first unofficial chiba-kun tour: boso-no-mura

Two weekends ago, we had our first unofficial Chiba-kun ambassadors tour! By which I mean, our fearless leader Ishizaki-san volunteered to take a few of us around to places in Chiba that are a little harder to get to via transportation, so my fellow ambassador friend Ella and I took him up on it!

Our first stop for the day was Boso-no-Mura, a prefectural outdoor air museum that showcases traditional life and crafts in the Boso area. Once you step in, the scenery totally changes and you feel like it totally could be Japan from a few hundred years ago (apparently the architecture is from the late Edo to early Meiji periods). We also went first thing in the morning, so there weren't too many other visitors and the morning air was wonderfully refreshing!




Boso-no-Mura is unexpectedly huge and beautiful. After taking a quick stroll through the craftmaking area (more on that later), we just wandered around in a general loop and enjoyed the view. There are lots of trees and other plants and picturesque little trails, with things like an artifact museum or traditional farmhouses popping up along the way. I remember being struck (as I always am) by the gorgeous green color of the rice paddies we passed by. Definitely one of my favorite parts about Japan.

As we went around, we stopped to take a look at most of the buildings that came up, where we could see the insides of the houses with things like stoves, baskets, tools, and even toys on display. I tried doing a ring toss and walking on bamboo sticks but failed miserably at both. -.-' At one point we came across a stage with taiko drums set up on it and stopped to listen to the woman who was performing there (not a staff member, but just a normal visitor, we thought).


And then we went into a building where they had looms set up, with the chance for us to experience them ourselves! One of Boso-no-Mura's main attractions is that they offer all sorts of traditional experiences (to the extent that Boso-no-Mura is actually called an 'experience museum'), from farming to cooking to craft-making, which you can try for usually just a few hundred yen . So with the help and instructions of the staff, Ella and I tried our hand at making little coasters with the looms! It was pretty cool to think that this is how cloth was (and is) made, and I couldn't help but be impressed by whoever came up with the idea of weaving (amazing).

Then we tried making and binding little notebooks, which I think turned out pretty well! There were lots of other possible crafts to try - pottery, making coasters out of tatami, making candles - but we decided to wrap up our visit there. Still, there was still a lot of the village we didn't see and even more experiences we didn't try, so I would certainly not mind going back there someday! As a place that you could probably go to several times and not get tired of, I think it ranks pretty high up on my list of attractions I've been to in Chiba, so I'd definitely recommend Boso-no-Mura to anybody looking for a traditional experience.

Boso-no-Mura Experience Museum
Address: 1028 Ryukakuji, Sakae-machi, Imba-gun, Chiba Prefecture, 270-1506
Admission: 300 yen for adults, 150 yen for high school/college students
Hours: 9:00-16:30, closed Mondays
Access: 20 minutes by bus from JR Narita Station on the JR Narita Line (headed for "Ryukakuji-dai-shako", get off at "Ryukakuji-dai-2-chome", followed by an 8-minute walk)
Website: http://www.chiba-muse.or.jp/MURA/e/

ocean day beach day

So the third Monday in July is a national holiday in Japan: 海の日 / Umi no Hi, otherwise known as Marine Day/Ocean Day/Sea Day. To celebrate, I went to the beach! It's been at least a year, if not two, since I last went to the beach, so this was pretty exciting.

Since Chiba is a peninsula, there are lots of beaches, and this time I went to Onjuku Beach, on the Pacific Side, around the middle of Chiba-kun's back (to use our usual way of explaining where things are in Chiba, since the mascot is shaped like the prefecture).

The beach is only about a 10-minute walk from JR Onjuku Station, and even though I only had a vague idea of where I was going, just strolling around in the general direction of the beach was pretty nice. There were a lot of cute and interesting looking shops and restaurants, and I even came across what is apparently the first elementary school textbook library in the world? Just shows you never know what you might come across when wandering around, haha.

