JIMMY'S JAPAN ADVENTURE

Back Home!

2008-02-10T22:13:00.000+10:30

So... I'm back in Adelaide. I know i got slack with this Blog when i was over in japan, hbut after 8 months of living in Tokyo, i'm back in Oz. I start a new winemaking job tomorrow, which will be a change from English teaching. I miss Tokyo/Japan but i'm also excited about getting back to my career...

Thats about it!

Ja ne

I've been slack

2007-12-21T21:08:00.000+10:30

Yeah i'm still alive and still n Japan but i have been very slack with my Blog lately...

I'm working for NOVA again, but at a different branch (Koiwa). However, i still go to my old branch (Kinshicho) on Fridays, which means i can catch up with old staff and students.

So, i've been working 20 hours a week again. I had survived the NOVA break financially by teaching private students, but i have handed most of them to a mate.

Since my last post, i have been surfing a few more times (it's bloody freezing now), went snowboarding in Niigata and had a snow onsen, and have ben going clubbing most weekends...

I fly back to Oz on Feb 7th and i have a pretty full schedule until then. We start NOVA holidays next Friday and i'm going with some friends to Niigata for a few days, where we will stay in a hotel and go snowboarding. In early January i'm going on a surfing trip to Taiwan for 4 days (short i know!) with some Japanese friends. I go back to work on the 7th of Januarty and on the 14th i have a mate from Australia visiting me. He leaves on the 24th and on the 25th, my mum and sister are coming to Tokyo! They are then staying until Feb 7th, which is the day i fly out too...

I finish work on Jan 31st and am planning to travel to Kyoto and Nara for a few days with my mum and sis.

I start my new job on February 11th. I'll be working at a McLaren Vale winery called Kangarilla Road Winery. Not sure what my plans are for next year yet but i may head to Europe or back to the US for a grape harvest.

I will miss Japan but i'm sure i will return in the future...

I'm sure i will post again before i leave, but if not, Ja ne (goodbye!)

Thanks to those people who sent me emails and questions, hope my blog or answers helped you out. If ur one of those people who missed out comig to Japan because NOVA folded, don't fret, they will probably be recruiting overseas again in no time as business seems to be improving under guidance of the new company.

Ok, Take care.

Bai Bai

Park Hyatt Hotel bar a.k.a. That bar from the movie 'Lost in Translation'

2007-11-08T17:13:00.000+10:30

One of my housemates, Abdul, had a mate visiting Tokyo last weekend. His name is Fred and he is a good bloke. We went out to dinner at Shinjuku, then went to the Park Hyatt Hotel and had a few drinks at the bar. This bar is shown in the movie 'Lost in Translation'- it's the one where Bill Murray usually goes to drink Whisky and look depressed. This bar was not cheap, we shared a bottle of Californian Pinot Noir and, and Fred graciously footed the bill. We then finished the night off in Roppongi. A bit of a step down in class but fun none the less.

In othe news, NOVA has found a sponsor. However the sponsor is not the saviour everybody was hoping for... It is another English teaching company but much smaller than NOVA. Apparently they plan to open blocks of NOVA branches gradually, so not all teachers will go back to work straight away. Because of this, i have decided to go back to Australia. I will go back in February and return to winemaking. I love living in Japan and have met some great people and have had a fantastic experience, but English teaching is not a long term career for me. I take the whole NOVA fiasco as a sign that i should back to Oz and get stuck into my winemaking career. Who knows, maybe i will return to Japan one day with a wine related job. I will never forget my time here and Japan will always hold a special place in my Heart. I will definately come here for a holiday in the future! At least i will have my chopstick skills forever...

So mid Feb i get back to Oz. I will do vintage and then work out my plans. I have spent more than half of the last 3 years overseas and have visited many countries, so it might be time to stay put for a while and earn some coin when i get back... Will see what happens.

Anyways, enough of my ramblings. Below are some pics of me, Abdul and Fred on our Park Hyatt night.

MICK FANNING WORLD CHAMP!!

2007-11-07T02:21:00.000+10:30

I'm watching the surfing World Championship Tour event in Brasil and Mick Fanning has just claimed the world title.

Great stuff Mick! Congrats!!

The title goes back to Oz!

In other News- Apparently NOVA has found a sponsor.There should be an announcement soon...

Vending machine costume for protection

2007-10-31T11:30:00.000+10:30

A mate in Australia emailed me this link. Check it out, it's the type of wacky thing only the Japanese would think of.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=489110&in_page_id=1811

Haha, only in Japan...

I wondered why the drink machine outside my apartment kept moving...

NOVA sux

2007-10-30T16:09:00.000+10:30

NOVA officially declared bankruptcy last Friday. They were granted bankruptcy protection by Osaka District Court and the company has one month to find a sponsor that can provide financial backing and ultimately take them over with major restructuring. Internet company Yahoo is listed amongst the potential candidates.

An official announcement has been put on http://www.nova.ne.jp/ by newly appointed interim trustees responsible for finding a buyer for NOVA. They also have a Q & A sections regarding the current situation but they do not sound overly confident that a buyer will be found. If no partner is found within the one month time frame, the company will follow through will bankruptcy proceedings.

All branches are closed and business operations suspended until November 5th. It turns out that NOVA has rejected partner ship offers in the past and many companies are now reluctant to become involved with NOVA because of their enormous debt (50 billion Yen or something ridiculous). The huge loss is mainly blamed on the president of the company, who in recent years, over-expanded the company and made some bad business decisions (some of which were illegal). The president was actually forced to stand down by other board members on Friday, which came hand in hand with the bankruptcy declaration. he is being investigated by the authorities and may even end up in jail.

So i havn't been working for the last two weeks and i am owed about $3000 AU by NOVA. Some teachers are being evicted from NOVA rented housing, but so far, we have had no knock on our door telling us to leave. I have picked up some private lessons, earning enough money to keep going for a while. I'm planning to stay till January/February and then head back to Oz for vintage. Even if i just break even for the next few months i don't mind. As for my owed salary, everybody is hoping a buyer is found and salaries will be paid, but this is not a given. All we can do really is wait and cross our fingers. Despite all this, i've still had a good time in Japan and will have many fond memories when i leave and hopefully, one day, will return. Prehaps this time for a wine related job rather than teaching.

