The Akitan Spring 2022

AKITA JET QUARTERLY

THE AKITAN

Spring ISSUE

07.03.22 1

THE AKITAN SPR I NG 2 0 2 2

We are always looking for new content and ideas for The Akitan.

Don’t hesitate to contact us at akitajoho@gmail.com if you might be interested in becoming an Akitan contributor!

Cover Photo by Suriya Ratnam 2

CONTENTS Akitan Staff and Contributors...............p.6 Hellos and Goodbyes...........................p.10 Meet the Akita PRC.............................p.12 Meet Your PAs and BAs.......................p.16 Tonose Fujinosato..............................p.22 Bloom...............................................p.28 Blossom the Project............................p.38 Sendai’s Aoba Matsuri.........................p.46 Geibikei Gorge...................................p.56 Beach Clean up..................................p.60 Moths and Butterflies..........................p.66 Hiking Mt. Houou...............................p.72 A Love Letter to Human Kindness.........p.82 Book Recommendations........................p.86

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Shelby Stark, Sakura Dori in Shibuya, Tokyo

Shelby Stark, Tenshochi Park, Iwate

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Akitan Staff and Contribut Fraser Sutherland Editor and Creative Director Hello! I’m Fraser, a fourth year from Canada, currently working as an ALT in Yokote. I enjoy searching for frogs, eating bread, writing poetry, and buying books that I will never read. I had a great time making this issue, and I hope you all enjoy reading it!

Ethan Robinson Editor and Regular Contributor I’m Ethan Robinson, a first-year in Mitane! I write poetry and sometimes other things.

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ors Cathrine Johnson Book Reviewer Extrodinare Hey, I’m CJ! 5th year Yurihonjo ALT about to head back to Minnesota. If you didn’t know already, I like books. Currently reading My Annihilation by Fuminori Nakamura and looking forward to picking up Ocean Vuong’s Time Is a Mother when I return to the US! I also enjoy making fun worksheets for my students, relating to astrology/MBTI/enneagram memes, or revisiting my favorite places around Akita.

Let’s enjoy reading together~

Amanda Lockwood Editor and Design Enthusiast Hello! I’m Amanda. I’m a fifth year ALT in Yokote city, and have become a bit of a taiko and Yosakoi maniac during my time here. My other interests include sketching, baking, skiing, and nitpicking grammatical errors.

And a big thanks to Melany Yuin’s design expertise. She is the true indesign senpai!

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Shira Hillinger, Cherry Blossoms on the Water

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Hellos and goodbyes In the Elementary school I work at, there is a painting tucked into a corner on the second floor. The feature of the painting is a small calico cat walking through the dead stalks of an early spring rice field; a sliver of color against the brown. There are patches of snow on the ground, and the cat seems to walk carefully around them. At the very bottom of the canvas, a small cluster of mountain vegetables are starting to sprout.

To me, spring has always been a time of contradictions. It is a slow, quiet change that ends in a riot of color. The snow melts a little every day. Daffodils bloom in unexpected places. The rice fields flood. And then, suddenly, the world is green again.

The same can be said for the life of an ALT. Teachers and schools will change. Goodbyes will be said. Students will graduate. And then, suddenly, a new year begins. For some, this spring will be a time to say hello to a new Akita, one not covered by snow. For others, it will be a time to say goodbye to a place that holds years of memories.

The world we live in can be full of unexpected and contradicting emotions. And when these emotions become too much, all we can do is be like the little calico cat in the painting, and take small steps until we find where we need to be. Because eventually, everything will be green again.

My time as creative director of the Akitan may have been short, but I do not regret the steps I took to reach the place I am now. I hope others feel the same. And as Spring shifts towards Summer, I hope this issue can let us take a look back at the small (and big) steps we went through this season.

Fraser Sutherland Editor and Creative Director 10

Fraser Sutherland, a Painting of Spring

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Meet the Akita PRC Glenn Timoney

Noel Glenn

Social Media Manager

Social Media Manager

Ethan Robinson Akitan

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Fraser Sutherland Akitan

PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE We need you!!

Akitan Editor(s) Creative director and editor of the online seasonal magazine for previous and current Akita JETs! 100% creative freedom and access to the Akitajet issuu account to post the final product.

