The Akitan fall 2015 by Akita JET

The Akitan Fall 2015 1

The Akitan Team Jonathon Morris

Hi everyone! My name is Jonathon Morris. This is my third year on JET, and this is my first year as the Education Center ALT/PA. I enjoy watching the footy, skiing, cycling, onsens, reading the news, and day dreaming. We are always looking for new content and ideas for The Akitan, so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hesitate to contact us. Email me at jonathon.morris@gmail.com

S.A. Broder

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m the graphic designer for The Akitan but I spend most days being an Illustration student at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, BC. I miss Japan greatly and try to fill that hole with Japan inspired art and newsletters. I loved all the photography submitted for this issue. Keep it coming! If anyone is looking to help with the design side of The Akitan, get in touch! Cover photograph courtesy of Gina Ford

In This Issue The Akita Association of JETs.......................... 4 Omagari Fireworks...............................................8 Festival Fever...........................................................12 ALTs in the News................................................... 15 The Summer Provincial Sumo Tour...............18 AAJ Welcome Party............................................... 21 Ravenous Rick’s Raving Ramen Reviews.... 22 Do An Activity: Anything is OK........................26 An Aussie in Wonderland.................................. 28

Spot the ALT Caption reads: “Even as the rain increases, spectators cheer out for each bursting firework”

The Akita Association of JETs To all our new friends and JETs in Akita…

The Akita Association of JETs (AAJ) is an unincorporated non-profit association comprised of a committee of current JETs and Japanese liaison from Akita Prefecture. AAJ works throughout the year to raise money for local, national and international charity organizations through events and community involvement. AAJ also strives to strengthen international community bonds in Akita with these shared goals, events and involvement. Annually, AAJ hosts several large and prominent events, such as the Welcome & Farewell parties, Halloween & St. Patrick’s Day parties, Christmas Caroling, Appi Ski Trip, Sumo Tournament and Lake Tazawa Camping. By the end of the last year (2014-15), AAJ raised a total of ¥904,697 for various charities through these events (not including the Farewell Party).

Take a look at some of the exciting time we’ve had in the past! Sumo Tournament Photo by MJ Lappan

Appi Ski Trip Photo by Rachel Youngblood

Halloween Party Photographer Unknown

Lake Tazawa Camping Photo by Mike Aubrey

Christmas Caroling Photo by Dave Johnson

To friends old and new… This year AAJ held its first ever elections to determine the committee members for the 2015-16 year. Committee chair positions were determined for President, Vice President (2 seats), Treasurer and Public Relations. At this time, AAJ is in the process of drafting a constitution to outline the responsibilities of these chairs, and to make clear AAJ’s goals as an organization through transparency and accountability. In accordance with accountability, AAJ has created its first ever website. We hope to keep the Akita community updated and informed on our activities throughout the year. The new committee is also already hard at work planning events for the coming year. We are all extremely excited and honored to have been given the chance to work on AAJ’s committee, and look forward to seeing everyone one come out and participate this year.

You can find us at… akitaaaj@gmail.com www.charityakita.com On Facebook; Akita Association of JETS - AAJ (page) Charity Akita (profile) Thank you all for your continued support of AAJ! Every contribution is appreciated. From your AAJ Team,

Alana (Lana) Stephenson – President Chair Michael (Mike) Aubrey – Co-Vice President Chair Maeleen (Mei) Arce – Co-Vice President Chair Joey Griggs – Treasury Chair Rachel Youngblood – Public Relations Chair Mihoko (Mico) Kakuta – Japanese Liaison

If you are interested in working with AAJ, we are always looking for anyone who would like to volunteer their time and talents, or have new and interesting ideas to share about potential future events. Also, feel free to contact any of our committee members individually with questions or ideas.

Photos courtesy of Maeleen Arce

Omagari Fireworks By Tara Scott

Photography by Michael Aubrey Michelle Berent

Jennifer Campbell Katrina Hill Tara Scott 8

Katrina Hill

Michael Aubrey

When I hear the word â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hanabiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; my mind conjures up vivid images of dazzling fire and vibrant arrays of colour in the night sky, and the annual Omagari fireworks festival did not disappoint.

