tag:www.teacherinjapan.org,2008://1 2008-06-19T23:34:19Z Movable Type 3.35 tag:www.teacherinjapan.org,2008://1.37 2008-06-19T08:11:15Z 2008-06-19T23:34:19Z

This weekend was action packed to say the least. A group of us travelled to Minakami, north west of Tokyo, to do some white water rafting and canyoning. We almost didn't make it as there was an earthquake on...

anna This weekend was action packed to say the least. A group of us travelled to Minakami, north west of Tokyo, to do some white water rafting and canyoning. We almost didn't make it as there was an earthquake on Saturday morning which meant all the shinkansens had stopped and were delayed. We ended up getting on the wrong train and going hours out of our way AND I left my bag on the train with all my clothes in! Someone handed it in so I was able to pick it up on the way home - phew - only in Japan! We were staying in a lovely lodge nestled in the mountains, it was very strange to see all the ski slopes where I had been snowboarding now covered in grass. We were up early on the Sunday for rafting, although it has been rainy season the river was quite low so we did run aground on the rocks a few times and had to get out and push (too much for breakfast perhaps?!). Canyoning in the afternoon was adrenaline-filled to say the least. Canyoning is basically sliding down and jumping off rapids and waterfalls, the head first slides were the most hair-raising but luckily all our teeth were intact and I even managed a forward somersault off the last jump! We returned home exhausted but already planning our return to Minakami. More pictures in the gallery.]]> tag:www.teacherinjapan.org,2008://1.35 2008-06-19T00:58:58Z 2008-06-19T01:59:01Z

The whole school went Japanese on Friday. All the children and staff came dressed in Japanese outfits ranging from sumos to samurais! Some of the cleaning staff very kindly lent me a beautiful kimono for the day. It involved...

anna The whole school went Japanese on Friday. All the children and staff came dressed in Japanese outfits ranging from sumos to samurais! Some of the cleaning staff very kindly lent me a beautiful kimono for the day. It involved having two 'dressers' to wrap the swathes of fabric round me and took about twenty minutes to be fully 'bound'. It was surprisingly comfortable and I felt quite sad to be back in my regular clothes at the end of the day! The children had a huge range of activities to take part in including Japanese dancing (bon odori), origami, watching anime, making yaki soba (noodle dish) and a special Japanese comedy show. More pictures in the gallery.]]> tag:www.teacherinjapan.org,2008://1.34 2008-04-13T01:39:59Z 2008-04-13T01:40:32Z

In Japan they don't celebrate Easter but springtime in Japan is when everything goes Cherry Blossom (Sakura) crazy. The cherry blossom is Japan's unofficial national flower. It has been celebrated for many centuries and takes a very prominent position...

anna In Japan they don't celebrate Easter but springtime in Japan is when everything goes Cherry Blossom (Sakura) crazy. The cherry blossom is Japan's unofficial national flower. It has been celebrated for many centuries and takes a very prominent position in Japanese culture. Around late March the whole nation excitedly waits for the first buds to appear on cherry trees. The 'sakura-zensen, the 'cherry-blossom-front' works slowly northwards from the south islands until it finally reaches the northern tip of Hokkaido in May and the whole process is broadcast on television rather like a weather report showing different areas of the country as various shades of pink depending on the status of their cherry blossoms. Accompanying the front are hanami, the 'flower-viewing' parties celebrating these short-lived blooms. Everywhere in Tokyo is pink at the moment; even the Kit Kats have gone pink! ]]> tag:www.teacherinjapan.org,2008://1.33 2008-04-13T00:59:58Z 2008-04-13T01:25:19Z

During the Easter holidays I went to Hong Kong to visit my friend Ailsa (another Gateshead immigrant). It was fantastic, I guess I'd always imagined that Hong Kong would be fairly similar to Tokyo but it is very different...

