Volume XIV Issue 1
photo by Matthew Jones
Contents Editor’s Note
3
Prez Talk
5
Introducing the New HAJET PC
7
Aomori
17
HEC: Study Abroad in Australia
21
Fishing for a Fresh Sound
23
The World of Hanafuda
25
Financial Report
31
Events: April-June
35
Poetry: “Another Rotating Thing”
37
photo by Matthew Jones
Editor’s Note
photo by Colette English
Welcome to the Polestar. You’re probably saying a lot of new hellos right now, and here’s ours. よろしく。 Submission deadline for the next issue is April 17.
Betrice Yambrach President, HAJET
H
ey everyone! I guess it’s that time for me to officially (unofficially?) introduce myself. If you don’t know me already, I’m Betrice, a second-year ALT living in the coastal town of Urakawa and your new HAJET President. Since coming to Hokkaido I’ve grown quite a liking for HAJET and have tried to be as active as I can in the HAJET community. This past year I spent my time on the Prefectural Council (PC) as your Central Rep and before that I attempted to make it out to most, if not all, of the HAJET events throughout my first year. There’s even a picture somewhere of me and Wani-chan at the 2015 Fall Meeting Halloween Party (possible foreshadowing?). So, needless to say, I’m excited to be your new President. After Winter Meeting and getting over my initial over-protectiveness of Wani-chan, I’ve been spending the last month transitioning the HAJET PC into our new roles, organizing years of HAJET emails, and getting to know Wanichan a little better while trying to find a cozy place for him in my apartment (right on top of the bookshelf, which not only boasts great views of my living room but also, because heat rises, is probably the warmest place in the whole house).
incorporate. In just these past few weeks, the HAJET website has been re-worked and updated, a Hokkaido-wide events page is being put together to publish in future Polestars, and though we still have a few vacant Member-AtLarge positions*, we’re actively working on filling them. In such a short amount of time, the new PC has shown a lot of motivation and taken some big steps that I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year holds for us and the HAJET community as a whole. Speaking of the whole HAJET community, it might be just about time to start celebrating the slow end of winter and beginning of spring (or mourning, depending on what winter means for you). Though, some of us might not see any semblance of spring until late-April or even May. Regardless, whether this is your first Hokkaido winter or your fifth (or tenth!), treat yourself, because you made it through one of the most challenging times that Hokkaido has to give, and that’s something to be proud of. Typically, I don’t really like spring in Hokkaido. It’s cold, gray, wet, and massive garden spiders start to come out and find their way into my apartment. But, after facing a more challenging winter and a bit of Seasonal Affective Disorder, I’m pretty excited for spring this year. As for any of you who may have also had a challenging winter, I hope the slight change of weather and melting of snow has been enough to provide you with a bit of motivation like it has for me. If not, or if you’re someone who hasn’t been affected at all and needs something to hold you over until next winter, then just remember that soon we’ll be faced with a completely new seasonal issue: finding and eating the various flavors of that sweet, delicious, soft-serve Hokkaido ice cream.
If you were able to make it to Winter Meeting back in February, you probably heard both myself and previous PC members mention more than a few times just how excited we are for this year’s new PC. Partly, we say this because HAJET is generally a very supportive group and we try to encourage each other as best as we can. But, we also talked about our excitement for the next HAJET year so much because we *HAJET is currently looking for people to fill our open genuinely believe in the strength of this year’s Member-At-Large positions: - HEC Coordinator PC team. Our members are not only enthusias- Project Outreach Coordinator tic, but also come with a lot of great skills and - Translator experience. The Monday after Winter Meeting, If you or someone you know might be interested our new PC members were already sending me in any of these positions or want more information, plans and ideas that they want to work on and please send an email over to president@hajet.org
photo by Matthew Jones
Introducing the New
PC
USA 80% Canada 6.7% Scotland 6.7% New Zealand 6.7% photo by Edwin Arce II
photo by Karisa Whelan karisawhelan.com
?
20% 13.3% 13.3% 53.3%
?