Well, thats all i have to say about that..

P.S. So yeah, i turned down the ski resort jobs offers. The timing wasn't very good to tie in with vintage, so it was a case of either going back this January or waiting a whole more year before returning home.

NOVA update

2007-10-17T14:46:00.000+09:30

Payday was supposed to be on the 15th but noone has been paid yet. A lot of people have been callingin sick and refuseto go to work until they are paid. The company has promised to pay us on Friday, but i, along with most other teachers, don't believe this.

I am not going to work until i am paid. It costs me 900 yen per day to get to work (we are usually reinbursed for this in out paycheck) but i'm not prepared to cover this everyday because we may not receive another paycheck.

I have just landed a job in a ski resort in Hokkaido, starting November 19th. So, i just need my funds to last another month. The job is as a resort host- taking guests to their rooms etc. It is from November 19th till the end of March. We have the option of staying longer if it is a long snow season. Afterwards, i may return to Tokyo, i may return to Oz, or i may head to Europe for a vintage (grape harvest).

The pay is ok, not fantastic, but it includes a season lift pass. Needless to say, i'm looking forward to 4 months snowboarding- It's sad to leave Tokyo and the friends i have made here, but it will nice to see another side of Japan.

What am i doing on my days that i'm not going to work??

Going to the gym, studying Japanese, organising a few things and trying not to spend money! I am also going surfing tomorrow... Just what i need to get my mind off all this stuff

NOVA... Is this the end??

2007-10-05T13:15:00.000+09:30

I havn't talked about this much because websites and forums are littered with discussions and reports concerning this topic, but NOVA is in very bad shape...

To cut a long story short, some teachers were paid up to two weeks late last pay day. There are others further up in management that still havn't been paid. People are quitting the company in droves, some returning home and others looking for other jobs. The English teaching market is becoming saturated as the 5,000 or so NOVA teachers begin to look for alternatives. It's not a great time to be working for NOVA.

In further news, AACE, the company that does recruiting for NOVA in some Australian states, has cut all ties with NOVA after a 15 year partnership.

I'm weighing up my options of what to do. Man people think the company will go bust soon, and it is looking doubtful that we will even see our last pay check (due October 15th).

Anyways, i have to go to my Japanese lesson. For more info, check out the Gaijinpot link on this page, or have a look at http://www.letsjapan.org/forum/

To summarise: Don't come to Japan and work for NOVA.

Hiroshima

2007-10-03T13:57:00.000+09:30

So i finally got around to putting some snaps of Hirioshima up...

I went not last weekend, but the one before, with one of my housemates Abdul (he is from London). We decided to take the bus as it was much chepaer than the Shinkansen or flying. There was a catch though... The bus took 12 hours each way.

We departed Tokyo Sat night and arrived Sunday moring. The seats were smaller than buses back home and it was very crowded. I am not overly tall but Abdul is and he was struggling, espeically with his legs. The other problem is that they stop every 2-3 hours so eveytime they stopped, the lights were turned on and everyone was woken up. In hindsight, it was definately worth the money we saved though.

We arrived about 7am Sun morning and after a bakery breakfast, made our way to the hostel. Check-in wasn't until 4pm so we left our bags there and began our sightseeing. We spent the day roaming the peace park, which contains the Atomic Bomb Museum and the Hiroshima Dome. The Hiroshima Dome is a building that was destroyed by the atomic bomb. It was obviously gutted by fire and heavily damaged but most of the walls remained erect after the attack, so the Japanese have left the building as a memorial for August 6th, 1945 and i suppose, the entire war. It is quite chilling to view this building up close. This feeling is reinforced by a visit to the museum. It is very graphic and reaccounts many first hand stories of the incident. The damage and devastation caused by a single bomb is phenomenal.

One of the saddest reaccounts is a story about a girl called Sadako. She was two years old at the time of the attack. She survived the bomb but was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of eleven. There is an old Japanese legend that says that anyone who folds a thousand paper cranes is granted a wish. Sadako started folding cranes to get her wish to banish the disease. She actually exceed 1000 cranes but sadly died on October 25th, 1955 at the age of twelve. Ever year people from around the world fold paper cranes and send them to Hiroshima. They are displayed in glass cases in the park, beside the Sadako memorial state (4th photo).

In the evening we visited Hiroshima Castle and then had a meal of the renowned Hiroshima-yaki. Okonomiyaki is Japanese style pancake. It usually contains cabbage, bean sprouts and seafood or meat. The Hiroshima version is regarded as one of the best Okonomiyaki in Japan and is different in that it also contains noodles. Needless to say, it was oishii (delicious)!!!

On Monday we visited and Island called Miya-jima, which is located quite clse to Hiroshima. Transport is via a ferry. It is a beautiful place- i visited there last year and it is probably my favourite place in Japan. Miya-jima is covered in beatiful shrines, but it is most famous for the Itsukushima Shrine. The shrine is situated in a small bay on the island and although the legs are exposed in my photos, water surrounds the shrine at high tide, giving the illusion that it is floating. The shrine is most impresive at night when lights illuminate it and the surrounding water. BTW- Shrines are Shinto monuments and temples are Buddhist, the two dominant religions in Japan.

On Tuesday we travelled South to a city called Iwakuni. The city itself is not particularly attractive and fairly industrial. The one famous site near the city is a bridge called Kintai-Kyo. It spans the Nishiki River and has a distinct shape, consisting of five arches. The bridge is made entirely of wood and not a single nail was used in it's construction. The original was built in 1673 but it is rebuilt every 50 years for safety reasons- this version was rebuilt in 2004.

We borded our bus exhausted on Tuesday night. I slept pretty well on the bus and arrived in Tokyo 7am Wednesday morning. It was a great trip! A beautiful and peaceful city.

P.S. Jima is a suffix used with Island names and kyo is used on bridge names

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Tales of Hiroshima

2007-09-27T01:48:00.000+09:30

I got back from Hiroshima this morning. I will put some photos up soon, accompanied by tales of temples, samurai, okonami and 12 hour bus trips...

