Setouchi: Art island │ Taking the JLPT │ Recipes │ Events 1
the refill | November/December 2011
Editor’s note
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elcome to the seventh issue of The Refill! As the weather changes and the leaves turn, we’ve rounded up great articles for your reading pleasure. Wondering how to take and pass the JLPT? We’ve got you covered! Not sure how to keep warm in winter? Make sure to check out the article on onsen (hot springs). Worried about how to get your turkey fix this Thanksgiving? Have no fear, Professor Sempai has the answer! Not sure where to go for winter break? We’ve got travel ideas for you in Japan and abroad! And for those looking to experience the taste of the holidays, make sure to check out our recipe section for a traditional Japanese New Year dish as well as some mouth-watering chocolate cake. And, while being neither a real professor nor a real sempai, our newest writer Professor Sempai will gladly answer any questions you might have about Japanese life. Make sure to send them our way and we’ll make sure they end up in the right hands. We hope you enjoy this issue of The Refill! Don’t hesitate to write us at the.refill.fukuoka@gmail.com if you have any comments, suggestions or ideas for future articles. Thanks, and see you in February!
Rebekah Randle Editor-in-chief
#7 ǀ Nov/Dec 2011
Editor-in-chief Rebekah Randle
Content Editors Keliko Adams Lauren Every-Wortman
Layout and Design Hugh McCafferty
Copy Editor Eryk Salvaggio
Contributors John Crow Sarah Davis Rachel Dunn Sumomo Matsumoto Alecs Mickunas Samantha Repetti Wenson Tsai
AJET: The Comic
by Yannick McLeod
Cover photo: Jenn Chan
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Inside
4 Short shorts
Lesser-seen Fukuoka: The mole calls to me! Top 5: Stains on my white jeans from Mongolia
8 In Fukuoka Art in Fukuoka Chanko nabe A Fukuoka poet
Photo: Lauren Every-Wortman
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12 Travel
Three days of Art Setouchi Reef madness
16 Living
Taking the JLPT Onsen: Relaxing Japanese-style Recipes
Photo: Michael Seidman
20 Opinion
Down to Earth The ALT experience: From a different point of view
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24 Entertainment Events Ask Professor Sempai
Photo: flickr.com/kyaabo
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Short shorts: Lesser-seen Fukuoka
Photo: www.flickr.com/travelstar
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Rebekah Randle stays warm in winter at these Fukuoka back street hot spots
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inter is coming! To help keep warm during the cold months, why not check out some of my favourite shops in Fukuoka City? Here are three for your consideration.
”Moguore”: Mogura ga Ore o Yonde Iru (土竜が俺を呼 んでいる) While the name is ridiculous (“the mole calls to me”) and long, this small izakaya serves up some of the best non-tonkotsu ramen in town. The master apprenticed at a famous ramen shop nearby before starting out on his own. Noodles are made fresh and ramen is served piping hot. Wash it all down with a glass of shochu from the overwhelming selection on their 10-page menu. Daimyo 1-9-18. @moguore
“The secret bar”: Utsusemi (空蝉) While the exterior looks like any other house on this residential street, walk down the little side path to the left and open the unassuming door (note: not recommended unless you know the location). Inside, you’ll be transported back to a traditional Japanese bar where the master wears kimono and you sit on tatami. Drinks are a bit pricey (600~700 for beer or umeshu) but the atmosphere is worth it. Seating is limited so I recommend calling ahead. Located in Sumiyoshi, near Canal City. (What? It’s supposed to be secret, isn’t it?) @utsusemi “THE motsunabe place”: Rakutenchi (楽天地) With a limited menu (motsunabe and drinks), this specialty shop is one of the best places in town to try this famous Fukuoka food. As pictured throughout the shop and even on their business cards, the nabe will arrive at your table with motsu and vegetables piled so high that they can literally block the person across you from view. Make sure to bring friends to help you finish it all, as the meal is not complete until noodles have been added, cooked and eaten in the leftover broth. Tenjin 1-10-14. (Can be hard to find, down an alley near Junkudo) @rakutenchi Rebekah Randle is a fourth-year ALT and second-year PA who prefers winter to summer. She found out about these places on Twitter.
The calls to me
MOLE!
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Short shorts: Top five
Stains on my white jeans from Mongolia Wenson Tsai‘s trip to Mongolia proves to be terminal for his beloved new pair of jeans Photos: Wenson Tsai
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o be honest, I’m not sure what I was thinking when I bought a pair of white jeans from Uniqlo.
I had a momentary lapse into the ‘80s. In my head I was singing with a glam-metal band, blond hair to my butt cheeks and colorful bandanna wraps everywhere I could tie them. On my forehead, wrists, even my wallet: bandannas. And I’d tie up my bills, coins, my full Japanese-point-card cornucopia, attach it to a chopstick and sling it over one shoulder like a boxcar hobo. “That’d be so rad,” I thought as I paid for the pants.
The romance didn’t last. Red wine spilled on my lap the first time I wore them and I shimmied out of the restaurant like a school girl blossoming into fertility. “No one will look at my womanhood stains at the club. I’ll wash it out in the
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morning,” I said as I got in a cab.
Red wine does not wash out of white jeans.
Packing for Mongolia, where I knew I would be off-roading, off-“civilizing,” and getting plenty filthy, it was an easy fashion choice. “New stains will create a beautiful camouflage and I will save these jeans!” I proclaimed. Delusion can strike twice. After 11 days of camping, sleeping in gers (nomad tents), not showering, going to the bathroom outside and touching a variety of beasts, my imagined camouflage was nothing but a WAR ZONE OF NASTY.
