VOLUME 13, ISSUE 1
SUMMER 2020 FREE!/無料
nagazasshi This year has been a difficult time for many people, and for many different reasons. It has been testing our expectations, our assumptions, and some of the largest and smallest steps that form parts of our daily lives. For me, it has been a test of whether or not I will show up, as well as a test of perseverance.
CONTENTS
VOLUME 13, ISSUE 1
SUMMER 2020
4 TRY SOMETHING NEW
Keep yourself stimulated with a new hobby
6 COVID-19: BROTHERHOOD A personal account
8 CREATIVE SUBMISSIONS Be inspired by local talent
In this issue we hope to bring you a smaller sense of solidarity by sharing with you the creative voices of various people. On page 6 you may find a retelling of one man’s personal journey through the earlier weeks of COVID-19, while on page 12 an entirely different journey takes place in the daring quest for a Japanese driving license. We also have creative work to share with you on page 8.
10 SUMMER CLEANING
On page 10 we share a few ideas on how to refresh your home for the coming summer, as well as insect prevention on page 14. Once your home is adjusted to your satisfaction, we suggest some new hobbies you may want to try on page 4.
16 TAKE-OUT NAGASAKI
We also have a unique collection of Food Delivery and Take-Out options for you, covering a wide range of locations in our lovely prefecture. Take a look at what’s available in your area on page 16.
DIRECTOR: Emmanuel Feliciano EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Flipi Poggenpoel EDITORS: Abbie Philpott, J.S. COPY EDITOR: Clara Altfeld DESIGNER: Charlotte Gautier SOCIAL MEDIA: Emmanuel Feliciano CONTRIBUTORS: Gloria Bundutidi, Kyle Waffles, Kane Pride, Deidre Foley, Sara Magugliani
This issue is set to be my last at Nagazasshi, and apart from all the “thank you’s” I wish to share with everyone engaging with the magazine, myself, and the team, I would like to share a lesson I learned this year. Something that I should have learned a long time ago. If I can’t say something like “Black lives matter” to my own family and friends, I’m still not living my own truth. Growth can be painful sometimes, but it is worth it. For ourselves, and for the world we want to live in.
Freshen up your home for the coming months
12 ENOUGH TO DRIVE YOU CRAZY Japan’s Driving Test
14 INSECT PREVENTION
Attending the smaller problems
Find something in your corner
18 NIHONGO ON THE GO
FOUNDERS: Andrew Morris, Matthew Nelson
Flipi Poggenpoel Editor-in-chief
COVER ILLUSTRATION: Charlotte Gautier INSIDE-COVER PHOTO: Charlotte Gautier
@nagazasshi
This isn’t a success story. The success I haven’t had recently has to do with COVID-19 quarantine trends. Despite not being in lockdown myself, I’ve been inspired by some of the hobbies that those in lockdown have started. Namely, baking with homemade sourdough starter.
TEXT+PHOTOS:
Clara Altfeld, Flipi Poggenpoel
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For me, chess has been a fantastic find in the lead-up to COVID-19 and lockdown days. With decades of materials in various mediums, active online communities, and a global player base, I have enjoyed playing, learning, and improving at all hours of the day and night. The
I’ve never been much of a baker, but it’s something that
I figured wanted to beBY-NC-ND would4.0do. So I got Image courtesy of TEDxSaikai. Somethe rightsperson are reservedIunder Creative Commons some sourdough starter from a friend, excited about my new task. I may not like the shokupan available in Japanese stores, but I was going to bake my own delicious bread! I was going to be a baker!