Tune back in to Jimmy's Japan Adeventure soon

Sumo

2007-09-22T16:12:00.000+09:30

There is a big sumo tournament on in Tokyo at the moment. It is a Grand Tournament. There are 6 Grand Tournaments held each year, three of which are in Tokyo. They are held in an area of Tokyo called Ryoogoku and the stadium is called Kokugikan.

I had been twice before during my previous visits to Japan but i still find it interesting. After observing a few bouts, you realise that there is technique involved, and it's not just a case of the bigger guy always winning... and these guys are big... You can see that they have alot of muscle under that fat too (have a look at my pic with the two sumo wrestlers- they are only from lower divisions but are still huge).

Another aspect of sumo i find intriguing is the ammount of foreigners that are now competing. In the top two divisions alone, there are 19 foreign wrestlers (out of a total of 70 wrestlers). They come from places such as Hawaii, Mongolia, Russia, Bulgaria, and some other Eastern European countries. One of the most popular wrestlers is from Bulgaria and goes by the sumo name Kotooshu Katsunori- Koto is a name shared from all wrestlers originating from his stable and oshu means Europe. He's very tall (6'8) and leaner and fitter looking than most of the other wrestlers. He fights in the top division (makuuchi) and has the ranking of ozeki or 'champion', which is the second highest level in the sumo ranking system. He is also sponsored by a yoghurt company.

My personal favourite is Japanese wrestler Takamisakari. He is renouned for getting very fired up before each bout and puts on a bit of a show, slapping his face and beating his chest... the crowd love it though. This is far from normal for sumo as most wrestlers seem very placid and controlled... the usualn Japanese way of hiding all emotion.

Well, enjoy the pics...

Surfing Pictures

2007-09-11T14:04:00.000+09:30

Drove down to Taito, Chiba Sunday night. Arrived about 1am, slept till 4:30am (sunrise) and then went surfing. We had two surfs. The first was at Taito in the morning. The swell was a decent size but the wave shape wasn't great and by 9am, it was ridiculously crowded. The wind was turning onshore too so we decided to head North. We drove two hours to a place called Hisaki. The wind was strong here but the wind was offshore. Had another surf but the strong windwas making conditions difficult and it was also very crowded.

I got some fun waves but i didn't have a wetsuit with me. I made the desicision Sunday night to leave it at my apartment. Big mistake. The water was freezing (much colder than a few weeks ago). Because of this, i only lasted about an hour each surf, and the whole time i was shivering, cramping up and generally surfing like crap. I could hardly paddle i was so cold (the strong cold wind didn't help matters).This aspect was disapointing so i am definately taking my wetsuit from now on.

Below are some pics of the day. The surfing pics are Taito. The pics of the car on the beach and the wind turbine electricity generator thingies are of Hisaki.

Cheers

Hypothermic James

1 year ago...

2007-09-08T18:22:00.000+09:30

On another note, today is exactly one year since i left Japan on my last visit. I had just had an awesome trip to Kyoto and when my plane was taking off the ground in Tokyo, headed back to Australia, i swore i would return to live here... and here i am!!

I know what our thinking. Geez he must be bored if he's putting out random stats like that...

Also, the typhoon has passed. My area didn't suffer any major damage, but areas further north apparently sustained suibstantial damage (according to my housemate who just arrived home from work about three minutes ago).

The plan is to go surfing tomorrow afternoon with my Israeli mate Gus. I think we might stay down there sunday night and also surf Monday morning. Fingers crossed we get some nice glassy swell.

2007-09-08T16:10:00.001+09:30

For f@#ks sake. I don't know why the F%*king videos never work. God dammit. F$#k.

I can't be bothered trying to fix it now will fiddle around with it another day.

Karaoke and farewell

2007-09-08T15:01:00.000+09:30

One of my mates over here, Ross, is returning home to Wales on Tuesday. We decided to hit karaoke for one last time to celebrate (although we are going clubbing tonight to celebrate too). Below are two videos. The first is me and Brendan (a fellow Australian- Tasmania) doing a rendition of Bon Jovi's 'Have a Nice Day', and the second is Ross singing a song i don't know... Sorry about the quality, they were recorded with my keitei (mobile phone).

For the record, the last song of the nght was sung by Ross- 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls.

Farewell Ross. All the best for the future mate.

Tokyo by car

2007-09-01T00:40:00.000+09:30

Tokyo Tower by night

So i've been working lots of overtime still so next paycheck should be good... If we get paid, because there is lots of concern over NOVA's financial situation. There are rumours of a takeover.

I've been dining at izakaya and going out to bars for casual beers but havn't had a big night since Shibuya a few weeks ago. That's about to change... tomorrow me and some of the lads are meeting up with some locals who are going to take us to some clubs in Shibuya that don't let gaijin in (Can you imagine a club in Australia that refuses entry to Asian people... There would be lawsuits galore... thats Japan for you). Apparently the one way to enter these clubs is to go with Japanese girls.

Last night i met with a friend called Reiko. She has a car and took me for a drive through Tokyo. It was awesome to see Shibuya, Roppongi etc. from a car. Quite surreal really. As the passenger, you can relax and take it all in... different to walking or riding the train.

Next week i have a three day weekend so i'm deciding whether to climb Mt Fuji. The climbing season ends soon so ut may be my last chance. Typhoon number 9 is also approaching Japan, so we may get some big surf next week. If thats the case, i will probably give Fuji San a miss and go surfing instead...

Horse sashimi

2007-08-25T02:14:00.000+09:30

Nothing worthy of a mention has been happening of late really. I went to the beach last weekend (again). This time it was a beach south of Tokyo (Enoshima) but this beach was pretty dirty and not as nice as the beaches in Chiba (and much less nicer than home). Having said that, we still had fun swimming and drinking beers on the beach.

Last night i went to an Izakaya after work and sampled horse sashimi (raw horse meat). It was more tender than i expected and actually wasn't too bad... Neighhhhhh

Also, i have started listening to a new band. They are called Enter Shikari and are kind of a mix of punk/emo/metal and trance. They have punk singing, metal breakdowns and trance synth. It's pretty cool so check it out... Fairly original i guess.