%
26.7% 20% 6.7%
26.7%
20%
JET å¹´
1st 60% 2nd 13.3% 3rd 13.3% Other 13.3%
Betrice Yambrach ○Position: President ○Lives in: Urakawa ○Birthday: 4/22 ○Star sign: Taurus ○Height: 170 cm ○Feelings about pineapple on pizza: “It belongs. Fight me.” ○First thing when you walk into a conbini: “The candy section to see if there are any new Sailor Moon or Pokemon goods”
Andrew Kaz Position: Vice president Lives in: Kushiro City Birthday: 8/5 Star sign: Leo Height: 183 cm Feelings about pineapple on pizza: “You mean the only way to eat a pizza?” First thing when you walk into a conbini: “Meiji chocolate-covered almonds and a Mitsuya Cider to wash it down”
Debbie Walter Position: Secretary Lives in: Kuriyama Birthday: 2/23 Star sign: Pisces Height: 168 cm Feelings about pineapple on pizza: “I think a better question is, does it have corn and mayo on it?” First thing when you walk into a conbini: “Whatever it is that I’m there for. =P”
Michael Bugajski Position: Treasurer Lives in: Asahikawa Birthday: 3/24 Star sign: Aries Height: 175 cm Feelings about pineapple on pizza: “Pass. But its better than corn and mayo.” First thing when you walk into a conbini: “Turn right, go for the drinks.”
T.J. Wissick Position: Central Rep Lives in: Naie Birthday: 10/18 Star sign: Libra Height: 181 cm Feelings about pineapple on pizza: “The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.” First thing when you walk into a conbini: “The door to the walk-in cooler, to scare other customers.”
Haley Hollen Position: Southwest rep Lives in: Esashi Birthday: 5/17 Star sign: Taurus Height: 178 cm Feelings about pineapple on pizza: “And the Lord said, “Thou shalt not put pineapple on pizza” First thing when you walk into a conbini: The magazine section
Finaly Harnden Position: Northern Rep Lives in: Rumoi Birthday: 3/27 Star sign: Aries Height: 180 cm Feelings about pineapple on pizza: “If I was ordering, I would not ask for pineapple. If it was in front of me, I would probably eat it. First thing when you walk into a conbini: “Depending on the time of day, coffee, zangi or green tea.”
Stella Fronius Position: Sapporo Rep Lives in: Sapporo Birthday: 1/3 Star sign: Capricorn Height: 163 cm Feelings about pineapple on pizza: “Pineapple is fine, but i’ll take my slice without cheese please!” First thing when you walk into a conbini: “Wasabi Onigiri”
Stephanie T. Serres Position: Eastern Rep Lives in: Rubeshibe Birthday: 8/27 Star sign: Virgo Height: 175.26 cm Feelings about pineapple on pizza: “I don’t usually eat pizza, but when I do I don’t mind pineapple on it. ;)” First thing when you walk into a conbini: “Ikura onigiri”
Samantha Peterson Position: Polestar Editor Lives in: Assabu Birthday: 8/1 Star sign: Leo Height: 170 cm Feelings about pineapple on pizza: “ew” First thing when you walk into a conbini: orangina
Edwin Arce II Position: Polestar designer Lives in: Kikonai Birthday: 7/28 Star sign: Leo Height: 170 cm Feelings about pineapple on pizza: “No.” First thing when you walk into a conbini: Check for new sodas and gummis!
Kelsey Woodford Position: Publications Coordinator Lives in: Nemuro Birthday: 11/20 Star sign: Scorpio Height: 168 cm Feelings about pineapple on pizza: “Better than mayonaise” First thing when you walk into a conbini: “A basket”
Lianna Hrycyk Position: Social coordinator Lives in: Higashikagura Birthday: 4/15 Star sign: Aries Height: 171 cm Feelings about pineapple on pizza: “Pineapple on pizza began in Canada, so I have to support it, just as the rest of us Canadians have to support Avril Lavigne.” First thing when you walk into a conbini: “Those delicious dorayaki/pancakes filled with maple syrup and butter. I can’t help it!” Adam Gentle Position: Bookseller Lives in: Monbetsu Birthday: 3/29 Star sign: Aries Height: 183 cm Feelings about pineapple on pizza: “Glorious” First thing when you walk into a conbini: “3 Black Thunders and a large coffee”
Bree Storey Position: Translator Lives in: Samani Birthday: 10/5 Star sign: Libra Height: 157 cm Feelings about pineapple on pizza: “Pretty ambivalent. I like pineapple pizza but I think I like other types more.” First thing when you walk into a conbini: “Konbu (kelp) onigiri, and honey butter chips”
A mori Haley Hollen Southwest Rep.
