Small town Japan brings out the inner Matt

The residence that I visited on Sunday for karaoke and tremendous amounts of food (including a blueberry chocolate tart, which everyone in the world must try), is not new. The floors are tatami-laid, the corridors struggle to fit two abreast, and the rails on which shōji (Japanese-style doors) stand have seen smoother times. In spite of these, the house felt newer than most. This is because of...

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What is it with people throwing their kids at me?

In the land of the samurai and the ninja, few things are certain. I went to the chiropractor last week. His name is Seiji, and he did the usual job of fixing my back. There was the usual TV with the news in which a woman very courteously explained the forthcoming weather. There were the usual seats just a mite too small for me, causing my knees to protrude into the air as I sat and waited my turn....

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Japan is not Hamilton

I’ve been in Japan for exactly one year, so that’s nice. You know what else is nice? The kids no longer look at me funny! About a month and a half ago when nature flipped the Spring/Summer switch and turned the humidity to full, students' attitudes towards me also flipped. No longer did they glare at me like they might glare at a ghost, make a face and then pretend they never saw me, or become...

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Gotsu

Gotsu is one of those places that some might say has one of everything. Only it isn’t, because it doesn’t have a movie theatre. I haven’t lived in a city this small since before I was aware of my own consciousness, and then, even if I had been aware, would’ve had too small a frame of reference as regards town sizes to comment. I took this from the carpark at one of my schools sometime last...

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Loads of new teachers, and a ceremony with a plot twist

In Japan, every three to seven years the teachers of one school leave and are replaced by others. I don't really know why, but that's not the point. It’s been a week since the new school year started, such that the many new faces flitting round the staff room are now somewhat less new. In spite of Japan’s adherence to the codes of professionalism and courtesy, people’s mannerisms are never truly...

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