Earthquake and heat wave

2007-08-17T14:58:00.000+09:30

Yeasterday morning i was awoken around 4:20am by my room shaking. It shook for about 1 minute and then subsided. I thought at the time that it must be another earthquake but the next morning i wasn't sure if it had been a dream or had actually occured! Well, turns out there was another earthquake, in Chiba prefecture (my prefecture). This one measured 5.3 on the Richter Scale, but from what i gather, didn't cause much damage. This coincides with a huge earthquake in Chile yesterday, which had a magnitude of 7.7 and caused significant damage and fatalities.

Tokyo is also experiencing a heat wave, and apparently yesterday was the hottest day in the country's history, maxing ot at 40.8 degrees celcius. Fifteen people also died of heatstroke yesterday, induced by this unusually hot weather. The houses here have thin walls and crappy insulation and get much hotter than houses in Australia. Students informed me it is mainly elderly that died (although i know there was at least one school kid among those 15). I was told that elderly often refrain from using air conditioning which would explain it.

All this crazy weather. Good ol' global warming eh... Maybe it's too late??

Tokyo Bay fireworks

2007-08-14T22:33:00.000+09:30

As i previously mentioned, there are fireworks in Tokyo throughout the whole summer, but one of the biggest shows was last Saturday night. I had planned to meet some Japanese friends there and a guy who i went through training with, a guy from work, and his housemate all accompanied me there. Me and Gio (the black haired lad) were keen to wear a jinbei as the Japanese friends we were meeting were sure to wear Yukata. We decided against geta as many people had told us that they were uncomfortable and cause blisters, so instead, we wore normal thongs. Andrew (the blonde haired lad), however, took a bit of convincing/harassing to buy and wear a jinbei. He finaly conceeded but didn't have any thongs, so he wore shoes (which he was paranoid about the whole night- paranoid of looking like a git... haha). Brendan opted out and wore normal clothes... soft.

So we met at Shinagawa station and caught a bus, and after about half an hour of searching for a 'fireworks watching spot', we decided on a nice crowded corner of footpath next to the bay, which had a nice view of a bridge ( i don't know which bridge). The fireworks appeared to break over the bridge... I had conjured a romantic notion in my mind that the fireworks were going to involve sitting on a nice patch of grass, with plenty of room to move as we consumed food and champagne (well, not exactly, but you get the idea)... It was soon made appparent that my expectations were a little off the mark as we watched from our crowded footpath, and dined on potato chips and cans of Asahi (Japanese beer). But, thats Tokyo for you... Always masses of people everywhere... It was still great though!!

During our walk back to the bus stop, we came across a traffic warden (i guess thats what they are called). They are found everywhere in Tokyo and their prized tool is an electric fluro red baton that they point and swing around. These batons somewhat resemble light sabres, and because our jinbei clad selves somewhat resembled jedi knights, we convinced the warden to let us borrow her baton and we got some snaps.

We then went to Shibuya and had some beers and some food at an Izakaya. We got lots of looks from the young trendy Shibuya crowd, who i'm sure were suprised to see Gaijin wearing jinbeis (at least in somewhere as busy as Shibuya).

We then cught a taxi to Roppongi and went to a club. Some people were very suprised that we wore our jinbeis to a club and many Japanese approached us during the night, and informed us that they were glad we were sporting jinbeis.

P.S my Jedi shot looks more like i'm trying to hit a home-run.

Andrew has shoes, Gio has thongs...

Filing in time on the train

Tokyo Bay

My one and only actual fireworks shot!

Some strange gaijin wearing jinbei and watching fireworks...

Japanese watching fireworks

The team

The mystique and beauty of the Yukata is somewhat lost when the wearer has one sleeve rolled up and is smoking a cigarette!!

The force is strong in this one

Shibuya Hachiko intersection (I have no idea who the Japanese bloke is...)

Nothing too exciting

2007-08-09T00:11:00.000+09:30

Nothing much going on lately. I went out clubbing on Saturday night and on Sunday i went to the beach. The beach i went to is called Onjuku. It takes just over two hours on the train from my house. I met the Brasilian guys there, who i went surfing with last time. I took my surfboard but the surf was tiny. I had a short surf but the main purpose of the day was to have a bbq on the beach. I met some more of their Brasilian friends and tried some interesting Brasilian bbq foods, includings chicken heart skewers... tasted salty. I havn't had a decent surf since i got here but i have to remember that i didn't move to Tokyo to go surfing, i came here for other reasons...

This saturday is the Tokyo Bay fireworks. There are fireworks most weekends during summer but this is the big-daddy of them all. I'm going with some guys from work and some Japanese friends and we are going to wear traditional summer festival clothing- Jinbei and geta for the guys and yukata and geta for the girls. More about this later. Will hopefully have some photos too...

Speak soon

Cheers

James

Catching up

2007-07-31T10:45:00.000+09:30

Caught up with some Japanese friends from Adelaide on Sunday. One of them is from Osaka, whilst the other is from Tokyo. They also brought along a friend.

We went to Tsukiji, which is famous for it's enormous fish market- the world's largest i believe. The market is closed on Sunday, but i have been there during a previous visit to Japan so it wasn't an issue. The purpose of our visit this time was for the sushi. There are hordes of sushi restaurants surrounding the market, as being on the market's footstep allows them to get very fresh ingredients.

The sushi we ate was fantastic, it was so fresh that it seemed to melt in your mouth and the taste was incredible. It was great to watch it being prepared as well. One of the guys i was with sampled some whale sushi but i stuck to salmon (sake), tuna (maguro) and salmon eggs (ikura)- I was more adventurous the other night and was eating beef tongue, but thats another story...).

After lunch, we ventured to Hama-rikyu Gardens (a nearby park/traditional garden). The park was surrounded by a river, and within the garden was a large lake, housing an island in it's centre. A 300 year old tea house (ochaya) was erected on the island, which was joined to the mainland by a bridge. We attended a tea ceremony at the ochaya, and enjoyed powdered green tea with traditional Japanese sweets. We also met a Swiss couple at the ochaya, who were actually in Tokyo for the world barista championships. Turns out she is the Swiss national champion- so we traded cappuccino making tips for suggestions of places they should visit whilst in Japan. All in all, a great, relaxing day.

Left to right: Atsu, some gaijin idiot, Mai and Masa

NOVA gossip...