Over 700,000 people endured the initial torrential downpour to watch 1500 fireworks light up the sky over the Omono-gawa in Omagari on 22nd August.

Myself and a group of fellow Daisen ALTs had front row seats which were kindly arranged by our BOE. We had the perfect spot to sit and watch the fireworks!

Michelle Berent

Thankfully the rain eased off before the main competition started, and although many people were left wringing out clothes and towels, the show went off without a hitch.

Tara Scott

The displays themselves were as varied as the regions from whence they came. Flowers, fans, pokĂŠballs, Niagara Falls and fountains; the clarity and beauty of each display was breath-taking.

The show took place over a vast length of the river so you really got a panoramic view of the fireworks, and everyone really got into the spirit of the night and clapped and cheered for their favourite displays. Overall it was a great evening (despite the rain!) and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely something you should see at least once during your time in Japan.

Michelle Berent

Jennifer Campbell

Michelle Berent

Festival Fever

Story and Photography by Chey Parlato

I have found my niche of what I would like to achieve while I am here in Japan and that is to see as many festivals as I can. To some people they think that festivals are pretty much the same but they are all special in their own way. This summer I planned to attend as many Akita summer festivals as I could with the exception of those that I had been to last year. My festival crusade:

1. Rokkan-sai I was super excited about this festival because it show-cased Tohokuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main summer festivals and gave people an insight into the festivals that they could go and see. This festival had a big hype and although I am glad I

went, I was not impressed with this festival. It may have been because of the large crowd which made it very difficult to maneuver around the street. However I was glad that I went as it sparked a fire in me to see these festivals in action. The festivals on show were Akita Kanto, Aomori Nebuta, Morioka Sansa Odori, Yamagata Hanagasa, Sendai Tanabata and Fukushima Waraji. If you cannot make the individual festivals then this is worth going to so that you can get a glimpse of Tohokuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main summer festivals. Next year this festival will be held in Aomori, so keep your eyes open for the dates as accommodation will probably sell out. Chey Scale: B = matekiri

2. Kanto Festival This is Akitaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s big summer festival and I was a bit hesitant to attend this festival but I made it a mission to attend and I am glad that I did. I caught up with many ALTs from around prefecture and I also met a few ALTs that had made the journey to Akita just to see this festival before they left Japan. The holding of bamboo poles may sound boring but it is very exciting especially watching the younger children. The other highlight was watching the kanto poles snap, fall over and get stuck on wires and the side of buildings. The most exciting part of the night was watching a child balance a kanto pole of their hip and then whip out 3 parasols and a fan without it falling. This is a festival worth going to and from what I hear; the last night is one of the best nights to go. Chey Scale: Z+ = AMAZE-BALLS

3. Yuzawa Tanabata This festival is a bit deceiving as it doesn’t actually have anything exciting apart from viewing the pictures that are spread throughout the main street of Yuzawa. I will admit that the paintings are amazing and they are very beautiful but other than that there is nothing special that happens at this festival. However being a festival lover I would go back and see this festival because the other positive is the festival food. Chey Scale: G+ = Ātaahua

4. Aomori Nebuta This festival by far was the highlight of my summer. After seeing the one float at Rokon Sai I made it a mission to go to this festival this summer and it is a MUST SEE. The floats are amazing and to be on the side watching and trying to learn the dance along with shouting ‘asera, asera’ made this festival even more enjoyable. It is also very easy to join in this festival. All you need is the costume which can be rented or bought and you are set to parade around the streets of Aomori. The added extra to this event was seeing the Star Wars floats. They weren’t allowed to be part of the parade but they were on display outside the Nebuta Museum. On the last night, the floats are paraded around the bay on boats followed by fireworks. The last night was really good but it is worth paying for seating as many people place tarps out to reserve the good spots. Chey Scale: Z = Tu Meke 5. Akita Beer festival I am sure that there are many beer lovers among the ALT community and let me say that although this festival is small it was very tasty. I am not a beer drinker but I did enjoy the fruit beer that was available.

