CONNECT Magazine Japan #119 December 2022

12 | Anime to watch for the Holidays

26 | Unique, Unusual, and Underrated Castles

58 | Navigation a Foreign Pharmacy

80 | Falling Down the Rabbit Hole

AJET

IssueNo. 119

December2022

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

WelcometotheDecember issueofCONNECT!

Theendoftheyear holidaysarejustaroundthecorner, fillingtheairwithgreatexcitement. Maybeyou’reanticipatingthechanceto seefamily,theplansforalongtrip,or justtheopportunitytotakeadayortwo off.Nomatterwhatitis,wehopeit’s keepingyouextrawarmasyoubundle upunderthekotatsu.Andwehopethis issueprovidestheperfectreadsto accompanythatfuzzyfeeling.

Forstarters,what’scozierthanfamiliar characters?Forawhimsicallycozyread, Irecommendthe FallingDownthe RabbitHole travellogfromCONNECT TravelEditor,ChloeHolm.Thepiece takesthereaderthroughaJapanhidden gem;YufininOitaPrefecture.Thesmall townisacaptivatingfind,fullofAlice andWonderlandattractions,Moomin shops,andmore.

Forasimilartripdownarabbithole, checkouttheCultureSection’spiece, Unique,Unusual,andUnderrated Castles.Thearticleisjustasthetitle promises,goingdeepintothe wonderfulworldofcastlesinJapan. Learnaboutarchitecture,history,and thequirksthatmakeeachcastleso individuallyenticing.

Andofcoursetheissuewouldn’tbe doingyoujusticewithoutafewroundupsandrecommendationstogetyou throughthecoldweather.Tohelpget youthroughthelongcoldnights,check outthe HolidayAnimeGuide fromthe EntertainmentEditor,KnoxYonder.

Then,inpreparationfortheincomingflu season,WellnessEditorAlexandra Crombieputtogethera Pharmacy SurvivalGuide.It’sagreatcompanionto helpyoutraversethoseoverwhelming medicationaisles,especiallywhen feelingunwell.

Ofcoursetherearesomanymore amazingpiecesfromtheteamwithin thesepages,andweinviteyouto cuddleupandstayawhile.

Cheers!

MonicaHand HeadEditor

P.S

Ifyouhaveaninterestingstoryyou’dliketocontribute,pleasegetintouch!Youcansendarticle pitchesdirectlytomeat connect.editor@ajet.net,orjoin CONNECTMagazineContributor’sCircle onFacebooktogetupdatesfromoureditorswhenthey’reonthehuntforastory!

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HEADEDITOR connect.ajet.editor@gmail.com

MonicaHand

“Thereisnosubstituteforagreatlove whosays,‘Nomatterwhat’swrongwith you,you’rewelcomeatthistable.’”—Tom Hanks ASSISTANTHEADEDITOR connect.ajet.assistantheadeditor@gmail.com

DianneYett

“Astoryshouldhaveabeginning,amiddle, andanend,butnotnecessarilyinthat order.”—Jean-LucGodard

RachelFagundes

connect.generaleditor2@ajet.net

“Thosewhodreambydayarecognizantofmany thingswhichescapethosewhodreamonlyby night.”―EdgarAllanPoe

JamesBall connect.generaleditor3@ajet.net

“Timeisanillusion.Lunchtimedoublyso.”— DouglasAdams

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“Towrite,youhavetowantsomethingtosurvive you.”—ElenaFerrante

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LloydCruickshank

JamaicanProverb:"Nuhbitedihanwehfeedyu" Translation:Neverbitethehandsthatfeedyou. Meaning:Donotbeungratefultotheonewhohas helpedyou.

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"Oneman'sgarbageisanothermanperson'sgood ungarbage."—Richard"Ricky"LaFleur,from TrailerParkBoysSeason6,Episode3

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CREDITS CONTENT

HEADEDITOR

MonicaHand

ASSISTANTHEADEDITOR

DianneYett

SECTIONEDITORS

SierraBlockGorman

IanLayugan

AndyHanson

MarcoOliveros

KnoxYoder

Pitta-GayPowell

ChloeHolm

AlexandraCrombie

CONTRIBUTORS

KnoxYoder

AshleyNoelck

SophieMcCarthy

ShadSchwark

MonicaHand

AlexandraCrombie

RandyPoehlman

KasiaMajewski

RobbieHunkins

JamesO’Connor

Pitta-GayPowell

DustinGoodwin

VeronicaNielson

HEADOFDESIGN&LAYOUT

LloydCruickshank

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EmilyGriffith

ASSISTANTDESIGNERS

KristenCamilleTon

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COPYEDITORS

JonSolmundson

NatalieAndrews

AshleyLeung

SageOlges

GENERALSECTIONEDITORS

SophiaMaas

JamesBall

RyonMorrin

RachelFagundes

WEBEDITORS

MarcoCian

NorrisWang

SOCIALMEDIA

ValerieMercado

COVERPHOTO

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TABLEOFCONTENTSPHOTO

AyumiKubo

ART&PHOTOGRAPHY

IceTea

S.Tsuchiya

HakanNural

IanLai

notethanun

2ykang

AyumiKubo

GerdAltmann

JosephineBredehoft

NoitaDigital

artyukh

Hsaart

Thismagazinecontainsoriginalphotosused withpermission,aswellasfree-use images.Allincluded photosare propertyof theauthor unlessotherwise specified.If youare theowner ofan imagefeatured inthispublicationbelievedto beusedwithoutpermission,please contacttheHeadofGraphic Design andLayout,LloydCruickshank,atconnect.ajet.visualmedia@gmail.com.Thisedition,andallpast editions of AJETCONNECT,canbefoundonlineathttp://ajet.net/ajet-connect/magazine-issues/oron our website.Read CONNECT onlineandfollowuson ISSUU.

ChloeHolm

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ARTS AND CULTURE

ARTEDITOR connect.ajet.arts@gmail.com

SierraBlockGorman

“Peoplewhosaychangeisimpossibleare usuallyprettyhappywiththingsjustasthey are.”―N.K.Jemisin,fromTheCityWe Became

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KristenCamilleTon

“Ifyouonlyreadthebooksthateveryone elseisreading,youcanonlythinkwhat everyoneelseisthinking.”—HarukiMurakami,fromNorwegianWood

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KnoxYoder

“Oncebittenandtwiceshy.Ikeepmy distance,butyoustillcatchmyeye.Tellme baby,doyourecognizeme?Well,it’sbeen ayear,thatdoesn’tsurpriseme.”—George Michael,Wham!

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NatalieAndrews

CULTUREEDITOR connect.ajet.culture@gmail.com

MarcoOliveros

“Dotherightthing.Itwillgratifysomepeople andastonishtherest.”—MarkTwain

“Iwanttoflywithyouondragonback,see thegreatwondersacrosstheNarrowSea, andeatonlycake.”RhaenyraTargaryento AlicentHightower,HouseoftheDragon, Episode1

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ShadSchwarck(Osaka)

ivinginJapancancome withasenseofalienation foranyforeigner, especiallyforthoseof usundertheLGBTQ+umbrella.

AmongboththeJapanesesociety aroundusandotherforeigners, however,wearenotalone—and nothingillustratesourpresence quiteasclearlyaswhenwecome togetherinoneplace.

nSeptemberofthisyear,onesuch eventdrewacrowdofJapanese peopleandforeignersalike—the KansaiQueerFilmFestival.Thefestival raninearlySeptemberinOsakaand lateSeptemberinKyoto.Itshowcased bothJapaneseandinternationalfilms producedbyartistsandsmallfilm groupscoveringawiderangeofqueer experiencesandstories.

attendedascreeningof internationalfilmsinKyoto withafriend.Thevenue, GoetheInstitut,isaGerman culture,art,andlanguagecenter situatedneartheKamogawa River.Wegotlostontheway, butwewerehelpedtotheright placebyapasserbywhosaw usandassumed(correctly)that weweregaypeoplelookingfor thefilmfestival.Uponarrival,we wereexcited toseethediversity

ofattendees—fromcollege-ageto theelderly,fromJapanesepeople toforeignersofallkinds,fromthose dressedintheboldfashionsoften expectedfromqueerself-expression tothoseinsensiblebusinessclothes. Feelingathomeamongthecrowd,we purchasedourticketsandwaitedfor thefilmstobegin.

