Monkeys!

I recall a deep, philosophical question once posed by a group of musically inclined young lads while pondering the possible ways in which large sums of money could be spent to promote amorous relations. I believe the exact words were, “Haven’t you always wanted a monKEY?”

Hey, who hasn’t? Cute and loveable, almost like mini versions of human beings. Trouble too, mind you, but that’s all part of the fun.

Realistically though, owning a monkey is probably not a good idea for most of us. It’s probably a very, very bad idea. So, the next best thing is socializing with monkeys in a snowy mountaintop setting.

“Where can you do this?” you ask. In Nagano, Japan.

On Saturday, I joined Caitlin, the queen of day trips, and two other friends for a trek to Yudanaka to see wild snow monkey’s at the monkey onsen. It was quite the journey. It was long, and a tad costly too.

Local trains from Ota to Takasaki (with a switch in Isesaki) – 700 yen
Bullet train from Takasaki to Nagano city – 4,410 yen
Local train to Yudanaka – 1,230 yen
Bus to Monkey Park – 250 yen

That’s 6,590 yen one way, or almost $64 Canadian. But hey, how else can you hang out with monkeys? And the ticket in to the Jigokudani (Monkey) Park was only 500 yen.

The truth is, I am not the best candidate for such an adventure. I am slightly afraid of most animals, including my cat some of the time. I freaked out for about 3 weeks this past July after Noah made me hand-feed a squirrel that scratched me.

But the monkeys were amazing! Even spotting them in the distance was a thrill. These lucky little monkeys managed a long time ago to take over a natural onsen and spend their winters soaking in hot water and being on display for tourists of all kinds.

I couldn’t believe how close you could get to these little creatures. You could see the wrinkles on their knuckles, their sunburned faces, the pinpoint pupils in their yellow eyes. And teeth. Despite all my attempts to stay safe, I managed to provoke an aggressive little guy into snarls and a wide-mouthed display of his chompers. I escaped unscathed. (Well, except for the giant bruise on my backside from the fall I took on the icy path back to the bus stop.)

You’re not allowed to actually reach out and touch the monkeys but they are allowed to touch people. Every once in a while a baby would poke a tourist or even leap up and latch on hoping for a bite of button or some other snack-like accessory. My friends handled this well. I don’t know that I would have.

http://www.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/livecam/monkey/index.htm - This link should take you to a live camera of the monkey onsen.

Here are some more pictures of this winter adventure.

Yuki Matsuri

I am cold. I am FREEZING. I am sitting on the floor, wrapped in a blanket, typing and shivering. The space heater is about as close as it can be without my hair catching fire and I still can’t seem to warm up. And, while most of me is just plain cold, my right hand is an actual block of ice. Oh, and I am at home in Ota, central Japan. I am here and I am dreaming of the warmth of northern Sapporo.

Sapporo was wonderful! Last weekend, I met up with my friend Sonia and another ALT from her town for the famous, annual Yuki Matsuri (snow festival) in the prefecture of Hokkaido.

I am going to pause my story here for a moment to apologize. I would like to say sorry to all of the ALTs I said were crazy for requesting a northern placement. After seeing this part of the country for myself, I now totally understand why you would want to live here. In fact, I think you are so very lucky to be able to experience such a beautiful part of Japan.

Hokkaido is romanticized by the Japanese. My students write fairytale stories about falling in love, marrying and moving to this nature rich part of the country. As for me, I only had a few days to enjoy this winter wonderland.

My plane touched down just outside of Sapporo at about 10 am on Friday morning. It was a bit of a crazy trip that began with a 4 am cycle to the station, followed by a sweltering bus ride through snarled Tokyo traffic, and included a mad dash to make the flight. By 11:15, I was at the tourist office collecting maps and other goodies. And at 12:30, my friend Sonia and Heidi arrived at out downtown hotel.


Immediately, we began touring, and tasting. Our first stop was for a big bowl of delicious and fresh ramen noodles from a famous alleyway lined with closet-sized shops.



Next, we walked to Odori Park to check out the snow and ice sculptures. Some walking, then straight up the TV Tower for a view of the city as large flakes of fluffy snow drifted down. A little more Odori Park. Next, we made our way to the Tokei-dai, a famous clock tower in the heart of Sapporo with a small civic museum.