And then it was the time for the beach! For some reason there were statues of camels (that I didn't catch a picture of because they were surrounded by other people taking pictures) near the entrance, which was interesting. The beach was hot and sunny and sandy, as all good beaches should be. I've heard that a lot of beaches in Japan actually have black sand (which was the case when I went to Shonan Beach a few months ago, which surprised me a little), but at Onjuku the sand is white (or yellow? Not black, anyway), so it felt like the beaches at home.

The waves were pretty strong (I think Onjuku is also a big surfing place) so we didn't go too far, but it felt awesome to be in the water on such a hot day. There's not too much to say about the rest of the day, which was mostly just normal relaxing and playing at the beach, but for dinner we went to a little place called Flying Sumo Surf Co. for some really fantastic pizza! We ordered a few different kinds to share and they were all delicious. (You can check out their website here!)

So, good times at the beach on Ocean Day. Hopefully I'll get the chance to go around a few more beaches around Chiba and see how they're different!

july adventures

And just like that, another month has passed in between posts. In my defense, the past few weeks have been pretty busy! Since my last post, I have:

- gone to my first (and possibly last, sadly) PA conference, which was fun and informative
- gone on the first Chiba-kun Ambassador tour, which you can read all about here
- wander-biked to Makuhari, which was somehow probably one of the most enjoyable things I've experienced here
-  celebrated my birthday with karaoke with my coworkers, which was super fun (including a hilarious song about an unsuccessful goukon/group blind date that I probably won't forget for a while)
- agreed to be a block rep for API AJET, which is an interest group for Asian/Pacific-Islander JETs in Japan. Not sure what exactly it'll entail, but I'm looking forward to working with some other cool JETs from around Japan
- gone volunteering in Fukushima, helping plant organic cotton and weed, one day before...
- ...taking the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test), which I've spent most of the past month studying like crazy for. I think it went well though, so we'll see! (But for now, no more studying. >_<)
- went to the '360° Beer Stadium' at QVC Marine Field, happily drinking cheap beer and watching a baseball game with my coworkers
- had my first block coordinator meeting, which is yet another new role I'll be taking on with this new JET year (and looking forward to, hopefully I'll do a good job)
- visited Sosa High School for their culture festival, which is something I wish we had in the US

I swear at some point I'll make a post on here that isn't just a quick summary of what's been going on in my life, but until then, you can read more detailed posts of certain adventures on my other blog. As the end of my first year of JET approaches (faster than I'd have thought possible), I'm sure I'll be posting some sort of reflective look-back on the year, so you can probably look forward to that, at least. :)

sosa high school culture festival

Yesterday I went to Sosa High School's culture festival, which was my first high school culture festival in Japan! I went to the one at Nanzan University (and I think also Nagoya University?) when I studied abroad, but it was cool to see what it's like at a high school level, too.

For those who don't know, a culture festival is a big school event where classes and clubs hold performances/demonstrations and have cafes, booths, haunted houses, etc. It's really a shame we don't have something similar in the US (or at least I don't think we do), because it seems like working on this with your classmates/friends is a ton of fun!

I was impressed right away by the decorations and signs that the students had made, which were clever and well-done. After meeting up with a friend who is an ALT at Sosa HS, our first stop was a class who was selling hot dogs, with decorations that were apparently based of the game Animal Crossing (which I don't know anything about). After that, we went around an exhibit of student artwork (some of which was pretty impressive), into my first haunted house, and then to the gym to see some student performances. First was a band, whose last song was a really clever and amusing song involving Jomon vs. Yayoi pottery and Japanese history (from what I could tell), which was apparently really popular with their peers. Last of all was the soccer team, who came out in sunglasses and did some dancing and acrobatics to the cheers of lots of high school girls (apparently the soccer team is pretty popular too).

