AKITA JET QUARTERLY
THE AKITAN
AUTUMN ISSUE
10.27.17
THE AKITAN AU T U M N 2 0 1 7
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Cover photo by Isabel Crevasse
THE AKITAN
CONTENTS AKITA CITIZEN’S MARKET .......... PAGE 3 AKITA’S BEST DATE SPOTS .......... PAGE 11 FALL RECIPES .......... PAGE 15 THE SILENT HILL OF TOHOKU .......... PAGE 21 FALL READS .......... PAGE 26 KOYO AT KURIKOMA .......... PAGE 31 A FALL SUGGESTION .......... PAGE 35 BEST FOOD IN JAPAN? . .......... PAGE 43 FIRST YEAR IMPRESSIONS .......... PAGE 45 A LOOK BACK ON SUMMER .......... PAGE 47
meet the akitan staff alexander dao Hi, everyone! I'm Alexander Dao. This is my fifth year on JET living in Akita City. I love to make cookies, pies, and moofins. If you want sweets, I'm the guy to go to.
isabel crevasse Hey y’all! I’m Isabel Crevasse, a second year JET living in a small town just north of Akita City. I spend all my time away from school hiking, travelling, or napping. If you want a person to sleep in your passenger seat while you drive to a beautiful hiking spot, I’m the girl to go to. 1
THE AKITAN
View from Hachimantai, Isabel Crevassee
2
akita citizen ’ s market
akita citizen’s market: small joys in daily life emma fradgley “Did you know that there’s a Citizen’s
go there themselves, it seemed. The
Market
grocery store I normally went to was
near the station ?”
closer by only a few minutes. No one My mother, who had come to Akita City
had ever shown me
where
it
was,
to visit me this past spring, asked me
but that’s what Google Maps was for. I
this one afternoon. I was a bit surprised
didn’t have any good reason.
at the question—mostly, I wasn’t sure whether she would have heard of it.
My mother has always been the type to get deep into the local experience
“Actually, yeah,” I answered. “I’ve
when visiting new countries, and she
never been there, though. Where did
seemed particularly
you hear about it?”
the Market, so we decided to go that
excited
about
Saturday. I had lived in Akita for “I went this afternoon! It came up on
nearly eight months, and I was about
Google when I was looking for things
to experience something new in my
to do while you’re at work. But if you
own neighborhood.
haven’t been there, we should go together! You live next to the station,
“When I went before I just followed
why have you never gone?”
the signs,” my mother said as we walked through the station. She added,
When
I thought about it, I didn’t
sheepishly: “But I think I ended
really know. I had heard it mentioned
up going the long way to get there.I
by other ALTs, but they didn’t often
couldn’t find the building at first.”
3
THE AKITAN
Photo courtesy of Akita Citizen’s Market official Facebook page
We followed the signs, which were
chopsticks,
carefully
laid
out
on
conveniently marked in Japanese and
decorated tables. A few older shoppers
English. Sure enough, the building,
were walking between them, checking
while not hidden away, didn’t really
the prices or admiring the handiwork.
stand out to me. It looked a bit like
We walked around the tables for a
a warehouse, though the curved roof
while before entering the sliding doors
gave it a modern aesthetic.
on the right side of the market.
The first thing we saw inside was an
The market itself has about 80 different
open area with a collection of beautiful
stalls and shops, but walking in, it
handmade goods, like teapots and
feels impossible to count them all. The
4
akita citizen ’ s market
building is made of grey concrete, but
bought a really nice tea towel from
the colorful shops add a vibrant sense
this store and I kind of talked to the
of life. Fruits and vegetables are laid
owners,” she said. “I was trying to tell
out in boxes or carefully stacked in
them that my daughter lived here, but I
piles, the specialties of the season the
figured it would be better just to bring
center of each display. Fish are artfully
you!”
presented on ice to keep them cool and fresh: gracefully curling octopus
The shop she brought me to was
tentacles, bright pink salmon, and
small, barely half the size of my one-
shimmering silver and black oyster
room apartment. Goods were stacked
shells. A butcher shop has cuts of meat
from the floor to the ceiling. Towels,
sitting in display cases, well-lit so you
sponges, tissues: anything you might
can see the quality of the meat through
need seemed to be here. An older man
its color. On the far side of the market, a
and woman were barely visible behind
few shops sell other varieties of goods,
the cash register; their faces lit up as
from basic living products to clothing.
soon as they saw my mother, and we
Restaurants are strategically placed
said hello. It turned out that the owners
near the entrances, where the smell
were the parents of an acquaintance of
of ramen entices shoppers from the
mine. Laughing at the coincidence,
moment they walk through the doors.
we talked with them for a while before buying some cleaning supplies
Compared to the room of handmade
and heading off to do the rest of our
goods, this section of the building
shopping.
was much more lively. Storekeepers called out welcomes, small groups of
As we walked around, I was impressed
housewives looked over vegetables, and
at how low the prices were here. I had
workers chatted while wheeling carts
been recommended to shop at different
of freshly caught fish, my mother made
grocery stores for different things if I
a beeline to the daily goods stores. “I
wanted to get the best deals. However,
5
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not only was the local food cheaper, but
was how friendly the shop owners were.
it was also priced competitively to the
It was an experience I wasn’t quite used
other stalls in the market, so it was easy
to.
to find which stalls had the best grapes, or the cheapest cuts of fish. The food
Some would try to call us to their stall
also looked much fresher than the food
using English. Whenever we stopped
I had seen at some of the larger chain
to buy something, we ended up talking
grocery stores, and I wasn’t worried
for a little bit. A woman running a fruit
that I would be getting fruit that would
stall gave us an extra apple when we
be overripe by the next day.