There were many beers from around the country and I was surprised to see IPAs from around the world. There is absolutely nothing wrong with day drinking especially when it continues into the night. The plus was the glass that I acquired which makes for a good gift for a family member or a memento of my time in Akita. Chey Scale: A++ = Porohaurangi

With summer coming to an end so too are the festivals. There are many more festivals that I wanted to attend this summer and if only I could split myself in two then I could have attended many more. However I got to experience some unique festivals and eat many festival foods, I couldn’t have asked for more. Next year however I will further my festival addiction and attend the festivals that I missed out on this summer. If you are looking for something to do next summer then consider festival hopping around Akita and Tohoku. This could be something to add to your Japan bucket list. Bring on Summer 2016.

ALTs in the News

The three day, four night “Super English Camp”, hosted by the Akita Prefectural Board of Education, was held from July 17 to July 20 at Youthpal, Akita City’s Youth Exchange Center through the Prefectural Program “Promoting English Communication for Junior and Senior High School Students.” On July 18 in particular, students tackled challenges such as discussion and essay writing.

In contrast to “English Camp”, oriented towards elementary through senior high school students with beginner or intermediate level in English, which teach English through beginner-friendly activities, the super camps specialize in advanced activities such as discussion and essay writing. These camps are designed for students with an English proficiency level of Pre2 and higher. In this particular Super English Camp a total of 43 students from 11 senior high schools and 6 junior high schools participated. For the group activity, students read an article about marriages in recent year Europe and discussed the role of marriage in today’s society. Through careful selection of vocabulary and use of grammar, students have formulated opinions such as “The world’s marriage rate is declining because the value of marriage is also deteriorating” and “Marriage is merely a form of social status in the world today.”

For essay writing, Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) gave students advice on how to compose sentences. Students faced the writing assignment wholeheartedly by responding positively to advice such as 43 Participated in Camp: ALT’s Instruct En- “Use a question for the hook” and “The body paragraph should contain your reason and glish Essay Writing support for your thesis.” 15 Junior and Senior High School Students Tackle English Discussion Author: Satsuki Takahashi Translation: Jennifer Campbell

Kato Ren, a first year student at Akita Senior High School, commented “I love English, and am aiming to be an interpreter. I participate in camps every year and the ALTs here have taught me ways to compose English sentences. It’s great practice!” From Naomi Vogt, English Camp Coordinator:

Thank you! Thanks to the 75 ALTs who participated in this year’s English Camps, Super English Camps and Global Summer School

(GSS). We have had a positive response with 773 student participants this year (261 ES, 324 JHS, 188 SHS). Continue to invite your students for next year’s camps as they run from May to November. The students all look forward to seeing and working with you again! For more information please check out the camp website: http://englishcamp.pref.akita.lg.jp/

From the community magazine Apple (あっぷる) “Quite international and thriving characters are these close ALT’s. What are you English teachers doing? Simon (far back, right) has put his yukata on all by himself!” Peace! 16

Photos courtesy of Gina Ford

Photo courtesy of Noelle Adams

The Summer Provincial Sumo Tour

By Michelle Berent

per excited! I still didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know much about In August this year, I got the chance to see the sport. two days of the Summer Provincial Sumo Tour. The tour was held in Ichinoseki in IwaBecause this was a provincial tour, everyte on the 17th, and reached Mitane Town thing was more laid back. Everything has here in Akita on the 18th. Mitane Town is to be put down the night before and torn located in north-western Akita. I was lucky enough to volunteer one day and watch the up at the end of the day. This includes putting down and tearing up the dohyo each next, both thanks to Nathan Hill setting up time. Tours hold no bearing on the wresvolunteering and Owen Cunningham preordering tickets. As someone who had tried tlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rank, unlike tournaments. Rikishi of all ranks were there, however, including the sumo but never seen it in person, I was su18