Social Media Manager(s) Person(s) in charge of the Akita JET social media pages. Freedom to post content and act as a conduit for open and clear communication between PAs and JETs by managing the monthly newsleter.

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Suzi O’Shea, Aki at Starbucks

Erika Andriashek, A Good Boy in a Hat

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Meet your new Prefectural Advisors and Block Assistants

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Alex Hennen (Akita Prefectural CIR) Hello! I’m Alex, a CIR and PA at the Akita Prefectural International Affairs Division. I’ve lived in Akita for 3 years now. I enjoy playing video games and reading, everything from manga to non-fiction.

Bryce Fowler (Prefectural ALT PA) Hi everyone! I’m Bryce and I’m the Prefectural ALT-PA. I’m from Oregon, USA and a 3rd year JET. I’m a big fan of skiing, rock climbing, and pretty much anything else outdoors. I also often play tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons.

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North Block June Kim (PA) Hey there! I’m June. I’m a 5th year ALT from Chicago, IL, now in Kitaakita City. You might find me traveling, finding new places to eat, trying to find hidden sightseeing spots, watching movies, anime/comics, and TV shows (especially anything sci-fi) or playing video games, either at home or at a local arcade! I also like to cook, so if you have any recipes you want to share (beer/spirits/sake recommendations as well), I’m always open to trying new things!

Noel Glenn (BA) Noel Glenn is a 3rd going on 4th year JET stationed in Noshiro. They are from Alaska, and can talk your ear off about it. Noel often participates in the monthly Discord meetings (every 3rd Friday ;D), and can generally be contacted through there. Otherwise, good luck finding one of our local cryptids. (In all seriousness, if you need anything from me, Discord or Line are one of the easiest ways!) I look forward to working with you all!

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Capital Block Majesty Zander (PA) Hi! I’m a 1st year CIR at the Prefectural BOE from the US. I’m still getting used to life in Akita City, but I’m excited to be the new Capital Block PA. Please let me know if you need help with something! Stan Jannabi.

Cassandra Collins (BA) Hello, my name is Cassandra. I’m from America. I’m going into my second year on JET and work at the elementary school level.

In my free time, I enjoy reading and crafting.

I look forward to being a block assistant. Feel free to reach out to me for whatever you need.

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Yuri Block Christoper Scrafford (PA) My name’s Chris and I’m the Yuri Block PA! I’m from Washington DC, USA and am on my 3rd year in Nikaho. I spend most of my weekends cooking or trying new dishes, but I also spend free time playing video games, Magic the Gathering, and tabletop RPGs! My talents are drinking coffee and singing decently.

Gabrielle Faumuina (BA) Malo lava! I’m Gabrielle, a 1st year ALT from New Zealand. I love playing Pokemon and eating ice cream at any point of the day.

Also, I once accidentally broke the money machine at 7/eleven and I still haven’t recovered from the embarrassment of that, but hey, we’re out here living.

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South Block

Suriya Ratnam (PA)

Hey, I’m Suriya. I’m a first year ALT and the South Block PA, originally from Toronto, now living in Yuzawa. I enjoy trying new restaurants, taking pictures, driving around the mountains aimlessly and when I can’t do any of those, practicing Japanese with strangers while gaming. Hopefully in the next few years I’ll have a chance to meet you all along the way. And of course, if you ever need anything or just feel like reaching out, feel free to do so!

Melany Yuin (BA) Hello! My name is Melany, and I’m a first year (turning two) ALT from NYC. I double majored in Linguistics and Art (with a concentration in Digital Art). If you want to chat about art, cooking, food, or draw together, cash me ousside of Yokote City’s Starbucks.

Ethan Ingram (BA) Hello everyone, this is Ethan! I live in Kakunodate and teach middle and elementary school in the Lake Tazawa area. Somehow, I’ve lived here for five years, but I still don’t know which convenience store is the best. It’s been really great meeting all of the new and incoming ALTs in Akita! Please feel free to ask me any questions about inaka life or regional ice cream specialties (I’m a content area expert).