bought four. Someone else gave us a few yen off of the meat we bought,
What surprised me even more, however,
aying “It’s just change!” They laughed
Photo courtesy of Akita Citizen’s Market official Facebook page
6
akita citizen ’ s market
with us when I wasn’t quite sure how to
back to the local sellers. We dropped
ask for a certain cut of fish, reassuring
into the daily goods store a few more
me that my Japanese was very good.
times, just to say hello. One day, we were interviewed by a couple of well-known
About an hour later, both of our arms
hosts for the local radio station who
laden with shopping bags, we stumbled
had been collecting material for their
through the station toward home. In
next broadcast. In this little market, the
the following week and a half that my
local community was active in a way
mother stayed with me, we ended up
that felt different than the large grocery
going to the Citizen’s Market every few
stores
days. The shop clerks came to recognize
7
our faces and greeted us happily. They
On our last trip there—my mother
seemed excited to see foreigners coming
would be flying home soon—we went
Photo courtesy of Akita Citizen’s Market official Facebook page
THE AKITAN
we went back to the shop where she had
Working through the JET Program as a
bought the tea towels. I explained that
foreigner, it’s important to be an active
my mother was leaving, and we said our
part in cultural exchange. However, part
goodbyes.
of cultural exchange is our identity not as a foreigner, but as a member of the
They were glad to have met her, and
local community. Places like the Akita
happy that she had enjoyed shopping
Citizens Market are easy to miss at first;
there so much. They gave her a tea
with so many tourist spots garnering
towel, the same one she had liked so
attention, the smaller, quieter aspects
much, to bring back to the U.S.
of living in a foreign country can go unnoticed. So, if family or friends come
“Go back and buy something from them
to visit, consider bringing them to the
sometimes for me, okay? And say hello,”
local markets. It’s a great way to share a
she said as we left the market.
bit of the daily life and culture in Japan.
“Definitely,” I answered.
You might get a nice tea towel out of the deal as well.
...
8
9
Juniko, Isabel Crevasse
THE AKITAN
10
akita ’ s best date spots
akita’s best date spots priscilla chong
you heard of shirako? There is no faster
The New Romantics
way to make your intentions clear than The awkward first date, the anniversary,
ordering a plate of fish sperm sack
the regular date night—the classic
sushi! After all, love is all about sharing,
dinner date has been a staple of the
isn’t it?
relationship
world
since
romance
was born. However, it may become
Shy
and
Sleepy
monotonous when your cuisine is limited to the culturally acceptable
We’ve all been there: you went hard at
choices
fusion
your enkai the night before and haven’t
or izakaya fare. For those of us who
quite recovered in time for your date. It
enjoy eating out but want a bit more
was hard for both of you to make time,
excitement for our palates, I have a
so rescheduling is out of the equation.
suggestion. No, I’m not talking about
Or maybe talking just isn’t your strong
mashed rice on a stick (kiritanpo). Have
suit. I have a solution! Escape into the
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of
Japanese-Italian
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dark at Furusatomura Planetarium in
Barely Friends
Yokote. Recline and take a nap under the guise of a romantic astrologer as
Being a foreigner in rural Japan can be
your date enjoys the stars above. Your
tiring. The stares are constant, invasive
thirty-minute recharge will leave you
eyes try to peep into your private life, and
awake and refreshed for the next dark
co-gender friendships are apparently
room that you and your date enter.
nonexistent. With all those eyes on you, how can you date comfortably? The
Convenient Relationships
answer is easy: give them something to look at. It’s time we take dating to the
Being an adult is hard sometimes. I
bathroom, or, more specifically, to the
take comfort in the fact that Japanese
mixed gender onsen. There is nothing
convenience stores have always got
like seeing each other naked (along with
my back. With work commitments
some wrinkly ojichans) to get to know
taking priority over our social lives, it’s
each other. Less adventurous couples
difficult to find the energy to cook a
can try the famous Tsuru-no-yu. Those
lonely dinner for one—let alone drive
brave enough to bare it all should head
an hour to see a lover. It’s always nice
to Ganiba’s clear waters in the woods at
to know that my main man Lawson will
Nyuto Onsen.
always be there to provide that late night Karagekun Red. A cornerstone of
Stay Classy Akita
the Akita dating scene, we’ve all started and ended many a night at the conbini.
Japan’s take on western cuisine is a
It’s time we made dating simpler. Let’s
strange and beguiling experience, to
skip the fancy night out and opt for
say the least. Unless you’re in Tokyo
sharing a cup of ramen at the conbini
enjoying the cosmopolitan delights a
halfway between you and your date.
city has to offer, you’re like the rest
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akita ’ s best date spots
of us: stuck in a bubble of restaurants
AEON food court. Once there, it’s time
offering you only “hamburg steaks”
to let the world know, and by world I
when all you really want is a real steak
mean the table of gossipy obaachans
sandwich. As much as you might cringe
to your left and students to your right.
at the menu, you must admit that any
Soon your whole town will be asking
place with a drink bar is a good value.a
you all about your relationship status!
bustling atmosphere, casual vibe, and choice of a smoke-filled non-smoking
The Night Owl
table. Tie a napkin ‘round your neck, cherie, as Gusto provides the rest!