anna During the Easter holidays I went to Hong Kong to visit my friend Ailsa (another Gateshead immigrant). It was fantastic, I guess I'd always imagined that Hong Kong would be fairly similar to Tokyo but it is very different indeed. Hong Kong is like a stretched city; all the buildings seem to be at least 20 storeys high - it reminded me of something from a graphic novel. Everyone speaks English which is very different to Tokyo and makes it a lot easy to get around but at the same time asects of Hong Kong like the little backstreets selling tradional Chinese food and wares and the heady smell of incense make it feel more like Asian city than Tokyo; it reminded me more of Bangkok in that way. While I was there I indulged in much shopping - they have Marks and Spencer! - and stocked up on some English food products (Bisto and custard powder) that I can't get here. All over Hong Kong there are places offering reflexology and pedicures etc and my friend said I had to try the Shanghai pedicure which was quite an experience. I was settled down in a large leather arm chair, ginger tea in hand and feet soaking in a steaming, fragranced tub when this tiny Chinese man came in carrying a spot light and a roll of leather under his arm. Upon unfurling the leather I could see that it contained a variety of tools that looked suspiciously like scalpels; I suddenly began to feel very uneasy! He plucked one of my feet from it's blissful bath and held it up to the spot light whereupon he studied it carefully while making small gasping sounds - cue embarrassed, apologetic smiles. He then took one of the scalpels from its case and began scraping what seemed like layers and layers of skin from my foot - cue more embarrassed smiles. He repeated the process on my other foot before holding them both proudly up to the spot light while smiling and nodding enthusiastically at me. My feet were as smooth as the proverbial baby's bottom and I was about an inch shorter but I do highly recommend the Shanghai Pedicure. During my stay in Hong Kong the Rugby 7s tournament was on which is where rugby union teams from all over the world compete in teams of 7s over three days. It was a brilliant event and the atmosphee in the stadium was fantastic. On the Saturday everyone in the South Stand dresses up; we were pirates but there were some other very interesting costumes such as the Smurfs and the Jamaican bob sled team! I didn't get much time for sight seeing (shopping and rugby being the priorities!) but I will definitely be back in Hong Kong before long to see what else it has to offer. ]]> tag:www.teacherinjapan.org,2008://1.32 2008-04-13T00:45:16Z 2008-04-13T00:56:52Z

During a visit from a friend we visited Tsukiji market which was quite an experience! After it's been fished out of the sea and before it turns up on your sashimi plate, most of Tokyo's seafood transits through Tsukiji...

anna During a visit from a friend we visited Tsukiji market which was quite an experience! After it's been fished out of the sea and before it turns up on your sashimi plate, most of Tokyo's seafood transits through Tsukiji Produce and Fish Market. This gigantic pulsating heart at the centre of Tokyo's gastronomic system pumps at an incredible, frenetic, fish-fuelled pace. Workers yell, slice blocks of ice, haul gigantic bluefin tuna, spit, laugh, bone an eel, yell some more. It was amazing to watch these tiny Japanese men and men literally sawing through frozen tuna carcasses that were twice the size of them. Tsukiji handles over 2000 metric tons of seafood per day ranging from tiny sardines to 300kg tuna, from cheap seaweed to very expensive caviar. In 2001 a 200kg bluefin tuna sold for a record-breaking £85 000 at the on site auction area of Tsukiji. This was definitely a Tokyo sight worth getting up at 5am for!]]> tag:www.teacherinjapan.org,2008://1.31 2008-03-17T08:53:38Z 2008-03-17T09:03:54Z

Last week the Year 5 team travelled to the North Star lodge in Norikura for the second time this academic year. The winter wonderland that greeted us was almost unrecognisable from our sunny summer destination! The first afternoon saw...

anna Last week the Year 5 team travelled to the North Star lodge in Norikura for the second time this academic year. The winter wonderland that greeted us was almost unrecognisable from our sunny summer destination! The first afternoon saw us unloading all the thermal filled suitcases before settling into the welcome haven of the lodge. The children then got the chance to take part in activities that included igloo building, sledging (my favourite) and wall climbing before a warming dinner. This was followed by a group task to construct a model ski lift from basic materials; the children came up with some ingenious ideas which put the BST adults to shame! The next two days were spent on the slopes learning and perfecting skiing and snowboarding skills. There was a huge range of abilities within the year group but everyone made amazing progress with the beginners even negotiating a black slope by the end of the second day! Our final morning was a new experience for all of us – snow shoeing. This was a superb morning walking (and stumbling!) around in the deep, fresh snow that had fallen overnight. A great end to a great week; staff and children all returned exhausted but with big smiles on our faces. More pictures in the gallery. ]]> tag:www.teacherinjapan.org,2008://1.30 2008-02-29T01:41:35Z 2008-02-29T01:52:55Z