2007-07-30T01:25:00.000+09:30

I don't actually have any gossip about NOVA really.

There was alot of bad press a few weeks ago about the company but things seems to have settled down and it appears to be business as usual (touch wood). There are actually two separate NOVA schools at Kinshicho, but we were informed today that the two schools will be merging, and will form a single large school (at my branch's building). Whether this is a reflection of NOVA's problems i don't know, but no one seems terribly worried. My Knishicho school has lower level students (low level means better ability- 2 is the best, 7 the worst) and no kids classes, and the other school has heaps of kids and high level students, so the merge means that i will have to teach kids, which some instructors are not thrilled about... I don't mind, because it will add more variety to the day.

So more about working at NOVA...

I actually quite enjoy it. I'd heard plenty of negative things about NOVA but it is definately more fun and rewarding than i ever expected. Sure it's not rocket sience, and i can see that after a while, lessons will get repetitive, but most of the students are really nice and some are very interesting (one of our students is a Manga artist, while another student runs a dodgy scam involving Bangladesh and diamonds... I could say more but i'd have to kill u). You form a bond with most of the students and it is rewarding when u hear them using words or phrases that you have taught them in a previous lesson. Furthermore, they are always more than happy to answer any enquiries you may have about Japan.

I like working 5-9pm as i have plenty of time in the morning to go to the gym, or meet people for lunch etc. It also means that u can go out at night during the week, as you have usually recovered by 5:00.

For those of u interested in the money side of things, i work 20 hours per week and earn about 200,000 Yen/month (AU$2000), which is pretty good for a part time job.

"BUT IS THIS ENOUGH TO SURVIVE IN TOKYO???" I hear you ask.

Easily. Work pays for ur train pass, so u don't have petrol expenses, car registration, mechanic fees etc. I go out for a big night 1-2 times per week and still afford a gym membership and 3-4 square meals a day. Plus i save a bit on the side, incase i want to travel. For those Aussies, Kiwis, and Canucks out there- I definately think the Working Holiday VISA is the way to go. Good hours, and u can always work overtime to earn more.

P.S. Our part time wage is higher than most of the full time Japanese staff. When you meet young Japanese people and inform them that you only work 20 hours per week, they give u an astounded look and enquire as to how you could possibly survive in Tokyo. The look on their face then transforms from astonishment to disbelief when u tell them that u earn 200,000 Yen/Month... This is because most of them work 40-50 hours per week and actually have a lower wage than this... Don't misinterpret my ramblings- i'm not exactly sitting on a gold mine- but compared to the average 25 year old Japanese, my salary isn't too bad.

The Japanese mentality (particuarly in Tokyo i suspect) is that young people should work hard, long hours and get paid a crap wage. They are then expected to stay with the same company for the next 30 years, climbing their way up the corporate ladder, after which time they are probably in a management role and are very well looked after indeed by their company. I think this type of loyalty is fading in the younger generations of Japanese, but they still have no where near as much freedom as the Youth of Australia, or i suppose, any other Western country. It's such a high pressure and stressful environment- no wonder Tokyo'ites look so glum and exhausted on the evening trains.

J-Bay update

2007-07-22T07:33:00.000+09:30

It's 6:30 i the morning. Just got back from clubbing in Tokyo. Went to a club called Muse in Roppongi. I'm still kinda drunk and can't sleep so i'm surfing the net. Just found out that Taj beat Slater so that is awesome news. Mick Fanning is still number one in the world and Taj is now number two!!

You beaut

Go Aussie!

Damn, i really hope i go surfing soon. I heard therte may be another typhoon on the way so fingers crossed...

J-Bay

2007-07-21T23:28:00.000+09:30

This has nothing to do with Japan, but i've been watching the WCT (World Championship Tour) surfing event at Jeffreys Bay, South Africa.

There was an awesome semi-final between Mick Fanning and Taj Burrow. Unfortunately Mick lost (my favourite surfer). Kelly Slater just beat Dean Morrison, So it's Taj and Kelly in the final.

Hopefully Taj gets it. It sucks the way now that when Kelly loses he complains about the judging. Fire up Taj!!

The final is about to start

Cya

P.S. Japan just beat Australia in the Asia Cup soccer. They won 4-3 in a penalty shot out. I didn't get to watch the game cause i was wroking bloody overtime...

Nikko pictures

2007-07-17T10:33:00.000+09:30

Typhoons and Earthquakes

2007-07-17T09:44:00.000+09:30

Japan has very 'volatile' weather...

On the weekend, a rather large typhoon formed south of Japan and then headed north, running parallel to the country. I believe it was a category 4, with category 5 being the maximum rating. Some students informed me that it was the strongest typhoon Japan has had in July, because usually the big ones don't hit till August/September. Aside from causing some big seas and rain, the typhoon didn't really affect the Tokyo area. It was a different story for southern Japan, i think some people were killed in places such as Okinawa.

The rain fell heavily for the whole weekend we were in Nikko, basically non stop. After trudging around in the mud for 6 hours on Sunday, we decided to pack it in and head home. However, seeing the temples and shrines in the rain was fantastic, it seemed to add to the mystique of the place. One downside of the rain was that our backpacks got saturated, and i happened to have my ipod in my bag and it now doesn't appear to be working... I will let it dry for a few days and try and recharge it... fingers crossed.

Apparently some areas of southern Japan received 1000mm (1 metre) of rain in three days!!! Geez, we could do with that in Australia, that would help in refilling the Murray!

I turned up to work yesterday (Monday) to be informed by some other students (they are a great resource of news/information!) that there had been an earthquake in the morning (around 10:30am). The epicentre was in Nigata prefecture, which is a couple hundred kilometres north of Tokyo. It registered 6.8 on the richter scale... Hang on a sec, will just refer to good 'ol Wikipedia... Ah, 6.0-6.9 on the richter scale is considered 'strong' and can be destructive in areas up to about 100 miles across in populated areas. There are about 120 worldwide per year... Apparently, most people felt tremors in Tokyo, where it measured 3 on the richter scale- which is considered minor and 'often felt, but rarely causes damage'. I was actually at the gym at the time and didn't feel a thing. I wish i had, but i didn't... Maybe i was too focussed on what i was doing!