It’s a special night, but you forgot to restock—we got you. Had a big night
Food Courtship
together but nothing in the fridge—we got you. Convenience stores have been
In today’s age of Tinder hook-ups and
at the center of cementing relationships
“kinda seeing someone” scenarios, it’s
for the past 30 years. For most it’s just
difficult to understand what kind of
a quick stop by on a night out. For
relationship you are actually in. Are
the night owls out there, lighting up a
you friends? Friends with benefits? Or
cigarette on the curbside has an almost
just plain benefits?
mystical charm. As you ponder which noodle is actually the best (Ramen?
Who knows! One thing we know for
Udon? Soba?), the
sure is, it’s not official until its AEON
cigarette floats to the ground. Your eyes
official. You’ve been on a few dates, that
meet theirs and you have an unspoken
love hotel is constantly saved under
understanding. What brought you here
your recent visits, it’s time to move up
is stronger than anyone else can know.
the ladder of lust love. Schedule your
They offer you a smoke, a wordless
next date to go shopping together,
exchange as an ojisan coughs beside
anything that gets them to your local
you. Love has been ignited.
13
...
ash
from
your
THE AKITAN
Mount Chokai, Isabel Crevasse
14
fall recipes
FALL RECIPES isabel crevasse
Perhaps
you ’ ve got school lunch fatigue ,
or maybe you’ve run out of ideas for
new dishes you can make with the standard ingredients offered at your local grocery store. Whatever the case, we can all get a little sick of Japanese food from time to time, no matter how healthy and delicious it may be! Here are a few easy ways to mix up your cooking routine without having to spend a fortune or trek out to the nearest Kaldi or Jupiter.
Salmon Patties
Cook salmon. This can be done on the
(4 servings)
stovetop or in the oven. Set aside to cool.
What you’ll need: 4 cuts of salmon
Dice a quarter cup of onions (roughly
¼ cup onion, diced
half of one large onion) and place in
2 eggs
bowl. Add parsley, salt, pepper, and
Parsley (fresh, if available, dried if not)
breadcrumbs. For this recipe, panko
Dash salt, pepper
is not a suitable replacement for
Olive oil
breadcrumbs;
Breadcrumbs
unavailable, pinch of small pieces of
15
if
breadcrumbs
are
THE AKITAN
sliced bread instead. 1-2 slices of bread
1 part mustard. Add splash of lemon
will suffice for this recipe.
juice and stir.
Once
salmon
has
cooled,
remove
skin and debone. Using a fork, shred
Risotto
salmon into small pieces. Place in bowl.
(4 servings)
Crack two eggs into the bowl and mix
What you’ll need:
thoroughly. Shape into patties.
1 cup rice 3 cups chicken broth
Heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil in frying
½ cup white wine
pan. Once hot, lower heat to medium.
2 cloves garlic, diced
Place patty in pan and cook until
¼ cup onion, diced
underside is brown and crispy. Flip patty and repeat. Serve with easy lemon
Heat 3 cups of chicken broth. Set
aioli (recipe below).
burner to low to keep warm.
Leftover patties can be frozen to eat
Dice two cloves of garlic and ¼ cup
later.
onion (roughly half of one large onion). Saute with generous serving of butter
Easy Lemon Aioli
until onion becomes translucent. Lower the heat.
What you’ll need: Mayonnaise
Add rice to pan and stir briskly, ensuring
Dijon mustard
that the grains of rice are coated in
Lemon or lemon juice
butter. Continue until rice is slightly translucent.
Mix mayonnaise and mustard in a proportion of 3 parts mayonnaise to
Add white wine. Stir until the wine is
16
fall recipes
fully absorbed.
pumpkin, and cooked squash all make excellent additions to the dish. Simply
Add a ladle of chicken broth. Stir
mix in your chosen ingredients and
until broth is fully absorbed. Stir
serve when ready!
continuously to ensure even absorption of liquid and prevent rice from sticking
Leftover risotto can be easily reheated
to the pan. Repeat this step until all
in the microwave by simply adding a
broth has been added. Make sure the
splash of water, covering the dish, and
broth has fully absorbed each time
heating for roughly 2.5 minutes.
before adding an additional ladleful. The slow addition of broth is what
Savory Cinnamon Carrots
allows the rice to properly release its starches. If broth is added too quickly,
What you’ll need:
both the texture and flavor of the dish
2 Large carrots, sliced
will be off.
Butter Dash
If the grains of rice seem too firm after
salt,
pepper,
garlic
powder,
cinnamon, brown sugar
all broth has been added, substitute hot water for broth and repeat the above
Peel two large carrots and slice into
steps.
discs. Place in frying pan and toss with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cinnamon,
Once all broth has been absorbed, you
brown sugar, and a generous serving of
may either eat the dish as is or add a
butter, Stir occasionally to ensure each
little extra seasoning. Parmesan cheese,
carrot slice is fully coated in butter and
parsley, sauteed mushrooms, cooked
spices and to prevent burning. Cook until carrots are soft.
17
Hot Toddy Apple Cider
THE AKITAN
What you’ll need: Whiskey Apple juice 1 apple, sliced 1 lemon, sliced Cinnamon Nutmeg Honey
Pour whiskey and apple juice into a large sauce pan. I recommend a mixture of 2.5 parts apple juice to 1 part whiskey. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg. Set burner to low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally. Add apple and lemon slices. Simmer, stirring occasionally. Once warm, add spoonful of honey. Stir thoroughly. Continue to stir until cider is hot. Taste to check if the cider is at desired strength. Add apple juice or whiskey as needed.
