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I couldn’t go halfway around the world and not “represent” my fellow football officials. After returning from Kamisu City, I took a walk around Tokyo and found a very nice spot outside the Hei Shinto shrine to get my “official” picture. Thanks to Ryan and Troi for being my photographers.
Thumz zup
On June 16, we visited Ibaraki University in Mito and then boarded a bus for Kamisu where we were warmly greeted. I was fortunate ennough to be able to give an opening statement of thanks to Mayor Hotate of Kamisu City. 
I also presented the mayor with a copy of the history of Miami High, “The Stingaree Century.” He was most appreciative. In return he presented me with a Japanese lantern. Gift giving is taken very seriously in Japan, so the event was quite a ceremony. Our Kamisu group was then given an opportunity to have a photo taken with the Mayor and his staff.
Photos by Laura “No” Good
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Do you wonder how that sushi you are enjoying got from the ocean to your favorite restaurant? chances are, it came through the Tokyo Fish Market.
It was 4:52 a.m. when our Tennessee friend, Rebecca, called and asked if I was interested in taking the subway to the Tokyo Fish Market. We had heard several people talk about how amazing this place was, so I said, “Sure. What time are you leaving?” Rebecca told me to meet her, her friend Laurie, and Ryan in the lobby at 5:00. I was there before the others arrived (fully dressed AND with brushed teeth).
We left for the market, led by Laurie. Laurie is also from Tennessee, and was Rebecca’s college roomie, but she has been living in Tokyo for the past four years teaching English. Her cell phone has a program in which you enter your location and destination. The phone then tells you which subway lines to take and their corresponding times of departure. Pretty impressive AND helpful, especially given the complexity of the Tokyo subway system.
We arrived at the fish market around 5:35 a.m. and it was….WATCH OUT!!!! There was certainly a lot of …. WHOA, CAREFUL THERE!!! A lot of activity to say the very…YOU’RE GOING TO GET RUN OVER!!!…least.
This market is a warehouse with acres and acres of every type of conceiveable fish you can imagine, from huge tuna to tiny whitefish (that we did, by the way, eat LIVE in one of our previous outings). There were bright red octopi with large suckers on their limbs to dull gray oyters. Squid, eels squirming around in pails just trying to get out as they climbed over and around each other, and a variety of other fish as well. The Fish Market is an auction area for wholesalers, restaurants, and grocery stores. The bidding is fast and furious. There is really no place for nosy tourists like us…WATCH IT!!! as the hundreds of motorized and human powered carts…OOH, THAT WAS CLOSE!!!…whiz by in 12 directions at once in the tiny aisles. These aisles are filled with all types of fish vendors who sort, clean, and prepare the fish for the day’s business.
At one point, Laurie saw what appeared to be a narrow, walled in ramp which she started to use until we shouted…”STOP. YOU’RE GOING TO GET KILLED!!!” The three of us did this in unison as Laurie was about to be crushed by a motorized cart with a very big tuna who was using the ramp to avoid having to go over the curb.
All in all, it was an exciting experience. We were especially happy that we escaped without getting run over or sliced by the extremely sharp, and long, cleaning knives. The Tokyo Fish Market, truly a …OUTTA THE WAY!!! 
must see (but don’t wear those flip flops…fish juice in your toes…if you get my drift).
Thumz zup.
Prior to “the last war” as it is referred to in Japan, a Roman Catholic Church was built in Tokyo, close to the area of Akasaka where our teaching group was staying. This building was damaged during an air raid during the last war and the church was rebuilt. The wooden structure of St. Ignatius Church stood strong for nearly 50 years, but the need for expansion and renovation resulted in a magnificent new church being constructed on the same site. The new St. Ignatius Church was ceremoniously christened in 1998.
Having heard that this church was nearby, my friend from Hawaii, Troi, and I decided to take the 15 minute walk through the quiet and peaceful neighborhoods, past Sophia University, to the serene setting of St. Ignatius. Arriving at around 11:00 a.m., there were no services being conducted, but that was okay, since we were interested in seeing the building itself. As I approached the door, a gentleman was passing by. I tried the door, it was locked. The gentleman observed my disappointment and said, “Come this way.” He led us to an open door. We began to converse.