I'm just sorting through my Nikko photos now so should have some pics up soon.

Till next time

Jimmy

Nikko

2007-07-14T20:20:00.000+09:30

Today has been great!!

Im am in Nikko right now, which is a town a couple hours North of Tokyo. It is a traditional area, and houses some of the best temples and shrines within the Tokyo area.

We caught the train this morning- it was about a three hour trip. We had a look around town and then trekked up the hill to our hostel. The hostel is awesome, and is perched on a hill, surrounded by greenery. It blows you away just how green all the vegetation is.

We were told about a lady who lives near the hostel and owns a small ramen shop. She was a nice, cute old lady and the ramen was delicious! We then had an onsen (hot spring)- so i am feeling extremely relaxed now. The plan for tomorrow is to spend the whole day visiting temples so i should have some good pics up soon.

Jane

P.S. We stayed at 'Nikko Park Lodge'. This is a great hostel and i would recommend it to anyone who is planning a trip to Nikko.

Attempted surfing @ Ohara

2007-07-08T12:17:00.000+09:30

Looks like those Akihabara videos arn't working dammit. Ah well, maybe i will leave them here for a while and hope they magically start working...

I had been told by a guy who surfs that a break called Ohara was usually ok and that the train station wasn't too far from the beach...

I got up at 6am yesterday, grabbed my board and wetsuit and still half asleep, plodded off to the train station. It's a two hour train journey, with three train changes, so i didn't get to Ohara till about 8:30. When i emerged from the station, the rain was pissing down and a thick fog was restricting visibility. I knew which direction the ocean was, but that was about it... I didn't know how far, or where the actual surf break was. So i bought a cheap unbrella and headed off.

An hour later i struck water. However, it was an old fishing port. No sign of any surf breaks, just breakwalls and fishing boats. I walked along the coast for another half an hour but nothing but more breakwalls and cliffs. The fog was still bad so i knew my chances of finding the surfing beach wern't great.

This is me after walking an hour and a half in fog and rain... At this point i am completely lost and wondering wha the f%#k i'm doing here without a map or any basic directions to the surf break

So i turned around and headed back to the station. I walked past a group of old women who were seated eunder a verandah, weaving fishing nets. They had seen me pass by about and hour before. They gave me a smile and a slightly amused look, and returned their work (probably thinking to themselves... What the hell is this guy doing?? Lol).

I had almost reached the staion when i saw a car with surfboards pull into a ramen store (like a fast food noodle shop). I treked up to them an asked if they spoke English. They said 'a little' and i said i speak a little Japanese... Anyways, to cut a long story short, they turned out to be Brasilian and invited me to eat with them. Afterwards, then let me jump in their car and took me surfing. Turns out Ohara is usually small and crappy (thanks to the guy who gave me that avice) and is too far to walk from the station. They showed me a break called Hebara (had WCT event there in 2005) and we surfed at another place called Onjuku. It was small and crowded but still fun (better than walking around lost in Ohara).

So, what started as a f%*ked day turned out awesome. They go surfing most weekends and said next time they will pick me up from the train station and i can surf with them... They are really good blokes, and although communication was a problem (talked to them through a combination of English and Japanese... I only know about four Portuguese words), they were fun to hang out with.

Dan and Fa, two of the 'top boke' Brasilians. The other guy 'Lala' is asleep in the car.

P.S. I had my first Japanese lesson last friday. They are free at my local community centre so will be talking the local lingo in no time... hopefully.

I'm off to do some food shopping

Peace

Akihabara

2007-07-06T12:32:00.000+09:30

Well, i have seen many weird and wonderful things already in Japan, and i have only been here a little under a month. In regards to strange places, Akihabara definately takes the cake. I just don't get this place, it spun me out when i first visted there.

Akihabara is known as 'electronic town'. The main strip consists of hundreds of electronic stores, selling everything from useful items- computers and cameras, to circuit gadgetry (is that a word??)- transformers etc, to slightly less common items- stun guns.

Yes, these are stun guns

This is all very interesting, but the strangeness begins on the street. On Sundays, the main street is closed to cars, and pedestrians fill the road and sidewalk. As you walk down the street, you are accosted by girls in maid uniforms, who hand out fliers for maid cafes. Maid cafes are a Japanese phenomenon. They are cafes that sell food and drinks but the waitresses wear old schol maid uniforms. Japanese men seem to have a 'thing' for maid uniforms, so not only are maid cafes super popular in Japan, but sales of maid uniforms are through the roof!

The main drag

Gio and Lawrence (2 blokes from work) browsing for maid uniforms (these pics were taken with my phone so may be crappy quality)

A steel at just under a little AU$100

I'll have an espresso thanks

The streets of Akihabara also attract a strange bunch of misfits from the general public. U have girls that dress up in strange clothes and have funky hairstyles and parade around the streets. Some even sing or dance. I suppose it's like busting, except they just want attention, not money. Some are treated like celebrities, with sometimes hundreds of guys with cameras following them down the street and taking photos... I guess it gives the girls a taste of fame...

Vending machines in my neck of the woods

2007-07-06T00:24:00.000+09:30

According to the ever reliable Wikipedia, "Japan has the highest number of vending machines per capita, with about one machine for every 23 people".

Walking back to my apartment from the train station today, i decided to count vending machines. There were 15 vending machines on the side of the street i was walking (it's divided by a traffic island so difficult to count both sides at the same time). This walk is about half a kilometre and takes me about 7 minutes. If we assume that the other side of the street has a similar number of vending machines, we get 30 machines on a single street, within a 500m stretch...

or 1 machine roughly every 16m...

Night out in Shibuya

2007-06-30T00:01:00.000+09:30

Had a rather large one last night. I went out with some people from work- some other instructors and also one of the Japanese staff and her friend.

Shibuya is a crazy place, especially at night. Once you exit the train station, you are greeted by a throng of people and forest of neon and television plastered high rise buildings. It's know as the area where all the young trendy Tokyo'ians hang out-many of them have bleached hair and sport hideous looing fake tan- they appear more orange than tanned...

Just outside the station were some people advertising free hugs. A guy in our group tried to hug one of the guys holding these signs, but the guy shut him down and told him to hug one of the girls. Haha.