18
19
Castle in Yokote, Liam Fahy
THE AKITAN
20
the silent hill of tohoku
the silent hill of tohoku andrew mowle On
a clear day in early fall ,
five
friends set out on a perilous adventure,
mined iron ore, at one point point
seeking the promise of eternal glory
providing
at journey’s end. Perhaps this is a
production. At its peak, the mine
slight embellishment, but there was an
employed
adventure, and it was awesome.
However, with the demand for sulfur
30%
of
around
Japan’s 13,000
sulfur people.
dropping and the advent of other, A
Hachimantai, a
more cost-effective ways to producing
mountainous region in the western
sulfur, the mine closed in 1971. Since
side of Iwate Prefecture, holds piece of
then, the mining site has remained
Tohoku’s history. This piece of history
mostly unpopulated. Upon closure of
—and the destination of the adventure
the mine, the wooden buildings were
—is an abandoned town once known as
burned down to prevent the possibility
Matsuo. Matsuo was just like any other
of any uncontrolled fires breaking out
small town in northern Japan with one
in the future, leaving only the cement
difference— it used to house Japan’s
shells of apartment blocks and office
largest Sulfur mine.
buildings that stand today.
Matsuo mine opened in 1914 and ran
These remaining buildings were our
up until 1971. Along with sulfur, it also
main point of interest for the day.
21
small
town
in
THE AKITAN
Abandoned apartment complex, Andrew Mowle
When we arrived at Matsuo Mine, we
offices and more commonly than not
were surprised by the presence of a
discovered shrubberies growing and
number of other cars already in the area,
even on the top floor. Underneath
reassuring us that the place was safe to
the building was a basement area,
trek around. Along the side of the main
which looked straight out of a scene of
road, there is an old office building.
Horizon Zero Dawn— moss, grass, trees
It’s three stories high, and inside we
all growing and sunlight looking in.
found another adventurer exploring. The inside of the building was eerily
Just outside the office building, we ran
empty; the long corridors were bare,
into an old man, the son of a miner
and sound carried easily from one end
some fifty years back
to the other.
up in the mining town. He was there
who had grown
to do some sightseeing on his way to We looked inside what appeared to be
somewhere else, but he stayed to chat
22
the silent hill of tohoku
Overgrown fields surrounding apartment complex, Andrew Mowle
with us and give us some information
-raction of the Matsuo mining town:
about his history with the mine, as well
the concrete remains of eleven old
as some ideas for places to visit around
apartment buildings. However, due to
the area.
overgrowth, there was no easy path too these buildings. We eventually
After leaving the office building, we
found a slightly worn path, which
tried to continue down towards the
took us around fifteen minutes to
pit, but a hydroelectricity company
move through. Once we reached the
had moved into the area, preventing
buildings, we had to try and decide how
us from getting close enough to see
to actually enter the buildings, at one
anything. Out of the windows of the
point even trying to climb through a
office building, you could see main att-
crumbling window frame. Fortunately,
23
THE AKITAN
after a bit of searching, we managed to
electronics left behind gutted television
find the front door.
set and an old video camera. The lighting in this stairwell was stunning
Once inside, we could look all the
and strange. The stairs themselves were
way down the wide corridor and see
a little worse for wear, but with some
more overgrowth, though not quite as
careful navigating, we managed to make
much as in the office building. Each
it up safely.
apartment room was fairly small, as you might imagine, but had space for
The last building we entered appeared
a sink, a cupboard, and maybe a tiny
to have been a bathhouse, or, judging
desk, as well as the tatami area for a
by the large pipes overhead, perhaps
futon. There were no bathrooms in the
a small water treatment plant. There
rooms (that we could see), but there
was more overgrowth here than in the
were public bathrooms in various
apartment buildings, and with the light
points on each level. The scariest part
coming through the window frames, it
of the day was some graffiti on the floor
looked amazing.
that said “Move fast,” with an arrow pointing forward along a short stretch
A
of hallway. We never found out what it
though our trip was a lot of fun, there
was intended for.
was a real chance of danger, as there
warning
to
future
adventurers :
is whenever you enter any sort of In the middle of the first building, there
dilapidated structure. There were holes
was a stairwell that led up to the next
in the walls and in the floors, some
apartment building. It was here that we
very soft spots in wooden walkways and
saw more signs that others had visited
ceilings, and a lot of broken-up tiles,
before us—cans and bottles and graffiti
so our footwork had to be on point.
scattered around. There were some old
We were all wearing good solid shoes.
24
the silent hill of tohoku
When walking through the long grass
up with nothing. We also looked around
to get to the apartment buildings, a
on the day at the mine for signs telling
lot of the grass was at head height or
us that we couldn’t enter the buildings,
higher, leaving visibility pretty low. I’m
but again came up with nothing. The
not an expert on the living conditions
only signage we found was closer to the
of snakes, but it seemed there was a
mine, on the hydroelectric company’s
high chance that there could have been
property. If you decide to check out
snakes nearby.
the Matsuo mining town for yourself, please remember that you do so at your
Finally, on the legality of entering the
own risk and will be held liable for any
buildings themselves. Before we went,
damage that you cause or any injuries
we did a lot of research online to see
you might sustain.
whether or not it was illegal, but came
Hollowed out television set, Andrew Mowle
25
...
