Stories from Sendai, Issue #5, January 13, 2002

Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu! Happy New Year! We apologize (again) for the LONG and PICTURE INTENSIVE issue we have here...but, we think what we have to share is worth that extra download time. 

While we all know that a horse is a horse, of course (as the famous Mr. Ed Show so eloquently told us), Sendai has certainly taken that idea and blown it up and out of proportion -- Japanese style. This being the year of the horse (of course), you find them absolutely everywhere. Neighing on napkins, trotting in temples, painted on plates, sitting on store shelves, created on countless colorful cards, whinnying in windows, and that only covers a few of the many alliterative ways these horses have made their marks this holiday season. Along with the horse (which in Japanese lore symbolizes divine blessing) are another animal that comes out every year about this time is the owl (fukurou). In Japanese lore, owls are symbols of good fortune in the year ahead. 

Tradition here and around Japan is to mail New Year cards to those you love and admire. A true Japanese person would never think of sending the same card to everyone. Instead, they will go to the stationery shop and spend countless yen for the "perfect" card for that "special someone." Therefore, the idea of boxed cards is not common here. That's great news for the card industry -- which thrives here making unique designs to suit (quite literally) every taste.

Now for news of the last month.  The annual TIS Christmas Program took place on December 13th.  All students from K-4 up to 3rd grade, and the choir and band from the Izumi campus performed at the Sendai Fukko Kinenkan (Sendai War Memorial Building).  It was a beautiful hall, though, again, the sound system could have been better (isn't that always the way?) But the kids made up for it by singing their hearts out.  In honor of the recent world events, all the Komatsushima campus kids sang "A Song of Peace."  Afterward, we had Santa pictures for the kids and a reception for all the parents to visit.

Our big event this last month was Barbara's mother and step-father's visit to Sendai.  We were expecting Andrea and Neal on the shinkansen (bullet train) on December 21st at about 10pm.  Barbara sent detailed directions via e-mail on catching the Narita Express and Shinkansen, since we couldn't afford to meet them at the airport.  Fares from Sendai to Narita airport in Tokyo are about $200 roundtrip. When we didn't receive a phone call by 8pm that night saying they'd arrived, we started looking for telephone numbers for the airport.  But in the middle of the search, they called.  Neal hastily told us they would arrive at 11:45, and hung up.  When they arrived, they related the harrowing story of JR Rail Passes that had expired, the helpful agent who called JAL to get new ones, missing the last Narita Express, and having to take the Keisei Skyliner to Ueno station (which isn't covered on the JR Pass) and more helpful people who helped them find the right track for the shinkansen bound for Sendai.  Needless to say, Barbara's detailed directions were useless when using the Skyliner.  But they arrived in one piece, tired after 27 hours of travel.

Much of their time here was spent shopping and eating in various types of restaurants.  We hit most of the major shopping areas accessible through public transportation.  And they liked most of the food we tried - conveyor belt sushi, okonomiyaki, tempura, yakitori, tonkatsu - but one failure was cold soba noodles.  Soba (made of buckwheat flour) can be served cold with a tangy dressing, or hot in broth. Both Neal and Andrea tried cold soba, not knowing it would be cold (Barbara wasn't sure until the food came).  Well, it tasted really slimy and foreign.  Barbara had tempura soba, which was hot, and much tastier.  Andrea felt a bit ill afterward, but made it through the evening.  In addition we saw many things we've already described in our newsletters (Sendai Loople Bus, Zuihoden, Aoba Castle, the top of the SS30, etc.) But there were also many new experiences which we had saved for their time here.