Whether it was faith or fate, I do not know, but the gentleman we had just met turned out to be Father Vitali, the priest of the parish. He is from Italy and has been living in Japan for the past 40 years. Father Vitali invited us to the church office where he proceeded to present us with a beautiful book illustrating the construction of this 
magnificent building. He then invited us to enter the church and look around.
Since there was only one parishioner in the chapel, St. Ignatius was unbelievably calming and serene. The round church has wooden pews designed in a circular pattern. The ceiling is a modernistic structure of woven steel. As one looks around, there are many narrow and vivid stained glass windows. At the center of it all, in the front part of the circular structure is simple altar. 
Visiting St. Ignatius was quite a moving event for both Troi and I. The beauty of the church, the serenity of the silence, and the generosity of the parish priest is not something we will soon forget.
Thumz zup
One interesting topic on Japan is vending machines. They are everywhere, thousands of brightly lit vending machines
dispensing just about anything you can imagine, and in fact, some things you truly cannot imagine (you’ll have to visit Tokyo to find out for yourself). In fact, the ratio of people to vending machines in Tokyo alone is 21:1.
Pop Quiz:
There are 12.38 million people living in Tokyo, so…
How many vending machines are there in Tokyo?
It really doesn’t matter what you want, you can find it in a vending machine: Cold drinks, hot drinks, underwear, little dolls, food, DVDs, CDs…did I mention underwear….socks, umbrellas, ice cream, wrapping paper, and much, much more. People actually have their cell phones equipped to swipe at some machines for automatic payment. Vending machines, however, are becoming an environmental concern because of all the electricity needed to power the lights, gears, heating, and cooling elements.
I read in the International Herald Tribune today (Lights out as a matter of convenience, 6/24/08, p. 24) that Kyoto is thinking of trying to pass a law to eliminate some of the vending machines to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I asked our lecturer (Hari Srinivas, PhD, United Nations Environment Programme) about this. Dr. Srinivas told us that 
vending machines are much more than just a convenience, they provide valuable services to society at large because they provide a valuable service, reduce the need for manpower for sales, and increase the workforce who build, maintain, and stock the machines. There would be a major economic impact if removed. Some machines are becoming greener by having a sensor that only turns on the lights when motion is detected nearby. There is a facial recognition system that can distinguish between a minor and an adult using the machine to prevent sales of certain items to young people. The vending machine manufacturers are also trying to use better, more efficient lighting. This is not a debate that will be easily resolved in a society who rely so heavily on the efficiency and constant availability of vending machines.
Thumz zup
6/22/08
Following our fantastic visits with our host families, our group of 16 teachers ended up at a Japanese Inn, called a ryokan, in Tskuba (pronounced: scuba). The name of the inn is Edoya. It sits about halfway up Tskuba mountain and is surrounded by tall green trees swaying in the breeze, a flowing stream that gives a tremendously relaxing background soundtrack, and a vista of forest, birds, and butterflies. A Japanese inn is really a very large and fancy spa/hotel with hot baths, or (o)furos…the (o) is not pronounced, massages, acupuncture, and more. Unfortunately, we did not have time for the massages, but made good use of the hot baths. Everyone is expected to wear only the yucata, or Japanese robe, men and women. The yucata is an informal kimono-type of wardrobe with a long sash that we tied around ourselves in 16 different (and probably incorrect) ways. You wear no shoes inside the ryokan, only slippers. All shoes are placed in a getabako, or shoe cabinet at the entrance to the inn.
Immediately after our arrival at Edoya, we shed our clothes and donned our yucatas. My friend Troi, from Hawaii, is a rather imposing individual. He is smart, speaks Japanese, is a counselor and program coordinator for middle school students near Honolulu, and has guided me safely on this journey through the subways of Tokyo and the restaurants of all the cities we have visited. For those of you who know Shadow, Troi is like the Shadow of Hawaii… it is quite an honor to be in his presence. He is a tremendous individual and we have become very close friends. Unfortunately, Troi was not going to be able to wear his yucata. The Japanese people, as a rule, are smaller than Americans, and they are smaller than Troi. With good humor and clever thinking, however, Troi was able to overcome this obstacle by putting on two yucatas, one on each arm. We tied up the extra arms on his back and he put on a short jacket, sometimes referred to as a ‘happy coat,’ to cover his newly created obi. He was set. He looked like the Rap Master Daddy Samarai that he is. 