THE AKITAN
fall reads The Haunting
of
Hill House
Shirley Jackson
“No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are
Four strangers, each with their own
supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House,
motives, come to an old house in an
not sane, stood by itself against its hills,
attempt to prove the existence of the
holding darkness within; it had stood so
supernatural. Like any proper haunted
for eighty years and might stand for eighty
mansion, Hill House has a long and
more. Within, walls continued upright,
murky history marked by violence
bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and
and vanishings. This is not, however,
doors were sensibly shut; silence lay
your typical haunted house tale. The
steadily against the wood and stone of Hill
Haunting of Hill House is a surreal story
House, and whatever walked there, walked
crafted in dreamlike prose that slowly
alone.� Isabel Crevasse
morphs into a terrifying, uncanny nightmare with each passing moment. Recommended for anyone interested
Rachel Rising
in immersing themselves in a classic
Terry Moore
gothic horror to get in the Halloween spirit.
Critically-acclaimed comic book series Rachel Rising is a supernatural susense/
26
fall reads
thriller following Rachel, a woman who
more and aching to know what’s around
wakes up one night to discover that she
the next corner, and he always delivers.
has been buried alive. She digs herself out of a shallow grave only to find that
“Rachel, I see life, I see death, and I see
she is dead (or undead, as the case may
a lot in between… but I’ve never seen
be), with bloodshot eyes, noose marks
anything after.”
around her neck, and no recollection
Brandon Butler
of her past. The story twists and turns as Rachel seeks revenge, the truth
Chime
about why she was killed, and, most
Franny Billingsley
importantly, why she isn’t dead. Briony Larkin knows two things: that Moore captivates the reader with eerily
she is a witch, and that her witchiness
etched, fluid panels that tell a haunting
is to blame for any and all of the bad
tale all their own. Each panel appears
things that have happened to her
to fall into the next, pulling no punches
family. After all, before she died, her
with gory details or captivating portraits,
stepmother made sure that Briony
and allowing the reader to feel the evil
understood her guilt on both counts.
intentions emanating from the page.
All she wants now is to be left alone
Each issue is filled with unexpected
so that she cannot accidentally hurt
twists, deceit, betrayal, heartbreaking
anyone she loves again. The arrival of
tragedy, and even hope and camaraderie
stranger in town, however, threatens
where you’d least expect. A master of
to pull Briony from her self-imposed
his craft, Moore provides the reader
isolation and bring all her dangerous
with a heart-pounding thriller that
secrets out into the open.
leaves readers constantly thirsting for
27
THE AKITAN
In Chime, nothing is exactly what it
In The Woods
seems. It is a book that continually shifts
Tana French
beneath your feet, slowly revealing a totally different landscape than you
A detective is called back to his
first expected. Equal parts mystery,
hometown to investigate the murder
fantasy, and coming-of-age story, Chime
of a young girl—a murder that bears
is an entrancing book that will keep you
a disturbing resemblance to a crime
under its spell long after you’ve turned
he witnessed in his childhood. A dark
the last page.
and genuinely engrossing thriller, In the Woods is perfect for chilly autumn
“I’ve confessed to everything and I’d like to
weekends far, far away from any dark
be hanged.
forests.
Now, if you please.
“Sometimes I think about the sly, flickering line that separates being spared from being
I don’t mean to be difficult, but I can’t
rejected. Sometimes I think of the ancient
bear to tell my story. I can’t relive those
gods who demanded that their sacrifices be
memories-- the touch of the Dead Hand,
fearless and without blemish, and I wonder
the smell of eel, the gulp and swallow of
whether, whoever or whatever took Peter
the swamp.
and Jamie away, it decided I wasn’t good enough.”
How can you possibly think me innocent?
Isabel Crevasse
Don’t let my face fool you; it tells the worst lies. A girl can have the face of an angel
The Name
but have a horrid sort of heart.”
Patrick Rothfuss
of the
Wind
Isabel Crevasse The Name of the Wind is the first book
28
fall reads
of the Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick
Lila
Rothfuss. It is a fantasy book, written
Marilynne Robinson
in
an
interesting
style—the
main
character, Kvothe, is sharing the story
Though technically the third in a trilogy,
of his life with another character in the
Lila can easily be read as a standalone—
novel. The Name of the Wind introduces
and indeed, I would argue that it works
a new system of magic, called sympathy,
best on its own. It is a slow, meditative
that combines elements of both science
novel that follows the life of a woman
and fantasy.
called Lila, circling fluidly between her early life during the American Dust
I don’t want to spoil the story, as I
Bowl and her adulthood as an itinerant
rate the book amongst my favorite of
worker. Despite the serious topics,
all time, but both lovers of fantasy and
Robinson’s novel is by no means bleak
those who might be less interested in
or hard. Instead, it reveals the way
genre fiction should go ahead and read
our lives can be filled with moments
it!
of beauty and connection against all odds. This book is light on plot, but
“The Waystone was his, just as the third
the characterization and philosophical
silence was his. This was appropriate, as
underpinnings are more than enough
it was the greatest silence of the three,
to carry you through this lyrical novel.
wrapping the others inside itself. It was
Lila will leave you with the same
deep and wide as autumn’s ending. It was
feeling you get after a day spent hiking
heavy as a great river-smooth stone. It was
through autumn woods—somber in
the patient, cut-flower sound of a man who
the knowledge that long winter nights
is waiting to die.”
are on their way, but filled with wonder Andrew Mowle
29
at the wildness of the world.
THE AKITAN
“This is not to say that joy is a compensation for loss, but that each of them, joy and loss, exists in its own right and must be recognized for what it is…. So joy can be joy and sorrow can be sorrow, with neither of them casting either light or shadow on the other.” Isabel Crevasse Have any ideas for great books to The Blade Itself
get your fellow JETs through the
Joe Abercrombie
winter? Send your suggestions to Isabel
at
akitajoho@gmail.com!