Back to the hotel for a short rest and to add some clothing layers, and we were off again. Our evening destination was the Sapporo Beer Factory. We were looking for THE Beer Garden restaurant, but we settled for A Beer Garden after discovering a multitude of choices. We downed some premium beer and grilled slices of fresh lamb and vegetables at our table. Each diner was served a bib to keep clean and a large plastic bag to cover our coats and bags with in an attempt to keep everything we own from absorbing the juicy smell of the meat.




A little more Odori Park, a few ice sculptures, and a hot drink and we were ready to call it a night.



The next day was our chance to explore a little further out. In the morning, we took a bus to another part of the festival fun. It was mostly for kids, but we gladly got in on the fun by plunging down an icy inner tube hill and getting lost in a giant snow maze.

Our next destination was the city of Otaru. It was stunning. Otaru is a beautiful, old city with a romantic canal and intriguing brick warehouses, many now occupied by glass artists. After dark, the city put on a breathtaking display of glass and snow lanterns. I had never seen a snow lantern before. It’s just a cylinder of packed snow with a candle stuck in the centre. The orange glow is subtle and warm.


On Sunday morning, we climbed aboard a downtown streetcar and up a mountain via ropeway. Then into a bus that had triangles where round wheels should have been. It gripped and packed the snow as it transported us to the observatory. The view from Mt. Moiwa was spectacular. Blue, blue sky, not a cloud in sight. The snowy mountains to our left, the city reaching out to the distant shore on our right.


A few last sights before it was time to go. We explored the red brick government building with its free museum inside. And, I enjoyed a hot bowl of curry soup before the long journey south to my frosty home in Ota.


My nose is cold. Toes too. Warm thoughts, warm thoughts, warm thoughts…

Take a look at some photos from the trip.

Noah’s Visit

My aunt Julie phoned me today. It’s such a treat to get a phone call or a hand written letter from friends and family back home. Julie is my number one pen pal, but she seldom calls.

“How was Noah’s visit?” she asked. “Why didn’t you write anything about his trip?”

I’m not sure. I’ve been busy, but this past week has been good. Have I been a little lazy? Maybe.

I think the truth is that Noah’s visit really feels more like a dream now. It has since he left Ota. It’s hard to recall and articulate dreams. But, here goes.

I am so happy to be in Japan. It’s been a wonderful adventure and one that I wanted to share with Noah. Sure, I write and call and send pictures, but I wanted him to see it, and smell it and taste it for himself.

I also wanted to see Noah. And when I spotted him on the bus from the airport, I was excited, happy, nervous, anxious, eager… And so our adventures in Japan began.

His first day here and we were already off exploring. My kind and generous friends were able to help me borrow a bike and Noah and I rode around the city to some of the more scenic spots. We even found energy to hike up a mountain. Okay it was a small mountain, but still. Oh, and we ran into some of my students, much to their obvious delight.


The next morning, we headed out early and caught the train to Tokyo. It was so much fun to play tourist with Noah. It can be easy to forget the feeling of wonder I had when I first arrived. A visitor helps me to remember. And, it was nice that Noah found a delicious sushi restaurant for us to enjoy.




Our next big outing was to the home of my supervisor’s family for something very traditional, very Japanese, and very tasty. Noah and I were invited to Maruhashi sensei’s in-laws’ to make mochi, sticky rice cakes, for New Year’s. What an honour to be able to participate in a family event like this. There was lots of pounding, rolling, tasting, eating, and more eating.






After the mochi party, Noah and were driven directly to the train station. From there, we headed south and then west by bullet train to the ancient city of Kyoto. The city was magical. Our hotel was not. The owner a little on the disconcerting side as well. He kindly showed us some maps and highlights of the city, but lectured us about the brevity of our stay. The room was cold, drafty and felt kinda dirty – a fact that was more exemplified than hidden by the car air freshener theme in the bathroom. And when I asked for a suggestion about where to eat, I was repeatedly told only the fast food spots near the train station were within my budget. The nerve. Instead, we went to Gion for 6-dollar okonomiyaki.


The next morning, the hotel owner greeted us with a genuine smile and helped us sort out rented bikes and gloves for a day of touring in Kyoto. Everywhere we went people were getting ready for the night’s festivities. We joined in the fun at the Yasaka Shrine. We ate festival food, watched people light ropes to start their own New Year’s fires at home, and squeezed into a long line to experience the ringing of the temple bell by Buddhist monks.