Most of the group traded stories of their family visits at the foot bath, which was on an outside patio overlooking (and overhearing) the small but steady stream about 100 feet below. It was raining into the small valley, which made the atmosphere even more beautiful and relaxing. That night we all gathered in a tatami mat banquet hall (no shoes at all in a tatami mat room) for our final Kamisu group banquet. We sat on the floor (carefully watching out to keep our yucatas appropriately in place), with our trays of food lined up eloquently for us. This was truly a ‘traditional as they get’ Japanese meal; all sorts of new food to test our palates and give us a new appreciation of the Japanese culture. Everyone had a wonderful time as we continued to share stories from our host family encounters.
After dinner, it was off to the (o)furo. The men went to the otokoyu (men’s section) and the ladies headed for the onnayu (women’s section). This is another unique opportunity to learn new culture. In the (o)furo, you take off all your clothes, go to the cleansing area and wash up. There are showers available, along with soap. You use a small towel, called a taoru to wash with. After you are nice and clean and rinsed, it’s into the (o)furo, which is like a shallow swimming pool, but kept at around 105 degrees. Yes, it’s hot. In our otokoyu, we were fortunate to also have an outside rock bath covered with a bamboo overhang. That’s where we headed. The rain had picked up and was coming down steadily, providing a sensational beat on the bamboo while we soaked in the bath. No one said a word; we just listened and were surrounded by a natural aura of relaxation.
This morning we enjoyed a very traditional Japanese breakfast in the banquet hall and then headed back to Tokyo. If you ever have the opportunity to stay at a ryokan, I encourage you to do so, but stay for more than a day. The experience will be well worth your time.
Education. It’s all about learning.
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On Saturday, 6/21, we met our host families at the hotel in Kamisu. Yuuko, her husband Yoshinori, the little girl, Miu (5), and the boy, Ko (3). They were all very excited to meet me. Miu is a little doll. Only Yuuko speaks fluent English, Yoshinori speaks it a little. I am lucky because a couple of the teachers had families who spoke no English at all. This fact did not lessen the enthusiasm and enrichment gained by living, if only temporarily, with a Japanese family. Yuuko and her husband, Yoshinori, told me that they wanted to take me to do something fun, and asked if I would like to do pottery. I told them that would be fine, so we piled into their Toyota van and took off. 
It took almost 2 hours to get to Kasama where they have a beautiful park and arts center called Craft Hills Kasama.
Along the way, we stopped at a Japanese market. These markets are everywhere, and they carry everything from toys, to antiques, to souvenirs, to fish. This place had a small fish market with every type of fish you can imagine. The fish vendors walk around yelling stuff out. I don’t know what they said, but it’s probably something like, “get fresh tuna here…,” or something along those lines. I was videotaping and taking pictures for my educational videos that I will be making with the help of my students. The head fish vendor told Yuuko that since an American had come all the way across the world to their fish market, they were going to do something very special, they were going to demonstrate the cleaning of the fish. I guess they must do this only in the morning to prepare the day’s catch for sale. At any rate, they set up the cleaning table and a very skilled fisherman proceeded to clean three large fish, a tuna, a yellowtail, and a flounder. 
It was amazing to see, especially the way he was able to obtain 4 large steaks from the flounder. His sharp knife clicked along the bones expertly as he filleted. A big crowd gathered to watch the fish being cleaned (and the American, I assume) as the manager explained how precisely the fish must be cleaned.
When that was over I told my family that I had an idea. I told them that I was going to show them how I do the video intros for Kenny Kaizen, the educational series. Yoshinori was all over that idea and wanted to help. I told him, “Okay, you’re going to be my director.” He eagerly agreed and we set it up. I told him, “It is your job to yell ‘action’,” Which he did with pleasure. Then I told him we were not done until he yelled ‘cut.’ So, he yelled, “Cut,” and laughed. He told me that now we were partners. I agreed. We wrapped at this location and climbed back in the van.