Fall is a nice time to get cosy with a good
Please include a short review, a
book. It’s also a nice time to appreciate
favorite passage or quote, and why
the fact that you are not trudging
you think it’s the perfect book for
through a freezing cold wilderness and
winter!
nearly dying. So read this gritty fantasy
...
book and live vicariously through a haggard warrior on the run from the comfort of your couch. “Fear is a good friend to the hunted, it’s kept me alive this long. The dead are fearless, and I don’t care to join them.” Liam Fahy
30
kurikoma & oyasukyo
31
THE AKITAN
Hiking Kurikoma, top & bottom left; View of Oyasukyo Gorge, right. Priscilla Chong
32
33
THE AKITAN
MT. A
KURIKOMA LITTLE
SITS
OVER
TWO
HOURS SOUTHWEST OF AKITA IN THE PREFECTURE.
MIYAGI THOUGH
CLOSED IN THE WINTER SEASON,
IT
OFFERS
A
BEAUTIFUL HIKE SPRING THROUGH AUTUMN.
IT
IS KNOWN FOR ITS FALL FOLIAGE IN PARTICULAR.
THE OYASUKYO GORGE AND
ONSEN
CAN
BE
FOUNDAT THE ENTRANCE TO
THE
KURIKOMA
NATIONAL PARK. IT IS THE PERFECT PLACE TO RELAX AFTER THE HIKE. THE
RUNNING
AND
STEAM
WATERS ADD
A
DYNAMIC ASPECT TO THE AUTUMN VIEW. Oyasukyo Gorge, Priscilla Chong
34
a fall suggestion
A FALL SUGGESTION isabel crevasse Last
year ,
I
watched autumn arrive
Dramatic or not, the hospital was
through the windows in the sixth-
not the place I wanted to be watching
floor corridor of the Akita Kumiai
fall from. The falls of my childhood
General
twenty-
were bursting with red and gold and
three- year health streak unmarred
rust, full of camping and apple-picking
even by the flu, I had found myself
and books by the fire, but I had spent
hospitalized not once but twice in the
the five years before Akita in New
span of a few weeks. The causes were
Orleans. While lovely in a thousand
mostly mundane but serious enough
other ways, New Orleans is one of the
to require prolonged stays, at least by
few places in that world that lives up
American standards—five days for an
to the season-less gaikoku stereotype. I
appendectomy, a weeklong intermission
may have been terrified of the coming
of failed recovery, and another week for
winters, but I was over the moon at the
the infection that I had been helping
autumn promised by a full fifty percent
along nicely. It was, truth be told, not a
of my new prefecture’s name. I felt
big deal, although I was and continue
indignantly betrayed by my body for
to be excessively dramatic about the
taking this one bright spot away from
whole situation.
me and accordingly passed my hospital
35
Hospital. After
a
THE AKITAN
stay by sulkily wandering the hallways
with
in
flannelette
checked each day, each hour, to ensure
pajamas, IV stand trailing behind me.
their continued greenness. I looked
I walked the same figure-eight path of
at any patch of orange or gold with
my floor in an endless loop, stopping at
impatient panic. Not without me! I
every window I encountered to stare out
wanted to shout. You have to wait! Nature,
into the rice fields and mountains with
being unaffected as it is by angry mind-
such a high degree of mournfulness that
yelling, continued to progress though
I must have seemed like a caricature
its usual cycle of seasons. Fortunately,
of the “When will my husband return
with a little bit of healing and a lot of
from war?” meme.
help from beloved Akita mama bears
hospital-issue,
pink
much
heavier trepidation. I
Jenny and Nikki, I was able to exchange Over the course of my hospitalization,
my soft pajamas for real clothes and go
the rice fields turned first to hazy
out into the world before the blaze of
chartreuse and then to silken, sun-
fall foliage, or koyo, burned out.
soaked gold. I tracked this transition devoutly and with awe, having little
In Akita, you don’t have to go far to see
else to fill my time, and feeling a
borderline-stunning vistas of autumn
bizarrely proprietary approval with
leaves. Those of us who live outside
each minor shift in color. I did not have
the city can, for the most part, simply
to be outside to enjoy this particular
stroll around the block to get a taste of
manifestation of fall. I felt no pressing
the koyo, and spots that take the view
need to be physically present in the rice
from borderline to full-blown stunning
fields; after all, I am not a farmer and
constellate the prefecture. It seems
have no business meandering through
that, despite its abundance of evergreen
stranger’s property and workplace.
cedars, Akita harbors more than a few deciduous trees ready to self-immolate
The mountains, however, I watched
in a flash of color as October comes to
36
a fall suggestion
Leaving the cove at Lake Tazawa, 五十嵐喬
our entire koyo experience, you could
a close.
leave Akita one day with no regrets. Perhaps the most famous of these stunning koyo-viewing sites is the Semboku
area.
