XIX. Hakone

Sometimes it is necessary to escape the city with its stress and its deadlines and its throngs of workers. So off we went, Margreet and I, to enjoy the tranquillity of rustic Hakone. Unfortunately, the weather forecast was bad- but we weren’t going to let a little bit of rain stop us. When we arrived in Hakone, the weather was warm and humid- but it was dry, so we decided to go for a hike along the remains of the old Edo-period Tokaido. There’s a fairly large stretch of road that’s still intact, as well as the newly renovated Hakone Barrier. In spite of its historical significance, we decided to forgo the checkpoint as the rain was gradually setting in (a recurring theme during the weekend). Instead, we jumped on a pirate ship that took us across lake Ashi. It was really raining by this time, but of course we went on deck to enjoy the view, which was quite beautiful (what with the mist slowly rising from the mountains that surrounded the lake). Naturally, the Japanese all stayed inside, watching the lake from behind glass.

We stayed at a traditional Minshuku, with onsen-water baths. During the night the rain really set in typhoon-style. We had been hoping to take the ropeway to get a nice view of Fuji, but the fog was so thick we couldn’t see more than a metre ahead of us. Naturally, the ropeway didn’t run in such weather, and when we took the bus up into the mountains we found that the famous sulphuric waters of Owakudani were also closed off to visitors. Luckily we were able to get our hands on some of the famous “black eggs” (boiled over the sulphuric water so their shells turn black) and thus added 7 years per eaten egg to our lifespan. Rather disappointed with the weather, we spent a large part of the afternoon in the wonderful Pola museum of art. Its collection is fine (one painting per impressionist), but it’s the building and the location in the middle of the woods that make it special. On the ground floor, the building has huge glass windows rising up from the floor so that you almost feel like you’re inside the surrounding forest.

Work wise, the last week of May has been a busy one, as I have been finishing my report on Japanese and Western Corporate Social Responsibility as well as preparing for my week with the strategic branding office. The report was well received, and although it needs some editing, I think it will make a good basis for my final report. That's at least one deadline helping the other...

V. Choir

Time flies when you’re having fun. As I am writing this, February is half past. I can’t believe that the last two months of studying Japanese are drawing to a close, and that in two weeks, I will begin my internship with Hitachi. Although I am sad to leave the Ajia Kaikan (or more precisely, its terrific location in central Tokyo), I am looking forward to having my own small appartment in the Hitachi dormitory and starting “normal life” as someone who works in Tokyo. As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I am well and truly settling into the Tokyo lifestyle, discovering where to shop, what to eat and, most importantly, how to make friends. So far, most social activities have been limited to trips and evenings out with other JPP students or other international friends. Apart from the Japanese language teachers and the JNI staff I had hardly met -let alone talked to- Tokyoites in a social setting. Until last Sunday, that is, when I went to do what I always do after moving to a new place: join a choir.

The Tokyo International Singers are a large choir consisting of approximately 80 members. About half of them are Japanese, whilst the other half hails from all possible countries of the world. Musically, TIS are also an interesting group, as they aim to perform large-scale pieces on a high amateur level. Last semester they performed Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem (which, coincidentally, I have been singing simultaneously in Leiden). Now, rehearsals have started for Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle. The rehearsals are structured in an interesting way: each Saturday, Sunday and Monday members of the choir can attend rehearsals at the National Olympic Memorial Youth Centre at Yoyogi Park. Attendance is required at least once a week, but members can pick the day which suits them best. This arrangement struck me as strange. Usually, even choirs of this size rehearse once a week on a fixed day and time. But in fact, it’s a very sensible way of organizing rehearsals, since many of the choir’s members are hard-working Tokyoites or English-language teachers who have to work at night or during weekends. This goes to show that even when it comes to organizing Western-style activities, there is a Japanese solution that may seem rather farfetched at first, but is actually very efficient.

Other main events in the past week included the JPP site visits to Taisei Construction and the large drainage pipe near Honancho. I very much enjoyed visiting Taisei’s beautiful office overlooking Mt Fuji, and I was amazed at the ingenious solutions the company has come up with to improve the working conditions of its staff. This is what I really love about the Japanese: their ability to look at things differently, to continually improve upon existing ideas, their drive for perfection. The drainage pipe I found less subtle, but equally impressive. As both my father and brother are engineers (TU Delft, of course), I’ve seen my fair share of civil engineering landmarks. Yet to be standing in a tunnel this long and wide, realising that in summer it will fill up with water, was pretty cool.

Finally, I made another daytrip in anticipation of the upcoming trip to the Kansai region. Together with another JPP student and a friend I went to Kamakura. As I love to go hiking and the weather was great, we put on our walking boots and planned a route past several temples, following a hiking trail through the hills (mountains? or is that a Dutch perspective?) up to the giant bronze Buddha. The temples were spread apart further than in Nikko and were more sober in their design. There were also fewer tourists, which definitely gave Kamakura a more relaxed feel than Nikko. Except at the Buddha statue: coming down from the idyllic hiking trail, we were slightly disappointed to see soo many souvenir shops and large groups of people wanting to have their picture taken with the Daibutsu. Yet the statue itself is fascinating, not in the least because it has withstood 750 years of war, earthquakes and fire. I’m very curious to see its rival, the Nara Buddha- now I can compare…