It is with great pride that I present to you, the top 5 stains on my white jeans from Mongolia. 1. Milk There is nothing more prevalent in Mongolia than milk. With the nomads, I drank nothing but yak and horse milk for days. There was milk spewing out of assorted teats as yaks, cows and horses were milked through the day. There was even milk coming out of humans. I have never been around so much open breast feeding. I expected it in the countryside, but in the city it was mind-exploding. A young girl would leap out of an alley with her boob out, a baby’s head attached. I’d be on a mini-bus, people stacked on people, the lady next to me would whip out her breast and bottle-cap it with a baby’s head. By the end of my trip, I was convinced that all Mongolian nipples were oversized, round and covered in black hair with a small face on the back.
2. Feces I was pretty clean until my camel continuously sandwiched my leg against its friend, the camel who had crapped all over itself. “It’s not so bad,” I thought. “They just eat grass, right?” That turned out to be the right attitude. The nomads collected, stored and burned horse dung to power their stoves. They threw pieces into the stove with bare hands, then continued cooking dinner. “There’s nothing
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bad,” they said when I voiced concern. Goat and sheep dung wasn’t bad, either. The children made little pellet castles for fun. Then they grabbed my hands and handed me potato chips, which I’d eat. Because it was nothing bad.
3. Meat juice Mongolians love their juicy fat-laden meats and meat juices love my jeans. Mongolian cuisine is a practical affair. It’s an inventive combination of meat, fat and a starch. Sometimes the starch just gets in the way. One of my fondest memories was tearing into boiled goat parts, gnawing away with meat juice streaming across my face like magical cat whiskers. 4. Grass In the Mongolian countryside, everywhere you look there’s grass, the main course in an unconquerable buffet of nature. It is the stage on which a breathtaking landscape rests. Grass also sustains life for the livestock, and hence the nomads; and now my jeans. 5. Vodka I can still hear my guide’s rolling laughter when I told him I sometimes enjoy a glass of wine. “Wine? WINE??!” His tone of voice reduced me to a cosplay Little Bo Peep in full lace and stockings. Mongolians love their “manly” vodka and down it like water. My fantasy drink-off for the “Irish of the Asians” crown is Koreans versus Mongolians. It’s crazy to imagine, but I think I got twenty on the Mongols.
Wenson Tsai wanders the streets like the homeless man you’ve always wanted to know, and wanders the world for the finest in potentially bubonic-plagued hotstone-cooked marmot cuisine. Presently, he is dealing with his own aging and pondering the irony of how aware he is that one day he will get hit by a car because he’s too busy checking out beautiful women, all while he blindly continues on, almost getting hit by cars while checking out beautiful women. It’s very existential. Here are some pictures he’s taken: www. flickr.com/itswenson
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ART
in Fukuoka
In Fukuoka
part four
Off the beaten track 8
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Lauren Every-Wortman gives us a taste of art outside Fukuoka’s cultural hubs Photo: Lauren Every-Wortman
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ot everyone has the luxury of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum within walking distance of his or her home. But fret not! You might live closer to an art gallery or museum than you think. There are definitely a few other places to visit outside the main cities, though I have to admit I had a bit of trouble tracking them down. While I’m sure these aren’t all of them, they were the best I could find with limited time and travel funds. These museums are small, but hold some interesting traveling exhibitions. If you happen to be in the area make sure to check them out! However, I might not recommend a special trip to Tagawa specifically for art viewing purposes. For the final installment of Art in Fukuoka, here are a few art galleries and museums you might find closer to home. And if you’re traveling outside of the prefecture take a look at Culture Map for details on other cultural spaces in various locations around the country. culturemap.australia.or.jp
Ishibashi Museum of Art (Kurume) www.ishibashi-museum.gr.jp Located a short bus ride away from Nishitetsu Kurume station, this museum and garden are a nice escape from the city. The garden has flowers blooming in every season so it’s always worth a short stroll, and the museum has two buildings, which show mainly Japanese art.
Kyushu National Museum (Dazaifu) www.kyuhaku.com/pr After strolling through the gardens of Dazaifu shrine, ascend the mountainside escalator to the museum complex. This museum shows regular exhibitions of cultural and artistic artifacts. If you’re interested in more historical work this is the place to go. They also have traveling exhibitions from around the world! Tagawa Museum of Art (Tagawa) www.joho.tagawa.fukuoka.jp If you find yourself in Tagawa with nothing much to do, consider taking a quick look in their small museum. It’s about a 15-minute walk from Tagawaita station, and some of the exhibitions are free! TOKOPOLA modern art gallery (Tagawa) www.tokopola.com Down the road from the art museum, surrounded by nothing in particular, this contemporary gallery seems exceptionally out of place. It’s modern cement and wooden exterior look like something you’d find in Daimyo. But here it is in Tagawa! Check out their small gallery and courtyard, and ask the attendant about their auxiliary gallery that just opened in Fukuoka city.
Museum of Kyushu Sangyo University (Higashi-ku) www.kyusan-u.ac.jp/ksumuseum Located a short walk from Kyusandaimae Station, this museum holds a variety of student and traveling exhibitions as well as a large permanent collection. The shows are often accompanied by lectures from the University. Check out their website for upcoming student competition shows!