Photo courtesy of Michelle Berent most recent three yokozuna. The first thing you notice when you go inside the building is that the highest ranked rikishi are celebrities. People are always trying to get photos with them or have the rikishi sign pictures, shirts, etc. You can tell how famous someone is by how quickly they get swamped. Owen pointed out that the only time people have to interact with rikishi is during tours, since during tournaments they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t available to the public. Sometimes the only way to get a picture is by staying near them while someone else takes a picture from farther away. The rikishi donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a set time to talk to people or sign autographs, either. A rikishi who was standing around for about fifteen minutes with a still long line of people waiting may just walk off when they feel like it. Because this was a tour and not a tournament, we got to see a different side of sumo

than just match after match. They had a lot of interesting segments, like rikishi singing, taiko playing, a demonstration of sumo stretches and exercise, and comedic sumo. There was a practice we could watch in the morning, which was the only time I saw the rikishi sweating the entire day. Later on in the morning, children in their own mawashi got to wrestle with the famous rikishi. This was terribly amusing to watch as it was usually three very small boys against one very large man. The rikishi were all very good natured about it, mixing it up between swinging the boys in the air by their belts, spinning around the ring out of reach of the tiny arms, or dramatically falling into the arms of other adult rikishi. Of course, there was regular sumo, too. Throughout the day the quality of the rikishi leveled up. The earliest matches were the lowest ranked rikishi and by the end of the day the yokuzuna wrestled. You could tell who the higher ranked sumos were by their belts. The lowest rank wore grey, then white, then colored, then colored with dangles in the front. The best sumos also

Photo courtesy of Michelle Berent

had beautifully embroidered belts that they showed off before matches. The embroidered belts had endorsements from their sponsors, like ANA.

The bigger or taller rikishi didn’t always win; usually it was the one with the best legs. (I’m not even kidding. The top rikishi had incredibly muscular legs.) I’ve been told when watching matches “if you blink, you’ll miss it” and that was a fairly accurate statement. The speed with which the sumos smash into each other is incredible. More time was spent every match calling the rikishi names, sprinkling the ring with salt, and doing the ritual squats than actual wrestling. Most wrestlers lost by simply stepping out of the ring. I was surprised by a number of things at sumo. One of them was the amount of work that goes into doing their hair. Watching big, burly, grumpy-seeming men get their hair styled was fascinating. I was also surprised by the number of foreigners in the tournament. I knew Mongolia has a strong presence in sumo, but I wasn’t expecting to

Photo courtesy of Michelle Berent

see men from Brazil, Egypt, Russia, Georgia, and Bulgaria, too. It was further curious too watch the most famous rikishi be accompanied by bodyguards to hold back the milling fans… and the bodyguards were just other, lower ranking rikishi.

There were a couple of downsides about watching sumo. First was the price of the tickets. The cheapest tickets were still over 6,000円, and the best, close up tickets were well over 15,000円. While it was very much worth the price for 8 hours of entertainment, I think it would deter other foreigners otherwise interested in sumo. Also, the seating situation isn’t exactly comfortable. Most of the seating is on the floor and very close to other people. Overall, I had a great time in both cities! It was really nice to see and learn about sumo. Now I really want to see a tournament, even though it means traveling far south of Akita. I’m also more inspired to participate in the Akita JET Tournament again next year. Now I just need to find people brave enough to practice with…

Photo courtesy of Owen Cunnighham

AAJ Welcome Party This year’s Welcome Party was a huge success! AAJ would like to give a huge thank you to everyone who came out this year! A special thanks to all our volunteers and DJs. We hope everyone had a fantastic time dancing and socializing in Orange House and barbequing on the beach. It was great to see so many new faces and old friends as well.

We were able to raise an amazing ¥62,752 for charity. These proceeds will be donated to the Akita branch of ESTO, a charity that promotes sexual education and understanding (http://estonet.info). Thank you all for your generous contributions! The AAJ team had a blast hosting the Welcome Party! We hope to see everyone again soon at the next big event, the Halloween Party on October 31st. Start creating and preparing your costumes now! Also, check out AAJ’s first ever Halloween Poster Contest on the AAJ Facebook page. We can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with.