On the first day of the year, we went to the Fushimi Inari Shrine. So did everyone else in Kyoto, it seemed. But it was just beautiful. Rows of orange torii gates wrapped around the mountainside like ribbon and the contrast with the green trees and grey stone cemeteries was astonishing.


That afternoon we headed to Osaka and our seemingly luxurious accommodations, by contrast any way, at the Ramada. Here, we had time to relax, catch up and enjoy a slower pace of travel. We climbed up the city’s castle, enjoyed the energy of America Mura, and devoured seasonal grilled crab legs.


Our culinary explorations didn’t end there. We decided to go to Kobe for…
Kobe beef! And it was absolutely, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. It even made up for the day’s wet weather and confusion about the Earthquake museum. The man at the subway station’s ticket booth was kind enough to give us directions, but he obviously had something he wanted to articulate and couldn’t figure out how to express to a couple of English speakers. As it turned out, the main part of the museum was closed for renovations.


After Kobe and Osaka, we headed to Hiroshima, our final destination. It was modern, beautiful and moving. So many reminders of the death and destruction as well as the ardent hope for peace. On our way back to the hotel the first night, Noah spotted an old European looking building. Too old, he remarked, to have been built after the war. Sure enough, a daytime visit confirmed that this was one of the only buildings in the area to have survived the atomic bomb blast. Inside were millions of paper cranes folded by children from all around the world.


Miyajima Island and her deer entertained us the rest of the day. It was low tide and so we were able to get a close up view of the famous torii gate. The overbearing deer nibbled on our shopping bags, and jackets and tried to steal our onigiri. The grilled oysters made a tasty and satisfying snack for humans like us. Mmmmmm!






Those were the highlights. We made our way back to Tokyo for a brief stay and Noah spent a few days in Ota while I went off to work.

Noah came to class with me one morning. The students were so excited to meet him. There was screaming and laughing. Several came running for handshakes and personal introductions. You would think they were meeting a rock star.


The visit was too short. And, all too soon, it was January 11th and time for Noah to head home. That morning, I was the one who had to say goodbye and leave first. I had lessons at my visit school. Noah took a cab to the train station where the airport shuttle bus picked him up. And just like that, he was gone. Sort of.

Noah’s flight to Canada was cancelled that night. He was given vouchers for a hotel room and meals at the Hilton in Narita. For another 12 hours Noah was in Japan, stuck out by the airport, a three-hour journey from my home. It was excruciating to think that he was so close and yet so far.

Now, Noah is on the other side of the earth. And, every Friday when I get on the bus to my visit school, I have this terrible feeling as if I’ve left something important at home.

Album One

Album Two

Onsen Weekend

I’m a pretty shy person. Well, I am when it comes to taking my clothes off. In front of strangers, people I know, doesn’t matter. I am possibly one of the most self-conscious people on Earth regarding my body. And, it’s not for terribly good reasons either. Just that I am a little heavier than I would like, I have all kinds of skin issues, and breasts that belong on someone three, or even four, times my size. There, I said it. That was almost as difficult as stripping down and hoping into a tiny, shared, public bath. I did that this past week too.

Saturday morning, with bags packed Reina and I rode out into the rain to the train station and headed north. We were going to Kusatsu, a famous hot spring resort town, to be exact. Along the way, we met up with four more young women who teach in Ota and the rain turned into beautiful, soft snow.


This was the first snow I had seen in Japan. It was dreamlike. White tufts on top of every branch and every rooftop. It was so calming, the facts that our mochas were bitter, our connections barely gave us time to buy tickets, and we couldn’t find the right bus to our hostel, didn’t phase us at all. For some reason, luck abounds in Japan and everything worked out perfectly.

(Luck, and ingenuity. Later that night, Natasha turned a Pringles chip can into an amplifier and our hostel room was filled with music, as well as talk, laughter, and choco snacks.)

When we weren’t sleeping or hanging out in our rented digs, we were soaking in hot tubs or seeking out our next bath. My favourite was relaxing in the outdoor pools at the Now Resort Hotel. It was wonderful to be submerged in the steamy mineral bath with the snow falling on my face. Hours and hours we spent chatting and turning into giant prunes. The toasty warm feeling lasted for some time afterwards and guaranteed a restful sleep.

On Sunday, we headed out to explore. The ski slopes were less than a five-minute walk. And, although none of us wanted to actually ski, we decided to check it out all the same. We walked into town toting our towels, stopping at souvenir shops and for free samples of steamy manju cake on the street.