TankFairy byErichRettstadt

TankFairy byErichRettstadt

hisscreening showedsevenfilms: Doubts byPedro Rudolphi, TankFairy by ErichRettstadt, Alexa,Xander, andtheUniverse byVahn LenardC.Pascual, Hold byMaritÖstberg, The Note byJenNeeLim, Boy Queen bySaiNynMin Htut,and God’sDaughter Dances byByunSungbin. Theirtopicsandtones varied, TheNote depictingtensesocial interactionsbetween studentsandtheir HIV+classmate,while theflashy,glamorous, (literally)explosivestoryof TankFairy followsayoungboy whowantstocrossdressand thehouseholdgasdelivery person—whohappenstobea fairyinbothafashionableand literalsense—thatgrantshim magicalconfidence.

erhapsthemost

strikinghoweverwas Hold,whichfocused oncouplesina BDSMenvironment.Despite theexplicitnatureofthe film,whichdidnotshyaway fromthenudity,pain-play, andsexualactsinvolvedin thesecouples’scenes,it wasfilmedwithreverence fortheactsbetweenthese partnersandthetrustand carebetweenthemmaking itpossible.Thequiet, deliberateframingdepicted theseactsasintimateworks ofartcreatedbypeople incaringenvironments. Thesewerescenesoflovers tendingtotheirpartners’

emotionalneeds,ratherthan brash,hastypornography, andthefilmendedwiththe couplesgentlyembracingin acalm,fulfilledgentleness.

tstruckmeas somethingbothliteral andmetaphorical;that somethinglikeBDSM issooftenthoughtofas depravedtothosewho knowlittleofitbeyondthe sensationalizedversion showntotheminmedia, andhowthatcanbeapplied totheLGBTQ+experience;

TheNote byJenNeeLim

Hold by MaritÖstberg

Above: TankFairy

byErichRettstadt

sopersonal,intimate,and beautifultothosewho knowitpersonally,despite beingviewedassomething extremeandunusualto thosewhodon’t.Itleftme withbothpeaceandsomber realism,thankfulthatthis filmanditsmeaningful, respectfuldepictionofthose couples’bondsoftrust exists.Ihavetowonderif therestoftheaudiencefelt thesame,andIhavetohope that,toanyoneoutsideofthe community,thisandtherest ofthefilmslefttheviewers withsomethingpersonal andprofoundtoconsider afterreturningtotheirlives

outsideofthisbuildinginthe middleofKyoto.

yfriendandIleft withasenseof connectionto thepeopleinthat theater,pleasedwiththe knowledgethateveninthe culturalcenterofJapan, peoplelikeusnotonlyexist butexistloudlyandwith joyasweshareourartwith others.Icannotmustera betterdescriptionofthe feelingthantoquoteafriend whovolunteeredattheevent, thatdespiteourinvisibility intheday-to-day,wearenot alone: “wearefuckinghere!”

TheKansaiQueerFilm Festivalisheldyearlyin theatersinKyotoandOsaka. Tolearnmore,visit: https://kansai-qff.org/

hadSchwarckisa transmascfirst-year JETanddigitalartist withafocusonindiegame developmentandqueer expression.Hestudied JapaneseatKandaUniversity inChibaPrefectureand spendshisweekends workingonhispersonal gameproject,VoidZone.

Alexa,Xander,andtheUniverse byVahnLenardC.Pascual

God’sDaughterDances byByunSungbin

TankFairy byErichRettstadt

“peoplelikeusnotonlyexistbut existloudlyandwithjoy”

KnoxYoder(Saga)

Ah,theholidays.It’saspecialtimeofyearformanyacross theworld.

IntheWest,theholidaysrepresentfamilyandreligion. HereinJapan,Christmasismostlyaromanticholiday forcouples,withNewYear’sbeingmorecenteredaroundfamilyand tradition. No matter how you celebrate, one common theme can bring usalltogetherthisholidayseason:anime.

Fromanime overtlycentered aroundthe holidaysto thosethat simply giveoff appropriatevibes,herearesomeanimetowatchtogiveyou thatspecialholidayfeeling.

PerhapsthemostovertlyChristmasanimeoutthere, Tokyo Godfathers is amust-see forany animefan everyDecember.

Directed by legendary director Satoshi Kon, Tokyo Godfathers followsthemisadventuresofagroupofthreeeclectic homelesspeople:Gin,amiddle-agedalcoholicman,Hana, atranswomanwithaloveforsong,andMiyuki,ateenage runaway.Aftertheystumbleuponanabandonedinfanton ChristmasEve,theyembarkonajourneyacrossTokyoto findherparents.

SatoshiKonisamasteratescalation,somethingthatisput onfulldisplayin TokyoGodfathers.Themaincharacters continually go from one out-of-this-world situation to another, frombeinginvolvedinanattemptedmobassassinationtoa highspeedcar/bikechasethroughTokyo.Withinthewacky anticsandaction,however,isadeeplyemotionalstory aboutfamily(theonewechooseandtheoneweareborn with).In TokyoGodfathers,you’lllaugh,you’llcry,butmost importantly,you’llfeelthaticonicChristmasspirit.

DidI mentionthat Christmasis acouple’s inJapan?TogetalookatwhatChristmasislike inJapanforlove-struckteensinJapan(through anover-the-topanimelens,ofcourse),lookno furtherthanToradora.

TheseriesfollowsthedailylivesofRyuji TakasuandTaigaAisaka,twohigh schoolerstryingtohelpeachotherfind lovewiththeirrespectivebestfriends. Asonemightexpect,however,itturns outtherealromancemightactuallylie betweenthem.Whileonemightnot initially expect Toradora to be a Christmas anime, some of the series’ most important episodestakeplacearoundoron Christmas,completewithSantacostumes andsnowfall.Whiletheseepisodestake placetowardstheendoftheseries’25-episode run,Toradoraisoneofthe all-timegreatswhenit comestoromanticcomedyanime,soit’sworth theinvestmentifyou’veneverseenit.

Areyouafanofanimefromthemid-2000s?Likealittle youranime? Maybeeven atad bitof. .. ecchi? Wellifyoulikeallofthis and Christmas,thenitmight beworthcheckingoutthetwo-episodeOVA ItsudatteMySanta!

Itsudatte My Santa! (literally meaning Always MySanta!)followsaboywho,afterbeing bornonDecember24,wasnamedSanta. Thiscausedhimtobebulliedgrowing up,leadingtoaresentmenttowards everythingChristmas.Uponmeeting astrangegirlnamedMai,hebeginsto learnChristmasmightnotbeallthatbad (andexperiencesalittleromanceinthe process).

While ItsudatteMySanta! mightnotbethe deepestanimeyou’veeverseen,it’safunshort watchatonlytwoepisodeslong.Havingbeen releasedin2005,itverymuchfeelslikeananimeof thisera.Sometimesforthebest(lookatthatnostalgicart style!)andsometimesfortheworst(someofthesexual humorandecchielementsdidn’tagethebest).Still,if youwanttowatchananimebasedaroundChristmas, ItsudatteMySanta! mightbeworthcheckingout.

Okayokayokay,hearmeoutonthisone.Is Spy×Family ananime thatreally hasanything todo withthe holidays?No. Isit evenwinter themed?No.However, Spy×Family centersaroundwhatmakes theholidayssospecialforsomanyaroundtheworld:family.And, similarlyto TokyoGodfathers, Spy×Family specificallyfocuseson thefamilywechoosefor ourselves,somethingthatmighthit alittle differentformany,likemyself, whomaybethousandsof milesfrom theirgivenfamilytheseholidays.

Ifyoudon’tknow, Spy×Family followsmasterspyTwilightashe goes undercover in the fictional country of Ostania to gather intel on oneof thenation’s leaders.In orderto dothis, hemust createa fake familyinorder togetclose tohim.Through happenstance,heends up“marrying”Yor,secretlyamasterassassin,andadoptingAnya, secretlyatelepath.Together,theymustattempttolive anormallife whilehidingtheirsecretidentitiesfromeachother.

Beforelong,realemotionsandhappinessbegintoformbetween thetitularspyfamily.Thewholesomemomentsfeaturedinthis series highlight the magic of found family, something that embodies everythingabouttheholidays.

KnoxYoder (they/them)is afirst-year JETliving andworking inUreshino,Saga.Theyhavetoomanyhobbies,including butnotlimitedtobinginghorrormovies,playingnewand oldvideogames,readingmanga,andnerdingoutoverMy ChemicalRomance.TheyloveWham!’s“LastChristmas” morethantheylovethemself.

Beforeevenleavingtheplatform, Bullet Train dazzleswithsleek,high-speed chasesaboardfuturisticJapanrailways anddeliversamemorableend-ofsummerflickthatrunsfullsteamaheadto Kyotostation,withsomebumpystopsalong theway.

BulletTrain followstheassassindubbed Ladybug(Brad Pitt)as hefinds hisnext mission aboarda shinkansen runningfromTokyoto Kyoto.Ladybug’smissionrunsaskewwhenhe findshimselfconfrontedwithotherassassins aboardthetrain,allwithhiddenagendasand theirownquirkyidiosyncrasies.Thenarrative quicklyzoomsintoquickactionfightsin claustrophobicspaces,afly-byofcharacter introductionsandsurprises,andcomeswith aplotthatzipsthroughinterweavingstorylines onmainlandJapanat200milesperhour.