We started off at a Gaijin (foreigner) bar called the 300 YEN bar, where we consumed many jugs of beer- which, unfortunately, cost alot more than 300 YEN. Two extremely drunk Japanese guys joined our table, and seemed to drink alot of our beer. They pretty much tagged along the rest of the night, although we couldn't really converse, as their English was as bad as our Japanese. They seemed to laugh alot and one kept giving me shit (i think??) because i was wearing my work shoes. Haha, funny blokes- they would push one of us white fellas into girls that we walked past, and then proceeded to try and chat them up. Seems like a strange courting ritual...

We then went to a club called Atom. I think entry was 3000 YEN but our newly acquired companions did some negotiating and got us in for 2000 YEN, and the ladies with us in for 1000 YEN. The club had three stories. The first two were sort of dance and trance floors i guess and the top floor was R & B/Hip Hop. We stayed on the 3rd level most of the night. Unfortunately they dont allow cameras in so i dont have pictures of the club.

All in all, a good night. Was a bit tired at work today but will definately be heading back for Shibuya nightlife soon.

NOVA

2007-06-26T15:01:00.000+09:30

Well, i pretty much have work sussed already. It's not rocket science, and i think it will sart to get repetitive and a little stale after a while, but one of best things about this job is the students. I have already met some interesting people already and most of them are really nice. Students range from high school students and young people who have just entered the work force, to housewives and business men. The other instructors at my branch (Kinshicho) and the Japanese staff are all friendly too.

Working 5-9pm weeknights is pretty good as it gives me time to do things in the morning. I just joined the gym too, so its good to get back into doing weights and staying active. I'm hoping i don't get too bloody skinny because i don't seem to be eating much food. I don't know if its the humidity or because the food is different, but i will be skin and bones in no time... Kinda defeats the purpose of going to the gym.

Japanese Food

2007-06-24T17:43:00.000+09:30

I friggin' love Japanese food. Infact i have only had one western meal so far, which was... Ok, i'll admit it, McDonalds....

Food here is pretty cheap. They have these fast food style noodle bars where you can get a feed from as little as 350 Yen (~AU$3.50). I have been visiting these places every night for dinner, it almost works out cheaper than preparing a meal- plus i am lazy... Cooking doesn't seem as enjoyable when you are couped up in a kitchen that barely fits one person.

THERE ARE THREE STEPS FOR ENJOYING A MEAL AT YOUR LOCAL NOODLE BAR

1) Look at the plastic replicate dishes displayed in the window to see what is on offer

2) Place your order- you don't even talk to anyone to do this. You simply select your desired meal from the buttons on the vending machine, put your money in, and it spits out a ticket, which you give to the staff.

3) In less than five minutes you will have yor meal. Pretty bloody good for 700 Yen.

P.S Went out last night to the infamous 'Roppongi' (its where all the foreigners living in Tokyo, and Japanese who want to meet foreigners, go to party). Its pretty crazy but i'm getting a little sick of it. Another area of Tokyo, Shibuya, supposedly also has crazy bars and clubs but less foreigners so might trek there next time.

P.P.S. Also havn't managed to go for a surf yet. It's gonna cost me 3000 Yen in trains fairs everytime i go surfing!! I can't afford that so i need to find someone who surfs and has a car.

More apartment pics

2007-06-20T11:24:00.001+09:30

Oh, did i mention my housemates are from Canada and England? They are slightly older than me (31) but both are top blokes. They have lived here 6 years and 1 year respectively, so have given me plenty of tips about living in Japan.

The kitchen is simple but does the job

Our apartment is the in the corner of the Annex building on the top floor- you can see our washing on the balcony.

The view from our balcony. Not terribly scenic- no rice fields or temples to be seen, but suprisingly you never hear the train.

Apartment pics

2007-06-20T11:07:00.000+09:30

Not the largest bedroom in the world...

but at least i have room for a futon.

The living room isn't much bigger.

The toilet room is, well...

small.

1st day of work

2007-06-18T23:45:00.000+09:30

Had first day of work today. We moved into things pretty quickly...

We started off with some orientation information and then observed a lesson. The rest of the day consisted of us newbies being each paired up with an instructor, sitting in on lessons, and gradually participating more and more... For the last lesson, we were each required to teach the second half of a lesson.

Lessons are 40 minutes long and are designed to get students talking to each other as much as possible. We guide them through the different stages of the lesson (warm up, introducing the lesson theme, listening and speaking activities etc.) and monitor and correct their grammar, intonation, sentence structure etc. After the lesson, you are given 10 minutes to write some feedback in each of the students' files, then have a ten minute break defore the next lesson.

It was a pretty full on day, but i think it's a matter of practice, and after a while, should be able to do it in my sleep. I have to teach a full lesson tomorrow. Only 2 more days of training, then i start proper work on Thursday.

Ok, i'm off to bed. Later

1st day of work tomorrow

2007-06-17T22:30:00.000+09:30

Begin orientation and training tomorrow. NOVA has been in the news again and some people are saying it is the last straw for the company and it may be the beginning of their demise. But it is a large corporation so i think it should be ok, at least for a while...

Last few days have mainly been spent organising things i.e VISA, bank account etc. Have had a few walks around the area of the house, trying to familiarise myself with the neighbourhood. Its considered a fairly quiet area, but we still have 3 gyms, fast food retaurants, karaoke bars, 3 supermarkets, and a heap of Japanese traditional bars (Izakaya) and noodle bars.

Did karaoke last night, just here at Gyotoku. We started off the night at an Izakaya (first drinks were at 11pm!) then proceeded to the karaoke venue. We had the room from 12am to 5am, so it was alot of singing! After a few hours we were kinda sick of it, but the Japanese people we were with kept singing right up till close at 5am... Im sure they would have gladly kept going if the place hadn't closed... They love Japanese pop music over here, which is termed J-Pop. Foreign bands that are big over here seem to include Good Charlotte, Green Day, Avril Lavigne (spelling??), Michelle Branch and Kelly Clarkson.

I didn't take my camera last night so no karaoke photos, but im sure it wont be my last karaoke session.

I might trek off to bed

Oyasuminasai (good night)

I'm here!!