Many more photos at: www.flickr.com/photos/tedxsaikai
The first loaf of bread that I baked was totally burnt. It had risen too much in the oven, and the top of the loaf had collided with the low ceiling of my microwave oven, and had charred. In tears, I sent a picture to my parents, who expressed some sympathy, but who also thought I was being a little dramatic. I had fed my starter every day, I had followed the recipe, but it had risen too much, and I had failed. I was doomed to eat shokupan for the rest of my life. It was all too easy to stop feeding my starter, whom I had dubbed Doug boy. He smelled worse and worse. My nose burned with the scent of alcohol when I opened his jar. When I did feed him and bake with him, my breads were too sour because of the over-fermentation. I told you, this isn’t a success story. I didn’t magically figure out how to feed Doughboy every day. I didn’t break all my bad habits and establish all the good healthy ones that I imagine myself doing. I haven’t yet ascended to yeasted goddesshood. But I’m learning that the hardest part is getting started. It’s taking off the lid of Doughboy’s jar to smell him, or measuring out the flour to feed him. I’m sure there will be plenty more times that I don’t feed him, and it will take days of perseverance in feeding him before I can use him again. But if this lack of success has taught me anything, it’s that if baking bread isn’t the perfect metaphor for life, I don’t know what is.
most active online communities I found were at Chess.com (freemium) and Lichess.org (free). Both websites host puzzles, lessons and ongoing tournaments for various levels and variations of the game. There are also large, active communities on YouTube, Twitch, and Reddit to satisfy those looking for a sense of camaraderie. Far from being limited to "the smart people," chess is largely reliant on pattern recognition, which any one of us can build and improve as we enjoy a few games. Please give it a try if you've ever been curious.
TEXT+ PHOTO: Gloria Bundutidi
I am Gloria Bundutidi, a Medical Doctor from the DR Congo and Angola (having dual citizenship). Currently I am a 3rd year PhD candidate at Nagasaki University, studying Tropical medicine and infectious diseases.
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This is how COVID-19 changed my life experience while living in Nagasaki.
After weeks of staring at the four corners of my walls due to isolation, I had decided to visit one of my dearest friends on a cool Sunday evening and this was what transpired: Hey, my brother. I’m outside your door. Let me in! No, my brother. You are not protected. I told you I wouldn’t let you in if you weren’t wearing a mask. Stop joking my brother. I didn’t know you were that serious! Well I am. I’m not taking any chances with this corona. Here’s a mask and hand sanitizer, if you don’t agree with my house’s rules, please go. But I’m a medical doctor. Plus, I was the one who supplied you with the masks and sanitizer. Yes, that’s why you should understand my request.
Who would have thought visiting a friend’s apartment would require ‘gearing up’ before entering? Well, my naive and delusional self had thought otherwise after being briefly warned about the measures my dearest was implementing for his visitors. Little did I know those measures were also applied to me even though I contributed to those precautionary measures. I have been living in this beautiful city of Nagasaki for almost three years. This city is known to attract visitors from far and near, and as such, gives me the opportunity to interact with those visitors, especially if they are visiting the Atomic Bomb Museum, which is located near my apartment. However, this energetic and compelling daily atmosphere of interaction and exposure drastically changed in just days because of COVID-19. Silence and fear invaded the city. All places that attract visitors were closed, all trips were cancelled, disinfectant found in every corner, and only essential workers traversing with their masks while keeping their distance from each other. Wearing a mask was no longer a fashion but a necessity to survive.
As an extrovert, this situation affected my physical and mental health heavily. The lack of social and physical interaction has taken a toll on me. I wasn’t able to complete my swimming laps nor have bible studies at church. Not to mention the inability to travel within or outside my prefecture. I felt like I was in jail where all of my city was limited to a confined space, especially when I realized that we may have to do this for a long time. Even during Golden Week, the longest holiday break in Japan, I was stuck at home. All this “free time” but unable to do something substantial with it. But that didn’t stop me. I was still able to take a stroll an evening or two so I could reflect while sitting on a bench in the Nagasaki Hypocenter Park. Because as a medical professional, I knew that keeping my mental health intact was essential to survive this pandemic. This further became a reality when the cases started to emerge within Japan, and elsewhere in the world, where various government bodies and health organizations were clueless to the potential of this virus and started feeding us with indefinite answers. I became totally devasted after hearing news of my closest friends dying of COVID-19 in my home country and not being able to grieve. But thanks to technology, I was still able to communicate to my other friends and family so they could comfort me although I couldn’t physically see them or hang out with them. This pandemic not only affected my daily life but also my school life. Libraries and all sports centers were closed, life on campus almost died out, along with the annual university conferences and meetings. Even my field trip to the Philippines which was a major practicum aspect of my course was cancelled. Students and professors had to resort to online learning rather than face to face. This alternative was so difficult and painful to adjust to. It was hard to focus online due to technical issues, along with scheduling challenges due to professors coming from different time zones. Despite this catastrophic situation, I feel totally optimistic and I believe in a better future where we will be able to go back to our normal lives. It recently started after the government decided to lift the ‘State of Emergency’ across Japan. Even though this freedom will give us the chance to socialize, we still have to respect all measures established by the government which includes protective wear, good hygiene, and, of course, social distancing. This doesn’t necessarily means solely looking out for one’s own interest but also our loved ones, while looking forward to a better future. Don’t forget that this situation will eventually pass, so
LET US STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY TO FIGHT CORONA.