On Wednesday the whole of Year 5 went on a trip to Odaiba. Odaiba is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, across the spectacular 'Rainbow Bridge' from central Tokyo. It was initially built for defensive purposes in the...

anna On Wednesday the whole of Year 5 went on a trip to Odaiba. Odaiba is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, across the spectacular 'Rainbow Bridge' from central Tokyo. It was initially built for defensive purposes in the 1800s, dramatically expanded during the late 20th century as a seaport district, and has developed since the 1990s as a major commercial, residential and leisure area. The trip was a little different in that the children have spent the last 6 weeks planning the trip themselves. They researched the area and chose activities they would like to do within their budget of 3500 yen (about 17 GBP). They had to get to Odaiba using public transport and a route decided by them. Various groups used the subway, monorail and even the water bus! Odaiba has a wide range of museums including the excellent Museum of Emerging Science which some groups visited, however other groups went to the arcades and huge shopping malls. Unfortunately the famous ferris wheel was not running and so we couldn't experience that but other landmarks visited included the Fuji TV Centre and the Statue of Liberty (a smaller replica of the New York landmark). The day was a real success and everyone got home in one piece! Visit this website to find out more about Odaiba: http://www.tokyoessentials.com/odaiba.html ]]> tag:www.teacherinjapan.org,2008://1.29 2008-02-20T08:00:01Z 2008-02-20T08:18:43Z

I was on half term last week and flew up to the north island of Japan, Hokkaido to do some snowboarding. Hokkaido is so far north that it has heavy snowfall for over half the year! We were staying...

anna I was on half term last week and flew up to the north island of Japan, Hokkaido to do some snowboarding. Hokkaido is so far north that it has heavy snowfall for over half the year! We were staying in a hotel that had ski lift up to the top of the mountain from just outside. It snowed all week and the scenery was breathtaking. My snowboarding had improved by the end of the week but am still a beginner and came home with quite a few 'trophy bruises'. The snow was so powdery in the mornings that if you fell you sunk practically up to your neck and it was a struggle to get out again - cue strange snow-covered-yeti-like appearance! We also visited the town of Sapporo for the Snow Festival which was quite spectacular - giant sculptures made out of snow - some pictures of which are in the gallery. I don't know how they managed to make them so large - some upto 2 storeys high and with loads of detail. My favourite was one showing scenes from the new Narnia film. We also visited a bar where everything was made from ice! The whole structure was made from ice bricks, there was ice chairs and glasses (ices?!) were cubes of ice with hollowed centres - very cool! We arrived home late on Saturday but there is no rest for the wicked we had to be up early on the Sunday morning to support some of our friends who were running in the Tokyo marathon (crazy I know!). They had a glorious sunny day and all did amazingly but I must give a special mention to Gareth who completed the course in 4 hours 24 minutes! He was running to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK so if anyone would like to make a donation of sponsorship please visit: www.justgiving.com/garethrichards1 Am off to a Burns pizza night tonight - that's Robert Burns not Mr Burns from The Simpsons (I think!) so will sign off for now :-) ]]> tag:www.teacherinjapan.org,2008://1.28 2008-02-04T01:49:00Z 2008-02-04T02:42:44Z

I recently visited a coastal area about 50km south of Tokyo called Kamakura. This small but beautiful town used to be the capital of Japan during the 12th century and is jam packed with temples and shrines. I began...