I didn't have a chance to go around all the booths, since I got there a little late and it was only until 2pm, but I wish I could have! Maybe next time. Still, it was a good time. :)

fukushima organic cotton

Last weekend, I went on a volunteer day-trip to Iwaki, Fukushima! It was actually the day right before the JLPT, but my friend Laura invited me to go along and I figured it was better not to spend the day just cramming - which it definitely was! We went on a JTB tour to participate in the Fukushima Organic Cotton project, and it was really fun. :D

Beautiful green rice paddies (picture doesn't do it justice)

The three of us got up bright and early to meet at Tokyo Station by 6:45 and then get on our bus. I'm pretty sure that as soon as the volunteers were on the bus, all anybody planned or wanted to do was just pass out for a few hours, but instead we (or most of us at least) listened to our guide (who was super young and peppy) explain what we'd be doing and watched a (really loud) video about the history of the project. To put it briefly, Fukushima's agricultural industry took a big blow after March 11 because of fears of radioactivity, so the founders of the Fukushima Organic Cotton project thought of growing organic cotton instead of food, which would keep fields from being abandoned. I think it's a brilliant idea, really, and definitely worth supporting.

Where we worked!

Planting~

Our tasks for the day were to plant new baby cotton plants and to weed the area, so after a brief explanation we got to work! I was originally concerned about the heat, but there was a nice sea breeze blowing the whole time, so even in jeans and gloves it wasn't too bad. Digging little holes and planting the cotton seedlings was somehow really satisfying, and I had a good time chatting with my friends and other volunteers as we worked.

After a few hours of work, we headed to a nearby hotel, Iwaki Shinmaiko Heights, for a lunch break. As we ate, we heard an explanation of Iwaki City and how it was affected by the earthquake and tsunami two years ago (though to be honest I didn't understand a fair part of it so I can't really say much about it here -.-'), after which we headed back to the field for some weeding. Weeding is probably not anybody's favorite job (or maybe it is, I don't know), but again I had a good time chatting while working, and in the end I think we all managed to clear a fair amount. Laura and i each also ordered a t-shirt with their logo the Organic Cotton Babe (which always makes me giggle a little), who despite what its name sounds like is a cute little fluffy character. The T-shirts are apparently made with the cotton that was planted last year, which is pretty cool.

Didn't even notice the encouraging message until now

And then after another hour or two, we were done for the day! We went back to the hotel for a soak in the onsen there to freshen up, which was lovely (even in summer), before piling back onto the bus for a tour of the areas that were affected by the tsunami. Even after hearing about the disaster during lunch, it was pretty sobering to actually see things like places where only the foundations of houses were left and a school where the tsunami hit so hard the gymnasium was actually caved in (but school had already been let out by then so luckily no children were affected). That said, we also saw new houses that had been rebuilt, which was encouraging.

 

Then, after a quick stop in a nearby town to buy souvenirs and dinner, we were back off to Tokyo. The ride back home consisted mostly of sleeping but also a taste of natto (fermented soy bean) ice cream at a rest stop, which was surprisingly okay but still not something I would eat again. 

It was a long but fun and fulfilling day! It felt good to be back in Tohoku volunteering and feeling like I was able to help even a tiny bit with the recovery, which even two years later is still a work in progress. The staff kept encouraging us to come back and volunteer again at different stages of the cotton's growth, so who knows, maybe I'll go back! All in all, a very worthwhile day trip (even if it was the day before a big exam, haha). :)

first chiba-kun ambassador tour!

My posts are a little out of order now, but a few weekends ago was this year's first Chiba-kun Ambassador tour! It was the first time that (almost) all of us had gotten together since the appointment ceremony, so I was glad for the chance to get to know the others a little better (and visit new places, of course)!

Super cool doors!

After loading on a bus bright and early in the morning, we were off to our first destination, the Kikkoman Soy Sauce Factory in Noda! I'm not gonna lie, this is the destination I was most looking forward to, because soy sauce is definitely one of my kitchen staples, so I was really interested in learning about how it's made.

After a long and lively bus ride (all of us in the back were evidently pretty excited for the day), we arrived at the factory, where we were greeted by a TV crew and the museum staff. We started off with a video explaining the history and process of making soy sauce (which I won't go into detail about so you'll just have to go see it yourself), before going on a tour of the museum area. We saw more about soy sauce production, including interactive spaces to do things like smell the different stages of the process and glimpses inside the actual factory and at the storage containers for the materials. One thing I remember particularly is the parts showing ways that the byproducts are reused, such as making soybean oil or being used in food for livestock - I always love learning about different ways of reuse, especially when it's a huge company doing it. Also, most of the signs explaining the processes were written in English as well as Japanese, which was awesome (because sometimes I am too lazy to read Japanese -.-').

