Takasaki Candlelight Festival

Last night, I went up to the mountain above Takasaki to visit the Goddess of Mercy statue and to see the annual candlelight festival. Before it got dark, a group of us crazy Takasaki JETs (just kidding guys) walked up the inside of the statue. The view from the top was really beautiful, despite the heavy humidity that creates a haze over the city...

Once it got dark, the candles were lit and the view was spectacular: thousands of candles in spiral shapes on the streets. Kids with lanterns and people making wishes...very cool! :)

I even bought a little red Daruma head...you are suppose to paint one eye when you make a wish and paint the other eye when it comes true...I think that is such a great idea. It makes me want to buy 10 of them (hmm...sounds like capitalism...)

We were going to bike up...I'm so glad we didn't and drove instead...the hills would have been killer! Enjoy the photos :)

Trip to Haruna Shrine and Lake

A few days ago, I visited Haruna Shrine and Haruna Lake, which is located up in the mountains above Takasaki City. We took a bus tour to the shrine, which took about 45 minutes. Upon arriving at the shrine, visitors are welcomed by lush greenery and beautiful statues and wooden shrines. The place is very spiritual and relaxing. We walked throughout the forest, where there are footpaths for visitors and places to rest. Locals often go to the shrines to pray for good luck or something that they hope will happen in their life. When offering a small coin, you then bow twice, say the prayer, clap your hands twice, and bow once more. I saw many people doing this at Haruna Shrine.

After walking through the beautiful forest, we at lunch at a soba noodle restaurant, which was delicious. After the bus driver, took us to Haruna lake! It is a large lake located on top of a volcanic crater. The water was beautiful and funny enough, there are giant swan boats on the lake...it was almost comical and corny at the same time! In Haruna, we visited a foot onsen bath, which is made of iron mixed with water. Everyone dips their feet into the hot water to relax and soothe the body. This was very enjoyable :)

Gunma is known for onsens...there are many famous ones that I plan to visit soon! They are meant to relax and help the body feel good...can't wait!

Takasaki Festival Aug 7, 2010

Two weeks ago, I went to the Takasaki Festival. It was amazing to see all of the people dressed up in traditional costumes beating the drums and showing off their amazing shrines. The point of the drums is to "out drum" the other drummers in a battle of the drums. They all sound amazing to me...even kids participated in the event.

Along with the drums and shrines were many food stalls, games, and chanters in the streets. It was certainly a nice way to welcome us to their city...this was my first week in Takasaki. :)

I have to say, I really admire how traditional and modern the Japanese are at the same time. I also love how polite and respectful people seem to be, even to foreigners who know about 20 words in Japanese so far ;) Every day, I am trying to learn new phrases and words. In one week, I will start my Japanese class and I'm excited to learn the language!!

Life in Takasaki: Apartment, School, and Hobbies

My school is one of the biggest in the city. The photo on the red and while building is the junior high school I will be working at. I will be working with 13 English classes and 3 other JTEs (Japanese English Teachers)...

My apartment is in Takasaki...in the suburbs where it is quiet and there is a lot of greenery.

Luckily, I have two really big grocery stores nearby, a yummy Italian restaurant, curry, sushi, and even a KFC (whoopie!) Even though I would never be caught dead in a KFC, it is comforting to know that there are many food options for me here in Takasaki. Every morning, I ride my bike to work (the school is about 15 min each way by bike) and this is really fun and pleasant. The only downside is the insane amount of heat and humidity that Japan gets in the summer...I am really looking forward to Autumn!

I am pleasantly surprised by how modern my apartment is, clean, and conveniently located. My apartment is a 60 sec walk to the bus stop that takes me into town (bus ticket cost = 2.80 yen which is about $3.00) Not bad, eh?

The apartment is small, but almost fully furnished with a washing machine and other great amenities. I have posted some pics of my apartment for your viewing pleasure!

I'm also starting a Japanese class in 2 weeks and koto lessons. The koto is a beautiful instrument with 13 strings and my goal is to master reading the music, learning simple pieces, and of course, having fun! :) I posted a picture of the koto in case you haven't seen one before.

Leaving Tokyo for Takasaki...

This is a picture of the capital of Gunma: Maiebashi, where we met our supervisors and had a second orientation before driving to Takasaki.



Tokyo at night is really fun and colorful. Even though I speak little Japanese, I was able to order a delicious first meal of inari, tempura, and udon noodles...delicious!

We spent three nights in Tokyo before being shipped off to our prefectures by bus, car, train, or plane (depending on your final destination!)

I took a 2.5 hour bus trip to Gunma prefecture. As soon as we got off the bus, we went to a ceremony at the Kencho (Prefectural Office) to meet our supervisors. I think all of us were nervous to meet them, but once the ceremony began, we could tell that they were just as excited and nervous to meet us...

The Japanese LOVE ceremonies...so we all took turns shaking hands with our supervisors. Short and sweet... :)

Immediately after the ceremony, we were driven by our supervisors to our new home...Takasaki! In Takasaki, we immediately went to the city hall to file for our alien registration cards and Japanese bank account. This day was brutually exhausting, but definitely a must for foreigners living in Japan. I am so thankful to the other ALTs who helped us move in and to our supervisor who was so patient with us.

The next 5 days, I spent living in my host family's guest house in Takasaki. I lived in a small, but nice two-story guest house with Angela, a JET from New Zealand. We slept on Japanese tatami mats and futons, which definitely takes getting use to...I am thankful to my host family and their generosity while we stayed with them.

Leaving California...for Japan!!

Welcome to my blog! I hope you enjoy it. I plan to write about my adventures, funny stories, weird experiences, culture shocks, etiquette faux pas, and so much more while I am living in Japan for the next year!

Enjoy! Arigatou gozaimasu! (Thank you!)

Okay everyone...after 9 long hours in the airplane, I made it to Tokyo! For the first three days, we stayed at the Keio Plaza in Tokyo. This hotel was amazing, beautiful, and the service was incredible. Every time it was ready to eat, there would be an elaborate buffet waiting for us and waiters to take care of our every need...it was certainly heaven after getting off the plane and feeling quite jet lagged.

The orientation was short and intense...so much information to listen to. We attended several seminars ranging in topics from driving in Japan to etiquette in Japan. All were interesting and informative. At the end of each day, we were ready for fresh air and to explore the city. Tokyo is amazing at night...all of the neon lights are incredible and the food is delicious too. On my first night, I ate udon noodles, inari, and tempura. Not bad, eh? :)

My roommates in Tokyo were so great as well (featured in photo above) :)

Kate will be going to Chiba and Alyssa will be living in Miyazaki (two cities in completely different parts of Japan!) I am somewhere in the middle. I will be living in Gunma Prefecture, which is in the middle of Japan and unfortunately no where near the ocean...but, it has some amazingly beautiful mountains and greenery to make up for my missing water.