Dakigaeri
Gorge
and Lake Tazawa in particular offer genuinely
breathtaking
But.
arrays
May I make a suggestion?
of
autumnal scenery. A walk through the
Please consider kayaking instead.
gorge or along the shore of the lake would be enough to drain your camera
When I left the hospital, I was thirsty
battery and inspire intense envy in your
for fresh air and sunlight and stretching
Snapchat friends. Were this to be your
muscles, but I had also learned a lesson
37
THE AKITAN
that my parents and teachers had
Between the wind, the murky water, and
been trying to teach me my whole life
the dull trees, I was feeling less than
through: how to be still. How to sit and
thrilled at the prospect of spending the
appreciate something—the sight of rice
day paddling around the lake.
stalks wavering in the wind, or a single song—and ask for nothing else. How
As we emerged from the cove, however,
to pause inside a moment and say, Yes,
the water slowly began to change. The
this is enough. And there is no place
silt and debris gave way to a pale and
for stillness and enoughness quite like
startling solid blue. The trees out here,
the water.
too, waved and winked at us with leaves of ever-brighter colors. Some wore
The morning that my friends and I
the traditional yellows and rusts and
went kayaking on Lake Tazawa, I woke
orange, of course, but others were lit up
up to sharp chill in the air and a sky
in warm purple or technicolor red.
full of threatening clouds. I laid in bed, strongly tempted to safe and warm and
As we glided through the lake, the wind
sleepy for the rest of the day, until my
began to feel less cold than playful.
lingering thirst to be outside managed
The sun reached out from behind
to get me up and out the door.
the clouds. Everything felt, somehow, gentle and soft and glittering and bold
Though it stormed on-and-off the
all at once. The mountains looked like
whole way to Tazawa, it had settled into
a patchwork quilt sewn from thousands
a windy, overcast day by the time we
and thousands of fall leaves, bordered
arrived. We bundled up in our warmest
in blue by sky and water.
waterproof clothes, dragged our kayaks to the brown and pebbled edge of a
Halfway through the trip, we stopped
shallow cove, and set out for the day.
by the shore where a Japanese maple
38
a fall suggestion
dipped its branches down to meet the
leaves, alternately reflected in and
water below. Each leaf glowed like an
contrasted against the opaque blue of
ember as it tumbled into the jewel-
the lake, have already come to represent
bright lake. Our guide poured us all
a piece of what it means, to me, to live
mugs of steaming apple tea, and we
in Akita. That image, that watercolor
drifted slowly towards nowhere in
blur of red and bronze and blue and
particular. I trailed my hand in the
gold, is one of the best and brightest
lake, almost surprised that my fingers
things that life in Akita has given me.
didn’t come away stained blue from the water. Eventually, the guide gathered
To make a reservation for your own tour,
our cups and began to herd us back to
you can go to http://www.tazawako.net/
shore. We moved in a swell of sound
tour/pg265.html or call 0187-43-2990.
that seemed somehow not a disruption of the stillness all around us but a part of it, in flurries of laughter and chatter and the swishing of water against our oars. Guided kayak and canoe tours of Lake Tazawa are available nearly year-round, suspended only in the winter months. While I’m sure such a tour would be lovely at any time of year, during koyo it becomes the kind of experience you use as a bookmark in your memory for years to come. The burning autumn
39
...
THE AKITAN
Kayaking Tazawa, Nanako Imai Kayaking Tazawa, 今井七菜子
40
41
Koyo at Juniko, Andrew Mowle
THE AKITAN
42
best food in japan ?
BEST FOOD
nick g
I
Japan.
the consumer. Not only does a ruffle
It’s a bold claim for a first year to make,
cut mean that there is an increase in
sure... but hear me out. It’s a food
surface area for the pizza dust to cover,
that you have most likely walked by
it also means that the chip catches more
in grocery stores and conbini alike. If
of it in the first place. Ruffled chip
that’s the case let this article be your
valleys become traps for pizza dust. A
wake up call to the glory and wonder
ruffle cut also means that these chips
that are Pizza Chips. That’s right! Pizza
have a crunch you can feel a mile away.
chips are the best food in Japan. I know
Wafer thin “chips” sold in tubes need
I need to back this bold claim up, so to
not apply.
have found the best food in
steal a line from the famous poet DMX, “let’s add up all the factors”.
2. The amount of pizza dust on each chip is simply unreal. The things are
1. These bad boys are ruffle cut. In the
freaking COVERED in the stuff...
highly competitive world of potato chip
Slightly sweet but tasting of tomatoes
engineering, this is a twofold win for
and spices, the flavor dust is the real
43
THE AKITAN
D IN JAPAN?
gradt
MVP here. It provides a balance of flavor
has done a 180 for a few bites and you
to the bag and is the perfect base layer
get transported to a realm where there
for the upcoming star. That’s right, we
get transported to a realm where there
ain’t even done yet!
is nothing but pizza chips. You have reached nirvana and it’s covered in
3. This already perfect chip is then
cheese drizzle instead of dirty plaid.
finished with a cheese drizzle. No,
What other chip can offer that moment
your eyes don’t deceive you! There is a
of peace?
freaking CHEESE DRIZZLE on Pizza Chips. I don’t know why I need to
So that’s my three point pitch on why
explain this point further. You should
pizza chips are the best food in japan.
be on the way to Lawson’s right now...
You think you have something better
but if I must. The cheese drizzle adds a
going on with your Kobe beef and
flavor foil to the pizza dust. Suddenly,
secret back street ramen shops? Please.
hints of creamy smooth cheese are
They probably aren’t even ruffle cut.
landing on your tongue. The texture
... 44
first year impressions
FIRST YEAR IMPRESSIONS
chris dean Hey
Akitans! My name
-ival, Kanto! Aside from giant lanterns
is Christopher Dean and I’m from
being carried on the foreheads of locals
Hattiesburg, Mississippi. If you would
anywhere from elderly down to toddler,
have asked me a few years ago what I
the music, the food and the general
would be doing today, I probably would
atmosphere made for a wonderfully
have said “Working on my dissertation,
warm welcome to Akita—and that
of course,” which is exactly what I
lasted four days!
there fellow
was doing before August 2017. I never imagined that I would be in JAPAN,
Moving to a new place can definitely be
teaching what I love: language.
a tough transition, especially in a new language and a vastly different culture.
