It has been a few weeks since I have been on spring break and I still feel great, funny how that happens. I have spent my break time well, buying Japanese books for independent studying over the next two months, watching a lot of movies (if anyone hasn’t seen “I am Legend” with Will Smith, get on it), cooking three meals a day, and going out for yakiniku (Korean barbeque). The yakiniku is a religious experience in Japan, aside from ringing bells on New Years that is. I have been shown a secret yakiniku spot in Kyoto and have now been there four times.
It’s small, it’s hard to miss on the street, it’s far from my house, it’s has the best beef and beer in town (Yebisu Beer, check it out) and it is owned by a very kind ojisan (uncle). The man is a Zainichi Korean, which means that his grandparents were taken over from Korea to Japan as labourers before and during the Second World War by Japanese colonial forces. The following generations of Koreans living in Japan have and still do suffer from sever discrimination in the economic, political and social sectors of Japanese society. This past term I had the pleasure of hearing a lecture about this minority group from a true Zainichi Korean living in Japan. Kim sensei, remarked that one of the hardships of a Zainichi Korean’s life is the struggling with one’s owns identity. The Zainichi minority does not have either Korean or Japanese citizenship and most of the time, do not even speak a word of Korean, which often translates into most Zainichi Koreans living in Japan to adopt what is known as a stateless identity. After the lecture I thought about the idea of statelessness for a while and was very unsettled by the ambiguities of the concept. It is very real, still present in Japan and something that the yakiniku ojisan has lived with his whole life. However, being a Zainichi doesn't prevent this ojisan from pumping out the best two hours of my month with the best beef, beer, kimchi (spicy, fermented cabbage) and ice cream in all of Kyoto.
Yakiniku at its best
Before going back to Seattle I thought it would be nice to do a little bit of traveling in Japan, so last weekend I hoped on a bus with my good friend Dan from Toronto, CAN and rode out to Kyushu. For the past two years Dan had been living in Yatsushiro, a small suburb of the Kumamoto prefecture in Kyushu, as an English teacher on the JET programme. So, before heading out to Kumamoto, Dan made a few calls and hooked us up with a place to crash and tour guide for a day in Fukuoka. The way by which Dan and I traveled to Kyushu is a common mode of travel among mostly younger generations. It’s called the yako-basu (literally, night bus). It is the cheapest mode of transportation for any inter-prefectural travel in Japan. However, it is cheap for a reason. Having ridden nine and a half hours to Fukuoka and thirteen hours back from Kumamoto city you can take my word for it. I know I am a fairly tall man in the states, but in Japan I am a really big dude and it was obvious when I took my seat on that yako-basu. At times the bus ride seemed like an absolute nightmare. As the heat from the engine blasted my already sweaty feet, the 100 plus kilometer speeds rattled the frame of the rusty bus creating a sound that echoed in my head for some time after arriving at Fukuoka’s Tenjin Station. Dan’s old hockey teammate Ryosuke met us in the early morning at the bus station and took us to the closest onsen (public bath) to wash off the previous nights ride; that bath in Fukuoka was one of the most refreshing I have ever had.
Touring Fukuoka with a native was great; especially cause that native had a car at his disposal. First, Ryosuke whipped up out to Dazaifu Temple in the morning to pay respects and pray for traffic safety and good grades. The temples’ grounds were truly amazing. The way in which the huge trees hung over the main bridges looks physically impossible. The most fascinating part about Dazaifu, though, was its small display of genuine Bonsai trees. When discussing their appearance with Dan and Ryosuke, I said in simple Japanese, “Even though they look huge, they’re actually very small.” Upon which Ryosuke nodded his head slowly and gave me a big smile-I think I hit the Bonsai nail right on the head if I do say so myself. After Dazaifu, our crew of three stumbled across a small market in the city. Packed with huge bins of tea, still living seafood and huge colourful displays of fish guts, I couldn’t help to feel a bit nostalgic for my good old Pike Place Market in Seattle. Despite the lack of handsome fish throwing brutes, the market had a lot of memorable charm.
Tasty in soups
Looks huge, but not huge
After winding up our tour of Fukuoka Dan and I took another, yet shorter, bus in Kumamoto city where we stayed with his good friend for the following three nights. Over the next two days Dan and I made two important stops, the first being Kumamoto-jo (castle). Kumamoto castle was originally completed in 1588, twelve years before the battle of Sekigahara, which ushered in the Tokugawa shogunate otherwise known as the Edo period. After being destroyed in a fire during the Seinan Civil War of 1877, shortly after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the castle’s restoration did not begin until 1998. Unfortunately, this same renovation had blocked the top level of the main tower of the on the day Dan and I went to visit the castle. However, we were certainly able to enjoy the Uto turret, the lovely grounds and the early white and pink plum blossoms.
Dan in front of the Uto Turret
Our second stop in Kumamoto was Mount Aso, more respectfully, Aso-san. Aso-san is the giver and breather of Kyushu, providing excellent sightseeing, natural habitats, lots and lots of steam and liters upon liters of mineral rich water. After we picked up our pocket size rental car in the early morning Dan I headed out to Aso-san and when we arrived the sun was shining and wind was biting at our uncovered fingertips. The mouth of Aso-san’s crater didn’t provide much visibility at first, but after a short while we could see the steam heaping out of the open crater. Dan was telling me that in the summer it’s possible to see the water in the mouth of Aso-san boiling at more than 2100 degrees centigrade. On the day that Dan and I visited, though, the snow was piled high and the boiling water out of sight. Either way, it was a great trip out to the longest standing monument of Kyushu.
The old and wise Aso-san
The rental toycar
After heading back to home base in Kumamoto-shi (city) Dan bought some of Kumamoto’s specialty at the grocery store. Basashi, raw horsemeat, wasn’t the most delicious snack I have ever had, but it certainly was an experience eating it. Served with only shoyu (soy sauce) and ginger, I couldn’t help but thinking about the beauty and grace of the horse that I was eating. In the end my basashi tasting session was tragic and mournful.
The Horse is the most muscular animal pound-for-pound on the face of the Earth
Rolling back into Kyoto after my thirteen-hour bus ride was very refreshing and for the past few days I have just been tying up a few loose ends, packing, and trying to wrap this katana (samurai sword) for my buddy in Vancouver. I have been saying goodbye to more and more friends this week and it is pretty sad to see them go. This weeks shout out goes to Bjorn and Natalia from Sweden and to Chacha and Hyo from Korea for I will miss there company, conversations and comfort in this coming term.
I’ll be back in Seattle in less than 48 hours. Hold on Mom and Dad, here I come.
Until Next Time.
Right near da beach, boiiiiii