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Tonose Fujinosato

By Brooke DalGleish

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Brooke DalGelish , Wisteria Garden

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Throughout late spring, there is a sm

outskirts of Odate. Within this garden

Fuji in Japanese (藤). This once us

they have opened it up to the public!

two years that it has opened that n

which can be made via online or b

and you receive a wisteria

Wisteria is a perennial vine that c Wisteria symbolizes long-life and

plants, legumes to be exact, whic

beans. They may appear like trees, b

typically found climbing walls, trell

you can see wisteria hanging from t

The garden is surrounded by rice fie

other. This gives you a picture-pe

wisteria in this garden also comes in

of purple. The wisteria season is slow try to check it

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Caitlin Wilcox, A Stroll Through the Wisteria Garden

mall but sweet garden located in the

n is a beautiful display of Wisteria, or

sed to be a private garden but now

! It has become so popular within the

now they take parking reservations

by phone. It costs 1000 yen to enter

a photo book upon entry.

can live over 50 years. Historically, immortality. Wisteria is a genus of

ch makes them a close relative to

but are actually woody vines and are

lises or trees. In the Tonose garden,

trees and various forms of trellises.

elds on one side and a forest on the

erfect background for photos. The

n various colors: white, pink and a lot

wly ending but if you get the chance, out next year!

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Brooke DalGleish, Wisteria and Rice fields

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Caitlin Wilcox, Close Up and Personal

Caitlin Wilcox, Wisteria Viewing

Fraser Sutherland, Flower Secrets

Fraser Sutherland, Raining Wisteria

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Amanda Lockwood, Blossoms at Yokote Castle

bloom Ethan Robinson

i. bloom like a sleeping shoulder folding into bed–it doesn’t know what beauty is. it ushers branches to twist (more or less), reads the air like a licked finger to wind, coarse and brown cartilage with a deep and unknowable vein. season poems are cliche, they said but who else is going to say they’re pink.

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ii. shrine shack abandoned on side of mountain road, dark azalea and gradient green beyond to three flat-topped hills once castled. broom leaning fused against the threshold where shoji door is fallen askew.

I’ve heard someone else say it better–that love is a triage of rooms with identical paintings from one to the next–but the dance is different, the shame is you never know it. let me not be the shrine shack abandoned in secret air a cavity cold rush from broken drum, split in the corner. stepping over the fallen door

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Suriya Ratnam, Honjo Park

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Suriya Ratnam, Mato Park II

with ceramic crash and dust too clean too devoid of animal trace, and photo hangs by peeling castle ad, of monks with boys and banners white.

We open doors, in or out checking that nothing is left behind touching each and paying it mind to see it’s there, breathing in the same allotted space.

We have new rooms to tend to and old ones to leave the door ajar.

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Suriya Ratnam, View From Honjo Park

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Erika Andriashek, Dragonfly on a Leaf

Erika Andriashek, Rainy Ricefields

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Erika Andriashek, Waterfall

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Blossom the Project: A quick look at educational social media

By Kim Bartos In honor of pride month, I’d like to take the time to tell you all about an amazing resource I’ve used to not only educate myself, but also spread awareness of tons of content related to gender equality, sexuality, mental health, and social issues. This is “Blossom the Project.”

What is it?

Blossom the Project is a gorgeous Instagram account created by social activist Meg, or Nakagawa-Hoffman Ai (@megsdottir). The account typically focuses on themes including but not limited to mental health and social issues. It sits currently at an impressive 70.7k followers.

What does it do?

Blossom the Project uploads easy-to-digest content paired with original illustrations that cover a variety of current as well as historical events in both Japanese and English. These posts provide information to educate yourself and others, and often provide helpful methods to take care of one’s own mental health—such as using words of affirmationself-care ideas, etc.

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Why is it important?

For me personally, one of my major, albeit a bit grandeur, goals I had made for myself when arriving in Japan on JET was to—in some way possible—be a voice of compassion and a resource for students struggling with mental health. Mental health has its fair share of misunderstandings around the world, but Japan still struggles exceptionally with bringing it out “of the shadows.”