The Mainland that Isn’t Tokyo
fers lovely views, groovy places to hang out and explore, and more apples than you could ever hope to eat. What’s more, this trip can be done in a weekthink we can all agree that Hokkaido is a beautiful end. place to call home. It has the best onsen in Japan and breathtaking natural wonders. But as much as we love our snowy northern home, I know we’ve Getting There all felt the itch to venture to the mainland at some point during our time here. Usually this means here are two ways to get to Aomori. You can taking a few days of nenkyuu and flying down to take the Tsugaru Kaikyo or Seikan Ferry that Tokyo or Osaka for a getaway. It can be quite an leaves from Hakodate, or you can opt to take the expensive trip. more expensive, but winter-friendly, Shinkansen. The ferry ride, about ￥4500 round-trip, lasts about But a taste of the mainland is much closer 4 hours but offers all of the beauty of the Tsugaru and more accessible than one would Straight and ocean breezes to keep you cool during think. Aomori Prefecture’s Ao- the hotter summer months. Alternatively, taking mori City is only a few the Shinkansen from Shin-Hakodate Station will short Shinkansen put you out about ￥14000 round-trip (or about stops away ￥6000 each way for non-reserved seats) for a and of- travel time of only around 70 minutes. From there, it is a short local train ride to the heart of Aomori City.
I
T
※Tsugaru Kaikyo Ferry http://www.tsugarukaikyo.co.jp ※Seikan Ferry http://seikan-ferry.co.jp ※Online Ferry Reservations https://www.aferry.com ※Hokkaido Shinkansen http://hokkaido-shinkansen.com
photo by Edwin Arce II
Enjoying Aomori
T
here are a variety of activities to partake in during a trip to Aomori. Warmer weather is best spent by the harbor where you can watch ferries come and go under the Bay Bridge while enjoying apple treats and cider tasting at A-Factory. A-Factory, located next to Aomori Station, offers a variety of goods from fresh apples jams to local handicrafts. You can get a delicious burger at Ocean’s Diner and finish up your meal with fresh gelato from the adjacent gelato stand, Gelato Natura Due. The crepes at SKIPEGG make for a sinfully sweet breakfast.
Festivals
I
f you’re willing to venture a little further, you should take the 45 minute train down to Hirosaki Castle. This castle is one of the few original Japanese castles left standing today, and it’s the northernmost of its kind. There are festivals for each season held on location, but the most breathtaking is held during sakura season. Hanami at Hirosaki castle is on par with some of Japan’s most As you venture out into the city, you can take in the famous hanami spots. hustle and bustle of Honshuu life while walking to the famous Aomori Gyosai Center. Here you can Another must-see is the Aomori Nebuta Festival marvel at the lively seafood market and create your held in August. This year’s festival will be held Auown bowl of fresh-caught fish. Aomori’s maguro gust 2nd-August 7th. is highly recommended. This meal costs roughly ￥1000, but you certainly get your fill. ※Hirosaki Castle and Park http://www.hirosakipark.jp Aomori is also home to a handful of fantastic and http://www.hirosakipark.jp/en easily-accessible museums and educational sites. ※Nebuta Festival The Sannai-Maruyama Site has artifacts from the http://www.nebuta.or.jp early to middle Jomon period as well as recreations of Jomon architecture, while the Aomori Museum of Art is home to Yoshitomo Nara’s famous “Aomori-Ken” dog statue. Other breathtaking exhibits While Aomori may not be as fabulous include Nara’s other works and Ultraman design- as Tokyo, it certainly has a lot to ofer Tohl Narita’s characters, to name a few. Both of fer a stir-crazy Hokkaido-jin. When these can be accessed via local train routes. If you you’re planning your next trip, want to stay firmly planted by the station, you can consider stopping by to visit opt to visit the Hakkoda-Maru Memorial Ship that our fellow northern neighbor. is stationed in the harbor or visit the WA RASSE Nebuta Museum for a look into the culture surrounding Aomori’s famous festival floats. ※A-Factory http://www.jre-abc.com/wp/afactory/index ※Sannai-Maruyama Site http://sannaimaruyama.pref.aomori.jp/english ※Aomori Museum of Art http://www.aomori-museum.jp/en/index.html http://www.aomori-museum.jp/en/guide/open ※Memorial Ship Hakkoda-Maru http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3756.html ※Nebuta Museum WA-RASSE www.nebuta.jp/warasse/foreign/english.html
H nglish E hallenge C okkaido
The Hokkaido English Challenge (HEC) is a communication-based test and an English-immersion camp for Japanese students. The winner of the junior high school test wins a free two-week homestay to an English speaking country of his or her choice. Here is an article written by the first place winner of 2015’s challenge.
