Hajimemashite (nice to meet you (or we start our relationship))

I write this post on my fifth day in Kawasaki-machi. The north (Tokoku), specializes in farming and fishing. Couple that with a lower than average population density, and you can imagine why it is considered the rural part of Japan. Well, my town is the rural part of the north.



I had an inkling of this fact before getting here, but I did not know(from my Google maps investigations) that I would be in a mountainous region. Driving up here was a surreal experience as my winding road passed traditional style hot springs shrouded in mist. To my relief, though, my town itself is substantially more developed. There are grocery markets, convenience stores, vending machines, and at least one watch shop (I haven’t been particularly brave at exploring the shops yet). I have air conditioning, my own washing machine, and of course a heated toilet seat. Though no in-toilet bidet. A bit medieval, I know.



So while Japan may think this area quaintly backward, I am not lacking most modern amenities. Instead, what I have found to be strikingly different has been the attitudes and traditional lifestyles of the people. In general, I think that people use more formal language and etiquette. Old people walk on the streets and expect traffic to stop at their whim. People are shockingly quiet to the point of speaking in hushed tones at the post office or shutting their doors carefully so as to make less noise. When I went to the watch shop to get my picture taken, the proprietor offered the service free of charge(hoping that I would then insist on paying).

Not to be harsh, but I have also noticed a distinct drop-off in English language ability. I did not fully feel my Japanese language inadequacy while in the Tokyo area because every time I was confused, people would suggest key words, if not switch to English entirely. That crutch quickly disappeared. Usually, my clumsy Japanese merely adds to confusion, but I already have a few stories of mild to moderate embarrassment.





I have squared away all of the important details. I have a car (driving on the left is fine except when I try to engage my turn signal, my windshield wipers turn on instead), a phone(iPhone through Softbank(see above mascot)), a bank account(my “bank” is the post office), an insurance policy, an apartment(more later), and have introduced myself to all of my schools. The introductions went well as I brought Ohio State souvenirs (a joke because Ohayou means good morning in Japanese) for the higher-ups and brought a flip pad around with me all day, making sure to write down people’s names. Even if I cannot quite manage to memorise everyone by the next time I see them, they will hopefully appreciate that I tried.

I write this post today because today is the first day that I feel even remotely settled. I must admit: the first few days, I was nothing short of overwhelmed. Yesterday, however, was extremely successful. I set out to get a traditional Kotatsu table for my traditional style living room (I have a living room and bedroom which are traditional, a kitchen/hallway, and a toilet room across the hall from my bathing room). I have built-in GPS in my car and one of the cool features is that I can look up destinations by their phone number. So, after a bit of wandering and a few false trails, I found the Japanese version of IKEA about 45 minutes away and purchased my much-desired table. It has a built-in heater to warm feet during meals in the winter.