anna I recently visited a coastal area about 50km south of Tokyo called Kamakura. This small but beautiful town used to be the capital of Japan during the 12th century and is jam packed with temples and shrines. I began the day by visiting Engaku-ji Temple also know as the 'Temple of Spirit' which was built to honour the Zen principles and in memory of Japanese and Mongolian soldiers who died during conflict between the two countries. The temple is actually a collection of shrines including one that houses the tooth of Buddha! I then moved on to the Tokeji Temple which used to be a convent where women could go and after 3 years they would be formally acknowledged as divorced - apparently this was an attractive option in many cases and the Temple had to expand in the 16th century to accomodate more women! After a short hike through the hills I arrived at Kamakura's most famous attraction a giant bronze Buddha which was cast in 1252. The Buddha used to be housed in a temple but this was swept away by a tsunami in 1498 leaving the 121 ton statue open to the elements. He has had several repairs done over the years and now even has a giant pair of shoes also on display! I ended the day by visiting the beautiful Hasedera temple which houses a magnificent statue of Hase Kannon the eleven headed Goddess of mercy. Each of the eleven heads has a different expression signifying that the deity listens to the wishes of all types of people. As the sun was setting over the bay I bid a fond farewell to Kamakura feeling very enlightened and at peace :-) P.S. See more photos of my day in the gallery]]> tag:www.teacherinjapan.org,2008://1.27 2008-02-01T03:44:54Z 2008-02-01T03:53:11Z

Apologies for the delay in wishing everyone a Happy New Year but it has been a very busy one so far! I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with everyone over the Christmas holidays and must give a special mention to Year...

anna Apologies for the delay in wishing everyone a Happy New Year but it has been a very busy one so far! I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with everyone over the Christmas holidays and must give a special mention to Year 6 at Clover Hill who put on an amazing nativity and it was great to see them all. I arrived back in Tokyo for New Year which an extravaganza of lights and fireworks and then went off to the Norikura mountains to snowboard for a few days. Norikura is where we went our residentail trip back in September but it was so different to see it all covered in snow. My snowboarding is improving but I can still only turn in one direction so end up going in circles! I am going up to the North island of Hokkaido in half term though for another week and hopefully will have cracked it by the end. I had an audition for the British Embassy choir last week and managed to get a place so was really pleased and looking forward to the first concert in May. Hoping all is well where you are. tag:www.teacherinjapan.org,2007://1.26 2007-12-09T13:09:53Z 2007-12-09T13:20:18Z

Yesterday I went snowboarding for the first time and absolutely loved it! We went to a place called Kagura which took just over an hour on the shinkansen, we were on the slopes by 8.30am. One of the other...

anna Yesterday I went snowboarding for the first time and absolutely loved it! We went to a place called Kagura which took just over an hour on the shinkansen, we were on the slopes by 8.30am. One of the other teachers from school taught us the basics and by lunchtime we were on the proper slopes. It is so tiring and I did spend a lot of time on my bum! If you have ever seen the wildlife programmes where the polar bears slide down the snow head first, there were moments yesterday when I'm sure I looked just like that! By the end of the day I was starting to be able to turn so can't wait to get back, I went and bought a board today and have 3 more trips booked already! Although saying all this positive stuff, I am omitting one tiny detail...I am incapable of getting off the ski lift! I can get on no problem but when it came to getting off I just kept falling and once even dragged the lift attendant down with me; the poor man, the next time I went up he saw me coming (a look of horror crossed his face) and he immediately leapt in to action, signalling to the others that they should stop the lift! I'll get it eventually - you can't be good at everything!]]> tag:www.teacherinjapan.org,2007://1.25 2007-12-09T12:54:03Z 2007-12-09T13:07:00Z

Last weekend I visited a beautiful place called Hakone. It is about 70km south of Tokyo and the vibrant Autumn colours were in full swing; the reds and yellows of the trees were quite startling. I went to an...