Let me tell you about my adventure in
Lucky for me, I wasn’t thrown into the
Akita so far…
deep- end all on my own. Right off the bat I met my predecessor, Alex Dao
I started my first day in Akita by meeting
(shout out!), who just happened to be
my supervisor over a nice hot bowl of
sticking around. Other than helping
real Japanese ramen. The next day, I got
me get set up, get acquainted with the
to experience Akita City’s biggest fest-
city and my new school life, he happens
45
THE AKITAN
to be quite the foodie, if I’ve ever met
there are a few good places, such as
one, so I’ve had my fair share of the
Nagahama and Nakakoji, a couple
best food that Akita city has to offer. My
of local shops—highly recommend!
favorite so far has to be tsukemen, which
Although people tend to consider Akita
you can get anywhere, but at 竹本商店,
as pretty rural, I find Akita city to be a
it’s frickin’ amazing.
great balance of a big city with a calm rural feel—but hey, I’m just a country
In terms of ALT life, although I was a
boy after all.
little nervous at first, especially being the new guy (and trust me I stick out), I
As we approach winter I look forward
can’t express in words how fortunate I
to the first snowfall, the many festivals
am to have been placed at my school. I
around the prefecture, and warming up
work at Akita Chuo high school, where
with Akita’s famous sake! I’d have to say
I get to spend the whole day with
the only aspect of life in Akita that did
amazingly talented and genki students
not live up to my expectations is that
who always greet me with a smile on their
there are not Akita inu around every
face and a cheerful “Good Morning!”—
corner *sigh*. But hey, tons of shibas!
in that adorable accent—which always starts my day off right. On top of that,
All in all, after only 2 months here in
my JTEs are wonderful people to work
Akita, I’ve made some great friends and
with, many of whom I no longer see as
had some unforgettable experiences,
colleagues, but as good friends.
but I know I’ve only scratched the surface…can’t wait to see what comes
As for my free time, I enjoy biking around the city and discovering new
next! 楽しみ！
...
places. If you are a coffee drinker like me (fanatic might be a better word),
46
47 Nebuta Festival in Aomori, John Lennon
THE AKITAN
A LOOK BACK ON SUMMER FESTIVALS john lennon john lennone There are six big summer festivals that you can see in Tohoku: Nebuta in Aomori, Kanto in Akita, Sansa Odori in Iwate, Hanagasa in Yamagata, Tanabata in Miyagi, and Waraji in Fukushima. They are all really amazing, and I want to see more of them! This summer I hit up two of the big festivals and two smaller ones.
48
49 Omagari Fireworks Festival, John Lennon
THE AKITAN
I went up to Aomori to see Nebuta. I think dragon guardian of Lake Hachirogata this is one of the most beautiful festivals as he travels to meet the dragon in Lake in Japan. 本当に美しいと思うだね！People Tazawa. Legends say the two dragons fell parade amazing paper floats through the in love and live together in Lake Tazawa, city, and in between the floats are groups and it is because of them that the lake of people dancing and playing music. You never freezes during the winter. For can see a similar festival in Hirosaki called the festival, two long dragon floats are Neputa, and if you go to Goshogawara paraded through the town and meet in you can see the Tachineputa with paper the square near the city office. There is floats three stories tall!
also a dance with people dressed up as
Of course I had to see Kanto; this is probably my favorite summer festival. I say summer, because there are some crazy winter festivals in Tohoku, so make sure to get out and see them. Kanto is so exciting to watch; men lift 50kg (110 lbs.) bamboo sticks with lanterns and sometimes they come tumbling down! I remember one year when a bamboo pole almost fell on my friends and I, but we were saved by some wires that were put up to try and protect the audience. Call me crazy but there is just something about Japanese festivals and the possibility of getting Kanto Festival, John Lennon
hurt that makes it all the more fun!
deer and playing the drums later in the In Katagami City there is a local festival called
Hachiro
that
celebrates
the
evening.
50
a look back on summer festivals
Lastly, I went to the Omagari fireworks
with music. There were a lot of
show. There are so many great firework
interesting fireworks, and some I had
shows across Akita, and I would say
never seen before.
feel free to go to any of them. This one is a really big event, which is both good
So, with that all said and done, go out
and bad. But, if you know someone
there and see some awesome festivals!
in Daisen and can spend the night,
They really are unlike anything that
then check this one out. The fireworks
you could see back home in my country,
show has a bunch of companies that
and that is one of the reasons why I
participate and make their own show
love Japan.
...
51
Hachiro Festival, John Lennon
THE AKITAN
the staff of the akitan would like to extend our gratitude to our many talented contributing writers and photographers .
Most photographs are credited in place, but we would also like to thank: The Akita Citizen’s Market (banner, 3) Everton Vila via stocksnap.io (banner, 11) Jakub Kapusnak via foodiesfeed.com (banner, 15) Roberta Sorge via unsplash.com (background, 18) Andrew Mowle (banner, 21) Jonathan Simcoe via stocksnap.io (banner, 26) 五十嵐喬 (banner, 37) Dan Gold via unsplash.com (banner, 43-44) Chris Dean (banner, 45) Isabel Crevasse (background, 52)
52