One of those was spending Christmas Eve with the family of one of Todd's students. The occasion was festive in two ways -- Christmas Eve and Todd's student's birthday. The family, from the Bengali region of India, had invited a few other of their close friends and colleagues to the celebration. Before the customary birthday cake was served, delightful conversation and traditional Indian food were served one course at a time. The platters came round with curried and delectably spiced offerings. As we ate the salad, potatoes, sandwiches, and chicken in seemingly endless fashion, our mouths were soon at odds with our full stomachs -- so delicious was the food. Despite our full bellies, we all made room for the delicious cake. We sang a happy birthday to the birthday girl (Todd's student), who then blew out the candles on her cake. It turned out that the family would celebrate a birthday twice -- the girl's father had a birthday on Dec. 25! Our Christmas Day was spent opening presents, of course, and enjoying the company of Barbara's mother and stepfather. A breakfast of omelets and fruit salad was served (thank you, Barbara), and a couple of chocolate bars (thanks Andrea & Neal) made for a delicious brunch. Christmas Dinner was spent with a family from church, who had invited all of us. Turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce and buttered bread gave us a sense of home, again. At one point in our time there, we broke into Christmas carols, deciding after some practice to serenade a neighbor who was alone. We all sang "Silent Night" in both English and Japanese, while Todd and Barbara sang their duet 'O Holy Night." 

One of Sendai's most elegant holiday treasures -- and one we didn't want Andrea & Neal to miss -- is its "Pageant of Starlight." Each evening, at about 5:00 or so, the trees lining Jozenji-dori Street near downtown are illuminated. Arrays of clear, bright lights are attached to the countless trees and branches in the center section of the major thoroughfare.  The street's median doubles as a tree-canopied park walkway with the occasional bench and artistic statue. The spectacle is paid for largely due to donations.  Todd and Barbara did their part by contributing at various times during the month. The donations are collected by high school children and adults from various civic organizations. One time, when Todd was donating his small change, he happened to drop three coins in one at a time. A line of high school girls monitoring the donations chorused (in perfect unison and in the typical high-pitched sing-song fashion of the Japanese) "Arigato gozaimasu, Arigato gozaimasu, Arigato gozaimasu." That in itself was cause enough for Todd to donate more coins one at a time, again to the chimed chorus of "Arigato gozaimasu" -- again, in perfect unison. Oh, if he had had hundreds of one-yen coins and put them in one at a time... . 

The effect of the tree-lighting on Jozenji-dori Street is so spectacular in part because the lights are reflected in the glass of the buildings that line the boulevard. The smell of roasting chestnuts, the taste of baked sweet potatoes sold by kindly vendors, the sting of a dry cold wind, the sight of well-behaved crowds, the hugs of loving couples, the joy of energetic children and their extended families might just hint at the true joy of this event. You might recall that Jozenji-dori Street is also home to Sendai's annual Jazz Festival in the fall. 

One of the largest attractions in Sendai is the Dai Kannon. It is an amazingly large statue (100 meters tall) of an androgynous Buddha that doubles as a religious shrine of sorts. Barbara and Todd have had occasion to drive by on numerous occasions, as the Izumi Campus of Tohoku International School is located not too far from it. We decided to take a city bus to get there. After getting off the bus, we had to cross the street and walk a short distance. Initially, we all didn't know whether we could get inside. The entrance is shaped like a dragon's mouth, with the Buddha standing on top of its back. After paying an entrance fee, we looked at a set of large statues of grotesque gods that supposedly protect Buddhism. Taking an elevator to the 12th floor was our next endeavor -- and from this floor, we could see downtown Sendai and the snow-capped mountain of Izumi-gatake. There was also a small shrine that was dedicated to "the image of the god" -- a sphere of pure gold and a large lapis lazuli stone on which it was mounted. As there was no heat or insulation in the Dai Kannon itself, the chilly air and hollow echoes were enough for Todd to keep his hood over his head. We followed the stairs down, which led to nine floors, each of which contained a set of 12 distinctly different statues of the Buddha. Neal, who has for a long while made an academic study of Buddhism and its influence on Japanese culture, seemed fascinated by these statues, some of which resembled the Kannon, others that looked more like traditional statues of the Buddha, and still others which looked much more grotesque. About half way down these sets of steps, Neal (who on the entire trip had his ukulele close at hand) decided to play the traditional Japanese tune "Sakura." It was quite lovely sounding, and somewhat surreal given the acoustics. On the ground floor again, our path led us to another shrine dedicated to a bodhisattva that supposedly protects children who die young. 