Blossom the Project’s creator, Meg, has been quoted saying, “The news often talks about how high the suicide rate in Japan is, but when it comes to what Japanese society is actually doing about it, nothing is being done. I myself lost a family member to suicide. It is not just a number in statistics, but an individual life, and I feel sad and angry when I hear people say, ‘It’s just the way Japanese society is.’”

Blossom the Project’s content offers concise and useful information in both Japanese and English that can be an incredible resource for so many people, in so many settings. It can be a great way to open up heavy conversations such as sexism, racism, or depression in a simple, straight forward format. Japanese-specific issues are also heavily covered, which can be a great way to get English learners to think abstractly and logically in a foreign language.

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Why do I personally share their posts as much as possible?

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve most likely seen me share every single slide in Blossom the Project’s posts. Not only do I have many of the same interests as the topics discussed on Blossom the Project, I find it incredibly resourceful for educating my friends and coworkers who happen to follow me. Although the likelihood of conversations like social justice or BLM to come up naturally in the Japanese workplace is quite low, I find it well worth the 30 seconds it takes to read and share the posts.

You never know who might need to see information on important issues, or even need to hear kind words like “You are enough,” and “You matter.”

To me, a simple click can be a gateway

to

open-minded, important,

and educated conversation. And I believe that is something our world desperately needs. Blossom the Project even has a short and quick post about Pride here.Why not use this as a nice way to get the ball rolling?

References: https://i-d.vice.com/jp/article/g5bzkx/blossom-the-project https://www.instagram.com/blossomtheproject/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/megsdottir/ 41

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Suzi O’Shea, Rose Garden in Odate

Brooke DalGleish, Rose Garden in Odate

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Erika Andriashek, Drawing of a Frog

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Sendai’s Aoba Matsuri Written and Photographed by Philip Vyas

The Sendai Aoba matsuri takes place on the Hit with a fresh wave of hot humid third Saturday and Sunday of May each year. musty air I walked down to the city cenThe festival happens in Sendai’s Aoba district, ter to view the opening ceremony. hence the name. This year was my chance to see it. The festival is 350 years old and was orig- The opening ceremony consisted of a few inally celebrated because of the completion speeches. I could not understand most of of the Toshogu (Shrine celebrating Tokugawa them, but I did understand that they were Ieyasu) shrine in Sendai. The festival has gone placing extra significance on this year’s festhrough many alterations and is now a cele- tival because the previous two years had bration of the city’s founder Date Masamune. been cancelled. The speeches were followed by an actor playing Date Masamune with his entourage making anime-like speeches and doing bits of choreographed sword dances.

Following this came the sparrow dancers performing Sendai’s traditional sparrow dance (suzume odori). They lit up the stage with their big smiles and bright coloured fans. Following them came a group of young elementary sparrow dancers after which the opening 46

ceremony ended.

I made my way to the stalls where I saw most of the typical Japanese festival foods with a Sendai twist due to the presence of Gyutan (cow’s tongue) and Zunda (mashed edamame) two of Sendai’s signature dishes.

I found the Saturday to be particularly enjoyable with sparrow dance parades taking place at various venues around the city. The dances were accompanied by Sendai’s trademark Yamaboko floats or chariots. It made for a great vibe. Heading into the night the main parade was pumping. The night lights, the lively traditional music and the dancers gave a true festival atmosphere. Sendai’s entertainment district on Kokubucho street was parallel to the main parade which made for a smooth transition from traditional festival to night out on the town.

The weather was much better on the Sunday. I headed to the same main street, hustled into a good spot and awaited the loud bang of the samu 47

rai’s replica muskets. The main event on the rade were normal and that some in fact were Sunday is a showcase of people dressed in descendants of Sendai’s samurai families. samurai armor shooting off replica muskets.

Apparently, the original festival celebrated Sparrow dancers were also present and 350 years ago included displays of military at around 5pm the festival had ended. might, this seemingly has become a thing at Overall, the festival is awesome. The sparrow the current festival too. I heard from a friend dance is great to watch. For me the Saturday that the man leading the squad of musketeers night was the most enjoyable with the tradiwas Date Masamune’s heir, however you’ll tional music and dancers at night truly creating have to fact-check me on that. People dressed a party and festival atmosphere. Highly recomin Samurai armor paraded the street, some mend this festival. The Saturday night parade put on acts for the people while others posed and the Sunday afternoon musket display are for pictures. I was informed by an adjacent the highlights of this festival. Also, in general if Obaachan that not all of the people in the pa- you haven’t been, Sendai is a great city to visit!