Iviewed BulletTrain inMatsuyamaabouta weekafterthereleasedate,andwhileagood numberofpeopleattendedtheshowing,the spacewasincrediblyquieterthanwhat,I presume, a theater in the U.S. would have been. Theaccumulationofthesummer,releasing rightbehind JurassicWorld:Dominion andtheincrediblysuccessful TopGun: Maverick, BulletTrain coastedin behindtheotherblockbusterswith around$239milliontotalgrossing boxofficerevenue,compared toover$1billionrevenuepull fromtheothertwofilms individually.Despitethe

movie’soverlystylizedappearanceofJapan’s iconicbullettrainsandtheflashyappealof A-listcelebrities,(namelyBradPitt,Zoey King,SandraBullock),thebiggestissue withBulletTrainis the speed with which itzipsthroughcharacters,settings, andfightscenes,especially BradPitt’swhoisadoredby Japaneseaudiences andeven dubbedwiththeadorable nickname burapi,andthe inaccuraciesthatplay intothestory.

BulletTrainisanadaptedscreenplayfromthepopularnovel MariaBeetle,writtenbythefamousJapanesemysterythrillerwriterKotaroIsaka.Whilemanydetailsandstylistic appearanceswere changedfor aWestern audience,the shot ofMountFujiappearingasthetrainapproachesKyotoor Kyotostationportrayedasasmall,bamboocraftedstationin the inaka (countryside)isprobablynotappreciatedbymany peoplewhoarefamiliarwiththeseareas.

Inaninterviewwith TimeMagazine,Isakaexpressedhis readinesstochangehisnoveltoappealtobroaderWestern audiences,but sacrificingaccuracy formore easilydigestible contentseemstobealow-lyingcutatgarneringmore revenuefromAmerican viewerswhomay notbefamiliar with Japanesegeography andseems tobe moreof adisservice to worldwideaudiences.

TheoverallstoryofBulletTrainisundoubtedlyengaging, featuringfun,wittybanterbetweenaduoofassassinsthat meshwiththevillain’sover-the-topmanners,paralleledwith thealmostmurder-mystery-comedytoneseeninmodern classicssuchas KnivesOut and Clue.And,ofcourse,the action-setpiecesaboardthetrainareenjoyable,witha particularlymemorablemomentfeaturingoneofJapan’s adorablemascots’involvementwithmurderers.

Inessence,Ithinkwhatcauses BulletTrain toexcelisexactlywhere itsuffers:thetwisting-and-turningpaceofthestory.Itdelightsand exciteswith theunknown beatsof aclaustrophobic thrillerwith BradPitt anchoringthecharismatictoneoftheshow,butaweakstorylinejampackedwithsomanycharactersandtwistscausesconfusionwiththe rapid-fireandintersectinglines. Addalsothatsome momentsofthefilm donothaveEnglishsubtitlesinJapan;asaforeignerviewingthefilmin Japan,it’seasytogetlostinthechaosofthetrainlineswithoutsome contextformajorplotpointsinthestory.

Overall, BulletTrain isafun,summerfilm.BradPittalonedeliverswith hiscoolcharismaaboardtheflashyhigh-speedtrain,andtheplotwill surelywhipaudiences’headsaround.However,morecouldhavebeen doneforaccuracy,tributetotheoriginalsourcematerial,andcohesion ofcharacter interactionsto helpthe plotpull intothe stationin onepiece.

ChloeHolmisafirst-yearALTlivinginEhime.SheisalsotheAJET CONNECTMagazine’sTravelSectionEditor.Onherdaysoff,youcan findhertrekkingtothemovietheatertwohoursawayorbingingNetflix athomewithplentyofsnacks.Herfavoritemoviesare9to5andSkyfall.

earlyeverywhereyoulookinJapan,therearecute charactersgazingback.FrombanksandnationalID cardstohouseholdgoodsandproduce,thereisan endlessmenagerieofcartooncreatures.However, thereisonecritterinparticularthathasintriguedme sincemyarrivalonShikoku.Furryfigureswithsome combinationofwideeyes,toothysmiles,andprominent “familyjewels”canbefoundoutsidestoresandtempleseverywhere, thoughI’vealsoseenmorefamilyfriendlycaricaturesongasstation bannersandcautionaryroadsigns.Finally,astheyfollowedmeintomy dreams,Idecidedtoinvestigatetheinescapablespectres.

TheTanukiisaspeciesofraccoondognativetoJapan.Althoughtanuki isfrequentlytranslatedsimplyto“raccoon”inEnglishbecauseoftheir similarlook,theyareactuallymorecloselyrelatedtofoxesthanthe NorthAmericanraccoon.Thecutelittlecrittersaregenerallynocturnal, omnivorous,andaboutthesizeofahousecat.Theycanbefoundall overJapan,andtheonlyspeciesoftheirfamilyknowntohibernate.Be carefultowatchoutfortheselittlescavengers,especiallyatnightand attheedgesoftown.Whiletheseanimalsarecertainlyinterestingon theirown,theirfootprintextendsbeyond theirnaturalhabitatanddeepinto folkloreandculture.

AshleyNoelck(Tokushima)

hintoismandother nativereligionsofJapan haveaspecialkindof spiritcalledayokai. Itisanoversimplificationto callthemmonsters,despite thetendencyofthesebeings tobequitestrange.Yokaiare oftenbasedonnatureand unexplainablephenomena thathappensallaroundus,like thethingsthatgobumpinthe night.Enterthescavenging tanukithatgrewtobe

mythologizedintosomething otherworldly.Sometimes knownintheiryokai incarnationas bake-danuki, tanukiarespiritsoffertility, mischief,andfortune.The earliestwrittenrecordofthem datesbacktotheNaraperiod andthefamous Nihonshoki (TheChronicleofJapan),and theylaterstartedtoappearin setsuwa,anoralstorytelling tradition,duringtheHeianand Kamakuraperiods.

Perhapsoneofthebestknownlegendsiscalled the Bunbuku-chagama, or “TheLuckyTeakettle.”Many differentversionsofthislegend exist,butthekeycomponent ineverytellingisatanuki’s unfortunateinabilitytomaintain itsdisguiseasateakettle. Oneday,ajunkdealer,either knowinglyorunknowingly dependingontheversion, sellsabake-danukithathas shapeshiftedintoateakettle toanunawareBuddhistmonk.

Whenthemonkinevitably goestousehisnewpurchase, shenanigansensueasthe tanukidoesn’tparticularly appreciatebeingroastedover afire.Insomeversionsofthe tale,theyokaiwreakshavoc ontheentiretempleand runsoff,butinothers,allthe monksandthespiritcometo asortofagreementandthe quirkyfurryteakettlewitha bushytailbecomesalucrative templeattraction.

sclassictricksters, sometimesthe tanuki’spranks arejustforfun. Afterall,whatcouldbemore entertainingthanleading gulliblehumansastray? Othertimes,however,their mischieftakesamuchdarker turnsuchasinthe Kachikachiyama, or“Crackling-fire Mountain”.Inthiscautionary horrorstory,awomanis luredawaybyatanukiwho killsher,cooksherinasoup, andthenservesthatsoup toherhusbanddisguised ashisrecentlymurdered wife.Yet,instancesofbeing ledastrayarenotnearlyso

grim.Acommoncautionary taletellsofthedangersof drinkingtoomuchsakeand stumblinghomelateatnight. Oneshouldalwaystryand keeptheirwitsaboutthem, lesttheyfindtheyhavebeen transformedintoatanuki.At leastoneexhibitattheYokai House,aheritagemuseumin Miyoshi,hassomepractical adviceforhowtoescape thisterriblefate.Shouldyou findyourselftransfigured, youshouldimmediately urinateonyourself.This willtransformyoubacktoa humanbeforeyoucanforget yourpreviouslife—notatall orderifyouarealreadydrunk.

hileallthesestories areentertaining, thereremainsone important,and shallwesayprominent,feature oftanukithatcannotbeleft unexplored.Mostofthestatues I’veseenhaveballs.Infact, tanukiarefrequentlydepicted withmassivescrotums.Someof theoldestwoodblockprintswe haveoftanukifeaturethemagical thingstheseshapeshifterscan dowiththeir kintama,or“gold pouches.”Now,whenIdecided tositdownandwatchStudio Ghibli’s1994classic PomPoko, Iwasexpectingsomemagical transformations.WhatIdidnot anticipatewasabandofguerrilla fighterstakingonaconstruction companywiththeirnutsacks. Thisversatilepartofthetanuki’s anatomywasevenstretchedtoact asatypeofhangglider,allowing thecreaturestosoarthroughthe sky.Overall, PomPoko isahighly entertainingfilm,withamessage tofindwaystoliveinharmonywith naturethatremainsrelevanttoday.

otallyokaihavegone

somainstream,and throughmyresearch

I’vediscoveredthat tanukiareslowlybeginningto colonizetheworld.Mariocan dona“TanookiSuit”inseveral oftheNintendogamesin ordertoobtainspecialabilities suchasshapeshiftingand (testicle-less)flight.Another populardepictionflewentirely undermyradaruntilImoved toJapan.Ifyousounditout, ta-nu-ki,itmightsuddenlyclick. TomNook!Thisenterprising entrepreneurisoneofthefaces ofthepopularAnimalCrossing

games.Whilereferredtoas araccooninNorthAmerican translations,Mr.Nookisatrue tanukithroughandthrough, blessedwithfortunejustasthe legendspromise.Ibelievethat thetanuki’sriseinpopularity hasonlyjustbegun.Raccoon dogswerefirstbroughtto Europeintheearly20thcentury aspetsandhavesincebecome ahighlysuccessfulinvasive species.Isuspectthatas humanscontinuetointeract withthesecuteandadaptable crittersofthenight,thelegends ofthemischievoustanukiwill continuetogrow.