At the centre of town was the Yubatake, the bubbling hot water springing forth and bringing with it frothy, yellow sulfur. It is this water that is the source for the town’s many onsen.


We found two public bathhouses that afternoon. Perhaps a novelty in their genuineness, they were not the most comfortable places to bathe. They were cramped, cold, and a touch grimy. Just a touch. Still, it was fun to discover these little places.


What was less fun, was having to strip in the freezing little change rooms. And, if I may offer a small piece of advice, I would suggest that you keep your socks on until the last possible moment. Its amazing how the temperature of your feet can effect your overall well being.

Sleep too. After an evening of onsen and slumber partying, the 7:30 am breakfast was draining. And so, we didn’t make it though the afternoon as genki as we might have liked. And by the time we reached the bus depot to catch the shuttle for the hotel next to our hostel, I was tuckered out.

The station? It was tired too, and nearly closed for the night. There was no shuttle bus. We called the hotel to find out the time of the next one, or so we thought. After several of us taking turns on the phone, a man who knew some English came to our aid. It turned out we called a restaurant. The poor woman kept telling us there was no bus where she was, and we repeatedly asked her when it would be arriving at the station. But, the confusion didn’t end there. The kind man didn’t seem to understand that all we needed was the bus and kept trying to help us make a hotel reservation for the night.

We tried to get a cab at the taxi stand. There was one, but it was minus a driver. And when he finally showed up, he announced he was already reserved. I spotted a cab stopped at the traffic light and ran over to ask if we could get in. No, apparently not. This time no reason was given, no window opened as an offer of explanation or assistance. In my frustration, I found myself in the middle of the intersection, yelling, “Takchi wa doko desu ka?” Where is a taxi? He pointed to the empty taxi stand. And so, we began our long walk back through town and to the hostel. And, just as we turned up the road towards our goal, a shuttle bus to the hotel whizzed by.

Thank goodness, we had another onsen to melt our stress away. Ah, that’s better.

I ♥ Hong Kong

If I were a billionaire, I would buy a condo in Hong Kong. What a fantastic city! Not that I got to really see that much of the place. I only had four days at the end of October to get there, explore, and make my way back home. But, what I saw, I loved.

Early, early on the morning of Saturday, October 20th I headed out to catch a shuttle bus to the airport and meet my parents in Hong Kong. By mid-afternoon I was taxing to the arrival gate. And I swear, the moment we landed I could smell food. Hong Kong is a culinary adventure. There’s so much to do, see, smell and taste.

Our first destination was Victoria Peak. I guess our thinking was the fastest way to take in as much of the city as possible was to get up as high as week could. The setting sun highlighted the hazy view of Hong Kong, the harbour, and Kowloon.



That night we crossed the water to Kowloon in search of a seafood supper and the hustle and bustle of the night market. The things for sale there were touristy and cheap, but the energy was good.


The next morning, we headed out to find a historic synagogue in Hong Kong. It was beautiful, fascinating and worth it’s own story, so I will leave it at that and hopefully get to telling you more about it soon.


Adventures beckoned us in every direction. We choose random adventure and hopped on the first double-decker tram with a destination we didn’t recognize.


We rode until we tired of it and then took the subway back to the ferry port and crossed back to Kowloon for Jade Market shopping, dim sum and incense infused temples.



Dinner and a sunset were enjoyed at a small island fishing village.


Politics and free speech seem alive and well in a Hong Kong under Chinese rule. Dinnertime arguments over politics waft through the air along with the smell of fried fish. The newspapers are full of strongly worded anti-government editorials and even the Falun Dafa practitioners felt comfortable enough to protest.

The next day belonged to Buddha. We woke up early to make our way to one of the biggest Buddha statues in the world. Buddha was beautiful, the chanting from the temple was mesmerizing and the vegetarian lunch one of my all-time favourite meals.



Hong Kong is a fascinating mix. Rich urban, poor rural. Fishermen and businesswomen. Diverse people from around the world. And, lots of English.

On our last night we took a nighttime cruise aboard the Aqua Luna. What a beautiful illuminated and illuminating city.


More pictures here.

Okini Osaka

Long weekends might not be as rare as you think here in Japan, but they are still precious. If you take the train out of town as soon as you finish work, you can get a good two and a half days of touring somewhere. Heck, if you add one more day of paid leave, you might just have enough time to check out Hong Kong or Seoul or someplace else. Yes, you can cram a lot into a long weekend.