The highlight of the whole trip was Sakunami Onsen (hot spring).  Sakunami is a small resort town about 25 minutes west of Sendai by train. Going to an onsen in the wintertime is a Japanese pastime.  Of course, one can go all year round, but taking a really hot bath in really cold weather feels so good.  With our school secretary Miyuki's help, we got reservations for two rooms at the Green Green Garden La-La Resort Hotel.  We took the local train to the station, got in a hotel car, and arrived at a much bigger hotel than we expected.  They had 20 floors, a gift shop, bowling area, video games, karaoke, restaurants and a huge buffet.  And let's not forget the whole reason we came - the hot spring baths.  Once we checked in we found rooms that were almost bigger than our apartment!  Out in the hall, there were yukata (light kimono-style robes) in many sizes.  These yukata are worn the entire time, if desired -- even to dinner!  We decided to hit the indoor baths right away, so we changed and went down. For the uninitiated:  Japanese baths are usually divided into men's and women's sections.  One goes into the proper section, removes the yukata, then washes off in an area next to the hot water.  Since one bathes in the buff, a foreigner feels really exposed as they sit on a tiny stool with a plastic wash basin soaping down their naked body.  We Westerners felt a bit like giants, around all these lithe Japanese bodies. And yet there is no sense of impropriety, shame or self-consciousness about the experience. And because the Japanese don't stare or gawk, the baths become quite a luxuriant and peaceful expreience.  After washing off, we entered the steaming hot bath. Barbara thinks she scared away a few people down there - that or they only wanted really short baths.  It was difficult to stay in the water for very long, as the temperature and humidity can be oppressive.  After about 15-20 minutes of bathing (if that), we washed off again. Shampoo, soap and conditioner are provided for everyone's use -- as are razors for the men -- and hair dryers. Exhausted and relaxed, we all went upstairs and fell asleep until dinnertime.

The dinner buffet was included in the room price -- and was enormous!  We loaded up our plates and watched the stage show a little while (a singer who focused on the children).  Speaking of children, they were everywhere in the halls - but rarely in the baths.  Japanese parents are not big on control in public places.  The younger the child, the more freedom given.  Older children are expected to conform to very polite behavior, but elementary age kids run wild!  The noise in the halls didn't stop us from sleeping, though.  Anyway, after dinner, we went to the karaoke bar and paid about $20 for nomihodai (all you can drink) and karaoke for 90 minutes.  Todd and Barbara both sang, Neal and Andrea watched.  Another Japanese couple sang enka ballads (traditional love songs), which were lovely breaks from the folksy '60s and '70s songs that Todd & Barbara sang.  Late in the 90 minutes, a small group of patrons in their yukatas joined us.  Barbara even accepted a dance with one of the men while Todd was singing "Tom Dooley" in a really bad country accent.  Once the 90 minutes were up, we started to leave, and the manager of the other karaoke bar asked Barbara to sing "The Rose" again in his club - for free!  After that, we decided we wanted to try the rotemburo (outdoor bath).  The manager invited us to return.

The rotemburo are also divided between men's and women's sides.  There was a small indoor bath, but then one would walk outside with only a small towel (some brave Japanese took no towel at all). The coldness of winter slapping itself against an exposed body that's come straight from a hot bath is bracing, but pleasant. Though, sinking into the hot water with only your head exposed to the freezing cold is an exquisite experience. Since it was dark, and secluded from view, we didn't feel too exposed.  Andrea and Barbara had the rotemburo all to themselves. Todd and Neal, in the other bath, joined two other Japanese men who had already been outside for some minutes. The snow started to fall in big beautiful flakes. Steam from the rotemburo met the flakes, as the cold winds gently stirred them. Barbara and Andrea, in their section, couldn't resist the urge to sing "Winter Wonderland" and "Let It Snow" in harmony.  Barbara is sure that if anyone had heard them, they probably thought "Gaijin!" (foreigners).  Sitting in the hot bath with falling snow all around was a deeply sublime experience. Todd and Neal didn't sing -- but the contentment felt with gentle snowflakes on the face and hot bubbling water underneath cannot be described adequately with words. 