Lauren Every-Wortman is a second year ALT in Kitakyushu. She loves contemporary art, mac and cheese, and city parks.
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CHANKO NABE
Jane Fukuoka offers some insights into a typical sumo wrestler’s diet Image: Jane Fukuoka
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ith the Kyushu-basho fast approaching, one might have had the opportunity to spy upon the imposing man-mountains known as sumo wrestlers (rikishi). The physique of the rikishi is not the result of genetics or chance, but of years of hard training and a strict diet of a stew known as ‘chanko-nabe.’ Chanko-nabe, the regular fare of rikishi across Japan, was created to create and keep weight on the traditionally lean Japanese frame. There are two distinct varieties of chanko-nabe, mizu-taki and soppu-daki. Simply put, mizutaki is cooked with no seasonings. The lack of a distinctive broth is compensated with a dipping sauce which various elements of the stew are dipped in before being eaten. The other variety, known as soppu-daki, does have a soup-base
which is a blend of soy-sauce, miso, salt and chicken bones thrown in for good measure. Pictured are common ingredients featured in chanko-nabe. The balance and inclusion of these ingredients may vary, depending on the region and the season.
Several ingredients are never included in chanko-nabe. Beef and pork are never put into the stew because they come from animals with four legs. To the superstitious rikishi, anything with four limbs firmly planted on the ground looks like a sumo-wrestler in defeat. Jane Fukuoka is an anonymous contributor (in case the name didn’t give it away).
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A Fukuoka poet A Fukuoka poet Alecs Mickunas takes a step back in time to consider the poetry of Yanagawa-born Kitahara Hakushu Portrait: Onchi Koshiro
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very year at the start of November, Yanagawa - the birthplace of famed Japanese poet, Kitahara Hakushu commemorates the anniversary of his death with poetry readings, boat rides at dusk in the city’s famous canals and other festivities.
Yanagawa is roughly three hours away from where I live, and this year the three-day festival fell entirely on weekdays. Thus, I was unable to pay my respects to this great Japanese poet this year. However, I can look forward to Yanagawa’s birthday celebration for Kitahara on Jan. 25. Kitahara Hakushu reinvigorated traditional Japanese poetry during the early 20th century, when they were thought to be in a state of decline. The writing most familiar to Japanese literary scholars is probably his 1912 prose work, Memories, which describes Yanagawa from the perspective of a child.
Kitahara’s contributions to children’s literature are where his work is most visible. Many of his poems for children have been set to music and are still taught in elementary schools. Kitahara also helped introduce the nursery rhymes of Mother Goose to Japan. Meanwhile, Kitahara is widely unknown in English-speaking nations; it is a real shame that a writer with such an interest in other cultures would remain ignored outside his home country.
The Wind The wind blows in opening the window curtains. It blows in bringing a small bird from the mountains. The wind blows away setting on the window shelf A loaf of bread and one leaf from the Poplar Tree. The wind blows in carrying the voice Of my loving mother in the morning. the refill | November/December 2011
If you are studying Japanese and have an interest in the nation’s literature, I recommend Kitahara’s poetry. You should be able to find it at your school or community library. Kitahara’s poetry is a joy to read and highly conducive to Japanese language study. Because a considerable portion of his work was written for children, it is often published with simplified readings attached to Kanji. To get you started, I’ve translated a poem intended for autumn. Happy reading, and safe travels.
Alecs Mickunas is a first-year ALT in Buzen. He graduated from the University of Iowa with a major in Asian Languages and Literature and is a translator of modern and contemporary Japanese poetry.
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Travel
Three days of
Art Setouchi
Lauren Every-Wortman feels and breaths the art of the Seto Inland Sea Photo: Lauren Every-Wortman
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ontemporary art from Japan is known for kitsch and infamous for towering neon cityscape cliches. But that futuristic world has few similarities to the modern world created on the “art islands” of the Seto Inland Sea. Though showing only contemporary art, the islands maintain a traditional Japanese spirit. Like ikebana or shodo, each piece is carefully placed in harmony with its surroundings. The art, architecture and environment work together in a calm state reminiscent of a Zen garden. An art Mecca for international and domestic pilgrims, the islands are imbued with an unrivaled artistic energy. Since the late 1980s, the islands have been developed as “The Benesse Art Site,” displaying work by both Japanese and international artists.
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The Setouchi International Art Festival is a contemporary art festival that takes place on multiple islands of the Seto Inland Sea. It is accessible by ferry from Uno Port in Okayama, and Takamatsu port on Shikoku. Certain works featured during the festival remain open during special event seasons. Check out the seasonal schedules (January-March, July-September, October-December) available on their website www.setouchi-artfest.jp. Entrance fees are paid upon entry to individual sites. Accommodations on Naoshima range in style and price. Check here for more information: www.naoshima.net. Naoshima was already famous for sculptor Yayoi Kusama’s bright orange and red pumpkins standing starkly against the sea. But starting in 1998, artists have been converting old houses into artistic environments. Each installation provides a contrast to its traditional housing: One, by Shinro Ohtake, encases a replica of the Statue of Liberty, while Tatsuo Miyajima’s work displays LED countdowns beneath a serene indoor pond. Along a hilly road hugging the sea, scattered among installations, are three art museums: The Bennesse House, The Lee Ufan Museum and The Chichu Art Museum. Each of the three museums displays a carefully selected number of works that shape the experience of the
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island as a whole.