My Study Abroad Experience in Australia Last summer, I studied abroad in Australia for two weeks. I stayed in a small city called Cairns. In Cairns, there were so many beaches. During my stay I visited four beaches. I had school five days a week. I had three hours of English class per day. All the classes were very fun. I learned about Australian animals and Australian slang words through some games. I traveled to many places. I liked all the places that I went to. I especially liked Green Island and the zoo called, “Wildlife Habitat.” Green Island’s beach was so beautiful. Beaches in Hokkaido are too cold to swim in, so it was my first time to swim in the ocean. I was happy. In Wildlife Habitat, I held a koala! He was so cute and soft. I stayed with my host family. My host family’s names were Joey and Ali. Joey is a chef and Ali is a beautician. They live with four dogs and two parrots. My host mate was a twelve-year-old girl from Tokyo. We played with their dogs. My host family took me to a lot of places. They sometimes took me to some restaurants. At one, I ate a crocodile spring roll! I was a little bit scared to it but it was good. Also, I went to a Japanese and Korean restaurant. I saw crazy Japanese food there. There were so many mistakes about Japanese dishes. It was very funny. My host family was so kind. We talked a lot in English and watched movies everyday at home. I still contact with them through letters. Also I still contact with the friends I made in Australia through SNS. This was the best experience of my whole life. In Cairns, I could learn a lot of English. Through this experience, I could realize that the most important thing when we communicate with people from other countries is to talk with our hearts. I will never forget this and I want to improve my English skills more. Thanks to HEC, I could have such a wonderful experience. Thank you very much for your support and giving me an opportunity like this.
Fishing for a Fresh S
Samantha Peterson Editor ERE’S A SECRET from me to you, one foreigner to another: despite the love I profess for all kinds of music, it’s pretty rare for me to find an artist I truly connect with, especially here in Japan. It’s cool that Sapporo-born Ichiro Yamaguchi, the frontman of the band Sakanaction, gets that. “I hope foreign listeners can persevere with Japanese music,” he told the Japan Times in an interview. He doesn’t have a lot of nice things to say about the state of the Japanese music scene, but he hopes Sakanaction can be the band that stands out.
H
er spent time DJing there.
The band’s music-creating philosophy can be seen in their name itself. “Sakanaction” is the resulting combination of the words 魚 (sakana, fish) and action. You might be wondering why fish, of all things. Yamaguchi likes the way that freshwater fish swim against the current of a river, just like how Sakanaction swims against the current of the popular musical scene. It’s also because he really likes fishing. He’s a true Hokkaido native, after all.
All of this (except maybe the fishing part) goes So what is it that makes Sakanaction so great? along with their vision for their music. They do So different? Well, maybe it has something to their best not to do with where they’re Sakanaction swims against the current confine themselves from--Hokkaido. Four to a single genre, of the popular musical scene of its five members were with their music born and raised here on our own chilly island. described using a variety of labels like alternaFrontman Yamaguchi had his professional start tive, indie rock, electronica, pop, and new wave. in Sapporo with his first band Dutchman, and lat- When they set out to write their songs they strive
Sound
to create melodies that could as easily be sung with a single acoustic guitar as with the electron- Their other hits “Sayonara wa Emotion” and “Shin ic sounds you find on their albums. Takarajima” both reached the fourth spot or higher on the Japan Hot 100 chart and were met with They seem to enjoy contrasts like this in their critics’ praise and commercial success, despite sound. “Very few people go to clubs in Hokkai- having quite a different vibe than other songs do,” said Yamaguchi, Melodies that could as easily be sung with a single which I think is something we can all attest acoustic guitar as with the electronic sounds you find on to. Despite that, when their albums the band arranges its music for live performances, they want to create popular at the time of their releases. “Shin Taa club-like atmosphere. They do this by making karajima” has a grabbing intro and a driving beat, entirely new arrangements of their songs, nearly while “Sayonara wa Emotion” has a deep, wistful from scratch. feel that matches the lyrics. Chances are you’ve heard the song “Tabun, Kaze” at some point, even if you don’t know it. It has a multilayered sound, but stays upbeat and doesn’t drag. As Sakanaction’s most recent single, it reached number six on Billboard Japan Hot 100 and number four on the Oricon Singles Chart. It plays all the time in my grocery store.