We went back to the second karaoke bar, then slept until 5 am, bathed again in the indoor baths, ate breakfast, napped, and finally left.  What a wonderful time!

Another city about 25 minutes away from Sendai by train is Matsushima. Situated north-northeast of Sendai, Matsushima is home to a collection of small limestone islands, a music box museum, and several historic temples. We opted to ride a tourist ferry around Matsushima Bay to view the small islands, and to get a feel for the surrounding natural beauty. For lovers of bonsai -- or the cultivation of miniature trees -- Matsushima Bay holds inspiration for the art. Afterward -- because of Neal's interest -- we found our way to one of the older Zen temples in Miyagi Prefecture: Zuigan-ji. Restored by Sendai's feudal lord Date Masamune, the temple complex itself is a surreal and mystical experience. Entering the area leads to a long, straight walkway with tall trees above and along the side. Through the trees to the right and left are high rocky ridges that double as gravesites and monuments to the dead of the Date clan. At the end of the tree-lined walkway is the temple itself -- a large building which houses a shrine, and several rooms with original artwork dating from the 1500s and 1600s. Gold-leaf and brilliant colors (subdued somewhat by time) take one back to the times of the Shogun and Samurai. While most temples do not allow tourist visitors to enter, this temple is open to the public -- though no pictures of the inside are allowed. Outside and next door to the temple is a shrine dedicated to the Buddha, in which a twice life-sized statue has been placed. Across from that shrine is a small museum, which shows the history and influence of Buddhism and the Date clan on Matsushima. 

After Andrea and Neal left for home (three suitcases heavier, we might add - some MAJOR shopping was done), we experienced the New Year holiday.  Just about everything closes down on New Year's Day except restaurants and movie theaters. If you (like us) tried to go shopping, you would have found most all of them closed. Then, between the 2nd and the 4th, these shops re-open for the biggest sales event of the year.  Prices are slashed upwards of 50%, crowds multiply exponentially, and grab bags are sold.  Wonderful, you say? There is one slight problem. All the ATMs are closed from January 1-3.  So, one needs to remember to get all the money for these several celebratory days by Dec. 31st.  We did remember, luckily, and visited many shops. We managed not to purchase much, except some computer accessories.  The good news is -- they were 75% off the regular price!

We hope that your new year of 2002 is a delightful one, in which you cherish your friendships and family relationships -- and are able to finally keep that resolution you made :-)

Todd & Barbara Thomas

PICTURES:

K-4 singing "I'm A Little Snowflake" - that's Barbara's head.  She had to sit on her heels below the stage so they could be seen!

Tohoku International School's Komatsushima faculty Santa picture!

The heavens waited until after the Christmas party was over and most of the kids were back home, before opening up with the most beautiful snowfall we've seen in a while. This is Todd's student, Ula.

Another of Todd's students, Atrouli, had her birthday party on Christmas Eve.  We were treated to really great Indian food!

Standing on Jozenji-dori, viewing the Sendai Pageant of Starlight.

On the north side of town stands a huge statue built to commemorate 100 years of city government, the Dai-Kannon.  It is about 15 stories tall.  One can climb up to the 10th floor and see views of the city.

Here is the dragon mouth entrance to the Dai-Kannon.

Todd wearing his yukata in our hotel room at the Sakunami onsen.

A magical setting, a rotemburo (outdoor bath) in falling snow.

One of the beautiful limestone islands in Matsushima Bay.

Barbara's mother, Andrea, in front of part of a snow-covered Zuigan-ji.