AshleyNoelckisa second-yearALT locatedinTokushima prefecture.Theyare anoutdoorenthusiast wholoveskayaking andcamping.Ash loveslearningabout cultureandhistory, andisslowlyteaching themselfbassguitar.

Theirdreamistogo onacross-country motorcycletourof Japan.

AshleyNoelck

ImageCredits

OneofthemosticonicpartsofJapanesecultureisthearchitecturallyintricate castlesthatdottheislandcountry.However,somereceivemorelovethanothers. TwelvecastlesintheiroriginalformsstillproudlystandinJapan,suchastheworldfamousHimejiCastle.Othercastlesthatlookverydifferentfromtheiroriginal designsstillattractswathsoftourists,suchasOsakaCastle.Today,though,let’s delveintosomeoriginalandrebuiltcastlesthatdeservemorerecognitionfortheir historyanduniqueness.

Sophie McCarthy (Hyogo)

WakayamaCastle

WakayamaCastle wasoriginally builtin1585underthecommand ofToyotomiHideyoshi.IntheEdo period,itwasrunbythefamous TokugawaClan.Thecastlehasbeen built,destroyed,andrebuiltmany times.However,WakayamaCastle possessesoneofthemostunique architecturalelementseverseenin Japanintheformofthe27meterlong OhashirokaBridge.Thiswooden bridgewasbuilttocreateprivacy forthefeudallord,hisretainers,and

ladies-in-waitingastheycrossed theriver.Completelyenclosed, everydayonlookersandcommoners frombelowwouldnotknowwho wascomingtoandfromthecastle. Anevenmoredistinctiveaspectof thebridgeisits11-degreeangle,as slantedbridgesarerarelyseenin Japan.(1)Viewedfromthestreet,the bridgeperfectlyframesthecastlein thebackgroundtocreateaone-in-amillionshot.

WakayamaCastle—UniqueArchitecture Location:WakayamaCity,WakayamaPrefecture

MaruokaCastle isoneofthelesserknown12originalcastles,andthe onlyoneintheHokurikuregion.First builtin1576,MaruokaCastleclaims tohavetheoldestremainingkeepin Japan(thoughInuyamaCastleand MatsumotoCastlealsoclaimthis). Additionally,agrimurbanlegend isalsointertwinedwithMaruoka Castle’shistory.Legendhasit thattheconstructionofthecastle

involved hitobashira (人柱,literally “humanpillar”),aformofhuman sacrificepracticedinJapanduringthe constructionoflargescalebuilding projectslikedams,bridges,and castles.Apersonwouldbeburied aliveasaprayertotheShintogods, asitwasbelievedthehumanoffering wouldprotectthebuildingfrom naturalormanmadedisasters.

MaruokaCastle—SpookyUrbanLegend Location:SakaiCity,FukuiPrefecture

MaruokaCastle

WhenMaruokaCastlewasfirstbeingconstructed,thestonewallwould bebuiltandthencrumble,builtandcrumble,builtandcrumble...Then oneday,alocalwomannamedOshizuvolunteeredtobeahitobashira,but onlyifthelordpromisedtomakehersonasamuraiafterherdeath.Oshizu wasburiedaliveunderthecastlewall,andbycoincidenceorthegods, thecastlenevercrumbledagain.However,Oshizu’ssonwasultimately notmadeasamurai,andit’ssaidthatthespiritofOshizuhauntsthecastle inanger.(2)MaruokaCastlecanoftenbesurroundedbyfogduetoits placement,whichaddstothespookinessofthelegend.

MaruokaCastle

MatsueCastle—HistoricAmbiance Location:MatsueCity,ShimanePrefecture

Quietlynestledwithinaquaintand lushparkintheChugokuregion, MatsueCastle isanotheroneof theless-visited12originalcastles.

Builtin1611byHorioYoshiharu, thecastleisuniqueincolorasone ofthefewblackcastlesofJapan. Thecastleissurroundedbyforests, shrines,andtemples.Samuraiand ninjareenactorsareusuallypatrolling aroundonsite.Atcertaintimes,sword andarcheryperformancestakeplace

intheadjacentareaaswell.The castleandparkarealsoencapsulated byamoat,providingboatridesand scenicviewsoftheparkonone side,andthehistoricalstreetsand buildingsontheother.Tocomplete thevisit,asweepingviewofthecity andLakeShinji(oneofthelargest lakesinJapan)canbeenjoyedfrom thetopofMatsueCastle.

MatsuyamaCastle waserectedinthe Momoyamaperiod,andisyetanother oneofJapan’sfeworiginalsurviving castles.Themagnificenceofthe castleisnotonlyestablishedbyits buildings,butalsobyitswonderful, panoramicviewsofthecity,sea, andmountains.MatsuyamaCastle sitsatopasteephillwithintheheart ofMatsuyamaCity.Accessibleby ascenicchairliftorropewayride (alongsideahikingoption),onthe

topofthemountain(andspecifically fromthetopofthecastle)visitors canseeallthewaytotheSetoInland Sea.Eventhelayoutofthecastle structuresitselfispleasingtothe eye,andwithacameraatcertain angles,youcantakeasuperbshot. Matsuyamaisfamousformany differentthings,andtheycanall becapturedintheviewfromthe castleitself.

MatsuyamaCastle—PanoramicViews Location:MatsuyamaCity,EhimePrefecture

MatsuyamaCastle

Youmightbetemptedtobelieveyou’veseenthemall onceyou’veseenoneJapanesecastle.However,witha littlededicationandinspection,theuniqueandunusual aspectsofeventhelesser-knowncastlescanshine through,revealingfascinating,underratedstories.

SophieMcCarthywasaJETforfouryears(2018-2022) inKobe,Hyogo,andnowlivesinTokyo.Inherfreetime, sheenjoysreadingclassicJapaneseliterature,visiting coffeeshops,andpracticingfilmphotography.Check outherphotosonInstagram: @filmbysophie

Sources

(1) WakayamaCastleTourist Brochure(inEnglish)

(2) MaruokaCastleHitobashira Legend(inJapanese)

ImageCredits

SophieMcCarthy

ViewofSetoInlandSeafromMatsuyama

ChairlifttoMatsuyamaCastle

LIFESTYLE

WELLNESSEDITOR connect.ajet.health@gmail.com

AlexandraCrombie

“Hefoldedhisfearintoaperfectrose.He helditoutinthepalmofhishand.She tookitfromhimandputitinherhair.”

—ArundhatiRoy,fromTheGodofSmall Things

SPORTSEDITOR connect.ajet.sports@gmail.com

AndyHanson

“Lifehasbecomeimmeasurablybetter sinceIwasforcedtostoptakingit seriously.”—HunterS.Thompson

WELLNESSDESIGNER connect.ajet.visualmedia@gmail.com

LloydCruickshank JamaicanProverb:"Nuhbitedihanwehfeedyu" Translation:Neverbitethehandsthatfeedyou. Meaning:Donotbeungratefultotheonewho hashelpedyou.

SPORTSDESIGNER connect.ajet.assistantdesigner2@gmail.com

AmyRatcliffe

“Don’tgetcocky,it’sgonnagetrocky...” —TamanegiSensei

COPYEDITOR connect.ajet.copy3@gmail.com

AshleyLeung

“‘Youseemedsofaraway,’MissHoney whispered,awestruck. ‘Oh,Iwas.Iwasflyingpastthestars onsilverwings,’Matildasaid.‘Itwas wonderful.’”—RoaldDahl,fromMatilda

Photo:HakanNural|Unsplash.com

TherearesomeiconichikesinJapan.NaganoPrefectureisextremelywellknown tobothdomesticandinternationaltourists forthestunningviewsprovidedbythehundredsoftrailsthatweavetheirwaythrough auniquemountainlandscape.