Chichu, designed by Tadao Ando and built into the hillside, houses works by Walter de Maria, Claude Monet and James Turrell. De Maria’s golden statues change in the reflecting natural light, while Monet’s paintings contrast with the crisp clinical white of the room and attendants’ uniforms. Turrell’s piece opens the ceiling to the sky, framing an ever-changing portrait of the heavens. Teshima is home to more Art Houses, outdoor installations and an art museum. An Art House by Tobias Rehberger holds the restaurant Il Vento during the festival season, uniting the artwork and the community through food and decor. Painted in stripes and polka dots (with matching furniture), the walls blend into a two-dimensional space when viewed through a lens. Eating lunch inside of an optical illusion is magical and bizarre, especially when juxtaposed with a traditional Japanese exterior.
Exemplifying the harmonious atmosphere of the festival is the Teshima Art Museum, nestled in the stacked rice paddies along the coast. The building, designed by Ryue Nishizima, houses a single work: Rei Naito’s Matrix, 2010, is united with the structure, open to air, sound, and natural light with a single entrance and two large orifices in the ceiling. The structure emulates a water droplet made of smooth white concrete. Inside, water flows from tiny holes and white spheres, creating pools of water that slide effortlessly down the sloping floor. Like De Maria’s piece and Turrell’s Open Sky, the work is changed by time, day and season. The experience is unparalleled, as the distinctions between you, the art, architecture and nature seem to simultaneously magnify and evaporate. The installations are not just for art lovers, but create a framework for viewing the vibrant landscape and culture of the islands in a new light. This is a modern take on traditional Japan: There are no distractions, no pachinko parlors or arcades, and the elements of the islands come together like a shrine, quiet and contemplative.
Lauren Every-Wortman is a secondyear ALT in Kitakyushu. She loves contemporary art and has an incurable case of wanderlust.
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Reef
Eryk Salvaggio goes rig diving in the clear waters of Sipidan, Malaysia Photo: Mike Seidman
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n paper, sleeping on a decommissioned oil rig off the coast of Malaysia may look like a life gone horribly awry, and not at all like the best possible diving vacation in Asia. Yes, sometimes my nose was filled with exhaust fumes or the oily grease from the freight elevator, and my feet were caked with black residue every night. But all that was a small price to pay for a captivating and beautiful diving experience. In fairness to Seaventures - the company running the hotel and Scuba-training resort on the rig - the accommodations, service and staff were top notch, with buffet-style meals that consistently blew my mind.
If you plan on diving in Sipadan, Malaysia - considered one of the best places to dive by none other than Jacques Cousteau - then the Seaventures rig is perfect for its proximity as well as the guaranteed passes to the restricted Sipadan reefs. Another reason to stay at Seaventures is the house reef, which you can access almost whenever you want to swim or dive. You’re quite literally sleeping on top of it; you can spot fish glimmering in the early-morning sun while you devour your toast and coffee. Diving is, in the words of our mandatory diving instruction DVD, “a kick.” As a first-time diver, I was thankful to start my “controlled water dives” on a real reef rather than a swimming pool, which is a key advantage to learning to dive in Sipadan.
You are instantly immersed in water and bizarre animals: Chocolate-chip starfish, pufferfish, sea turtles and underwater snakes pay absolutely no attention as you come to a graceless thud upon the ocean floor. The short hiss of your air regulator alternates with the sound of exhalations bubbling to the surface. Aside from the low rumblings of the occasional
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motorboats or the squeaking sound of pressurizing ears, all you can hear is your breath. Which is a crucial aspect of diving. Not just because you’d die without it, but because movement underwater is so dependent on your lungs.
After taking a written test and an awkward photograph, I was ready for my first real dive off the coast of Mabul Island, and the next morning we left for the main attraction: The Sipadan Reefs. Sipadan’s reputation comes from the wild diversity of its fish population, with nearly 3,000 species hanging out together on the tips of a dead undersea volcano.
Writing about the world under the sea is a lot like writing about dreams. It’s difficult to relate to the experience without having been there, and so these vivid and surreal experiences get reduced to some simple common vocabulary. So, yes, I saw a lot of fish. I saw walls of rock and discarded industrial equipment coming to life thanks to coral and anemones. I saw an octopus change colors three times. I saw a sleeping shark. I was nearly grazed by an indignant sea turtle. I was surrounded by a tornado of silver scales and hung upside down to look at a grouper the size of a German Shepherd. I was glared at by a barracuda and smiled at by clownfish. I don’t know what the trumpetfish was doing, but there is a thing called a trumpetfish down there and I got to see it. At night, you’re forced into the heavy toil of rig life, which involves eating too much delicious food, drinking reasonably priced beer and listening to awesome Malaysian guys cover Bon Jovi songs while you play board games. At night, if the generator is working, you’ll lie your head down in an air conditioned room to the distinct sensation of rising and falling with every breath, and see fish coming through the darkness of your eyelids to carry you off to sleep. Eryk Salvaggio is a second-year ALT living in Chojabaru. He blogs about life in Japan at http:// thisjapaneselife.org.
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Living
Taking the
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ith less than two weeks remaining, many JETs are diligently studying for this December’s Japanese Language Proficiency Test, or JLPT. Beginners looking to evaluate their skills and experienced speakers aiming for high-level certifications will be converging on college campuses all across the country on Dec. 4.