For a couple of weeks before my arrival, Yuuko and Yoshinori had been telling the kids about the impending arrival of ‘Joe-san.’ “Joe-san is coming to visit us from America.” “We will go and welcome Joe-san when he arrives.” Well, Ko and Miu were a little confused over this, especially Ko, the 3-year old. There is a word in Japanese, I think it’s zo or zho, but the kids don’t use that word, they use the word zho-san. They use it when they go to the zoo. Ko could not understand why an ELEPHANT was coming to stay at his house. We all got a good laugh out of that.
We arrived at Kasama and went to the pottery lesson. This was the real pottery with the wheel and clay. They showed us how to mold it with our hands as the wheel spins, how to shape and form, and how to cut it (with a string). This was all explained very thoroughly in Japanese, so I was pretty much left to visual tutoring. I was able to create four little pieces, Yuuko was videotaping for me, so now she is a Production Assistant. There were some real artisans there. I wasn’t one of them. After making my pottery, I was able to buy the pieces if I wanted, so I bought two; one for my family and one for Yuuko and her family. It will take about a month or more for the pieces to be glazed and finished. They will be sent to Yuuko and she will send us ours, so we will keep in touch.
After completing our pottery adventure, but before getting to the house, we stopped at a store and Yoshinori went in to buy some fish. We arrived at their home and, of course, we all took off our shoes. The home was immaculate, especially considering there are two kids running around. I cranked up the computer because they were all excited to see the Daisuke Matsuzaka commercial I appeared in for Nike Japan. “Oooooooooh, you are TV actor!” I showed them pictures of my wife, Nancy, and daughter, Jolene, and our house. They loved looking at our house and said they want to visit. I told them we have a room for them.
Yuuko prepared dinner. It was delicious, with raw tuna and flounder, salad, rice (of course), miso soup (of course), and vegetables. It was delicious.
After dinner I went upstairs and retrieved the presents I had brought for the family. I decided in Mito that I was going to give the husband (Yoshinori) my ARTEC jacket from Miami High. They were soooooooooo excited to get the gifts. I don’t think they were expecting them. Miu received a headband with ribbons and she loved it since they do not have those type of headbands in Japan. Ko got a little red, white, and blue bear. We named the bear ‘kanishiwa.’ He slept with it. Yuuko received a ‘direct from Florida’ flamingo statue, and the family was given a copy of the history of Miami High, The Stingaree Century (I told them that only two people in Kamisu have a copy of that book, the mayor…and them), and Yoshinori absolutely loved his new jacket. I also gave him a couple of ARTEC pens and he was very excited.
After dinner we enjoyed each others’ company and Yoshinori wanted to have some fun. He had a fancy box that he opened (like everything here, even food is wrapped very fancily, even bags at stores are given special care), inside were some sour plums. He wanted me to try a little. I took the little fork and began to cut off what I considered a ‘little’ piece. “No, smaller,” he said. I tried again, “No, smaller.” I ended up getting a piece about the size of one Rice Krispie. Verrrrrry small. WOW. Very, very sour indeed, and salty. Then, Yoshinori brought out some beef jerky and…. are you ready for this….. octopus jerky, and squid jerky. Why eat the beef jerky when I can get that at home. Yoshinori thought I was “very strong” to try these things. He also thought it was pretty funny. Yuuko told me that Yoshinori was really looking forward to my visit because he doesn’t go out very much, and he doesn’t have people over (most Japanese don’t), so he was happy to have me to talk to…and to try all these exotic snacks.
They asked me if I wanted a bath. A Japanese bath is quite a ritual. You go into a room that has a large area to shower and lather up in. After you lather, wash your hair, etc, you rinse off and then get in the very hot bathtub to soak. It was very relaxing. Many Japanese relax in the tub for up to 60 minutes.
I went to bed in my beautiful room on my futon. My head was not supposed to point north (bad luck in Japan), so Yuuko had me pointing southeast (toward home). There was no air conditioning, but she gave me a fan that blew air around the room. I slept well.