Pin's Name: 橙 (Dai Dai) which means orange in Japanese “In my art, the presence of flowers and the motif of emergence represent themes of self discovery - something that I have been trying to do with my own life. It’s a therapeutic way to celebrate authenticity and self-care.”
TEXT: Jin Chang
While cockroaches aren’t dangerous, most of us don’t want to deal with them. And yes, they exist here. The flying kind, too.
Dani are little bugs that live in your tatami. Especially for people who sleep on futons, be wary of these tiny mites as they do bite and leave little red marks.
Also known as rice weevils, these tiny critters can be found in rice in the humid months,and can multiply before you know it. While the eggs and adults are safe to eat, they can be unpleasant to find.
Mukade are vicious, venomous centipedes that like to come out in the humid months from June to August. There are all sorts of myths about these beasts, so no one really knows what’s true or false. Some of these include them traveling in pairs and secreting pheromones that attract more mukade if you smash their bodies. Fact or fiction, you don’t want to get bitten (fact: their bites are extremely painful!)
The language, the culture, the humidity: Japan is different from home in many ways. You've got enough to deal with as it is living in a foreign country, so let’s address one issue that most of us would prefer to live without: insects. Whether they be the creepy, the crawly, or the flying, prevention is key. So we’ll be listing some of the ways to prevent these scary-looking critters from entering your home and solutions for if they somehow slip through the cracks.
First things first, if you’ve found a cockroach in your dwelling, there may be a possible food source attracting them. Make sure your living space is free from all possible food sources such as trash, grime, or spills. Unfortunately, just keeping your home clean isn’t going to prevent cockroaches from strolling in. The humidity in the summer can invite these creatures in, so make sure you’ve covered all possible openings and cracks so they can’t crawl in.
Look for dani spray at your local grocery store. Vacuum or sweep your tatami mats, then spray the mats with the solution. It may be good to ventilate your place after as the spray has a strong smell. Spray once a month.
Store your rice in an airtight container and place some dried chili peppers or bay leaves in with your rice. You can alternatively purchase repellents at your local grocery stores called 米唐番 (kometouban). Just pop them into your rice container. If you’ve got the room and don’t feel like buying anything, then just store your rice in the refrigerator and you’re good to go!
Kincho brand コナーズ (konaazu) powder is very effective at repelling mukade and even other insects. Sprinkle the powder and create a perimeter around the outside of your home. Make sure none of the powder actually gets into your home as the poison is strong. There are also mukade traps.
You can find cockroach barriers and poison bait at your local drug stores. Just look for ゴキブリ in the insect treatment section.
If you’ve already got a dani infestation, look for ダニアース (dani asu), a spray with a needle at the end. Shoot the needle into the center of your tatami mat and spray for 15 to 20 seconds. Repeat for each mat, then ventilate the room, and vacuum afterward.
If your rice has already been infested with weevils and you don’t mind picking them out, one solution is to place the rice, weevils and all, in the freezer. Let it stay there for at least three days, then separate the rice and weevils. Wash the rice well before cooking.
If by chance you do run into a mukade, do not attempt to fight them. I repeat. Do not fight them. Instead spray them with 虫コロリアース (mushi korori aasu) (this spray is effective at killing most insects) to stun them. Pouring boiling water on them or spraying them more should then do the trick. If you don’t feel like killing them, you could sweep them outside, but keep in mind, mukade are territorial and may waltz back in.