JLPT John Crow shares his experiences of taking (and passing) the JLPT
The experience can be daunting. After submitting your painstakingly completed application, complete with trimmed, pasted photo and application fee receipt for 5,500 yen (plus tax), you’ll wait weeks. You’ll worry that you made a mistake somewhere, up until the test voucher arrives a little later than expected. Upon reading the numerous ways in which your results can be disqualified, you’ll be tormented by your worst memories of standardized testing from childhood. When you arrive at the test site, you’ll probably get lost. There are signs and volunteer staff to guide test takers, but the nervous energy can make you miss the obvious. You’ll probably bring too many snacks, having heard that the test is long (it is) and that there’s a break to eat (there is). You’ll also quickly realize that you’re outnumbered by the vast number of Asian exchange students, and you’ll probably hear more Chinese and Korean than any other language. As you finally settle down into your seat, having triplechecked your voucher number against the sticker at your seat, you’ll brace yourself for the slaughter. And then you’ll hear the sound check: 「天気がいいから、散歩しましょう。」 (“The weather’s nice, so let’s go for a walk.”)
Spoken in the slowest, clearest Japanese imaginable, the banality of the sentence should make you crack a smile. Or make you panic if you can’t remember what “sanpo” means. But that’s the reality of what the JLPT is — a test of basic reading and listening comprehension, of everyday terms and phrases that you’d understand if living the average
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Japanese life as an average Japanese person.
Photo: Cheng Ling Fan
The JLPT level 1 is infamous for containing obscure grammar and rarely used vocabulary, but the lower levels focus on the fundamentals. If you talk to people, go shopping, watch TV and read books or magazines, you’ll be constantly improving. On the other hand, if you avoid these situations or treat them like obstacles instead of normal daily activities, you’ll continue to compartmentalize Japanese as something separate, something to be employed in specific situations only. That said, if you’re sitting in that chair on Dec. 4, you’re already working to integrate it into your life, and that’s worth praising regardless of your result.
There are no tricks or secrets to passing the JLPT. It’s life experience combined with targeted study. At this point, the best strategy is to review practice tests to stay familiar with the types of problems presented. Budget your time per question properly so that you avoid rushing through reading questions, and try to leave a few minutes left over for a final review. Remember that some problems can be solved with extra time and effort, like reading comprehension, and some problems you either know or you don’t, like vocabulary and grammar. Finally, make sure to answer every question, as there is no penalty for incorrect answers. To everyone taking the JLPT, best of luck! I’ll be right there taking the test along with you. Just remember to relax, pace yourself and trust your instincts.
John Crow is a fifth-year JET working as a CIR in Yukuhashi City. He’s passed the N3- and N2-level JLPT, but has failed both the old and new versions of N1. He hopes to finally pass it this December. November/December 2011 │
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Onsen: Samantha Repetti challenges you to relax a little and immerse yourself in Japanese culture
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iving in Japan can be exhausting and stressful at times. Culture shock is a battle we all face as we try to assimilate into a new culture without losing our sense of self. However, there is a silver lining: Just as we are exposed to new stresses in our everyday Japanese lives, we also have access to new forms of relaxation.
Relaxing, Japanese-styl e groups of family and friends adds a comforting effect. In a very modest country, where women wear full body swim suits and change in stalls at the gym , there is something quite liberating about walking around in the nude with your friends and family and relaxing in the hot thermal baths. The thermal baths are not only a relaxing treat for the mind, but they are also known to have positive health benefits and to do wonders for your skin. On top of all these positive aspects, by far the best part of finding a local bath to frequent is that it is true immersion into Japanese culture. Onsen have been around for ages, are a quintessential part of Japanese life and a true treasure. So let go, give it try and you may find it to be just the bit of relaxation you need.
Japanese people work hard, but they have also perfected the art of relaxation, with onsen being a prime example. Check out my favorite rontenburo near Fukuoka city, At first, the nude aspect of onsen may seem daunting for a Nakagawa Seiryu Onsen (www.nakagawaseiryu.jp). newcomer, but I challenge everyone to set your reservations aside and give it a try. You may find it to be the perfect Samantha Repetti is a second year ALT in Yukuhashi. respite from stress and a godsend during the long, cold Japanese winters. Onsen vary from simple and traditional to modern and luxurious, but they all consist of either notenburo (inside baths), rotenburo (outside baths), or both. If you live in an area without an abundant source of hot water, there are some very nice sento (public baths that don’t use natural thermal heat). Despite the lack of naturally heated water, sento can do the trick on a cold day and are a great spot to practice your Japanese with the ojiichan and obaachan that frequent the bath houses! • Always make sure to wash before entering the baths. However, the best bath The baths are unchlorinated, so it’s important not to experience comes contaminate the water. from the rotenburo • You may carry a small towel to cover yourself for baths. modesty, but upon entering the bath, leave the towel on the side of the pool or wrap it around your hair. At a nice rotenburo, Do not bring it into the water or someone will surely there are various scold you. outdoor stone baths • Tattoos are deemed unclean and are quite taboo in complete with Japan, but if it’s small, most onsen won’t pay any delicate waterfalls notice. and Japanese • Upon leaving the onsen, try to take a nap in the landscaping. In lounging room. It’s the perfect way to round off your addition to the relaxing excursion. zen-type setting, Photo: flickr.com/kyaabo the quiet banter of
Top onsen tips
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Recipes Gameni Ingredients • (A) 4 pieces hoshi shiitake (dried mushrooms) + 100ml warm water + a pinch of sugar • (B) 300ml water + 10cm sq. dried konbu kelp = dashi stock • (C) 200g satoimo (taro potatoes) + 1/2 tsp shio (salt) • (D) 80g gobou (burdock) + 80g carrots + 80g takenoko (bamboo shoots) + 80g konnyaku • (E) 2 tbsp koikuchi shoyu (dark soy sauce) + 2 tbsp mirin (sweet cooking sake) • 300g hone-tsuki toriniku (boney chicken) • 1 tbsp sesame seed oil • 3 tbsp sugar • 1/2 tsp salt
Directions Step 1: Soak dried mushrooms in the warm water to soften (about 20-30 min). If you’re in a hurry, microwave (A) for 1 minute. Drain with a sieve and keep the water. Cut into quarter-rounds. Step 2: Bring (B) to a boil. Remove the konbu kelp. Add the water from (A). Step 3: Peel taro potatoes, chop into chunks and rub with salt. Parboil for 2 minutes and drain with a sieve.