2007-06-15T12:18:00.000+09:30

It has been a long past 2 days...

On Wednesday, i had to be at Adelaide airport by 5:00 am to fly out at 6:00 (had a few dramas with my luggage- it was overweight and they didn't like the fact that i had a surfboard). I had a couple hours stop over in Sydney, then hopped on the plane. The entertainment crashed about half way throught the flight, so the last 5 hours wasn't very exciting.

I arrived at Narita airport at 8:30pm. Most people who are employed by NOVA travel to Japan on a pre-booked flight and are met at the airport by NOVA staff who take them to their apartment and organise their baggage to be transferred there. I, however, travelled on my own flight (because it was cheaper) so i had to find my own accommodation on my night of arival.

I decided to stay at a hostel at Ueno (i stayed there in September last year). Two hours, and two trains later i arrived at the hostel. It was 11pm by now and i was buggered! It wasn't lack of sleep so much that tired me out, it was the sheer volume of luggage i had... The metro train was ultra crowded, despite the time, so i was a little worried how i would fit on! (Got a few strange looks)

The next day, i had to be at NOVA headquarters by 11:00am, at an area of Tokyo called Shinjuku. Shinjuku is the busiest train station in the world. After a little wandering around, i managed to find the building and picked up my apartment key and also some other documents. In the office, there was a large stuffed toy of the NOVA mascot- a pink rabbit.

I returned to the hostel to pick up my gear and with the aid of a map, found my apartment. It is a 5-10 minute walk from the train station (Gyotoku). There is also a gym, supermaret and park close by- and also those incredibly cheap and tasty noodle bars.

I begin training on Monday at a branch at Tsudanuma and my regular working branch will be Kinshico, which is closer to central Tokyo than my house, and only a few stops away from 'electronic town' Akihabara.

Ok, i have written maybe too much again! Will try to put up some pics of my apartment (which is tiny) soon.

P.S. My terrible grammar and spelling in no way reflects my ablity as an English teacher... Haha.

Ja ne

Change...

2007-06-09T21:11:00.000+09:30

Obviously change, coupled with a keen interest in Japan, is my main motivaion for embarking on this trip. However, i hope i dont get too restless being couped up in an aprtment in a big city!

My living conditions are going from this...

to this...

And my working conditions, from this...

to this...

Hmm, interesting...

4 days to go!!

Parting is such sweet sorrow

2007-06-09T20:14:00.000+09:30

The registration on my 1982 Toyoto Celica expired today. This car has been very good to me- i bought it after returning from the USA in January 2006, for a measly $600 (which included 3 months rego). It has survived one and a half years of neglect, barring a three month hiatus last year when i treked around Europe. I thought the liklihood of my beloved, now unregistered, car being towed was high if it remained in the exact same position for one year, so i took it up to the family vineyard where it can take a well earned rest and 'be at one with nature'- my humble steed awaits my return...

Well, i now have my VISA

2007-06-04T19:25:00.000+09:30

I received my VISA today!! I look like a criminal, but at least i have it...

I have had a pretty bad case of the flu so have been couped up inside, keeping warm next to the fire, for the past week. I dont want to jinx myself but i think i might have finally beaten it... I feel much better today.

9 days to go!!

It's a not a so bad...

2007-06-02T12:47:00.000+09:30

Well, at first i was abit dissapointed that the provided housing isn't going to be south of Tokyo, because there are many traditional areas and temples and gardens in South Tokyo (Kamakura is one such area). However, chin up...

I made some posts on a website for foreigner surfers living in Japan, and one guy wrote back saying he lives in Ichikawa and has a car. He told me to message him when i get to Japan and he is keen to hook up for a surf. Apparently there are surfing beaches a little over an hour away. So sounds great if its works out, would be sweet to have someone show me the local breaks... Some of the posts also said that Ichikawa is a pretty nice place to live, which is good to hear, because i was expecting it to just be a mass residential area.

I am even more excited now, cant wait to go surfing in Japan!!

11 days to go!!

Hello

2007-05-31T22:58:00.000+09:30

So i have put the winemaking career on hold and decided to go to Japan to be an 'English teacher'...

I leave Australia on Wenesday, June 13th, arriving that night in Tokyo, and begin training on Monday, June 18th...

Now, English teaching in Japan is a little different to what you might imagine... It's not a pro bono type thing in an under developed country and its not teaching school kids... Its a multi-million dollar industry in Japan. Basically, there are hundereds of English school companies in Japan. Many consist of only one to several schools, but the market is dominated by a few large companies that own hundreds of branches throughout the country. These larger schools recruit outside Japan, in English speaking countries (Australia, USA, England etc), and demand only two things of applicants; 1) They have a university degree, and 2) English is their native language. You are not reqired to have a knowledge of Japanese (in fact, speaking Japanese in classes is banned) and need no other qualifications or teaching experience.

So, i have secured a job with the largest English language chain school in Japan, called NOVA. There has been some bad press recently regarding this company, but i am going over with an open mind and no expectations. The company provides a furnished apartment, a VISA, and reimburses travel expenses to and from work (Subway). You are not locked into a contract and can leave at any time. I have a working holiday VISA, which means that i can do other work aside from English teaching.

I had put down Tokyo as my preference to work and live. I received an email from NOVA today informing me that i will be living in Ichikawa. This is an area East of Tokyo (part of Chiba prefecture) and is a 30 minute subway ride to central Tokyo. I will be living in a 3 bedroom apartment with two other male teachers, a Canadian and a Pom. I dont find out which area of Tokyo i will be working until the orientation day on the 18th... I hope it is somewhere near central Tokyo ( lots of people and excitement!)...

I'm doing this site, not only to keep family and friends updated, but also for people that are thinking about going to Japan for English teaching... I have been interested in Japan for a while, and have been contemplating jumping on the English teaching gravy train for about one and a half years. I certainly did a s#*t load of internet enquires before finally deciding to 'bugger it, maze well just do it', so i will try to talk not only about my experiences in Japan, but also my trials and tribulations as an 'English Teacher' (and I use that phrase loosely ^_^).

Sorry to rant and rave, i promise all my posts wont be this long!!

Cheers

Jimmy

13 days to go!