Kamikochiisperhapsthemostwell-known trailheadinNagano,andmanyofthehikers, climbers,backpackers,orcamperseither beginorendtheiradventureatKamikochi.

Oneofthemosthighly regardedmountainsin theareaisYarigatake, whichrisesto3,180 meters.Itsdistinctive shark’stoothshapeis easilyidentifiedwhen lookingattheridgeline. Thereisawell-known Coloradomountainin theRockyMountain NationalParkwhichofficiallygoesby theSharks toothmoniker.However, Ibelievethatthe summit ofYarigatakeisamuch bettercandidateforthe name.

Yarigatakeisaccessibleviavariousroutes,includingoneofthemostchallenginganddangerousmountainpassesinJapanknownas theDaikirettotraverse.Thisrouteisnottobe takenlightlyas thereareoccasional deathsrecordedhere.Despitethisdanger,therouteis oftencompletedby alargerange ofhikingand climbingenthusiasts.Ifyou’dliketotestyour skillandbalance,thenthisexposedridgeline willprovideauniqueopportunity.

OnmyrecentattempttoclimbYarigatake, Ioptedforasomewhatlessriskyrouteas Iwashikingaloneandalsohadafewdays ofgearandsuppliesstuffedintomylarge backpack.

MyYarigatakeattemptstartedinadifferentprefecture. Shin-HotakaOnsenlocatedin Takayama,Gifualsoprovides anexcellent trailheadto access the”JapanAlps.”Afterdriving overnightfromKyoto,Iwas ableto sleepin thecar fora few hoursbeforestartingmyhike early Saturday morning. I chose alongweekendfortheattempt tomaximizethetimeIcould spendonmypoint-to-pointattemptatYarigatake.Accessto themountainisrestrictedby thelong-flatapproachanda similarlong-flatwalkbackto civilization.

AfterleavingShinHotakaOnsenon Saturdaymorningandbeginningthe climb,I wasreminded ata fewpoints thatIwasin”BearCountry”asthere weresigns,bells,andnoise-creatingdevicesatcertainblindcorners along the trail. It is a busy hiking route, sothere weremany ofus sharingthe path.The firstpoint ofnote alongthis routeisWasabidaria,amountainhut thatboastsdeliciousspringwater. AfterleavingWasabidaria,Icameto asmallrivercrossingaroundlunchtime,whichprovedtobeapopular placetohaveabreak.Countlesshikerswererestingandeatingamong thebouldersatoptherushingwater. Manyofthemfilledtheirbottleswith theflowingriverwater.

Continuingtheclimbtothetopofthe ridgelineandeventuallyreachingSugorokugoyaMountainHuttookroughly eighthours.Thecampingandtentarea extendswidelyinfrontofthefullyservicedandstockedmountainhut.Anice coldbeeristhepreferredwaytocelebrateanicedayofhiking.Thecamping feeis¥2,000pernight,andstayingin themountainlodgeovernightis approximately¥15,000 withthree meals.I setup mytentandsleptsoundlythroughthe night.Upon wakingbefore firstlight Sundaymorning,Ipackedupandwatched thesunriseasIclimbedtotheadjacent peak;onthewaytoYarigatake.IhadincorrectlyassumedthatYarigatakewas closertoSugorokugoyaMountainHut andthatIwouldbethereinabouttwo hours;therealitywasmorethandouble that,buttheviewswereincredibleasI progressedalongthe ridgelinesinching closertomydesireddestination.Ultimately,IarrivedatYarigatakeMountain Hutatabout11:30a.m.,wherethetrue adventurebegins.

Thefinal45-minuteclimbfromthe MountainHuttothepeakisnotforthe faintof heart.The near-verticalclimb will testyourdexterity,anditishighlyrecommendedthatyoubringahelmetfor thissection,whichyoucanrentatthe mountainhutfor¥500.Themajorityof hikersleavetheirbackpacksandgearat themountain hutbefore thefinalascent. Chains,ladders,andboltspockmarkthe massivebouldersandrockfacesthat leadupthefinalsegment,andalthough notechnicalclimbingexperienceis needed,ithelpstocalmlyandsurely secureyourhandandfootplacements. Thefinal10-metersegmenttothepeak isachievedbyclimbingametalladder securedinto therock facebefore emergingontothesummitplatform, whereyou cangetyourcovetedphotonexttothe smallshrinewhileholdingthesmall, woodenmountainsign.

WiththemainobjectiveachievedshortlyafterlunchonSunday,Idecidedonahastydescentasweatherreportssuggestedanafternoonof rain.I quicklylost altitudeas Iskipped acrossthebouldersontheswitchbacktrails leadingdowntowardsKamikochi.Thefirst pointofinterestIcameacrossontheway downwasthe BanryuKutsu.Essentially,itis acavethatamonkusedtostayinsidewhen hewashikingandclimbingYarigatakeinthe 1800s.Apparently,heoncestayedinsidefor roughly50dayswhilechantingancientBuddhistscriptures.

Asmydescentcontinued,fatiguesetinas therainstarted, butIwas fortunateenoughto beginaconversationwithafellowhiker,atelecommunicationsemployeefromTokyowho spokeEnglishquitewell.Wehikedtogether andchattedthroughouttheon-again-offagainafternoonshowers.Thetrailwaslong andwindingbutrelativelyflataftertheinitial 1,000metersofelevationlossearlierinthe afternoon.Wecontinuedalongtheriverside nearlyall afternoonand intothe earlyevening.

Ihadpre-bookedabusticket fromKamikochitoMatsumoto leavingMondaymorningat9:30, soIwasdeterminedtogetas closetoKamikochiaspossible beforesettingupcamponSundayevening.Mynewfriendand Ipasseda fewcampsitesbut decidedtopushonfurthersothat wecouldgaindistance.

WeeventuallyreachedYokoo Sanso,amajormountainhut alongtheroutewhichboastsa restaurant,lodging,shop,and campground.Thescenicriversidesettingallowedmynew friendand Ito pitchour tentsand haveafewbeerstogetheraswe cooked, shared snacks, and chatted.TheSundayhiketookme12 hourstocomplete,andslipping outofmybootsandwalkingon thegrasswith barefeetreally felt comfortingafter along dayspent witha heavypack strappedto my shoulders.

RandyPoehlmanisateacherandanadventuretravelwriterandphotographer.Heisa CanadiannationalwhohasspentmorethanadecadelivingandworkingintheKansai regionofJapan.Heisfrequently traveling,runningmarathonsandtrails,climbing, hiking, diving,golfing,skiing,kayakingandcamping.

YakushimaIslandisamountainrangethatjuts outofthesea,sharplyrisingtonearly2,000metersabovesealevel.ItwasoneofthefirstrecognizedUNESCONaturalHeritageSitesand BiospherereservesinJapan,boastingover1,900 speciesofplantsand2,000speciesofanimals, manyofwhicharefoundexclusivelyontheisland.ToweringabovethemallaretheYakusugi Cedartrees,manyofthemcenturiesorevenmillenniaold.Theseancientbehemothswereonce logged,and theremnants ofa loggingrailway still snakesitswaythroughsomeoftheoldestwoodlandontheisland.Thankfully,afteritsdesignationasaNationalParkandUNESCONatural HeritageSite, thelogging ceased,and therailway nowservesaspartofauniqueheritagetrailto visittheoldest-knownremainingtreeonYakushima,Jomonsugi,whichisthoughttobebetween 2,000-7,000yearsold.

Moving beyond the moss-clad forests, you quickly enduphighinthemountainsamongtheisland’s uniquealpinespecies.Ifyoucatchtheweather attherightmomentonthehighestpeak,Miyanouradake(1,936meters),youcangazedownthe lengthoftheislandineachdirectiontothesparklingblueofthesea.

Tothe northwest,you caneven catcha bird’s-eye viewofNagatahama—-asiteofimmenseimportanceasitisthelargestremainingnestingsite forendangeredloggerheadseaturtlesinthe NorthernHemisphere.Anestimated40%ofthe world’sremainingloggerheadseaturtlescome tonestonthisbeach.Endangeredgreenseaturtlesalsonesthere.Thewatersbeyondtheisland areprotectedastheycarryanimmensewealth ofaquaticspecies,fromflyingfishtobioluminescentfireflysquidthatlightuptheseawithflickeringgreenlightduringthesummermonths.

It’seasytoseewhyYakushimais suchapopulardestinationforlocal andinternationaltouristsalike.Asan avidhiker,Icouldn’twaittogetmy bootsonthegroundtoseeasmuch oftheislandaspossible,andnotjust outofloveforwildspaces.Theprecedentformyoff-gridwildadventure acrosstheheartoftheYakushima beginswiththeintroductionofapotentiallydevastatinginvasivespecies nearly50yearsago.