Step 4: Peel burdock and carrots, chop into chunks together with bamboo shoots. Tear konnyaku apart with a spoon. Parboil for 2 minutes and drain with a sieve. Step 5: Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Step 6: Heat sesame seed oil in a pot, fry the chicken lightly. Add (A) and (D) and continue to fry. Add (B) to cook for 2 minutes. Step 7: Add sugar, simmer for 2 minutes. Add salt to cook until the liquid reduces to half.
Step 8: Add (C) and (E) to simmer until dry to ensure that all ingredients are seasoned thoroughly.
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Photo: Sumomo Matsumoto
Sumomo Matsumoto shares her recipe for an authentic, local New Year’s dish
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ameni is a local Hakata specialty signature dish. The name originates from the Hakata dialect gamekurikomu (bring together). Gameni is often prepared for special occasions, such as festivals in Hakata and during the New Year holidays.
Sumomo Matsumoto is in the import-export business. She likes onsen-hopping, watching “Sex and the City,” and creative cooking. November/December 2011 │
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Awesome coffee chocolate cake
Photo: Sarah Davis
Sarah Davis’s favourite cake recipe is adapted from HoneyWhatsCooking.com
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his chocolate cake has gotten rave reviews from Japanese and foreigners alike (which I find hard to balance: Americans in general like sweeter, denser cakes than Japanese, who tend to prefer fluffy sponge cakes.) If I need a chocolate cake, THIS is my recipe
Sarah Davis teaches every elementary school student in Yukuhashi. She enjoys drawing, biking around town and having her dance teachers kick her butt to work off the calories from this cake.
Ingredients (Cake) • 1 3/4 cups (200g) all-purpose white flour • 2 cups (400g) sugar • 3/4 cups (90g) non-sweetened cocoa powder • 2 tsp baking soda (たんさん) • 1 tsp baking powder • 1 tsp salt • 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk (It’s usually quite difficult to find buttermilk in Japan, so I use 1 cup of milk and a tsp of lemon juice whisked together and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes) • 1/2 cup (120ml) canola oil • 2 large eggs (room temperature) • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee (Frosting) • 84g semisweet chocolate, melted (omit for just mocha butter cream) • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract • 3/4 cup (75g) confectioner’s sugar • 1 tbsp coffee powder Directions Step 1: Preheat oven to 350° F/170° C Step 2: Grease 2 round pans.
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Step 3: Sift the dry ingredients... white flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Step 4: Add sugar to the dry ingredients. Set aside.
Step 5: In a separate bowl, add buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla.
Step 6: Blend (I do it by hand but a mixer is definitely a plus). Step 7: Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
Step 8: Blend until well incorporated - do NOT over mix. Step 9: Add hot coffee.
Step 10: Blend, do not over mix. The batter will be pretty thin. Step 11: Pour batter into 2 round 9-inch pans.
Step 12: Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Sometimes it goes faster in little ovens. I use bamboo skewers from Daiso for the toothpick trick. Step 13: Apply the frosting! The ingredients listed will make enough to cover the middle and top layers (double the quantities to cover your entire cake).
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Opinion
Down Earth
Rachel Dunn on the unexpected pleasures of working in an unconventional school Photos: Rachel Dunn
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F
ollowing last issue’s article by Alanna Shubach on her experiences at a blind school in Fukuoka, I was inspired to share my experiences of a more mainstream, but still niche senior high school.
Two days a week I visit Fukuoka Agricultural High School, affectionately known as Fukuno - which is the only agricultural school in the Fukuoka city region. Often, when asked where I teach, the reaction to “Fukuoka Nogyo Koko” is disappointing to say the least, especially when I proclaim that I love it – “Honto?” “Really – you do?” Puzzled faces often greet me when I say that the students are kind, funny and individual. So this article is to stick up for the school league table underdog, and show the JET community that my “extra” school is one to be envious of, because from the first day I visited, I fell for Fukuno. Perched on the top of a hill near Dazaifu, Fukuno is an old, very historic school. The land it occupies is vast with rice fields, animal pens, greenhouses and tractor courses spanning the area. There is a pet dog barking from one corner, a wizened goat chilling in another, the sound of chickens coming from the chicken pen, and cows mooing from the cowshed. All this shows how unique this place is; Fukuno is the only place I have seen a cow in over a year in Japan, with the exception of the Hokkaido butter packet.
