Mirembe on Japan (* now with pics!)

Ok so I’ve been ordered to write something for San’s blog so here it is:


When San first started going on about teaching in Japan I must admit although the idea sounded perfect for her I never imagined she would quite go through with it! Not that I don’t believe in her capabilities – San obviously loves travelling and has probably done more than I had done at her age – it’s just that Japan seems so foreign to commit an entire year of your life too. Japan has always been one of those places I intended to do in my lifetime I just never thought I would be flying out there for just a week with little/no planning or research, not much cash to splash, no idea how to say the basic essential phrases ‘Thank-you’ and ‘Please’, and not entirely sure how I would manage to get from the airport to San’s sleepy town of Tsuyama!



From getting dropped off at East Croydon station by B after a late night out at a wedding to finally lugging my suitcase through San’s door took over 24 hours! Needless to say my first few days in Tsuyama were spent sleep walking – being woken up every now and again to be fed by San or when she woke up to go to school! But I managed to get a glimpse of San’s new life.



I met her Mormon boys who despite any preconceptions I may have had were a laugh to hang around and it was very easy to forget their religious purpose in Japan until you were reminded that they couldn’t for example enter Sanyu’s flat cos she is a girl! They patiently watched me struggle to remember how to ride a bike – in my defence it’s been a long time and Tsuyama is really hilly! - and took us for a yummy sushi meal and a not so good American meal at the gaigin (foreigner) fav eatery Joyful. We also went to San’s local badminton club and bowling with them although I think they think I am too far gone a sinner as I told them a story about kinda forgetting to pay a bill in a café in Paris and they never quite looked at me the same way again!



Unfortunately the day San arranged to take me to school with her I still horribly jetlagged and she only had one class to teach, but it was fun riding to school with her past groups of school kids, in the bright morning sun with my sunglasses and flattering grey tights (I didn’t have any suitable trousers to wear and had to maintain decency by covering my legs and feet). Entering the school will probably be the closest I’ll get to experience what Nicole Kidman feels like on the red carpet – the kids were so excited to see what San had brought in with her! Seeing San in the classroom with two deaf children just confirmed what I thought about San being a natural teacher. Qualities which I admit can sometimes find frustrating – her almost saintly patience and her constant warm countenance even when she might not be feeling so great on the inside – make her perfect for the classroom. I think all those contemporary dance shows and school musicals we were dragged to watch her in have paid off too as it pays to have a very expressive body language (although not necessary when talking to fellow English speakers San!) when teaching English and those Japanese sure love to hear people sing – luckily for them she can!



The last night in Tsuyama was by far the best as I got drunk on shochu (Japanese spirit – too easy to drink when mixed with fruit juice!) and met her eclectic mix of gaijin friends from all over the English speaking world. Notable characters include the Aussie, Sean who the phrase ‘politically incorrect’ must have been created for, Brazilian by birth but of Japanese parentage Eddie with a wicked laugh and San’s lil brother Will who is like a male American Sanyu! We then went on to this tiny basement bar with instruments for the customers to play. Obviously San isn’t going to turn her back to a microphone and her gaijin friends all seem to be able to play something so us non musical folk were treated to various Oasis and Wheatus songs and courtesy of the lone Japanese customer in the bar ‘We Are the World’ and a lovely little Japanese song that Eddie pretended not to know until he jumped on stage to sing the last chorus with- brave guy! Hehe I kept Will and San up till 1 in the morning and thoroughly enjoyed my lie in on Friday whilst San dragged herself off to school!



The weekend was all about Kyoto and boy were we ready for some city action! Kyoto is the city you need to go to if you want to experience Japanese cultural history as literally every 15 min is another Buddhist shrine/temple/Zen garden. This we were often reminded is what saved Kyoto from getting the nuclear bomb – someone high up enough in the American government recognised the wealth of history there and decided to spare it. We ventured out on the first night with our new best friend The Rough Guide to Japan and eventually plucked up the courage to ask a gaijin for directions. We def picked the right gaijin as they immediately rubbished the Rough Guide's recommendation and we ended up drinking by the canal with them for a bit then going to this ‘rock’ bar where we hung out with some other gaijins and I drank beer all night which those of u who know me know that I don’t do!



This is the thing about Japan as a gaijin – it’s incredibly easy to befriend other gaijins. People you would never meet/socialise with back home are suddenly part of your community and are eager to get to know you – especially as a woman as I sense there are more male gaijins than female. It’s weird but very cool if you’re travelling alone or new to the country. Some of them are like San – just there for a year – others have settled in Japan for years. We noticed that everyone we met said a similar thing – how they never quite felt like they fitted in back home but in Japan they were happy. As a gaijin in Japan for little over a week this foreign community was refreshing and made my trip so much more enjoyable. But I wonder how easily it could be to forget to make an effort and make Japanese friends and practice your Japanese outside of work. I think in a way San is lucky as she lives in a small town with a smaller group of gaijins. As for that Japanese themselves, I was anxious before I left as to how they would react towards a black person having experienced not so welcoming vibes closer to home in Spain and (LOL) the Peak District! I was overwhelmed by the efforts of some of the Japanese we came across – they were so willing to help, so patient with San’s Japanese, yes a few were very curious and we noticed people trying to take a photo of the black gaijins a couple of times, but not in anyway was the attention negative or unfriendly. Japanese lump all foreigners - black white asian - into one basket and they are happy for gaijins to come over to teach English. I don’t think we met a gaijin there who wasn’t in the language industry – I was told that the Japanese are very Nationalistic and rarely employ a gaijin over a Japanese for a job that doesn’t require English.



After our first night in town we got so many recommendations that we were able to pick a few of the temples/zen gardens that were a must see including the stunning views from Kiyomizu Temple (a possible candidate for the new 7 wonders of the world) the serenity of the Zen gardens surrounding the Temple of the Silver Pavilion and breath taking 1001 Golden statues in Sanjusangendo.

At night we partied like it was 1999 (bless San it had been a while so it took her a few songs before she got her groove back!) and we had such a blast, I sweated like a bitch showing the Japanese how we do it in London! LOL! Luckily for us Japanese love hip hop culture so the music was exactly what we were looking for and it was fun watching those who fancied themselves as a bit of a b-boy and the not so great get down. We also met a fab guy Daniel who works for the same company as San in Kyoto.


And another Daniel who I can’t remember where he’s based but he spoke of his village being surrounded by snow capped mountains all year round and how surfing in Japan is wild cos the water is mad cold!



We spent the last day Monday in Osaka – which we were told got bombed heavily during the war so is practically brand new. It’s a bigger city than Kyoto – very busy with lots more sky scrapers. We negotiated their tube system quite well and visited the Osaka castle which has been rebuilt so often it actually has a lift so you don’t have to walk to the upper storeys! It was still impressive and we got a few good shots of the Osaka skyline.




So that’s my trip to see San in Japan. What can I say – I am extremely proud that one of my siblings has been brave enough to take on Japan for a year and incredibly thankful that she gave me an opportunity to see a little bit of Japan!
Japan is wicked – I recommend it to everyone and anyone – the people are so welcoming and there is so much to see historically and a whole new culture to experience.
If I get the chance am going back – would love to see a little of Tokyo and possibly see more of Okayama the region San lives in and Hiroshima which isn’t too far from her. Perhaps see some sumo wrestling, go to a tea ceremony and go skiing – the country has so much to offer – I think I should join its Tourism Board!



Thanks for a brilliant time Sanyu!



Mirembe