Alright everyone, its another addition from Nikki's Japanese journal! I feel that this weeks entry is very special- it is full of insight, experience and "holly crap i am in japan" moments. lol. enjoy.
Kyudo- Japanese Archery. This is what i have decided to study here in Japan. My sensei asked me, "Why did you pick Kyudo?" and the only thing i could say was, "Kyudo picked me". For what ever reason, this was the marital art i wanted to try it. I had never seen it done, i knew nothing about the martial art itself, but for whatever reason, this was what i wanted to study while here in Japan.
As per usual, i find myself liberated and excited about playing a sport. Different land but same feeling. relaxation, excitement, a challenge. I love Kyudo- at the end of each session i find my body completely exhausted but my mind clear and calm (this is very rare for me!). My sensei is an adorable older man by the name of Yanagihashi Kosei, . He speaks VERY little English and I obviously speak no Japanese but we some how manage to communicate through actions and a few very funny drawing on the chalk board. The dojo (name of Kyudo building) is my sanctuary. The building is an ancient looking traditional Japanese building settled on the castle grounds. It has three walls and the fourth side is open to the target range. The targets are 28m away from the shooting point and only 36 cm in diameter. Between you and the target(s) is this perfectly trimmed lawn and a zen like garden that surrounds the range. When you go and retrieve your arrows you walk through the garden and reflect on your kyudo experience.
During my first lesson, it was raining- the sound of the rain on the roof, the strum of the bows, the hitting of the targets....it was magical. That night i felt very Japanese.
Oh, and I must mention this very important moment- one night at practice my sensei took me on to the range to shoot at the targets for the first time. However, he walked me down to the target only 5m away but that detail is not important ;) hee hee. Anyways, as i was setting my self for the shot (side note: there are seven steps to shooting the arrow) I set my arrow on my knee and clear my mind. Sensei is standing in front of me to check my posture and when i set my bow, i can see his face between the bow staff and the string- the fact that I was standing in a Japanese garden, the gentle face of this old Japanese man, the leaves falling from the trees....a slight smirk crosses my face and sensei says in a somewhat stern voice "clear your mind". This was my " i am in Japan moment"- maybe with a very more adjectives thrown in :)
After only 5 lessons i have been told i am a "very good student". Sensei beams with pride as other comment on my "beautiful form". I feel relieved I have shown them I am worthy of learning their culture. I feel like I am apart of something in Japan. I am not a foreigner trying to fit in. For the first time in Japan, I feel comfortable in japan and have something in common with the people. I am not seen as an ALT teacher, I am not seen for my blonde hair and green eyes...i am not seen as different. I am just another member of the kyudo club.
oh and this Friday- after only my 6th lesson- I HIT THE TARGET! from the full 28m range! As i was leaving i joked it was beginners luck and sensei put both hands on my shoulders and said something very sincerely in Japanese. I bowed graciously at his words and walked away wondering what he might have said. As i was leaving one of the girls from the club followed me out and whispered, "he thinks it's no luck, its real"
*sigh*....... i love japan
On another note- this week my school hosted and English Conference. Enlgish teachers from all across the prefecture came to watch me and other teachers teach, then gathered at the cultural center for some seminars- most of which where in Japanese but apparently it looked good for my school to have a white girl sit with them (hee hee) so i sat through about 2 hours of Japanese lectures and nodding my head like i new what the hell was going on. BUT it was great to be able to communicate with other teachers because- THE ALL SPOKE ENGLISH- YIPPEEE. lol. Anyways, turns out i was very popular- I actually new a few of the teachers at the conference because of working at three different schools and judging a speech contest and I had met a couple younger teachers at the various parties JET has been having. So that was great.
But while i was at the conference i took some time to do some people watching. I find the Japanese people have mastered the art of looking very busy when in fact there is very little to do. It is humorous to watch 13 teachers (no exaggeration) run around and look completely frantic only to set up 2 tables and 5 chairs.....haha
Other than the English teachers, the cultural center is an open space that offers a variety of activities, one activity is apparently a walking group for elderly men. As I sit in a corner and observe the interactions between men i recognized something similar between people in Japan and Canada. I make a mental note: I am starting to adapt. A friend once told me when first arrived was all i would see is the difference between here and my home country (completely true) but slowly your will start to see the similarities- HALLELUJAH!
What i saw where a couple of men doing some warm up experiences for their big walk. It was interesting how some of them did very traditional (for lack of a better word) Japanese movements, reminiscent of martial arts- maybe from another time in their life. Some, did typical athletic stretches and the third group....are where the similarities were found. for this group, this was social hour. This was one eclectic group of men- let me explain:
One guy was extremely tall and had a shiny silk bomber jacket on with "Paris Tour" scrolled across the back, another guy had a complete comb over and polyester track suit on and the third guy was wearing jeans (very unusual in japan especially for the older generation) with crooked rotten teeth. LOL.
They all had crazy Japanese energy drinks in hand and where laughing and making jokes. I imagine they are friends from high school and did the same thing while standing in their high school hallways.
So where is the similarities you ask.....after writing this, i am starting to wonder myself. But while i was sitting there it was exciting to see similar of human behavior between people in Japan and people in Canada. Maybe it sounds silly to you, but when you live in a different country and every move you make, the sounds that come out of your mouth sounds strange (even when you are trying to speak Japanese) and even your clothes screams DIFFERENT. it is pretty awesome to see people acting the same as you. Actually, all i wanted to do was walk over to those three Japanese men and say, "see, we're not so different".
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