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Many of the students at Fukuno come from difficult family situations, which are often heartbreaking to hear. I sometimes find myself thinking that these students have experienced and seen so much more than their mainstream high academic counterparts. In some cases I feel they have experienced more than me. But they are accepting of others; students are always working together outside in the agricultural classes, and have no difficulty in working with each other in the classroom, gender aside. Being so relaxed around each other, they are always willing to try and participate in class. Each class builds its own relationship – and some really feel like big families.
My supervisor, a dedicated and extremely understanding teacher, is passionate about helping these students as much as she can. She recognizes that some have really just been dealt a difficult hand, and are not the students some picture them to be. On top of this, my supervisor has TT down to, well, a T. In full understanding of the role of an ALT in the classroom, lessons are always speakingfocused, activitybased, and have goals that guide the students through the semester. Our most memorable lesson was when the language lab was transformed into a town, and students asked for and followed directions on a reallife map. The next lesson, the language lab was a replica of the London underground; students asked and followed train line directions to various landmarks in London. They loved it.
There is a pet dog barking from one corner, a wizened goat chilling in another
It is at Fukuno that I hold some of my fondest memories, from meeting some inspirational JTEs, planting rice with the ichinensei, climbing mikan trees in Autumn, eating wild boar (caught on the school grounds), and meeting some amazing students. Quite simply put, the students are wonderful. I quickly found myself explaining the phrase “down to earth” to describe them; this really couldn’t be more appropriate - not only are the students learning about agriculture, food, animals and plants, but they are open, honest and very accepting teenagers who have the measure of each other. In classes of 20, discipline is rarely a problem, and the classroom atmosphere is extremely relaxed. With this smaller number, students’ personalities really come out in class, combine this with the diversity of students and lessons are often pretty hilarious.
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I will close with this story – a wonderful student from my first year as an ALT left Fukuno. I was really sad to hear she had quit school but three weeks ago, at sports festival, she visited. She is now, aged 17, living alone and supporting herself with a full-time job. She seemed happy and well. She seemed genuinely delighted when I told her that she was one of my best students in first year, with such high motivation and great English. When I asked her if she remembered any of our classes, she replied with “Yes! “Go straight, turn left at the corner. It’s on your right.” Rachel Dunn is a second year ALT living near Fukuoka City. If you ever want to give her a present, Ichigo Daifuku Mochi will always win her over.
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Keliko Adams looks outside of herself to try to understand the impact of ALTs in Japan
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lot of my time in Japan has been spent thinking about what I’m doing here and contemplating a long string of questions: What am I getting from this experience? How will this be relevant to my life after JET? How can I make an impact in my school? Am I making an impact in my community? What am I doing here?
It’s easy to see how this experience is affecting me from my own point of view. The challenges are profuse, and obstacles present themselves every day. Sometimes the struggle is in getting my students to use English when they talk to me. I want them to see that English is not so difficult and scary, and hopefully through these tiny interactions, they’ll get a sense that they are part of a global community. Next there is the struggle to learn Japanese so that I can immerse myself in my work environment and community, build relationships with my coworkers, make friends and be an active part of
It was enlightening to hear my friends reflect on their experience with foreigners both past and present and it has taught me to try to see this experience through another person’s eyes
the community I live in. Living away from home, away from a community I was already a part of, away from the comforts of a familiar culture and away from my friends and family further add to the struggles of being here.
All of these thoughts can feel like a cloud surrounding my brain, and I’m spending a lot of my time finding my way out of the fog and into clarity. On one of these nights, I turned to a friend next to me and asked “do you remember your ALT?”
At first he was thrown off by the question, thinking that I was asking him to talk about the ALTs he is now friends with. But I wanted to know about his ALTs when he was in school. He laughed and began to tell me about them. I was curious to see how much of a difference an ALT had made in his life and to see what it’s like having an ALT in Japan from a Japanese person’s point of view, rather than looking at it as an ALT and a foreigner. This particular friend confided that he only
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remembers bits about his ALTs. His first ALT was a woman from Australia and was the first foreign person he had ever talked to. His second ALT was a man from America and he remembers more about this ALT for two reasons: He was very tall and they both liked the same kind of music, so they often talked about bands.
Though he couldn’t remember many specific details about these ALTs, what he does remember is that these first interactions with a foreign person made learning English seem possible. He felt that the cultural exchange, especially about music, gave him insight into an overseas culture that he couldn’t have gained any other way. Another friend described his experience with ALTs. Though he remembered his ALTs in more detail, what stuck with him most was that the ALTs seemed more like friends than teachers, which made it easy for students to talk to them. One ALT in particular stands out in his memory because he was so friendly and funny and was always talking to students, which made the students very fond of him.
He relates this to his current relationships with ALTs: They’re his friends and he feels comfortable enough with them to be his “true self” (sunojibungadeseru, 素の自分が出せる). With foreign friends are always showing their true selves, he feels, so he can do the same in return. He doesn’t feel that this is true with his Japanese friends. This kind of open communication with people has enriched his life. Before these conversations, I only thought about the value of my presence here in terms of what I would gain from it. Being able to speak Japanese, playing taiko, enduring culture shock, making international friends, learning to be patient and accepting and teaching EFL are all benefits that I hope to take with me wherever I go. However, I get so caught up in my own struggles and experiences that I haven’t thought about the effect I might have and never know about.