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Geibikei Gorge Written and photograped by Brooke DalGleish

If you’re looking for a peaceful and relaxing of Japan. Geibi means “lion’s nose” which getaway, try considering Geibikei gorge! can be seen in the limestone rock. For Geibikei is on the Satetsu River in the city about 1,800yen, you can take a 90 minute of Ichinoseki in Iwate. It has been called a boat ride down the gorge and take in the National Place of Scenic Beauty and a Nat- beautiful views and enjoy feeding the fish. ural Monument since 1923. In 1927, it was also selected as one of the 100 Landscapes 55

In the middle of the boat ride, people try to throw fortune stones into a small cave across the river.

Each stone represents a different kind of good fortune.

Some fortunes are for, “relations”, “love”, “money”, and ”health’’.

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Choose your favorite and try to throw boats. You can enjoy the winter scenit in the cave so that it can come true! ery under a kotatsu and enjoy a hot We highly recommend this place bowl of nabe. In the fall, you can enduring the hot summer. On your re- joy the fall foliage and in spring, the turn trip, the boat guide will sere- trees are draped with wild wisteria. nade you with a river song about the gorge. Boats leave every hour, so don’t

Check out their website for more

worry about what time you go. The

information!

boats run year-round and in the winter they take reservations for kotatsu 58

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Amanda Lockwood, Nikaho Beach

The Charity Akita Beach Clean Up

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Fraser Sutherland, Kiley unearthing a treasure

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Fraser Sutherland, Nature Reclaiming

Fraser Sutherland,icturesque trash

Fraser Sutherland, All Hands on Deck

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Thank you everyone!

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Amanda Lockwood, Showing off Trash

Thanks to everyone’s support, we were able to collect over 70 bags of trash! We look forward to seeing you all next time.

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げ

あさ

し

夏至の朝 サナギ

うご

蛹の動く うつく

美しさ

Hot summer solstice Hatching from the chrysalis Beauty emerges

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Written and Photographed by Ashley Naoko Fagan Most people know moths as those stu- more time exploring outside than inside. pid bugs flying around street lights, As a result, he’s always been incredibly or as the mess you have to wipe off knowledgeable about plants and animals. your

windshield.

Moths

are

much My childhood was filled with hiking, fish-

more than that to me! They lead in- ing trips, and camping trips. Each expericredible lives that deserve recognition. ence would fill me with more knowledge about nature. Even though California Since I was a child, my dad instilled in has an abundance of wildlife, growing me a great appreciation of nature. He up in the usual cookie-cutter neighborgrew up in a low-income family and spent hood, there is not much wildlife to be 67

After the moth died of old age, I started the pinning process.

Pinning insects allows you to admire their beauty forever!

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seen on a daily basis. Now, living in coun- caterpillars on plants and bushes eattryside Japan, I am overwhelmed with ing away at the leaves. Chrysalises and the amount of wildlife I see every day. some cocoons can be found hanging on tree branches or tall plants. Most coThere are over 6000 moth species in Ja- coons lay on the ground amongst foliage, pan. You can see some moths between May hidden by small plants, unfortunately. and November but most species are active during the warmer months, June through It’s important to note that some caterpilSeptember. You can often spot many of lars and moth species are toxic and can them sitting on the windows of conve- cause mild to serious side effects if you nience stores if you live in a rural area. touch them. I use “Google Lens” which is an image search feature you can find on the I currently raise caterpillars and keep “Google Photos” app or on the “Google” moths in my apartment. I often visit my search app. Take a good photo of the insect local parks and walk around my schools and search for it to try and identify the speduring lunch looking for caterpillars, cies. Identifying the species will help you chrysalises, cocoons, moths, and butter- learn the host plant(s) that the caterpillar flies. Many of my elementary school kids eats, the caterpillar’s behaviors, and what help me look for caterpillars and are in- the moth eats, if it actually does eat. Many terested in my pet caterpillars. It’s a great moth species have vestigial mouths and no hobby to show young kids! I usually find digestive tract so they live very short lives.