As we head into the summer months, stay vigilant by keeping the humidity in your home to a minimum and covering drains to prevent unwanted pests from getting inside. Because one less problem to deal with means more time to enjoy your summer in Japan! 9
Let’s call it now: this will be the summer of social distancing. While we dream of beach days and far-flung vacations, the reality is that this season will mostly be spent indoors. It’s a great time to focus on mental and physical health, to rekindle old or pick up new hobbies, and to strengthen connections with loved ones near and far. It’s also a great time to reevaluate the space you’re living in. Getting rid of clutter and reorganizing will make the home feel fresh. For your first steps, try some of these hot tips.
Cleaning is a chore—I’d be hardpressed to find someone who enjoys cleaning the toilet or vacuuming the darkest corners of a room. It can be tempting to put it all off and have one marathon cleaning day. You may end up with great before and after photos, but you risk feeling burnt out and unmotivated to do future cleaning. Instead of a marathon, try cleaning in smaller, more regular sprints. One recommendation is the “timeboxing” method: set a timer for 20 minutes and tidy up. When the timer goes off, you’re done for the day. This works best when done daily, but you can change the frequency or timer to suit your needs. Additionally, I’ve found it helpful to identify my “trouble spots” and target them every day: no dirty dishes overnight, and dry laundry must be put away immediately. Doing cleaning sprints maintains the tidiness of your home and ensures that larger cleaning days are less of a burdenthan irregular marathons.
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Simply put, every item you own needs its own home. Some fairly universal examples: shoes live in the genkan, cutlery lives in that one kitchen drawer, dress shirts live on hangers in the closet. This way, cleaning is much easier because you should immediately know where everything is supposed to go. Without this system, cleaning can take much longer because you won’t know where to put things. A few bonus tips for assigning homes for your stuff: 1) Keep alike items in the same place. For example, keep all of your reading materials on one bookshelf instead of spread out on your bed, desk, and floor. 2) Store items closest to where you’ll use them. For example, keeping trash bags near the trash can. Of course you’ll have to work within your space and storage constraints, but these are good rules of thumb!
Clearing out seasonal or seldom-used items creates more room for frequently-used things and rids your home of unnecessary clutter. Now that it’s summer, it’s a good idea to store away winter clothes and decor in boxes, vacuum bags, or whatever best fits your space. I like to hide them under my bed or in my closet—out of sight, out of mind. If you want to take a more minimalist approach, try packing things away as you clean. You might be surprised at how infrequently you use some things!
Many cupboards and cabinets come with very large drawers and shelves, which are hard to use efficiently when storing small items like plates or dry foods. To stay organized, use smaller boxes to keep things tidy and easy to find. They’re very helpful for holding small items like teabags together, but can also be used to hold together larger items like bug repellants. For tall, open cupboards, I use a folding metal rack to maximize the vertical space. This way I can store many items on the same shelf but still have them all easily accessible. Vertical space should also be considered as a storage solution. An indoor tension bar is great for drying towels or laundry, and temporary wall hooks can be used for towels, bug swatters, etc. The possibilities are as endless as your local Daiso’s selection.
The cheapest and possibly easiest way to freshen your home is to rearrange your furniture. Reimagining the layout of your spaces forces you to be creative and imagine your home in a new light. It can even feel like a whole new place once the furniture is moved! Some more cosmetic changes include: 1) Swapping out your pillowcase for a different color or design. 2) Hanging up different pictures and posters with washi tape (decorative masking tape). Not only is it renter-friendly, but you can also add extra personality by using colorful or patterned tape. 3) Last but certainly not least, get a plant. These will (literally) bring life to your space. If you’re looking for a “starter plant,” try pothos or a snake plant. If you take these tips and tidy up your space, you’ll have a great spot for a staycation! Turn up your fan, open up an ice cream bar, and enjoy the summer in your sweet digs. 11 TEXT: Deidre Foley
Driving in Japan is easy—at first. If you came to the country with an international driving permit, you are allowed to drive here for up to a year. However, once over, you must then convert your license into a Japanese license. If you count yourself among one of the unfortunate nationalities like folks from the US or South Africa, then you will need to take a “practical exam.” It is a driving exam, which is, in my experience, anything but practical. This article is meant to shed some light on what is known to be an exasperating process, and share some pointers along the way. The two months during which I underwent the license conversion process were among my worst in Japan. Nothing prepared me for the reality of converting my license in Nagasaki. There were guides, of course, and I followed their instructions to the letter. I gathered up all of the necessary documents and practiced for the test. Even so, the process was an absolute nightmare. Every situation is different, but with bureaucracy, unfortunately, some things never change.