Our presence as ALTs has an effect on other people that we won’t take back home. It will stay here, in a person’s memory, or resting in their hearts.
If you haven’t done so, I challenge you to ask the people in your life about their experience with foreigners in Japan. It was enlightening to hear my friends reflect on their experience with foreigners both past and present, and it has taught me to try to see this experience through another person’s eyes. Keliko Adams is a third-year ALT in Yukuhashi. She enjoys learning about the Japanese language more than actually speaking it.
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Entertainment
Event guide compiled by Keliko Adams
Photo: Ari Helminen
Do not miss Drinking parties (enkai, 宴会) December – January
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E
nkai are prevalent throughout the year, as you already know. However, at the end of the year and beginning of the new year, they are especially important in celebrating these major events with co-workers, family, friends and/or neighbors. Because of this, December and January quickly become busy with numerous bounenkai (忘年会 “leave-the-year-behind party”) and shinnenkai (新年会 “new year party”). New Year’s is an important time in Japanese culture, so be sure to toast to new beginnings with the people around you! November/December 2011 │
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November Grand Sumo Tournament Fukuoka International Center, November 13 – 27 The national sport of Japan, this Fukuoka branch tournament is one of only four that take place annually around Japan. AJET’s outing is on November 27.
Illuminations at Huis Ten Bosch Huis Ten Bosch, November 19 – March 4 One of the biggest light shows in Japan with over 7 million lights throughout the park.
Photo: Keliko Adams
Gaikokujin Star Tanjo JR Kyushu Hall, November 22 Hosted by Fukuoka Now, this event will showcase various talented foreign performers living in Kyushu. JR Kyushu Hall is on the 9F of JR Hakata City. 19:00-24:00, tickets ¥1,000, www.fukuoka-now.com. Sake Festival Tenjin, November 26 Samples from the Niwa no Uguisu in Kurume and the Dassai brewery in Yamaguchi will be available. The event starts at 17:00. 5F Gonpachi 2-3-24 Chuo-ku.
December
Marine Christmas Marine World, Fukuoka, December 1 – 25 See divers in Santa suits feed present to the fish or watch a nighttime dolphin show to celebrate Christmas.
Photo: Keliko Adams
Oshiroi Festival Oyamazumi Shrine, Asakura, 2 December Newly harvested rice is ground into powder and made into white face paint, which is then smeared on the faces of worshippers in to foretell whether they will have a bountiful or lean harvest. 14:00-16:00. Tao Canal City, Fukuoka, December 3 – 11 World-renowned taiko drumming group Tao will perform in the theater in Canal City. Tickets range from 5,000yen to 7,000. Call 0570-084-008 for more info.
January
Oshougatsu Nationwide, January 1 One of the most important holidays in Japan, New Year’s holidays (approximately Dec 29-Jan 3) are marked by businesses shutting down and staying home with family. Photo: Tao Entertainment
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Oniyo Festival Kurume, January 7 At 9pm, six enormous torches are lit and carried around the shrine by men in loincloths.
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Ask
Professor Sempai
Dear Professor Sempai, Where can I buy a turkey around here? - Hungry
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h, the elusive Japanese turkey. This legendary animal has a reputation as a trickster in Japanese expat folklore. Stories of Turkey sitings light up the Internet every autumn, just in time for the various Thanksgivings and Winter Holidays and whatnots, which expats celebrate with the ritual sacrifice of this mysterious enormous bird. As a researcher of Japanese life, I’ve come to the conclusion that “the turkey” is no different from Kappa or Godzilla: Pure fiction.
In expat folklore, the turkey is said to live close to Costco’s or extremely large foreignerfriendly supermarkets, occasionally spotted in the frozen food section. It’s an expat tradition to spend several hours searching for the bird in what one might call “a wild goose chase.” All hogwash. There is no such thing as a turkey. A look at the original reports of the English settlers in Plymouth shows that they didn’t even eat it, instead dining on lobster and lamb. Consider it’s alleged size. No bird could be that big, and it certainly couldn’t fit into even the largest Japanese oven. Its appearance is
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the typical hodgepodge of mythical beasts, combining the over-sized body of a chicken with the eyes of a man and drumsticks instead of legs. And that lion’s mane? Please! Birds don’t even have hair. And so, each year, much as gifts from Santa Claus appear under the “Christmas Tree” (another nonexistent species, I’m afraid) this “turkey” eaten on Thanksgiving is a generous trick of the cook, who is in fact merely slicing up several chickens.
If you’re looking for a ready-made trickster chicken, you can find them at Costco, which sell them in giant netted bags, or you can try to get the meat shipped to you by websites such as themeatguy.jp, which also sells the mythical Turducken. No luck finding “Tofurkey Meat,” though. Unless you’re a stickler for tradition, it’s much simpler to make your reservation at KFC. However you slice the chicken, have a happy holiday. Professor Sempai is neither a real professor nor a real sempai.
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? the refill | November/December 2011
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Based on Fukuoka’s tradition of kaedama, in which a refill of ramen noodles is served for leftover broth, the refill serves up additional information about life in Japan for Fukuoka’s JET community.
contact us at
the.refill.fukuoka@gmail.com The contents of this newsletter are strictly for entertainment purposes. The magazine cannot be held responsible for actions taken as a result of its content. The viewpoints published herein are those of the authors and do not reflect the philosophy or viewpoints of the Fukuoka Board of Education, the JET Programme or CLAIR. Photo: Eryk Salvaggio
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