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I also use the website “inaturalist.org” to This hobby has brought me so much haplog my catches and further help identify piness and changed the way I perceive naspecies. The site even has a map feature to ture. My friend who also likes bugs told me see if there have been sightings near you or that I have “虫目” or bug-searching eyes beif you want to see how far a species spans. cause I can spot bugs easily. I look at plants, bushes, and trees and wonder what bugs I bought a large aquarium and turned it are living among them. I have become more on its side so I can easily clean the bot- knowledgeable about local plants, flowtom. I used wood, a saw, screen door net- ers, and trees in Japan and can now identing, and wood glue to make a door that tify many of them because of this hobby. perfectly fit into the indentation around the aquarium’s edge. I get fresh clippings We are so fortunate to be surrounded by of their host plant every other day for my wildlife and nature. Nature in Japan is sericaterpillars and clean the cage before I ously incredible and I encourage everyone put in the new clippings. Since both of to take a look at the animals living within it. my current caterpillars form their cocoons on the floor, I don’t need sticks for them to climb on. I recently raised a butterfly that did need sticks to form its chrysalis on. I had to transfer its chrysalis from the leaf to the stick very gently with hot glue.

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An Arctia Matronula caterpillar. This caterpillar is very shy and often spends the entire day hiding under tight spaces.

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Hiking Mount Houou A Photo Diary by June Kim and Glenn Timoney

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A Love Letter to Human Kindness

By Mariah Manny The year is 2016. I am 21 years old. It is sum- Before that day, when I am upset, he walks mer in Searcy, Arkansas, a place far from with me through the neighborhood and talks my hometown and everyone I know in Tex- to me until 3 AM, until I am tired and my feet as. One day I cry for the entire morning are sore and I have forgotten my anger. When drive to my workplace, where I am a ca- he visits a friend’s house, he takes pictures of shier for a small grocery store. When I ar- their kittens to share with me, knowing that rive, I visit the store manager in her office. they will make me smile. When he is driv“I don’t think I can work today,” I tell ing me to school and the car tire goes flat, he her. “I’m struggling.”

puts his coat over me in the car so I will be

***

warm while he walks to the nearest car ga-

Less than six months earlier, on January 24th rage. He is the kind of person who picks up a of 2016, my father died of stomach cancer. A wallet in the road and spends the rest of his career truck driver who was injured several day finding who it belongs to so that he can months after I was born, my father was the return it. He is the kind of person who tells one who took care of me the most as a child, me that if I ever feel unsafe, he will come get making my everyday meals and picking me me, no matter where I am or what time it is. up from school while my mother worked as a network engineer. A man who loved photog- I was 20 years old when I watched him stop raphy, he imparted a boundless appreciation breathing. As I sat in the garage where we for plants and animals and the natural world talked the day before, I thought to myself: no around me, showing me lizards and rabbits one else will ever show me kindness like his. and blue bonnets every time he found them. I believed that then, but it is later at that 82

grocery store in Searcy when the store man- you up.” ager tells me: she’s glad that I came to her. Years later, a teacher insists that I have some It’s okay if I can’t work today. She writes of her food when I skip breakfast in the the names and phone numbers of the local morning. clinics, and gives me the day off to visit one.

A friend makes me laugh to photograph my Months later, a coworker holds me in the

genuine smile. A vice principal teaches me

break room when I cannot stop crying. I do

how to drive and maintain my car in the

not know her name, but she tells me: “It’s

snow. A whole school of students share their

okay. We’ll stay here as long as you need to.”

cooking, or their crafts, or their dreams with

Months later, I am frustrated with the cash

me.

register. A customer tells me a joke; I can’t remember what it is, but I laugh. “I’m glad