Sakanaction is a band that grabbed me. So if you’re a foreign listener persevering with Japanese music as Yamaguchi hopes, or just anyone who likes something a little different from what you’re used to hearing on the radio, maybe you should give Sakanaction a try for that unique and Hokkaido-grown sound.
The World of
花札
“KOI!”
Edwin Arce II
her family cries.
the Edo-era restrictions on playing cards as part of their draconian Sakoku regulations of Western “KOI!” the world cheers. influence. Drawn from a long line of invented card “KOI!” Natsuki bellows, sets, hanafuda trace their history back to the old her final card, red and glowing like a rocket, roar- Portuguese Hombre playing cards, first introduced ing towards the playing field, crashing into the mat in 1549 by missionaries. with the force of a comet and, ultimately, saving Like their Western counterparts, hanafuda are dithe world. vided up evenly into a variety of suits and sets. That’s a scene you might recognize from Mamoru Hosoda’s 2009 animated offering, “Summer Wars”. For me, and many foreigners like me, this spectacular film was my first introduction to the world of hanafuda and the game called Koi-Koi.
There are 48 cards total, with four cards for each month of the year. Each month is represented by a different bit of flora, ranging from the stately Black Pine of southern Japan, to the emblematic chrysanthemum, to the ubiquitous Cherry Blossom.
Hanafuda means, literally, “flower card” and is Across the months, you’ll find a variety of cultural written 花札. These cards have existed in Japan for features factoring into game play, such as prayer roughly two centuries, one of many responses to ribbons, native fauna, a sake cup, and even an appearance by the father of Japanese calligraphy,
f
Ono no Michikaze.
being played in unique ways in Korea, Hawaii, and Micronesia. In Korea, the cards are known as hwatu Hanafuda have a long, if somewhat murky, his- and are typically printed on red, plastic cards—as tory. Before the mid-to-late 19th century there’s opposed to Japan’s laminated cardboard—and little information to be found—at least in English. tend to come in even more artistic varieties. The history begins when the first Prime Minister of Japan, Ito Hirobumi, commissions a unique set Outside of Yakuza gambling halls where the game of hanafuda (available in reproduction today with is quite popular, hanafuda tend to be played by gilded backs and stacked in a paulownia box for Japanese people mostly at family gatherings, esonly 32,400 yen!). It’s only when Nintendo—yes, pecially New Year’s celebrations. Still, that hasn’t that Nintendo—arrives on the scene that hanafuda stopped me and my friends from playing yearreally took off. round! On September 23, 1889, Nintendo Koppai was founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi as a playing card company—specifically a hanafuda company. In fact, they spent roughly half their existence as a company producing playing cards. Today, Nintendo still produces hanafuda and you can even get a set of their original daitouryou, or “President”, cards, featuring a portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte. They’ve also produced Mario-themed cards, originally available through Club Nintendo (now just a click away at places like Amazon). Even after they made the jump to electronics, the company continued to celebrate their origins by sneaking hanafuda references into their games and even producing full hanafuda video games. The popularity of the cards spread beyond Japan,
Like the Western playing cards most of you will be familiar with, hanafuda can be used to play a wide variety of games. In the next section, I’ll be going over how to play Koi-Koi, a game for two people not unlike Poker. Some fantastic things about KoiKoi are that it’s a flexible game, allowing you and your friends to make up “house rules” for fun, or to play short games, long tournaments, or even play for stakes! There’s even a variety of apps that allow you to play on your own or with others. Half-chance, half-skill, hanafuda Koi-Koi may look complicated at first glance, but the pieces quickly fall into place for an exciting gaming experience! Let’s get to it!
