestics’ purposes. In the chilly weather of October, the owner of the village offered me some ama zake
[5]. The ama zake, non-alcoholic, is the first stage to becoming the sake, alcoholic drink, as we know it. Oishikatta
[6]!!!
Hence, there are a lot of hidden activities to do in our region; everything I enumerated happened between Gero, Hagiwara and Maze. What made the difference in my new adventure in Japan was the switch in my attitude and of course the help of all the people around me, namely foreigners and mostly Japanese. I am here for several reasons and one of them is to learn about Japanese culture. The moments I had the opportunity to achieve this are when local people were not afraid to take me under their wings and make me try what they are so use to do on a daily basis. I hope that local people, especially the ones that see me on a regular basis, will not be shy anymore to approach me and thus permit me to live to Japanese life to the fullest.
[1] English teachers
[2] Express train in Japan
[3] Hot spring in Japan
[4] Good afternoon, director!
[5] a sweet drink, which has a thick consistency, with rice in it
[6] It was delicious!
Today after work, one lady I met previously in my town invited me for a nice tour of the onsen-temple in my town (onsen are hotsprings in Japan): onsen-ji. Thus, I got a book, sold in several temples, to collect all the stamps from the temples and shrines I will visit in the future (thanx to a friend for the tip). Despite the fact that it was dark, it was beautiful because I could still admire the different colors in the trees and of course the temple itself. Little note to say that although the monk did not speak english, he was a real sweety.
