6. Arrival in Japan

Me in my spacious ( 16 mat) living room. ( note: sliding paper doors in background and kerosene heater in foreground)

Well it was time to leave Singapore and head for my new home in Kamogawa, JAPAN. Kamogawa-shi (shi=city) lies two hours southeast of Tokyo (on the island of Honshu), on the eastern coast of the Boso Peninsula, located in the prefecture of Chiba-ken (ken is similar to a state)...got the maps out??? Now, contrary to what some may assume about Japan, it is NOT all bright lights and big cities, like Tokyo. No, in fact, most of Japan is quite mountainous and mostly rural outside of the bigger cities. This accounts for the large number of natural hot springs or "onsens", the public hot spring baths that are found throughout Japan. My favorite is the "rotemburo", the outside onsen, where you enjoy the soothing, hot water, in a private setting, outdoors, lit only by the starry night...ahhh.

The ride from Narita International airport to Kamogawa was about two and a half hours long. The Nemoto family, whose house I rented, were kind enough to take me back to my new home. Upon my first view of Kamogawa, I was struck with the realization that it was not the everyday tourist city I had seen pictured in the welcome brochures but instead was a budding green countryside scattered with rice, vegetable and flower fields. Now being as how I was born and raised in suburban St. Louis, I could not help but wonder to myself..."What have I gotten myself into?"; but I was determined to make a go of it, and face up to all the challenges that awaited me.

My country house, with large tin roof (note: the first set of windows with curtains was the classroom for Saturday "juku" cram school)

The country house where I was to live for over a year was rich in character, complete with "tatami" (straw mats), "shoji" (paper-screened sliding doors) and minimal furniture, including a "futon" (large cushion for sleeping on the floor), and small floor tables and chairs within each room. I was quite happy to have so much space, since in the larger cities space was at a premium; and I learned that I can live with less furniture and clutter and enjoy it immensely. In fact, although I had a tv, I had no antenna (and thus no tv picture) for the first seven months I was there. It was not until the tragedy of September 11th that I was compelled to have the television connected. 

I also learned the importance of insulation. You see, Japanese homes do not have that wonderful invention, so it gets a bit breezy in the winter. However, I was saved in part to my first purchase for my house at the local recycle shop ( aka: junkyard/flea market...but very nice!)...a "kotatsu". I do not know who invented this little table with a heating element under the tabletop...but wow, GENIUS! I loved this table and so dearly wanted to bring it home with me... alas, the shipping was five times greater than the original cost...shame. Anyway, the table sits low to the ground so that you sit comfortably on the floor, and place your legs under the warm table and thus keep nice and toasty while you eat your meals and write letters or teach classes. Now my country house was definitely made for the summer. I had so many full sized, sliding glass windows, that I was constantly surrounded by sunshine. The summers in Japan are quite warm and very humid and imagine this, they actually have a summer breeze; but then, I am from St. Louis...so I was accustomed in part, except for having no a/c in my house. By the way, an air conditioner in Japan, serves both heat and cold air for seasonal climates...cool idea. What I needed was a cooler. My friend Miyuki Nishino lent me an extra one they were not using and it helped somewhat during the evenings, so that was nice to have.

My Kotatsu...the heated table...I did bring back the covers (kotatsu buton)...so all I need is another table here.

My futons stacked for more height, with shoji, screened doors in background.

The charm of traditional country life was spliced with the occasional "city-girl in the country" scenario. My learning experiences ranged from the household variety, like non-flushing squat toilets, lighting a kerosene heater and absence of an oven or microwave (the latter I did purchase 4 months later), to the variety of animals that visited my house, like raccoon-dogs, weasels in my attic, frogs, mice, big-flying cockroaches, even bigger spiders, and the nastiest creatures ever to walk a tatami mat...red-legged centipedes. Now these things were the worst! In Japan, we had three varieties of the centipedes, the red-legged being the most dangerous and most frequent visitor to my house. If bitten, you were advised to go to the ER, because a dangerously, high-grade fever had been known to follow some who were bitten. From May through September, the many legs of the centipedes made the sounds: "ticka, ticka, ticka", as they scurried across my tatami mats in the middle of the night. These critters did not die easily with a simple swat of the newspaper ( as I was surprised to find out), so I kept a hiking boot next to my futon; remember, I slept on the floor. 

The red-legged centipede...a little guy, about 5 inches long...Yuck! 
( I know you hate the photo, but I wanted you to get the effect...sorry)

Now when I show my photos of such country "norms", some people react with astonishment that I would stay; but I look at it all as necessary to learn and accept another culture; and thankfully, centipedes were seasonal. "All part of country-living", I can now say with a grin!

And how do I miss my house now...well maybe not the heat or centipedes but definitely the mountain view!

Next: #6- Birthday at Kamogawa Seaworld ( special anniversary article)

Please contact me with any questions, comments or suggestions: laura.paige@scanews.com or check the website for color photos of the trips at www.scanews.com/japan.

(to be continued...)

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