Raccoondogs,or tanuki,wereintroducedtoYakushima frommainlandJapaninthe1970s,andrecentanecdotal reportssuggestthatthepopulationofthisinvasivespecieshasgrownverylarge.Weknowfromecologicalresearchin Europe,where tanukiare alsoinvasive, thattheir populationscanspreadrapidlyandwreakhavocthrough competition with native species. Their impact on the diversityonYakushimahasbeenlargelyunstudieduntilnow. ArrivingattheislandatthestartofAugust,Iwascontinuingmyresearchontheimpactsofinvasivetanuki,particularlyfocusingontheirimpactonendangeredand endemicspeciesontheisland.Myresearchisfocused predominantlyontheSeiburindoCoastalForest,butI’ve beenwonderingjusthowwidespreadtheirpopulationis onYakushima andhow farthey’re reachinginto themountains.

Attheendofmysix-weekfieldresearchperiod,Ipacked mytent,sturdyhikingboots,water,and instantramenand decidedtofindout.

Idecidedtotakethemostpopularroute,beginningatYodogawaTrailEntrance.Conveniently, thereisapublictransportbusthatdepositshikerstwotothreetimesadayatthisentrance. Myplanwastohikeacrossthetwoofthehighestpeaksonthefirstday,thenspendtwodays descendingthroughtheold-growthforest,withastoptoseeJomonsugi.Alongtheway,Iwas onamissiontofindtracesoftanuki—especiallytanukiscat—-toconfirmtheirpresenceinthe mountains.

Whilethemain trailnetworkon Yakushimaisin excellentcondition,hikers musttakeextra care withplanningfortheweather,avoidingperiodsofheavyrainorstrongwinds.Thereisnoelectricityorrunningwateralongthetrail.Manyofthehikersdrinkdirectlyfromthewatersprings locatedalongtheway,butasabiologistworkinginaparasitologylab,Iwouldstronglyadvise againstthisapproach.Ibroughtasmallwaterfiltrationsystemwithmeandboiledmywater beforedrinkingit.

TheviewfromMiyanouradakeisbreathtaking.Thetrailsatthiselevationarecarvedintothe thickbamboograssthatblanketsthemountains,withrockfacesreachingupoutoftheseaof green.IreachedthesummitofNagatadakeaboutanhourafterleavingMiyanouradake,and thisiswherethehikebecameabitmorechallenging.

PlanningtoreachShikanosawa hut(1,550meters)foraplaceto overnight,Idescendeddowna muchmoreworntrailfullofteeteringladdersandwashedout sections.Luckily,pinkmarkers onbranchesstillledmesafelyto myfirstmountainhut.Thisstone hutisverybasic,andthearea arounditwassubmergedunder acentimetreofwater,soIdecidedtoforegomytentandsleep under the cover of the stone hut’s roof.CampingintheYakushima mountains is only permitted adjacenttothemountainhuts.Keep inmind thepopularity ofthe trails duringObonandGoldenweek whenplanningyourstayinthe mountainhuts.

AftermyfirstnightinShikanosawaHut,Ibeganmyseconddayby summitingNagatadakeyetagain tocontinueontoShin-takatsuka mountainhut(1,460meters),which isapproximatelyonehouraway fromJomonsugi.

Iwaslessfortunatewiththeweatherthisseconddaywithsomelight rainfallingmostofthemorning.I wasgratefulfortheropelinesinstalledacrossthebarerocksas evenwithalittleprecipitationand sturdyhikingboots,thesebecome veryslipperyrapidly.

Forpartsoftheday,Ikeptthe companyofYakushimamacaquesalongthetrail.These areasubspeciesofJapanese macaquefoundonlyinYakushima,andlikethesikadeer thatalso roamthe island,they areconsiderablysmallerthan theirmainlandcounterparts. Nonetheless,theyarewild animals,andIexercisedcautionwhilemovingpasttheir foraginggroups.Iwasalso thrilledtomeetaYakushima weasel—aspeciesIbelieve isindirectcompetitionwith invasivetanukiastheonly nativesmallcarnivoreonthe island—rightonthetrail.

ShikanosawaHutlookslike itwaspluckeddirectlyfrom aStudioGhiblifilm.Itisa woodenstructurecovered inmossandsurroundedby gnarledyakusugi cedar,and asmallfamilyofsikadeer silentlydepartedthefront verandaasIapproached.A largewoodenplatformjust outsidethemainentrance alsofacilitatesacomfortablespacetocamp.Itisthe perfectsettingtoovernight andprepareoneselfforarrivingatthebaseofoneof theoldesttreesintheworld thefollowingday.

Eachdayonthetrailfeltlikethe absolutepinnacleofbeauty,butjust whenI thoughtit couldn’tget anymore incredible,itdid.Thesectionoftrail between theShin-takatsukaHutand theArakawaTrailentrance,whichwas tobemy exit,isallold-growth,mossy forest.My luckwiththeweatherhad thoroughly runout,andIwascaught insomerainfall,sothedescenttook extratimeon theslipperywooden stepsthatcover muchofthetrailtoward Jomonsugi and furtherontothe heritagerailtrail.

ArrivingatJomonsugiwasprobably theclosestIwilleverbetomeeting an ”Ent”from Lordof theRings This wasthefirstsectionoftrailthathad a numberofotherhikersonit,as tour groupsfrequentlydeparttosee this ancientresidentoftheforest.he sheer magnitudeandcharacterofthis tree awedusallintosilenceaswe stood onthemossyviewingplatform, looking upintothemistgathering aroundits crown.Seeingthisremaining ancient ofourworldgavemeaparticular sense ofpurposeandprideinthe workIwas undertakingtocontribute totheconservationofthisisland.

Thefinal portionoftheoldloggingtrailsnakes throughthemountainsand,inmid-September,already feelsautumnal, withlarge amanitamushroomssproutingoutfromthemoss betweenyellowandredfallenleaves.The gradienthereisverygentle,andsignposts alongthewayprovideinformationinmultiplelanguages aboutthe naturalsignificance oftheforestandtheimpactsofthelogging industry.As anecologist, Iam alwaysthrilled toseeoutdoorenthusiastshavingopportunitiestolearnaboutprotectingwildspaces.

AswiththeYodogawaentrance,theArakawaentrancehasmultiplebusesservicingitperday,sodepartingthemountainsto returnto myfield stationwas fairly convenient.Ididn’tfindtracesoftanuki scatthistime,buttomysurprise,Ifound numerousYakushimaweaselscatsalong thetrail.Thesecouldprovideinvaluable informationonthislittle-studiedsubspecies’dietandthecomparisonofitsdiet totheinvasivetanukiforabetterunderstandingofhowvigorouslythetwospeciescompetewithoneanother.

Moreimportantly,thishikepromotes suchastrongfeelingofconnectionto ournaturalworld,Ifeltreinvigoratedaftersixweeksofdifficultfieldwork tokeep onwithmyresearchandcontinuetobe apartofthenetworkofhardworkingresearchersandvolunteerswhoareinstrumentalinprotectingthisislandforfuture generationsoflocalpeopleandvisitors alike.

KasiaMajewskifellinlovewiththewildernessinJapanasa JETinShimanePrefecturebetween2015-2016andremained onthelookoutforopportunitiestoreturntoJapaneversince. In2021,shewasgrantedanincredibleopportunitytoreturn toJapanasaMonbukagaksho(MEXT)scholarshiprecipient, whichoffersafully-fundedopportunityforpost-secondarystudentstostudyinJapaninasubjectoftheirchoice.Sheisnow aKyotoUniversitygraduatestudent,andherresearchsiteis Yakushima.Youcanfindmore detailsaboutherresearch here

WELLNESS CONNECT

Welcomethe newyearwith acozybowl ofOzoni

MonicaHand(Ehime)

InJapan,theNewYear'sdishesarean importantpartoftheholidays.These foods,knownas osechi,arethoughtto bring goodfortune ifconsumedatthe startoftheyear.Manytimestheosechi dishesarepurchasedinlayered, bentolikeboxes called jubako featuringawide varietyofsmalltastes.Thoughthese ready-madeselectionsofosechidishes areafavorite,therearemanyother deliciouswaystowelcometheNewYear inJapanesehouseholds.Onesuch traditionalmealforgoodfortuneis ozoni (お雑煮).

Ozoniisnotadishusuallyfoundona restaurantmenuorinaready-made section.Ratheritisonemadeamongthe familyonNewYear'sDaywhenthe weatherischillyandjustabout

everywhereisclosed.Thesouporiginatedasaneasy recipeusingleftovermochifromtheNewYear’s offerings.Infact,thesimplestversionofthedishisjust mochiinhotwater.However,nowthemochiis typicallyinathinstockwithvegetables,chicken,and kamaboko (fishcake).

Ofcourse,likemanythingsinJapan,everyregionand subregiontendstohavetheirowntwistandvariation onthestockbaseandtheingredientsthemselves.The mostpopular ofthesevariationswouldbetheKanto style—awhitemisoanddashibase—andtheKansai style—asoysaucebaseandtheadditionoftofu.While itmaybeabitoverwhelmingwithalloftheoptions,ask thoseinyourlocalcommunityifthereareanyregional twistsyoucouldaddintoyourownpot.