Like our Facebook page: AAJ – Akita Association of JETs Follow and keep up to date with the latest information and events! Wishing everyone the best, Your AAJ Team

21 Photo courtesy of Jaimee Rice

Photo courtesy of Jaimee Rice

Photo courtesy of Rachel Youngblood

Ravenous Rick’s Raving Ramen Reviews In the first of a new regular ramen review column, “Ravenous Rick” makes his debut in The Akitan! Every edition will feature a new ramen review, so whether you’re a seasoned ramen connoisseur, or are not sure what all the fuss is about, Ravenous Rick’s Raving Ramen Review is the place to go. Like to see Ravenous Rick review your local ramen shop? Disagree with Rick? Let us know! Email akitamailinglist@gmail.com with your suggestions!

Story and Photos by Ravenous Rick

元氣屋能代店( Genki-ya Ramen Noshiro branch) 〒016-0186 秋田県能代市下野13-4 TEL・FAX 0185-55-3051 This is a franchise ramen shop with various locations across Akita http://www.genkiya-group.com/original2.html

The selling point of this establishment is its sheer volume of choices. From variations of the basic tonkotsu/shoyu/miso flavours to tan-tan-men, Genki-ya will likely have at least something that will pique your interest. If you enjoy trying something different

every time, this is a great place to go. Their limited menu changes often, and it keeps me coming back every time, but their classic menu is good too. There is a large variety of toppings, including: chashu, karaage, soft-boiled egg, menma, spicy miso-battered onions, corn, wakame, and butter.

Their lunch specials seem a good value although I have personally never tried them. Again, there is a big variety; Rice options include cha-han, miso-battered chashu, ya-

kiniku, karaage, and soboro for 300/200yen may be considered a type of tonkotsu hyregular and mini size, respectively. brid in its own right. Free oomori (Extra noodles) and kokuteki (Cubed daikon-kimchi) are a selling point, though the last time I visited, the kimchi bar cost 90 yen extra. Their kimchi is a blend of daikon and bok-choi, on the salty side.

味噌(Miso) Heavier than the average miso, there is pork-chashu and you can taste it in the broth. Kotteri lovers would like this type of miso. Noodles are a thicker crude cut and compliment the soup well. There are heaps of fresh stir-fried veg on top of the bowl which give it a sweet-aromatic smell to start.

醤油（Shoyu） Though the appearance seems like typical shoyu, with a dark-strong colour, the expectation is that the flavor would be on the salty side, however this base uses chicken-stock and so it has a subtle, sweeter flavor compared to the typical shoyu. Noodles are a straight-medium range cut.

男の味噌（Otoko no Miso） Weighing in at just under 200g, the noodles have the thickest and fattiest cut on the menu. Speaking of fat, this is another one for kotteri lovers to try, I would guess it has the highest level of fat on the menu, at least visually the fat is much more defined in this ネギ味噌（Negi-Miso) dish. Topped off with thick cut cabbage, Long shoots of onion top off this along with white/green onion and thick pork chashu tender pork-chashu. Very similar to the clas- cuts, this is probably the heaviest ramen on sic miso, thick strong pork flavour mixed the menu. in with the miso-base, to the point where it

海の鶏豚ラーメン(Umi no Toriton) This is a hybrid type soup that is/was on the limited menu. It combines a tonkotsu base with the local hinaidori chicken-broth native to Akita prefecture. The noodles are slender and compliment the soup, which was not bland in the least and had a unique flavor.

However, my issue with this soup is upon mixing the broth, the fact two distinct bases had been combined becomes immediately evident, as the broth visually changed colour into a muddy brown and lost its distinctive flavour, which is a shame because it pretty tasty – on the salty side, but not too salty, with a stodginess from the tonkotsu complimenting the thinner element of the chicken stock. By the end it felt like two broths in one bowl that individually didn’t taste particularly special.

you lose the subtle flavors in the classic broth.