anna Last weekend I visited a beautiful place called Hakone. It is about 70km south of Tokyo and the vibrant Autumn colours were in full swing; the reds and yellows of the trees were quite startling. I went to an amazing open air sculpture park which had lots of Henry Moore's work and a large Picasso exhibition. There was also a 30ft tower made soley from coloured glass chunks, you could climb to the top and the view was great. I also got chance to bathe my feet in natural spring water and give them a massage on the smooth pebbles in the base of the bath. I then went by the very cute Tozan or 'toy train' up into the mountains where I proceded on a cable car even further. Whilst riding in the cable car I was marveling at the lovely views we then rounded the top of a small peak and here on the other side in all its magnificence was Fuji, I actually gasped it was so breathtaking! I can see why the Japanese call the mountain 'Fuji-san' as a sign of respect. The cable car then continued down to a lake where I boarded what I can only describe as a galleon (equip with fake pirates!) As the sun set I was spirited away to the other side of the lake with Fuji in the background and the red torii gates leading to the Hakone shrine right on the banks of the lake. More pictures in the gallery. A superb day!]]> tag:www.teacherinjapan.org,2007://1.22 2007-11-29T02:12:56Z 2007-11-29T02:17:14Z

We visited the Meiji Jingu shrine which is a beautiful and peaceful haven in the midst of Tokyo mayhem. Meiji Jingu is the Shinto shrine dedicated to the divine souls of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Emperor Shoken. Emperor...

anna We visited the Meiji Jingu shrine which is a beautiful and peaceful haven in the midst of Tokyo mayhem. Meiji Jingu is the Shinto shrine dedicated to the divine souls of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Emperor Shoken. Emperor Meiji passed away in 1912 and Empress Shoken in 1914. After their demise, people wished to commemorate their virtues and to venerate them forever, and so this shrine was constructed, and their souls were enshrined on November 1, 1920. It consists of three areas: Naien, or the inner precinct, centred on the shrine buildings; Gaien, or the outer precinct, which includes the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery and sports facilities; and the Meiji Memorial Hall. These areas are covered by an evergreen forest of 120,000 trees of 365 different species, which were donated by people from all parts of Japan when the shrine was established. In the inner temple you can write your prayers or wishes on a wooden plaque that hangs for all to see. There are more pictures of the shrine in the gallery.]]> tag:www.teacherinjapan.org,2007://1.21 2007-11-29T00:21:11Z 2007-11-29T00:28:58Z

Tokyo is in full swing for the build up to Christmas. It was quite a shock because everywhere you looked up until November 1st there were pumpkins and other Hallowe'en emblems then overnight Christmas arrived. The weather seemed to...

anna Tokyo is in full swing for the build up to Christmas. It was quite a shock because everywhere you looked up until November 1st there were pumpkins and other Hallowe'en emblems then overnight Christmas arrived. The weather seemed to change overnight too and it has become very cold which is quite a relief after the sweltering temperatures of the summer. At school we are preparing for the Christmas Fair and concert next Friday. We have a staff choir so the karaoke skills will come in very handy on that night...or not! We visited a restaurant last night that has an amazing panoramic view of the Tokyo skyline; Tokyo Tower which is based on the Eiffel Tower really stands out as it is covered in fairy lights. We break up on the 14th so I will be back in the UK that weekend for a couple of weeks and then I am back in Tokyo for New Year celebrations and a snowboarding trip. Looking forward to catching up with everyone soon Anna x ]]> tag:www.teacherinjapan.org,2007://1.24 2007-11-28T05:21:24Z 2007-11-30T02:06:22Z

Two friends and I spent our half term on the Indonesian island of Bali. It was a very beautiful place that I would recommend highly. We were staying in the beach resort of Sanur which was fairly quiet but...

anna Two friends and I spent our half term on the Indonesian island of Bali. It was a very beautiful place that I would recommend highly. We were staying in the beach resort of Sanur which was fairly quiet but the beach was gorgeous - long white sands stretching for miles punctuated by raised wooden platforms that looked like mini temples that you could lie on and soak up the extremely hot sun. Much of our time was spent by the pool and enjoying the massages offered by the spa at our hotel but we also visited some amazing places. We enjoyed sunset at Tanah Lot which is a temple right on the coast sat on an outcrop of rock. Another temple that we visited was Ulu Watu where we were treated to a traditional performance of the story of Rama and Sita by traditional Balinese dancers - it reminded me of doing a similar dance with my Year 4 class back home. We also rode horse through the surf on Kuta beach, had fresh seafood by candlelight on the beach and visited the rice paddy fields - a fantastic week. There are more pictures in the gallery. ]]>