January - Pine
February - Plum Blossoms
Ribbon
Bright
March - Cherry Blossoms
Ribbon
April - Wisteria
Bright
May - Iris
Ribbon Animal June - Peony
Ribbon Animal
Ribbon Animal August - Pampas
July - Clover
Ribbon Animal September - Chrysanthemum
Ribbon Animal
Animal
Bright
October Maple
Ribbon
Animal
December - Paulownia
November - Willow
Ribbon Animal
Ribbon Animal
Bright
Bright
LIST OF YAKU
Kasu (Plains) 10 Plain cards. 1 point. Each additional 1pt after. Tanzaku (Ribbons) 5 Ribbons. 1 point. Each additional 1pt after. Tane (Animals) 5 Animals. 1 point. Each additional 1pt after. Ino-Shika-Cho (Boar-Deer-Butterfly) Animal cards of Clover, Maple, Peony. 5 points.
Akatan (Red Poetry Ribbons) A 3 red poetry ribbons. 6 points. Oya-Ken (Dealer’s Privilege) If neither gets any Yaku, Dealer wins 3 points. Bake-fuda (Wild Card) The animal card of Chrysanthemum can be regarded as a plain card as well. If you have this, 9 plain cards and this card with be the Yaku of Kasu.
Aotan (Blue Ribbons) All 3 blue ribbons. 6 points. Sanko (3 Brights) 3 Bright cards not containing Rain Man card. 6 points. Ame-Shiko (Rain Man) 4 Brights including Rain Man card. 8 points. Shiko (4 Brights) 4 Bright cards not containing Rain Man card. 10 points. Goko (5 Brights) All 5 Bright cards. 15 points. Tsuki-fuda (Monthly Cards) All four cards from a month. 1 point for each month. Tsukimi-zake 5 pt
Hanami-zake 5 pt
How to Play Koi-Koi
accumulation of points across all rounds. Your call.
Eight cards are dealt to each player face down, And that’s it! That’s the bones of the game—it and eight cards are placed in the middle face up. only takes a few hands to really get the hang of and The remaining stack is placed face down on the then you’ll be tossing the cards around like Natsuki table to be the “draw pile”. on a mission to save the world. There’s a few other Players take turns. Each turn consists of two ac- small details to keep in mind, which I’ll list below, but as long as you follow what’s above, you’re set tions. for fun. Head on down to your local conbini to find First, a player chooses a card from their hand a deck and you’ll be having a blast in no time! to match with a card in the middle. A card can be matched with another card if-and-only-if they are both from the same month (for most cards, the Additional rules: easiest way to tell is to look at the flowers featured If there are three cards in the middle spread and on the card—this is really hard with the November/ you match a card with any of them, you take all of Willow cards). If there is no card to match with, the the cards for that month. player must simply discard one card from their If no yakus are made before both players run out hand into the face-up spread of cards in the midof cards, the game is re-dealt. Alternatively, dealer dle. gets three points. Second, the player draws a card from the draw You choose the dealer by drawing from the deck. pile. Check if the card matches, or if it must simply Whoever gets the earliest month in the year is dealbe discarded to the face-up spread. er. If a card matches, the player takes both cards If the player is dealt four pairs or two complete and places them face-up on their side of the table. months, they automatically win the round with Players go back and forth doing this until… three points. One of the players forms one or more yaku from You can play with more people, but you’ll need to the cards they’ve collected (the cards face-up on decrease the hand size. their side of the table). If they have a yaku, they get Sake cup yakus are optional. two choices. Take the points and end the game. Or, Optional 7-over rule: If your points increase besay “Koi-Koi” and keep the game going. Here’s the thrill of Koi-Koi: When you say “Koi- yond 7, the hand is automatically doubled. This Koi” the game keeps going and two things hap- means that if you have a hand worth 10 points and pen. First, you get another chance to rack up more your opponent has called “Koi-Koi”, your hand is points by acquiring additional yaku. Second, your worth an incredible 40 points. Finally, you can make whatever rules you like! opponent now has a chance to score. Oh, and if your opponent does get a yaku, their points are Sometimes, my friends and I will make the “KoiKoi” doubling effective for both players, and somedoubled. Typically, games are played with 3, 6, or 12 times will make it cumulative as well (2x points, rounds. The winner of the game can either be who- then 3x, 4x, etc). Sometimes we’ll create special ever wins the most rounds, or can be based on the yakus, like “collecting all the birds”, just to spice things up. Whatever you want—it’s your game!