A glimpse into the factory!

Making good use of the by-products

Kikkoman products around the world

Soy sauce ice cream!

We also got to see what (in my understanding) was both an exhibit of the traditional way of making soy sauce (with some cool high-tech screens that put holographic people in the scene) and also the actual place where they make soy sauce for the imperial family. (Though again, I'm not sure if I understood that right).  And then we went back into the main area for the chance to try some soy sauce ice cream! I was a little suspicious at first, but actually, it was delicious! :D We also each received a little bottle of 'raw' (unpasteurized; apparently it's recently gotten pretty popular) soy sauce and some seasoning, which was awesome.

Kikkoman Soy Sauce Factory in Noda, Chiba (Monoshiri Shoyukan, Noda Koujou)
Reservations required, groups of 2 or more (TEL 04-7123-5136)
Hours: 9:00 - 16:00 (Tours at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00)
Admission: Free!
Address: 110 Noda, Noda-shi, Chiba-ken 278-0037
Access: 3-minute walk from Nodashi Station on the Tobu Noda Line
Website (Japanese): http://www.kikkoman.co.jp/enjoys/factory/noda.html , Kikkoman International: http://www.kikkoman.com/soysaucemuseum/index.shtml

Soy sauce pasta

Of course, right after most of us had happily eaten yummy ice cream, then it was time for lunch! We went to a nearby Italian restaurant named Comesta, whose menu included dishes made with the local soy sauce. I forgot my camera on the bus (fail), but it was a really cute restaurant, with accents like individual towel trays with Italian phrases written on them! Lunch consisted of salad, pizza (two kinds), and pasta, which I think used the moromi that is created as part of the soy sauce-making process, plus soy sauce gelato for dessert! It was a ton of food, but it was all very tasty - the soy sauce gave a unique kind of rich flavor to the pasta that I really liked.

Comesta
Hours:  11:00 - 22:00 (22:30 on Friday/Saturday)
Address:  238 Tsutsumine, Noda-shi, Chiba-ken 278-0021
TEL: 04-7121-0010
Website (Japanese): http://comestadome.jp/menu/index.html

Our next stop was Hondoji Temple in Matsudo! I didn't know what to expect (other than a temple, obviously), but this actually kind of blew me away. Apparently Hondoji Temple is very famous for its hydrangeas in the summer, and after being there I can definitely see why! I don't think my words can do them much justice, so I'll just put up lots of pictures instead. :)

Hondoji Temple
Admission: 500 for adults, 300 for elementary school students
Hours: 8:00 - 16:30
Address: 63 Hiraga, Matsudo-shi, Chiba-ken 270-0002

Access: 15-minute walk from JR Kitakogane Station
Website (Japanese): http://www.hondoji.jp/

So peaceful.

And finally, our last stop was the Tojo Residence (or the Tojo-tei House), which used to be a residence for the younger brother of the last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate! We split into two groups and were given a tour of the building - I'm also pretty sure our tour guides were local volunteers, which is awesome. To be totally honest, I didn't really understand most of the explanation (I know very little about Japanese history and was also practically falling asleep on my feet at this point), but even just looking around was interesting. It was a very spacious place, and we got to see things like the main entrance for guests vs. the side entrance for staff, a tiny bathtub that was used by everybody, the old toilets (no longer in use, naturally), and more. The most stunning part for me was the view from one of the rooms, which overlooked a gorgeous green garden, which was apparently modeled after European gardens after the owner visited France. There wasn't very much in it, but the brilliance of the color was beautiful and soothing at the same time - after our tour ended and we had some free time, I went back just to gaze at it a little more. Apparently you can even go into it once a month, but unfortunately not on the day we visited. There's also the Tojo Museum of History nearby, but we didn't have time to visit it. Anyway, the Tojo Residence was a cool glimpse into some Japanese history!

