Monthly Archive for February, 2007

Hachimantai Photo of the Week -Issue 1-

Published on February 28, 2007 in Hachimantai, Photography and Sports. 0 Comments

On his way, originally uploaded by jasohill.

As a way of promoting Hachimantai city , I have decided to post a picture from the city on my blog every week. This week’s picture comes from the 16th annual Eastern Japan Biathlon, which was held in Tamaya.

There was a gerneral competition and a competition set aside for pro competitors. You really have to attend a live biathlon to understand all the work that goes into competing in this grueling sport.Not only are all the athletes expert marksmen, but they are also flawless cross country skiers. Missing just one target will cost you precious time, so they train to hit all five targets every time. My local board of education was responsible for running the event.

New photographs from Hachimantai will be posted every Thursday. All hachimantai photos can be found in my Hachimantai set on flickr.

JR’s Annual Train Schedule Change

Published on February 23, 2007 in Hachimantai and Iwate. 5 Comments

If you happen to be a fan of the Japanese railways, then you should know about what is coming up on March 18, 2007. This is what they call the ダイヤ改正（daiya kaisei), or “The Annual Schedule Change” as it is known in English. It appears to be the day when JR changes their train schedules. This year, they are also making all of the shinkansen cars non smoking. This is pretty ground breaking for Japan and something I welcome. There is nothing worse than walking through a smokey shinkansen car on the way to your seat. It’s akin to being in a narrow bingo hall.

March 18th also has some local ramifications in my area. My local line, the Hanawa line, is changing the train it uses. Up until the change, I had the luxury of riding on the Kiha 52 and Kiha 58 trains; both of which have their origins in the late 50′s to 60′s. They are big and loud, but when you ride on them, you can feel the history. I’m a little saddened to announce that JR is switching to the Kiha 110. This puke green wonder has it’s origins in the early 90′s and was the train I used to ride when I lived in Senmaya. I’m sure JR has it’s reasons for the change. I can bet those older models are getting really expensive to maintain. Still, I feel privileged to have been able to ride those classic engines.

On a final note, if you are living in Japan, and want to see what March 18th has in store for you, be sure to head to your local train station and ask. They have all the information on the change.

Our life was ROCK!

Published on February 17, 2007 in Sports and Travel. 0 Comments

We had a great time in Niigata. We skied for three glorious days, and partied for two spectacular nights. However, I really should have remembered it was my first time out this season. I ended up hobbling around most of this week due to the agony of 筋肉痛（kinnikutsuu), or muscle pain. I was also stupid enough to try out one of the beginner ski jumps. Let’s just say that when ass and head end up in reverse positions, things did not fair well.

I did notice one thing about skiiing in Japan this weekend. I learned that no matter where you go, whether it is a crowed Tokyo street, a packed bullet train, or even the top of Mount Fuji, you will find a mass of people. Playing dodge person with five hundred other skiers and snowboarders can make for a stressful run. I only slammed into three people the enire time, so I suppose it isn’t all that bad.

Heading South for the Weekend

Published on February 8, 2007 in Travel. 0 Comments

The long weekend is here and I’m heading down to Naeba ski resort in Niigata with a bunch of friends. Last year, I rented all of my equipment and the costs ended up getting ridiculously expensive. This year, I’ve gone out and bought everything I’m going to need for this trip. It did set me back about 40000yen, but now I only have to worry about lift passes and food.

The area I’m going to is also famous for the Yuzawa Onsen. The area is packed with ski resorts, and Yuzawa provides a series of amazing spas where one can unwind and soak their aching muscles. We are driving down tonight and staying until Monday. If it is anything like last year, it will be a blast.

クロカン（Kurokan)

Published on February 8, 2007 in Hachimantai and Sports. 2 Comments

　　I bet you’re wondering just what I’m going to talk about today. I’m sure the title doesn’t say much about the topic, so I’ll start this by talking to you about the way words are shortened in Japanese.

Many languages do this, so it’s not really a surprise, but you would be surprised by some of the words that come from shortening longer ones. Take for example ファミコン（Famicom.) This word is short for “Family Computer.” Another popular example is the word ポケモン（Pokemon.) You all know this word. Of course it’s short for “Pocket Monster.” If you want to get used to the Japanese language, then you will have to start adjusting to words like these. I warn you know, however, that is take some time. I’m not even there myself.

You see, I teach in an area surrounded by mountains and snow. Along with these amenities come skiing. In my previous town, I had never heard any ski lingo before, but now I’m hearing it everyday, and there is just one word I cannot get out of my head. That is is クロカン（Kurokan.)

This lovely little word originates from the longer word クロスカントリー（Cross Country) and I cannot wrap my brain around it. For some reason I think people are talking about “Croaking.” I’m sure it will fade into my linguist database eventually. It’s just a matter of time. Here is a little quiz for you. Find out what these shortened Japaense words mean.

セクハラ（sekuhara) —-

コンビに（conbini) —–

スーパー（suupaa) —–

オムライス（omuraisu) —–

Bonus: ブリちゃん（bricchan) ——

Good luck!

The Hanawa Line

Published on February 6, 2007 in Hachimantai and Photography. 1 Comment

The Hanawa Line, originally uploaded by jasohill.

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If any of you ever wondered how I got to work, I now have nice pictorial answer I can give you. You may be familiar with my car, but in order to cut down on gas costs, I started commuting to work by train.

This is no ordinary train, however. It uses an older style diesel engine, and there aren’t that many of them left. The line starts officially at Koma station(although you can catch the train at Morioka Station) and travels all the way up to Odate in Akita Prefecture. It also makes a stop at an Onsen village called “yuuze” and a ski resort called “APPI”. The wonderful thing about this line is that it takes me anywhere I need to go for work. It passes near all of my schools, my home and my branch office.

The one negative aspect of this line is that it only comes a handful of times a day. I suppose it’s not the end of the world, but it makes weekend activities or shopping almost impossible without a car. It also means I have to wait until 5:30pm to get home every day. Still, riding the train to work everyday is pretty awesome.

Spring Setsubun Shocker

Published on February 2, 2007 in Culture and Hachimantai. 2 Comments

Before I start today’s article I’d like you all to read this article on Setsubun. That will give you all the info you need to understand what I am talking about.

Today started off as most do. I didn’t get enough sleep the night before, and was feeling a little groggy. I was scheduled to be at the preschool and they wanted me to participate in the Setsubun activities they were holding for the kids. It all seemed innocent enough. I was looking forward to another wonderful culture experience.

Continue reading ‘Spring Setsubun Shocker’