ÂĽ Financial Report Bryan Campbell
HAJET Meeting Previous Treasurers sometimes only counted the NET amounts for various events and expenses, and thus did not properly account for the real costs. This is why Meeting revenue and expenses vary from the budget projection; we didn’t know the real costs and what to budget for, besides that the amounts would mostly balance out.
products than we planned. The bookstore nearly brought in its projected revenue, and sales continued to be strong throughout the entire year.
Administration We did an exceptional job reaching out to new and renewing members, passing our budget projection for membership dues early in the year. We also had some unexpected revenue from bank The reason why there is such a high variance for interest and some unaccounted revenue during the Winter Meeting is twofold. When we drafted events. We had expected to conduct some genthe budget, we weren’t aware that our hotels re- eral fundraising but did not, and we neither made quired payment prior to the event. Another factor nor received any donations from other organizawas the higher costs in Niseko that we hadn’t ac- tions. A policy change with the Hokkaido governcounted for. However, our meetings were all suc- ment changed how HAJET contacts COs and their cesses and made enough revenue to either make JETs about meetings, which means that we would back their costs or result in only a small loss. no longer mail meeting packets and thus assume that financial cost. HAJET Events All of our events did well this year, with all major Discretionary funds events bringing in a small profit. We only made one unaccounted purchase this year, which was for a small outdoor tent. Weather Similar to the Winter Meeting, the revival of the during August and September was very unstable, Snow Tour has a large variance in revenue and and we purchased a tent for cooking during welexpenses. We had actually expected to paid for come parties and other future outdoor events. the hotels prior to the event, but the hotel staff offered to let the participants pay in person, re- HAJET Accounts moving our need to collect those funds. We had an opening balance of ¥1,466,029 and a closing balance of ¥1,756,143 with ¥58 on hand Projects (a total of ¥1,756,201). Our overall revenue was We funded 8 regional events (called internation- also higher than our expenses, meaning the al events on our website) for a total of ¥69,173, 2016-17 year (28年度) was a fiscal success. Betincluding banking fees. We set aside a small ter accounting and record keeping, more transamount of money to help Project Outreach in the parency, tighter events, and the efforts of everyevent that the project required some additional one on the Prefectural Council have left HAJET support, though the Coordinator chose not to re- in a stronger position than when we started last quest any of that support. year, which will afford future PCs stronger fiscal stability and make it easier for HAJET to get inPublications The work on the Hokkaido Newcomer’s Guide volved with larger scale events without as much was a huge success. We brought in a number of financial concern. Further, improved records and advertisers this year, and the publishing experi- internal changes to our budgeting process mean ence of the Publications Coordinator helped us that future Treasurers and PCs will have an easier time getting started and spotting any financial keep costs below our budget projection. concerns, should they arise. Sales We made back money on merchandise ordering, and HAJET has a remaining supply of shirts That is all for this year. The accounts are now available for next year. We came a fair bit short of closed for the year and being transitioned off to our budget projection, but we also ordered fewer the new PC.
April
Events
Matsumae Sakura Festival April 29-May 14 Matsumae A sakura festival at Japan’s northernmost castle with live entertainment.
May
Hokkaido Women’s Sumo Meet May 14, 9:30 am Fukushima Women from all over come to compete in sumo. www.town.fukushima.hokkaido.jp/kanko/event/onnasumo/ Northern Horse Park Marathon May 14 Tomakomai There’s a 7km trail race and a half marathon. Registration ends March 31st. It costs ¥7,000. Contact Ellen Mariano (Atsuma ALT) for any questions or if you need a place to stay. www.nhp-marathon.com/ Toyako Marathon May 21 Lake Toya There’s a marathon, a 10k, a 5k, and a 2k. www.toyako-marathon.jp/
June Oketo Festival June 24 Oketo Oketo’s biggest festival. The main event features teams of people pulling logs of wood over hills on a course. This festival happens over the course of two days. Here is the flyer from last year: http://www.town.oketo.hokkaido.jp/files/人間ばん馬01.pdf
photo by Stephanie Serres
Another Rotating Thing
photo by Matthew Jones
Half wet with spring rain, the morning newspaper, a little heavy in my hands, is cutting into shreds the letters and characters of this life. Iron and gunpowder of the world and the titans behind them are turning once again in a direction which is difficult to stop. With a little oil smudge, printing type tells it. The revolving of the solid earth cannot be ended. I flick off cherry blossom petals that were brought in stuck to the newspaper. Inside myself another solid earth rotates. - 高村 光太郎 Kotaro Takamura