Thisrecipecomesfrommyco-workerin Ehime.Shecalleditamixedbagintermsofthe variationsduetoherfamily’shistoryand preferences.Eitherway,myfriendsandIfound itcozyanddeliciousandwehopeyoudo,too.

Quick& EasyOzoniRecipe

TheSoup

-3cupsof katsuodashi

-3-4chickenthighs

-2-3stalksof komatsuna

-4-6 kirimochi (dependingonnumberof people)

-1mediumcarrot

-½medium daikon

-Soysauce

-Sake

-Slicedkamaboko

Youcaneasilymakethedashiathomebutyou canalsomakeyourlifeeasierbyoptingfora ready-to-godashiboughtfromthestore. Chef’schoice.

TheToppings

-Yuzuzest

-1 mitsuba bunch

Foravegetarian-friendlyversion,justswapout thekatsuo-baseddashiwithakombu-based dashi,thechickenthighswithtofu,andremove thekamaboko.

PreparingtheIngredients

1.Cutthechickenintobite-sizepieces.Remove thefatifyou’dlike.

2.Cutthedaikonintohalfmoons:Cuttherootin halflengthwiseandthenslicethetwohalvesto desiredthickness.

3.Shredthecarrots.Alternatively,flatcirclecuts workjustaswell.Manypeoplealsocutthe carrotsintoplumflowerblossomsasatribute totheseason.

4.Trimthestemsoffthekomatsunaandcutinto smallerpieces.

5.Toastthekirimochiinatoasterovenuntil goldenbrown(about5minutes).

6.Roughlychopthemitsubaleaves.

MakingtheSoup

1.Placethedashiinalargepotandbringtoaboil thenlowertomedium-highheat.

2.Addthechickenthighs.

3.Oncethechickenhasbeguntoturnapale color,addinthecarrotsanddaikontothepot. Coverandletcookuntilvegetablesaretender andchickeniscookedthrough.

4.Tastethesoupandaddsoysauceasyou’dlike. Optionally,addinasplashofcookingsake.

5.Oncealliscooked,addthekomatsuna.Stirto incorporate.

6.Removefromheat.Addthetoastedmochiand fishcakestowarmthemup.

Monicaisasecond-yearALTbasedinUwajima, EhimeandHeadEditorofCONNECT.Youcanfind morefromheronherwebsiteorInstagram—bothof whichsheisawfulatupdating.Shelovesrocky shores,spookythemes,andpopcorn.

7.Thentransfertobowls.Besureeachbowlhas alittleofeverything!

8.Sprinklewiththeyuzuzestandmitsuba.

Navigating a Foreign Pharmacy JapaneseCold& FluMedicinesExplained

ecently,alongwithwhatseemstobethemajorityof thepopulation,Icamedownwithunpleasantflu-like symptoms.Ihavedecipheredsomeusefuland effectiveJapanesepharmaceuticalssoyoudon’t haveto.

Lastmonth,Iwokeupwithasuspiciouslyscratchy throat.Ihadbeencelebratingthemid-weeknational holidaythepreviousevening,soIinitiallyassumeditwas duetoone-too-manybeersandacoupleof(five) cigarettes.ItbecameclearbyFridaymorningthatIwas sorelymistaken.IsuspectedCOVID-19;Imentally preparedmyselfforaweek’sisolationandbegantorope friendsandneighboursintosourcingsupplies.

Iwasextremelysurprisedwhentheresultscameback negative.Thisthrewmeoff.Inmycoronavirus-induced panic,IhadforgottenthatIcouldjustbegenerally unwell.ThisalsomeantthatIhadtotacklethetriptothe pharmacymyselfratherthanaskingmylovely,fluent neighbour.ItooktoGoogleandusedinformationfrom varioussitestocompilealistofusefulmedications.

Ifoundthemedicinecounterextremelyoverwhelming, andIwasintheshopforsolongthatanemployeecame overtoaskifIwasalright.Embarrassed,Igrabbedwhat Icouldandranoutofthedoor.Myitemscostmearound ¥8,000altogether,soIhopethisarticlehelpsyouidentify whatyoureallyneedandsavesyousomemoney.

AlexandraCrombie(Gunma)

ThemostimportantdiscoveryImadewas thatmostJapanesepainkillersandcold medicinescontaincaffeine.Thiscameasa surprisetomeandexplainswhyIwas aggressivelytappingmyfootinbedon FridaywhenIshouldhavebeensleeping. Forthisreason,Iwilllistcaffeinatedand non-caffeinatedpainkillers.Asageneral rule,noneofthesemedicinesshouldbe mixedandalcoholshouldbeavoided.You shouldbeparticularlycarefulwithpillsthat havemultipleactiveingredients,asthey tendtocontainsimilarcombinations. Consultwithadoctorforspecific,individual advice.

Non-caffeinated Medicine

Agoodnon-caffeinatedpainkilleris Tylenol.Thiscoversmostbasesandonly hasoneingredient:acetaminophen,also knownasparacetamol.Thisismygo-toin myhomecountry.Asingularingredient makesitsimplertotrackanyinteractions betweenothermedicines,andmeansit won’thinderyoursleep.Ifyouareunwell andwanttogetsomerest,Irecommend this.

Caffeinated Medicine

Thereisawiderselectionofcaffeinated painkillersavailable.Thesetendtoinclude variousmedicinesinonepill.Forgeneral achesandpainsEveissuitable.This containsibuprofenandcaffeine.Forthe reductionoffeverandmoresevereflu symptoms,IrecommendBenzaBlockLPremium.Thisishighlyconcentrated ibuprofenandtranexamicacid,soithelps relieveblockedsinuses,aswellasreducing painandfever.Tranexamicacidisalsoused topreventexcessivebloodloss,sothisis somethingtobeawareofifyouareonother medicationthathassimilareffects.

Throat Medicine

Iwasthemostdesperatetoalleviatemy sorethroat.Iodinesprayisgreattohelp calmtheswelling,althoughIwould recommendusingitjustbeforebedasit leavesanaftertaste.Ialsofoundmedicated throatlozengeseffectiveinsoothingmy throat,andtheywereespeciallyuseful whenIreturnedtowork,astheyareeasyto consumediscreetly.Iamnotsureofthe Englishnamesforeither,buttheyshouldbe identifiableusingtheimages.

Cough Medicine

Nothingdisturbssleepmorethanahacking cough.Wakingupeverytwentyminutesto letoutachokingnoisewasnomore pleasantformyneighboursthanitwasfor me.Broncoughmedicinehelpedagreat deal.Thiscontainscodeine,alcohol,and caffeine;whilethisisaneffectivemedicine, itsstrengthshouldbetakeninto consideration.Despitethecaffeinecontent, Iwasabletosleepwellwhileusingit.

Itriedtointerspersethesemedicineswith naturalremediessuchashoney,lemon,and gingertea.Ifyouaren’tfeelingupto cooking,thepharmacyalsohasalarge rangeofmeal,vitamin,andhydration supplements.Thesearegreatforkeeping yourselfnourishedwhileyouweatherthe worstoftheillness.

adark,mutedblue,andshelikestospend herfreetimecampingorexploringwith friends.Shealsoenjoyswatchingcopious numbersoffilms.

AlexandraCrombieisafirst-yearJETliving inGunmaprefecture.Herfavouritecolouris

LANGUAGE

LANGUAGEEDITOR connect.ajet.language@gmail.com

Pitta-GayPowell

“Nobodywinsanargument.”—Dale Carnegie,fromHowtoWinFriendsand InfluencePeople

LANGUAGEDESIGNER connect.ajet.assistantvm@gmail.com

EmilyGriffith

“IwillhonorChristmasinmyheart,andtry tokeepitalltheyear.”–CharlesDickens

COPYEDITOR connect.ajet.copy2@gmail.com

SageOlges

“Ifyoucan’tseetheanglesnomore,you’re introuble.”—Carlito,fromCarlito’sWay

Photo:notethanun|Unsplash.com

Therearefourseasonswithinayear,butasAssistant LanguageTeachers(ALT’s),wearesometimesgranted afifthseason—deskwarming.Itisinescapableandas commonasanynaturalweatherphenomena.Within thisseason,whichpunctuateseachyear,ALTsare likelytobecomeboredbeyondmeasure.Asaremedy, IsuggesttendingtotheEnglishboardwhichmaynot havebeentouchedinawhile.WhileEnglishboardsare notmandatory,Ihighlyrecommend“EnglishBoarding” sinceitallowsALT’sthegreatestfreedomtooccupy themselvesandsimultaneouslyengagetheirstudentsin languagelearning.