Bathtub!

Tojo Residence
Admission: 150 yen for adults for just the residence, 240 for the residence and museum
Hours: 9:30 - 16:30 (Closed Mondays)
Address: 714-1 Matsudo, Matsudo-shi, Chiba-ken 271-0092
Access: 10-minute walk from JR Matsudo Station
Website (Japanese): http://www.city.matsudo.chiba.jp/tojo

At the end of the day, I think we were all pretty exhausted and basically just passed out on the bus ride home, but I think that should also be taken as a sign of how successful our first tour was! I feel like I probably wouldn't have ever made it out to these places on my own, so I'm really grateful to have been able to visit them with the Chiba-kun Ambassadors. Definitely looking forward to our next tour, too! :D

wander-bike to makuhari

Last Friday I left work as usual, but for some reason I was feeling kind of restless and didn't want to go home, or around downtown Chiba, or anywhere that I was familiar with, and before I knew it, I was just biking along the highway without any particular destination in mind.

My route home according to Google Maps

I'd biked a certain distance along the highway (which is right by where I live) before for the sake of knowing the area before, but until now I've only gone so far before turning around (since if I kept following it forever I think I'd end up somewhere in Tokyo). This time though, I kept going, passing restaurants and shops and convenience stores along the way, until the sidewalk stopped and a sign told me that I couldn't keep going (where it turned into real highway, I guess), 

So I turned left and kept wandering, down a tiny little tree-lined path, across a bridge and then back over, past some relaxing-looking parks, around some little shopping areas, and then found myself on a road parallel to the railroad tracks, on some wide paved roads that were lovely for bicycling on, and then realized I was in Makuhari, which is a (relatively) new urban area a few train stations away from my apartment.

I've been there before, but only around the same places near the station, so it was pretty cool to see some totally new areas. One thing that impressed me was how even though Makuhari is a super modern urban area with lots of new fancy buildings and big businesses, there are also lots of pretty park and nature areas, like the path near some water (river? ocean? I don't know) I was biking on that also seemed to be pretty popular for runners and dog-walkers.

So I kept biking, with just a vague idea of getting back toward the train tracks to eventually follow them back home, and then realized that somehow I had made my way near Makuhari Messe (the huge convention facility that hosts lots of big events) and also QVC Marine Field (home of the Lotte Marines baseball team), which surprised me because I definitely hadn't thought I was near them (no sense of direction).

And then I kept going and ended up on the other big road parallel to the railroad tracks, but also by the sea. The light was just barely starting to change before sunset, which made a really gorgeous view of the sea. The sidewalk I was biking on was also lined with trees on both sides, which for some reason made me feel like Alice in Wonderland (I don't know either, but that's what it was).

Besides the amazing seaside view, it was pretty cool to see places like Inage Seaside Park, the Sanyo Media Flower Museum, the Chiba Chuo Marketplace, and Aqua Rink Chiba up close, which I'd only ever passed by via car before. I still haven't been to all of them, but hopefully I'll fix that sometime soon!

Eventually the road forced me to turn left, but it turns out this was a good thing because as I followed it, I spied a cute little restaurant on the other side of the road and decided to stop for dinner. It was called Perrito, and I think I'll definitely be going back there sometime. The owners were super friendly and told me that they're also willing to make things that aren't on the menu, as long as they have the right ingredients, which I thought was pretty cool. And dinner was delicious, of course!

And it turned out that I was only about five minutes away from my apartment, which means that I successfully managed to bike to Makuhari and back without consulting a map or getting lost on the way, which I think is a pretty impressive feat for me. Wander-biking without a destination and just enjoying the sights and the feeling of exploring was pretty amazing, so I decided against taking any pictures along the way, for fear of ruining the moment. But I will leave you with a map of the route I ended up taking home, instead of my usual one up there. Chiba City is pretty enormous and I've still only been to a tiny part of it, so who knows, it may happen again. :)

The actual route I ended up taking home (including a stop for dinner!)