And so, because I’ll likely only be here for the year, it seemed like a good idea to head to Kyoto for the Labour Thanksgiving Day weekend at the end of November. The funny thing is, however, it doesn’t seem to matter if you are in Japan once in your life or for a lifetime, that’s THE weekend to see Kyoto. Everything, everything, everything was booked up more than a month in advance. Sonia brought in the big guns and had the travel agent for the school where she was working do some serious digging around for a hotel. And, low and behold, he did it! He found us a great little place in Osaka, just a 30 minute train ride away from Kyoto. And a huge breakfast buffet to boot.

The next trick would be finding a way to meet on the train platform at Tokyo station to catch the shinkansen bullet train. Sonia had about ten minutes to navigate a busy and confusing station and I had to find a way to get up to the platform without an actual ticket in hand. Again, we managed and were off on our adventure.


Saturday was Kyoto day. A quick train ride and Sonia and I were transported from one Great Japanese metropolis to another.

I must admit that Kyoto could have a little better organized on our parts. We didn’t know which temples we wanted to see, we didn’t have a map, we were completely left to our own devices. I had high expectations and not really any means of achieving them.



We accomplished less than we might have liked that day but what we did see was grand. The trees in the gardens surrounding the palace grounds were painted bright yellows and reds. We were able to make our way to a couple of temples. The Ryoanji Temple grounds were breathtakingly beautiful and the Zen garden strangely fascinating. We even made time to sit and enjoy a traditional temple yu-dofu lunch. And we managed to catch sunset at the Rokuon-Ji Temple’s Golden Pavilion. Striking. Although, it was just a stream of people. We wrapped up the evening with a stroll along Philosopher’s Walk. (I make it sound so lovely. We were also snarled at by a mean dog with sharp teeth, got semi-lost on the transit system, and ended up, in a moment of desperation, at an Italian buffet for dinner.)





The next day was all about Osaka. Our first destination was the castle. To get there we had to walk through several terrific parks, leaves ablaze. Up, up, up until we reached the magnificent building. The square was full of life and the warm sun made it feel like a summer day. It was a lovely place to relax and enjoy takoyaki. And, when I say enjoy, I mean it this time. Osaka is known for it’s takoyaki (doughy octopus balls) and it is obvious why. Unlike the takoyaki I had had in Ota or at festivals, this stuff was actually good. Really. It wasn’t too oily and actually had a slightly crispy exterior. Oh, and it wasn’t buried under mayonnaise.


The people in Osaka were very kind. Maybe too kind. We asked one man for directions and found a personal escort who wouldn’t take no for an answer. At one point, we decided we wanted to take a detour and check out another park area. It was a real trick to turn back before we reached the destination originally inquired about.

The shopping in Osaka is great too. Lots of fun. Especially in America Mura, the hip shopping/hangout part of the city. This is were fashion comes to die… Or, be reborn, depending on how you look at it. It’s certainly isn’t the least bit American. I don’t think I’d ever seen a man in red and black striped tights, with really short leather shorts, a leather jacket, white boots, pink nail polish, triangular sunglasses, and a purple mohawk in America. Well, not in this decade.


Dotombori Street, although touristy, was alive with fabulous energy. There were restaurants and theaters all along the strip. Smaller, more traditional eateries, and even temples, filled the nearby alleyways. A little further still, were the hostess bars. Some of the action spilled onto the streets. Around a corner and we spotted one woman being repeatedly groped as several men said their goodnights.



Through the doors of one coffee house, and we were in another world. The café was the width of a train car. The walls were paneled with richly stained wood. The smoke hung in the air, illuminated by chandlers and sconces. Mostly older men sitting with mostly younger women who were wearing pearls and sporting big updos. Not much conversation to be found here. A pile of women’s fashion magazines suggested feminine boredom. But the teacakes were divine, the strawberry juice fresh, and the hot chocolate made from real cocoa. It turned out the owner studied English in Seattle 15 years ago and was eager for English conversation. Between serving drinks and cleaning tables he keep returning to chat.

The next morning it was time to say goodbye to Osaka. Sonia and I made our way to the “Floating Garden.” Not a bit of greenery in sight up there, but the view of Osaka was amazing from our perch high about the action.



Okini Osaka - Thank you, Osaka.

See lots more photos!