激辛あんかけ味噌（Gekikara ankake miso） This is the spiciest ramen I have had. It is hands down the spiciest item on the menu at Genki-ya and would be appealing only to people who seek out the very spiciest. Comparatively speaking, I have tried many other “Super spicy” miso dishes, this remains the

スタミナ味噌・醤油（Stamina-miso/ shoyu） These are spicier variations of the miso and shoyu bowls, both add the local hinaidori to the base, so they are proper hybrids with heaps of ground meat added in. I have personally only tried the shoyu stamina, it was slightly spicier than the regular shoyu, but

spiciest one I have tried to date. This flavour gets its spice from inordinate amounts of ra-yu added into the base miso stock. In the case of this miso, there is so much flavour from this type of oil that the soup tastes like a blend between tan-tan-men and miso â&#x20AC;&#x201C; giving it a very unique oily harshness. There is a fair amount of toppings, onion/menma/leek/carrot, but due to the spice level I would suggest ordering an extra egg to mitigate the strength of the broth.

Final Score: Soup: 3/5 Noodles: 3/5 Toppings: 4/5 Sides: 4/5 Ambiance: 3/5 Special points: No charge Oomori; Kimchi tabe-houdai

Do An Activity: Anything is OK

Story and Photos by Keith Ikoma

What to do when this happens: “Do an activity. Anything is okay.”

My first few months as an ALT in Akita were a bit rough because after my very awkward self-introductions, I got a lot of this: “please do a communication activity” or “please do a game,” or my personal favourite, “please teach them useful English.” If you feel lost, here’s what you could ask whoever you are teaching with: - Should I do something from the textbook? If not, should I use the grammar or vocabulary from a recent lesson? Incidentally, what are they currently studying? - Should I do a warm-up activity, review activity, a game, a grammar lesson, a communicative activity, etc.? How long should - Should I, the ALT, speak English only or the activity be? English and Japanese? - What skills should the students practice: reading, writing, speaking, or listening? There is an art to planning ahead and asking - Would it be helpful to have a worksheet or teachers to give you some time to prepare. powerpoint presentation? There is a master list of when teachers have - Is there a specific topic in mind? Can I classes, which might help you teach the students about ~? find the right times to do some planning - Should the students work by themselves, with a specific teacher. Some people plan in pairs, or in groups? ahead, while others leave things until the - Should I be leading the activities (“T1”), or last minute. If you have at least two should I support the teacher (“T2”) schools, you can politely hint at it: “the next - Is there a goal for this team teaching lestime I will be here is next Tuesday, when we son or activity? What about the year in have a team teaching class scheduled. What general? (Does the English department have would you like me to prepare for a “Can-Do” list or set of desired that day?” outcomes for the year?) 26

As far as the activities or lessons themselves go, many ALTs are expected to do fun and communicative activities. If this is the case, there are some excellent resources available. - The Akita JET wiki is great because the lesson worked for someone and didn’t make them have a breakdown in class. http://akitajet.com/wiki/Teaching_resources - The AJET books, which have a lot of activities. Some of them are even good! http://ajet.net/resources/teaching-resources/ - That chaotic drawer full of lessons that your predecessor left you. - Other ALTs, especially ones at similar schools to your own. They might be grumpy, but they also might know what they are doing. - Past ALTs: you can get this info by asking your co-workers or students, “what activities have ALTs done in the past that worked well?” Just be prepared to be humbled as you marvel at the brilliance of someone else’s ideas.

- Start building up a list or folder of activities which you’ve stolen from other people. For example, this is one that a few of my teachers like, and I stole from them:

Topic Warm-Up (5-10 minutes). Each student stands up and then the teacher introduces a topic. The students must raise their hand and give something relating. For example, Teacher: “Winter”, Student: “snow”. Continue until topic is boring or no responses. Then change topics. At the end, for students who lack confidence, there should be a very easy topic like “animal” or “school”.

Once you are feeling it, you can politely prepare activities or outline and tell your coworkers that you have prepared something, and, would that be okay? Some people say that is my Canadian showing, because there are less subtle approaches. Find your own way, but in the meantime, feel free to borrow some of these hints to better your activity planning.

An Aussie In Wonderland The line. What ever possessed me to drive 3.5 hours from Omagari to Kaminoyama in Yamagata to sit in line for two hours just to park? What can this Costco, a supermarket on steroids, really offer me? Do I really need to make my own muesli that badly?