The prefectural driving center is located in Omura. Dwelling inside the center’s drab, gray exterior is a cult of extremists Their main tenets are not believing in modern technology or forgiveness. You will learn this firsthand when faxing file after file into an abyss. You will come to grips with this after mailing countless documents addressed to a brick wall and waiting up to two weeks for a simple reply. And after waiting? More often than not there is a problem. Sometimes, the tax returns going back ten years without gaps aren’t enough to prove you lived in your home country. Sometimes, your passport scan couldn’t be printed from a 4K Ultra HD image, so the clerk can’t tell for sure that it wasn’t forged. In short, if the office wants to give you a hard time, they can and they will. Thus, what should be a simple process can take a month or more to complete. Start the process early. Following documentation is the written exam. This happens to be the easiest part. Review the rules of the road and you should be fine. The test consists of ten common sense questions in English, which you can finish in about ten minutes. The issue is waiting for up to an hour to hear your score. You will get very good at waiting at the center. Bring something to pass the time. In my personal experience, the time of day changes little about how long you will wait. Is the center busy with people? Are they packed into corners and climbing atop vending machines to find somewhere to sit? You’re looking at an hour. Is the place empty save for a few teens reading manga and an old man drooling in his sleep? Congratulations. You’re looking at two hours.
Why? This is one of the biggest mysteries of bureaucracy in Japan. What are they doing that requires so much time to see a single customer? Could it be faxing phone books to Russia or copying papers with charcoal etchings? Beats me. Upon passing, you will be called on to take the practical test (if necessary). A staff member will hand you a map of the day’s course and a scoring sheet. They will give you a basic explanation about what to expect in Japanese and note that at 12 pm, you are permitted to walk the course by foot. This is highly recommended if you want to pass your first time. Learn the course. If you fail, then you must come back to the center on a different day to take the test again. “But I can already drive, the test should be easy!” you might say. From a logical perspective, assuming you are not prone to bi-weekly car accidents, this is true. You have already proven that you can drive in Japan by sheer virtue of having already driven here for an entire year. But the truth is, your proctor couldn't care less about your driving skills. The test does not measure how well you can drive. The test is to see how well you can take their test. This makes the exam feel very unnatural for someone already used to driving. To make matters worse, you will drive a Toyota Prius. The brakes of the test car are incredibly sensitive. When it brakes, it brakes. So, be careful not to slam your test proctor’s head against the dashboard by pumping them too hard, though you might want to after the first five minutes of the test.
Once the test has begun, you must check your rearview mirror, side mirrors and look over your shoulder to check your blind spot at every turn. If you fail to do this, it is almost guaranteed you will fail. When turning and following the road, you must try as much as possible to stick to the left side, near the curb. The curb is something you should always pay attention to. If you so much as scrape it and continue driving, then you fail on the spot. If you hit the curb, stop immediately and reverse after checking your mirrors and blind spot. This will allow you to continue the test with only a reduction in points. It is important to remain confident in your abilities, even when some of the things the proctors say about your driving will seem ridiculous. Passing is not impossible, but you should be prepared for the possibility of an unpleasant experience. De-stressing and taking care of your mental health is crucial to doing well. So, stay calm and drive. Like everyone else, you too, will pass. TEXT: Kane Pride Illustration: Charlotte Gautier
Not quite up to cooking your meals every day? Every week? Is your recipe repertoire growing . . . stale? Do you wish you could find a solution, but don’t know how? A great way to get your eating-out cravings satiated is by ordering take-out. Although Japan, and the countryside in particular, has never been known for this custom, with the novel coronavirus situation, many businesses have recently started offering take-out and/or delivery services. Ordering take-out (テイクアウト or お持ち帰り/o mochi kaeri) or delivery (デリバリー, 出前/de mae or 宅配/taku hai) is a great way to enjoy a meal without having to cook or increase your chances of exposure, all while supporting your local businesses. To find such places near you with more ease, here are some hashtags and website catalogues that list up your options. Most resources are in Japanese, and they might take a little getting used to. Some Japanese knowledge (or a healthy dose of Google Translate) is helpful.