Each moment is a drop of water in my cupped

that worked,” she says. “I wanted to cheer

hands. In my darkest hour, I may not think

Amanda Lockwoord, Yokote at Sunset

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Kiley Ng, Two Photos of Yokote

my life is worth living for its own sake -- but drawing as a hobby because I want to draw picit is worth living to hold something so pre- tures as well as my brother. I learn how to make cious, to live as a reservoir for the kindness red velvet cake because it is my friend’s favorite. that those friends and family and strang- I start drinking apple tea because a kind womers have given me. It is this personal rev- an in my new workplace once made it for me. elation that I wish to share. Because what I understand now, that I didn’t back then: We are all a mosaic of the people we love, and the people who love us. We embody the I eat Blue Bell ice cream because it was my kindness given to us by others, and we live on father’s favorite, and I sprinkle it with coffee through the kindness we give back to them. grounds because my mother taught me that it complements the flavor of chocolate. I pick up I do not consider myself a worldly person.

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There are still countless places I have never what you have with them, is a human trait been, countless people I have not met, and that transcends any time or place or country. too many things for me to ever know them all. But I can say that each and every place I I write this letter to celebrate the people who have been, I have met people who were kind have shown that to me, the people in urto me, if even in just the smallest of ways. ban Dallas and rural Searcy and all the way The waitress who compliments my dress. around the world in the modest city of YuThe woman who sees me trip in the road and zawa. I write this letter to say that wherevpulls over to ask if I’m okay. The man who er you go in the world, I know you will find sees me struggling to lift a box of cat litter kindness in people, if only you take the time into my shopping cart and stops to help me. to look. I write this letter to say that one of the most important things you can do in this To help one another is human. To see yourself life is to leave even a drop of that same kindand the people you love in a stranger, to share ness in the hands of the people you meet.

I pay for a customer’s food when they don’t have enough money for dinner.

I bring homemade soup to my neighbor when I hear that she isn’t feeling well.

I go to celebrate my new students’ wonderful choir and brass band concert performance.

I try to pay forward the kindness that so many people have invested in me.

Let’s keep going, together.

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Spring Book Reccomendations Wr i t t e n b y C a t h r i n e J o h n s o n

FINALLY!!! SPRING!!! The

in below). If you’ve enjoyed

weather is pleasant and

my recommendations so far

warm, flowers are blooming,

and would like to continue

birds are chirping, goodbye

following my reading jour-

kerosene and hello AC! When ney, I’m on Instagram @c.j.95 it comes to the spring season

where I sometimes share my

and books, I think of nature,

reads! I’m also always down

environmental activism, re-

to chat there about anything

flection, self-discovery and

bookish!

that’s what I got for you in this list of springtime recommendations! I’m keeping this one short since I’ve got a lot to do before I leave the JET program in July (more on that

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On to the recs!!!

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Suriya Ratnam, Mato Park I

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants Robin Wall Kimmerer Essays that will tear your heart apart, but also put it back together.

Drop everything you’re doing and read this book. I finally picked this one up during that first spring of the pandemic. It was the perfect time for me to read it. My town was exploding with life as the snow melted giving away to green, but every day felt so surreal. On the news all I could see was this virus spreading uncontrollably, yet my little town felt like it was in an untouchable bubble. An illusion of safety created by isolation. So much felt uncertain and bleak, which is how I would describe my view of the environment’s future too.

At times, Robin Wall Kimmerer’s essays would confirm my anxieties about the environment, but each one ends with so much hope. This gave me a lot of comfort that spring in 2020. She combines her indigenous and scientific knowledge as a member of the Citizen of the Potawatomi

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Nation, PhD in Botany, and professor in environmental biology through her passion for restoring land and humanity’s relationship with it. These essays are beautifully crafted, intertwining Kimmermer’s scientific research and personal experiences. I never thought a book about nature would make me cry and make me feel grateful for it, but here it is. p.s. You can listen to Robin read one of my favorite essays from the book titled

“Story

of

Witch

Hazel”

here.

