Japan-How Civilized!

We’ve decided to spare you all and experience our reverse culture shock in Japan. Our course hosts met us at the Narita Airport and spent the next hour helping Steve and Li buy train tickets to Nikko. My co-instructor Missy and I waved goodbye as they disappeared into the belly of the Narita train station. We had a semi-firm plan to meet in 5 days, no mobile phone and sketchy Internet. How big can Japan be?? Missy and I headed 4 hours north to Shirakawa where we taught a 2 day Wilderness First Aid course over 4 days to allow for translation time. For the first two days of errands and course set-up I couldn’t help but think, I am not in China anymore! From smelly, dirty Chinese squat toilets without toilet paper to immaculate restroom with heated toilet seats and bidets-what a contrast! I think my word for Japan is fastidious. Things are clean and efficient, the people are polite to a fault and everything runs on time. Astounding after the past year. Of course it’s as expensive here as the US, but since the bills look foreign, I don’t feel so bad about what I am spending!

Truly the best feature of Japan, however, is the onsen-the natural hot springs. We have been to an onsen every night in Japan except one. The people are also incredibly generous. Our students were respectful and attentive in class and partiers at night. In other words after two days of teaching we had been naked and drinking with our students (not at the same time)! The course went well and we did our best to flounder through Japanese formalities. We managed to connect with Steve and Li at the train station and after dinner at Denny’s (the menu looks a little different!) and some onsen time, we were all united at the course facility in the mountain.

Steve and Li spent time in Nikko and Aizu Watsumota. The main feature of their travels involved arts and crafts (of course) but they ate well and slept well and survived! After mailing 75 pounds of teaching gear to Hong Kong today we are off on our own to Nagano. Japan Rail Passes in hand we can go as we please through the country. Given how hot and humid it is in Tokyo, we opted to head north to the mountains!