NAGASAKI https://take-out-nagasaki.com/ https://twitter.com/nagasakikanko https://nagasakicci.jp/publics/index/294/ (Nagasaki, Nagayo, and Togitsu)
NAGAYO + TOGITSU
http://hot-takeout.jp/ https://webtown.nagayo.jp/topics/eats.pdf
Shimabara Peninsula
https://m.uchi-gohan.com/ (Minamishimabara and Shimabara) https://crowdtechlab.com/shima-mesi/ (Shimabara, Minamishimabara, and Unzen) ＃島原半島エール飯 and #島原半島テイクアウト
ISAHAYA
http://www.isahaya-portal.com/
OMURA
＃大村テイクアウト
SONOGI
https://touhi-takeout.amebaownd.com/ #東彼エール飯
Dig into your take-out order while Facetiming a friend for extra productivity points. Not only do you get to eat delicious food, but you can also meet your social needs at the same time. After all, meals are always best when shared.
TEXT: Sara Magugliani
Sasebo http://taketake-sasebo.com/ https://www.naradewa.com/takeout https://peraichi.com/landing_pages/view/sasebotakuhai (delivery)
SAIKAI
http://varygood.jp/archives/24387
HIRADO
https://www.pref.nagasaki.jp/shared/uploads/2020/05/1588315433.pdf
TSUSHIMA
https://takeout-tsushima.com/
Iki
https://ikimeshi.localinfo.jp/
KAMIGOTO
https://kamigoto-takeout.amebaownd.com/ #上五島エール飯
GOTO
https://takeout-dish.com/goto/
MATSUURA
http://matsuura-takeout.jp/
SAZA
http://matsuura-takeout.jp/
TEXT: Will Morgan, Dan Cohen
Japan has ridden out the first wave of COVID-19 and people are adjusting to the 新しい生活 様式 (aratashī seikatsu yōshiki - “new normal”.). Luckily for many in Japan, the new normal includes some of the old. For example, the Japanese public has used マスク (masuku - surgical face masks) since the Spanish Flu a century ago. However, daily naso-oral prophylactic use has markedly increased since the early 2000s because of concerns over other undesirable things like SARS, H1N1, and being seen without make-up. But novel viruses call for further innovation and, as part of the new normal, the Japanese Ministry of Health came up with a catchy warning that they smoothly translated into English.
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三密の回避 san mitsu no kaihi Avoid the “Three Cs” 回避 (kaihi) - This word for “avoid / avoidance” shares a kanji with a number of frequently used words like 避ける (sakeru - to avoid) and 避難所 (hinanjo - evacuation point). Here’s what to avoid: 密接場面 (missetsu bamen -– Close- contact settings) This is close to the “social distancing” that the Western world has adopted. Stay out of people’s personal space. 密閉空間 (mippei kūkan - Closed places) Since even before the pandemic, 換気 (kanki - opening windows to promote ventilation) has been an indispensable strategy to keep away airborne illness and help children build character in winter. 密集場所 (misshū basho) - Crowded places). You may ask, with Japan’s famously high population density, how can people avoid this? Two popular, if completely opposing, strategies are 家トレ (ie tore - creative workouts at home to avoid the gym) and オンライン飲み会 (onrain nomikai - online drinking parties).
These measures, along with others, have helped Japan achieve a comparably good record in confronting COVID-19. The next steps are slowly opening up and reviving the service economy. Until recently, residents of Nagasaki were able to get discounts on hotel stays inside the prefecture as part of a staycation promotion called ふるさと再発見の旅 (furusato saihakken no tabi). There are sure to be more great deals as Japan continues to open up, so be on the lookout!