The next morning, Yuuko made breakfast while Yoshinori went to work. He is a manager of some 7-11’s in Kamisu. We had eggs, bacon, some little wienies that they call sausages, salad (everyday I have had salad for breakfast), toast, and coffee. Later, I watched TV with the kids, Mickey Mouse in Japanese is very enjoyable, and played a Wii type game whereby you drive a car around a race track with all kinds of obstacles. I came in last. Yoshinori came back and we went to the Kashima shrine and to the 100 Yen store, where I was able to pick up a couple of things. We then went to lunch and had to head to City Hall to meet up with the other teachers. It was raining, and we had to hurry, but nobody was looking forward to saying goodbye. When Yuuko told Miu that they were taking Joe-san to City Hall because she had to leave, it was the first frown I saw on her face. What a wonderfully gracious family. They would not let me pay for a thing, even though I tried. I did pay for the pottery, but only after insisting.
All of the teachers came in from the rain with their families. The Superintendent of Schools was holding an umbrella over my head while I walked in. He was getting rained on in his suit, but he didn’t want me to get wet in my jeans and T-shirt.
We went inside and the Superintendent gave a speech thanking us for visiting Kamisu and thanking the host families for taking us into their homes. There were quite a few tears being shed. We boarded the bus and the families came out and surrounded it, in the rain, and waved goodbye. 
As the bus rolled out, I saw Yuuko, Yoshinori, Miu, and Ko wave bye, and cry.
This was an experience I will never forget. All of us were given an opportunity to see Japan from an aspect that most foreigners will never have. Caring, loving, funny, generous, and gracious hosts are only a few of the accolades to describe my visit with them. I can think of many more.
Thumz zup
Hasaki has only 238 students. The building is older than Fukashiba elementary, so it shows some signs of age, but the teaching and discipline are very good. The school has mostly wooden floors and sliding doors on the enclosed classrooms. There is no air conditioning, but the windows are open and breezes flow through the building. We visited a variety of classes. India ink drawing (fine arts), where we were invited to write the Chinese letters for ‘midnight sun’ with caligraphy brushes. We had to sign our ‘masterpieces’ with our Japanese character names. The kids were very helpful. I had a nice little tutor. We also saw Science (electricity), History (the rise of Japanese civiliization), English (interviews and writing). In the English class, students have a teacher and 3 assistant teachers. Students were given a list of questions and they had to our teaching group those questions. “Do you like Japan,” “Have you ever eaten sushi,” etc. If they recieve a ‘yes’ answer, we were to sign their papers. It was interactive and fun. We also saw Math (square roots), Music (the Japanese instrument Koto), 
Fine Arts (Shippo-yaki, Japanes cloisonne pottery), and P.E. (water polo in the school’s pool), 
We had curry soup, rice, fish something or other (pretty fishy for my taste, but cut in the shape of a fish), a vegetable salad with dressing (carrot slices and cucumbers(?)), and milk in a small carton. Everything but the milk carton is served in enameled glass bowls….GLASS bowls. No one eats before everyone in the class has their food. The children who serve the food wear masks. All the children were amazed to have an American in the room and were quite excited, and practiced their English, and laughed. At the end of lunch we were called up to the front of the class and presented with a gift that our host class made. Mostly it was origami and a picture of our host class mounted on thick poster board. We were all quite touched.
Our group visited Ibaraki University in Mito on 6/16. We met the university president and exchanged ideas with students. It was quite interesting and informative. Many problems exist with getting kids engaged in learning in Japan, just like the U.S. Single family homes contribute to a lot of the problems, and pressure on students to perform so they can pass their entrance exams to the universities. From there, we headed to Kamisu City, where we met with the mayor and his staff. I was fortunate to be able to give a welcoming address to Mayor Hotate and the people of Kamisu City. I presented Mayor Hotate with a copy of The Stingaree Century, by Howard Kleinberg, a history of Miami High. He was very gracious and presented me with a Japanese lantern. Gift giving is a very formal affair in Japan, so this was quite a memorable experience.
