Arrival

It has been nearly two weeks since I left America and much has come and changed. I have landed and am now settled in a suburb of Yokosuka, Japan named Oppama. It is a unique corner of the Earth and far different than what I had imagined or had experienced before. Its landscape is marked by sharp green hills cutting into the sea and valleys whose every inch is filled with houses of multicolored roofs. There are tunnels everywhere, and the roads are nearly always filled with small box-shaped cars. As in the rest of Japan, there are a lot of people and little space (Japan houses over 100 million people on a land mass that is about the size of California with 70% forested mountains). This is compensated for by thin streets, small houses and small gardens. That said, the Japanese are an immensely clean and industrious people and make use of every inch. They also have a great appreciation for flowers, coy fish and all kinds of animals and nature (You can buy an owl in a pet shop).

I arrived on a Monday afternoon, and after a few problems with the passport and learning how to use the phone I met up with Mitsuo Kyokuta, the president and founder (kaicho) of Matty’s English. Mr Kyokuta, a short, white bearded man of 77 years of age, drove me to his home in Hayama (leaf mountain), where I would stay for four days.

Over this time, I was faced with much challenge and much beauty. Although I got very little sleep, I had to adapt to a new culture and learn the Matty’s teaching method. I woke up nearly every morning before sunrise with a sense of serenity and was able to meditate and pray in peace for the first time in a very long time. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I observed another teacher and a set of introductory videos and taught my first set of classes on Friday. I was nervous and struggled, but pulled through and made it to the weekend.

Also, Mr. Kyokuta taught me how to drive in the first week. The Japanese drive on the left side of the road and have different driving habits and laws than in America. One tip is to be sure there is space to drive on the other side of the train tracks before you cross. This is because of the immense traffic of cars and constant passing of trains. So, being caught on the tracks with a train coming is a very real possibility for the uninformed driver.

During this time I was also treated with the greatest of hospitality in Mr. and Mrs. Kyokuta’s beautiful home. Immediately I was set up in a “Japanese-style” room, with thatched floor, paper windows and a futon bed that I put away in the closet during the day. The house’s living room had a stunning view of Hayama’s houses, sharp green hills and beachfront. It had a small, but diverse garden of red Japanese Maples, roses and a water fountain. The food was delicious and served every meal with small portions of wide variety of foods, each in its small plate or bowl.

Living in a Japanese home, I learned a bit of custom. Upon entering there homes, the Japanese take off their shoes and put on slippers. Upon entering a traditional Japanese room with a thatched floor they will then remove their slippers. I like this a lot and feel like the ritual brings a sense of purity to a home and sanctity to a bedroom.

On Sunday I went on a fishing outing in the mountains of the Izu Peninsula (near Hakone) with Mr. Kyokuta. I learned how to use a traditional Japanese fishing rod, and was able catch two fish. It was difficult but I greatly enjoyed learning the new technique (tenkara) as well as the time in the beautiful scenery and the gushing river. Afterwards I was taken out for sashimi or raw fish. It was delicious and I woke up the next morning without pain. I was quite relieved and hope that painless eating experiences continue throughout my stay in Japan.

In the second week I moved into the Matty’s dorm (which is an average Japanese house with Japanese style rooms and a small garden) and taught everyday. The classes went much smoother and I ended nearly everyday feeling good about teaching. Each day I spent the mornings preparing the lessons and making props and the afternoons teaching students from two years old to High School. The classroom is English only and I teach common expressions like “Hello, How are you?” and “Today is a sunny day," songs like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “Puff the Magic Dragon” and from a textbook. Different ages have different texts, but they basically teach common nouns, adjectives, verbs and sentences.

I have come to like the method very much and believe it produces good results. I watched a very old video and I do not believe the method has changed much since 1971. Because I teach nearly all ages from pre-school to high school, I can see the progression and have noticed that they do learn proper intonation and pronunciation as well as a large vocabulary of English words. I am impressed and hope this attitude and belief in the effectiveness of Matty’s fuels the entire stay in Japan.

So far their has been a wide range of experiences and emotions. I have been down and shaken and have had moments of glory. I have felt distress and loneliness, as well as awe and peace. I hope the extremes have passed and am ready for a season of settling and growth. We shall see what He has in store.

I wish you the best of health and a summer of joy.

(ajisai)