Story by Natalie Pezzutti Photos by Jeffrey Lowther

I sat in our little three car convoy of Akita JETs, semi-jokingly making alternative plans to go to an onsen (many signs singing me their siren song) or to the theme park which was taunting me with it’s speedy rollercoaster and not so speedy ferris wheel. Seriously, how could it be worth it to wait for two hours in line for a supermarket? Perhaps my lack of ability to accept the situation could be traced to my raging hunger. Maybe I’ll never make it out of the line up alive. Adults die in hot cars too. Especially hungry ones.

Thankfully we had Misa’s mum with us. She gathered the troops (Lynne) and went on a hunting/ gathering expedition into the foodcourt of Costco. We had progressed 100 metres in 30 minutes when vision of big, brown, flat boxes came sashaying our way in the arms of Lynne, Misa’s mum and the delivery crew of Dori and Chris. I was saved from starvation on the side of the road in rural Japan by giant slices of pepperoni pizza! My mistrust of my American friends started to dissipate with every bite of my big hotdog topped with sauerkraut, mustard, tomato sauce and relish.

With the hunger beast pacified, it was a pleasant 30 minute wait until we were parked among the sea of Tohoku number plates. We jumped out of the car, grabbed our multitude of bags and followed the people and shiny, new lights. I gladly skipped the line-up for new memberships (4000 yen), thanks

to my most trusted American friends. One member, two guests. Happy days shopping for this little Aussie.

Our group gathered at the entrance, wielding giant two driver shopping trolleys. I stared into the entrance… the cavern beyond sparkled and shone with promise of treasures. A quick group snap then off we went! The first treasure we found as we walked in the door was giant teddy bears! 2.6 metre tall teddy for your 1LDK anyone? As I snuggled into the teddy for a hug, I envisioned the people of Tohoku all abed on their teddy bears. All apprehension about the validity of this trip vanished after the teddies. After hugs, we pulled over to the side to get a briefing from Lynne. Furniture and household applianc-

es to the left, food, cleaning supplies and toiletries to the right, clothes, chocolates and stationery in the middle, fresh produce, seafood, meat, frozen and refrigerated goods at the back. Roger that. It was impossible to keep our convoy formation so the Americans bid me and my Japanese partner, Eizaburo, good luck and we scattered in all directions.

We passed whole crabs, scallops, rib steaks and sausages, when I saw the sweet cheeses. Mozzarella, gorgonzola, ricotta, edam, gouda, feta…I can’t even remember what was there because there was so much to cheese from, I mean choose from!

With me steering the left and my wing man on the right, we began our adventure. First stop, nutland! My dreams of mixing up my own muesli had begun! 1.13kg of mixed cashew, pistachio, pecan and almonds for 3000 yen. Yes please! My excitement in nutland overflowed when I spotted Brookfarm trail mix straight out of my hometown in Australia. Into the trolley my precious.

I was in a daze of bliss as we sailed past giant bottles of vitamins, protein powders, picking up 3kg sacks of Dove bodywash (700yen!) and a three pack of dental floss. We had come to the land of giants! As we maneuvered around the towers of products, I lost sight of my muesli mission. How long would it take you to use 500g of cinnamon powder? Do I need 5 litres of white vinegar in my life? Why is the toilet paper only a pack of 30 and not 50? I want more bulk in my bulk pack!

In the produce section, I filled up with fresh limes, raspberries (400yen!), coz lettuce and a 6 pack of capsicums (400yen).

As we made our way to the checkout, I took stock of my purchases. Had I completed my mission? Had Costco lived up to my muesli expectations? Nuts, trial mix and 5kgs of oats. Yes it had.

After passing through the check out and buying another hotdog, we met up with our group for a debriefing. All felt satisfied. Jeff with his muffins, Dori and Chris with their steak, Misa with her fruit, Lynne with her loo paper and hotdogs, Eizaburo with his half litre Tabasco and me with my muesli. Although this was a new experience for Eizaburo and myself, veteran Costco shoppers like Misa’s mum surprised herself with how much she enjoyed the trip. In her words, it’s all a state of mind.