World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments Aimee Nezhukumatahil More beautiful essays on nature that will make you feel things~ essays relate to, but are not limited to, the hardships and joys of growing up with a Filipina mother and Indian father while moving frequently across the US. Peacocks, Comb Jellies, Vampire Squid, Dragon Fruit, and more make appearances with If you’re short on time then this is a great collection for you. Loved reading this between classes or to fill in my last few minutes of work because the essays are only a few pages long, easy to read, and yet packed with so much! There are also many beautiful illustrations throughout the book by artist Fumi Nakamura! Every essay is centered around a specific animal or plant with Nezhukumatathil’s scientific

lessons on family, relationships, girlhood, heritage, race, teaching, life and death, and so on. Part wildlife profile, part poetic memoir, this is a book for those passionate about the sciences and humanities alike. p.s. One of my favorite essays was “Axolotl” which resonated with me incredibly deeply. If you have a few minutes, you can read it now here.

knowledge on their behaviors and qualities along with a lyrical explanation on the life lessons the wildlife has taught her.

Many of the experiences she shares in her

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We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast Jonathon Safran Foer How to save the planet and why people don’t seem to care.

If you’ve never read Jonathon Safran Foer, be ready for a wild ride of information and stories that come together and interconnect in a cleverly crafted web. Foer makes an argument on what individuals can do to save a warming planet by reducing or even stopping the consumption of animal from his grandmother who was a holoproducts. At the same time, he’s incredi- caust survivor that passed away while he bly empathetic towards those who can’t was writing this book. Informative, pas-

or simply don’t want to make that change, sionate, and written in classic Foer style, which is something I don’t often come this is a great read for anyone who loves across with those who promote vegetar- unique writing and wants to be moti-

ian/vegan lifestyles. Instead, he asks that vated to change their habits little by litwe all start, if possible, with committing to tle for the sake of prolonging the planet. eating breakfasts free of animal products.

He references both scientific research and moral anecdotes from history and his personal life, taking great inspiration

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World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments Chen Chen Queer Chinese American poet with a voice full of wonder and humor yet unafraid of difficult topics. not disappointed. Yes, there are some poems that are lighter like “i love you to the moon &” and I definitely laughed out loud at a couple, but there are also poems on moments in his life such as his mother’s One way I get my brain to wake up when I start the work day is by catching up on my collection of literary and poetry email newsletters (book nerd alert, I know I know, but I’m the one writing book recommendations for fun so what do you expect? lol.) One day I came across “i love you to the moon &” by Chen Chen and knew I had to read more of his work! It’s

rejection of his queerness and juggling his family’s expectations with his own dreams.

The poems cover topics like family, violence, race, memory, masculinity, illness, and identity. Chen Chen is definitely one of my favorite poets and I’m really looking forward to his next collection Your Emergency Contact Has Experienced an Emergency coming out this September!

so sweet, cute, the language is easy, and the Sailor Moon reference is definitely a plus! I read his debut collection and was

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The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho A classic, big rec for those starting or finishing their final year on JET.

For Santiago, an Andulusian shepherd, life is good. He’s able to travel freely with his flock and read leisurely as he pleases.

But then, he has a recurring dream about a treasure and seeks the advice of a fortune teller who says he must travel to the pyramids in Egypt where his treasure awaits. Of course, the journey there isn’t straight-forward. The shepherd meets all sorts of characters, even settles down for a brief period to save money, all the while learning about risk-taking, dreams, and destiny. Despite its wide acclaim, I had never heard about it until I happened to come across it last year as I was starting my fifth and final year on JET. I truly love my town and feel like I’ve made the most of my time here even though half of it was during the

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pandemic, so the thought of leaving has filled me with dread. It’s hard to change when you’ve become accustomed to a lifestyle, especially when you’ve been away from home for so long it feels foreign. I found so much comfort in The Alchemist and it restored my faith that things will turn out ok no matter how challenging and frightening the big changes coming in my life will be. Now get out there, read some books, and pursue your personal legends!!!

Amanda Lockwood, Yokote at Sunset

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Thank you!

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Brooke DalGleish, Ocean Views

We want to give a huge thank you to everyone who submitted this edition. Without your support this publication would not be possible. So thank you so much for all of your writing, art, and photos. It made for an amazing edition, and we hope to see you again this Summer!

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Amanda Lockwood, Cherry Blossoms at Yokote Castle

Goodbye Spring...

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Hello Summer...

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Philip Vyas, Flower Field and Mt. Chokai

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Thank you for reading

T H E A K I TA N

S E E YO U I N S U M M E R

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