ImagebyJosephineBredehoft|Unsplash.com

ToEnglishboardornottoEnglishboard,thatisthe question.Well,asyouwouldhaveguessed,Ichoseto Englishboard.But,whatwouldmakethestudentswant tolookattheboardandhowdoyougetthemtointeract withit?TheEnglishboardchallengesystemwasmy answer.I givemy studentsas manyopportunities asI can tointeractwiththeboards.Thoseinteractionsarethen rewardedwithstamps,forexample.Everyfourstamps earnsastudent asticker.At 20stamps,students canpick asmallprize—maybeagachaprizeorabiggersticker. At40stamps,studentscanpickalargeprize—thinkone oftheluckyprizesfromaconbini(takarakuji).I’llwalkyou throughafewofmyboardsthatIhavecreated.

The original idea was to make a whole map of Japan andtochartHōkūleʻa’s2007voyageacrossthe country.HōkūleʻawasaPolynesiandouble-hulled voyaging canoe. Its 2007 voyage was from Honolulu, HawaiitoMicronesiaandJapan.Ifocusedsolely ontheJapan legofthe journeywhereseveral stops weremadetovariousislands.Thepenultimate stopwasatmyprefecturalplacement,Ehime.The conceptofthesummerboardhadamapofJapan coveringitsentiretywherestudentscouldfingertraceHōkūleʻa’sjourneyandgiveinformationand detailsaboutwhatthecrewdidateachplacein Japan.Ievenendedupusingitasacatalystfor discussionsaboutplacestoseeandvisitinJapan, andhavingthemthinkaboutwhythey’dwanttogo totheirchosendestinations.

Iusedconstructionpaper,double-sidedtapeand pushpinstomounteverythingontheboard.Some ofthestudentsweresointerestedinthevoyage depictedontheboardthattheycamebacktome withfollow-upquestions.

Forthisboard,Ireallywantedtogivethestudents morevisualappealsandgreateropportunitiesto interactwiththeboard.Usingthesamematerials aswiththesummerboardforthisboardplus magnets,Icreateddoorsoutofmyjack-o’-lantern thatrevealedGengarinsideholdingreviewsofthe grammarfromtheunitwecoveredbeforesummer vacation.ThisincludedHalloweenvocabularysuch as“bats,”“zombies”andsuch—yougettheidea. Underneathalltheconstructionpaperpumpkins andthecartridgepaperwingsofthebats,Iput Halloweenvocabularythatthestudentscoulduse duringtheirHalloweenlessonreviewsforextra

Vectorbyartyukh|pixabay.com

AChristmasboardisnext.Themainboardwill bedesignedaccordingtothe24daysbefore Christmas.Eachday,thestudentscanopenabox andseeanewgrammarrule,orafunfactabout Christmasandthewaysthistimeoftheyearis celebratedaroundtheworld.

AtsomepointIdecidedtomakeitavirtualEnglish board. I plan to use the Loilonote School application. Ifthatdoesn’twork,I’lltry Flippity’sManipulatives or Canva —aconceptorganizerandall-round designwebsiterespectively.Thisway,Iaddress theaccessibilityproblemIhavewiththelocation ofthephysicalEnglishboard.Theplanisstillin rudimentarystagesbutthat’sthenextgoal.

IfyouaregivenfreereignoveranEnglishboard,it canbeawesomebecausetheonlythingthatlimits youisyourcreativity.Atthesametime,having suchanopencanvascanbeanxietyinducingand makeyoufeellikeyou’restaringintoavoid,or visualizekidsandteacherslaughingatwhatever youputontheboard.Chancesareyouranxiety takesyouasfarashidinginthe teachers’office outofpreemptiveembarrassmentorthethought offailure.Iconfrontedthesefeelingsbycreating adraftplanfortheboard.Imeasureddimensions, wrote,anddrewouteverysingleideaIhadforthe board.Then,Idesignedmyboardinthesameway Iplanmylessons:amarriageoffunandlearning.

Whenadeskwarmingseason-turned-into-Englishboard-devotionends,teachersandstudentswill passbytheboardyouhavecompletedandyou willhearsmallmutteringsofsugoiandkawaii. Congrats!You’vedoneit!

Ponois asecond-year ALT based inUwajima.Heenjoysreading andlearningabouthistory.He planstosurfthesnowyslopesof Gunmathiswinterandgetback onthesurfboardthissummer. BackgroundimagebyKollsd|pixabay.com

Pitta-GayPowell(Ehime)

Withintheprocessoflearning orteachingalanguage,boththe teacherandthestudentsmust workwithconceptsofgrammar, writing,speech,vocabulary, andcomprehension.That’sa given.However,itdoesn’thave tobethesameol’sameol’ learningenvironment.Thanks totheproliferationofmodern technology,studentsnowhavea greaterchanceofevolvingtheir languagecomprehensionthrough engagementwitharesourcethey love—technology.

Itisparticularlyeasytofindgames, ideas,andotherresourcesonline. Thosefamiliarwithsitessuchas ALTopedia knowexactlywhatIam talkingabout.But,howmanytimes haveyoufoundavideothat’snot enoughoraPDFthat’sjusttoo much?Nottomentionthemany personsengagedinlanguage instructionwhoarehighlycreative

butarejustnotawareofallthe technology-basedresourcesout there.

Forthoseteachingatelementary andjuniorhighschool,building vocabularyisaspecialfocus.For teacherswithinthesecondaryhigh schools,addressingvocabulary isanimportantpartofbuilding reading comprehension. How could techhelp?Mygo-towebsitefor almostany techresource is Flippity Thankstoflippity.net,Icancreate tech-basedgamesthatenhance theexperienceofteachingand learningtheEnglishlanguage. Here,Iwilldemonstratehow.

Youwillneedalaptop,internet connection, and a projector in class. Tousethewebsite,youwillneed aGoogleaccountsinceitusually opensaGooglespreadsheetfor manyofitsteachingaids.

IoftenuseFlippityFlashcardsasa precursortoitsFlippityMatching Game.Letmeexplain.

WhenyougotoFlippity’shome page,thefirstoptionisvirtual flashcards.Tocreatethemfor projectioninclass,youmayread thepageofinstructionsorbump aroundinthedark.Ifindthelatter moreexciting.

Tomakethecards,youwillbe reroutedtoanewtabofaGoogle spreadsheetalreadypopulated

withinformationfromastandard sample.Youneedonlytoreplace vocabularywordsintheleft columnandsubstitutethelinks inthesecondcolumnwiththe appropriatemeaning foreach word. Besuretocustomizethecolorof thecardsandthefontofeachword tobevisionfriendly.

Don’tforgettogotothe“file,” “share,”and“publishtoweb.”You mustdothisinordertogetthelink foryourcards.

TheFlippityMatchingGame followsflashcardsprettywell.For thisgame, clickon thefourth option inthesecondrow.Thistooisa spreadsheetthatyoucustomize. Youmayhavetoscrollalittleto findthe“thistemplate”linkwhich willpopulatethespreadsheet. Tosavetime,simplycopythe

vocabularyandtheirmeanings fromthecolumnsoftheflashcard spreadsheettothenewmatching gamespreadsheet.Thereareonly 2columns,soagain,thisresource issupereasyandtimefriendlyto customize,publishanduse.You’ll lovetheresultsfromusingthis gameasgroupcompetition.

Thisbit isfor addedvalue. Sincethe initialcopyof thetemplatehad links topictures,IalsostartedtothinkI couldmakethematchinggame moremeaningfulandfunbyhaving studentsmatchvocabularywith relatedimages.

Brightidea,right?Well,letmesave youthetwoweeksittookmeto figureitout.It’sstillsupereasy butithasmoresteps.Afellow AssistantLanguageTeacher(ALT) suggestedIuseawebsitecalled Imgur.Here,Icanuploadandstore pictures,thenclickonthemwhich producesaboxwithfilesharing optionsincludinglinksfor“image link,”“directlink,”“htmllink,”etc. FortheFlippityMatchingGame, choose“directlink”—itendsin

“.png.”Simplycopythedirectlink totheappropriatespreadsheet columnandthe picturewilltake the placeofthevocabularymeaning.

I must warn though that copyright is every individual’s own responsibility sobecarefulwhereyoutake imagesfrom.Agoodwaytograb images—thoselegalforyouto grab,thatis—isbyusingyour computer’s“snippingtool.”Itis superconvenient.

Asapostnote,Irecommend—if you are interested in nicely removing backgroundfrompictures,or addingdecorations, etc.—youuse Canva, a website I use for absolutely allvideosandpresentations.Thisis a“you’llbeglad,youdid”moment.

Idon’tknowaboutyoubutIheard thatHangmanisabigno-nointhe Japaneseclassroom.It’sapretty morbidandinsensitiveconceptif you think about it. But it is not without anymerit.FlippitySnowmanisa gamethathasthesameprimary rulesbutnoonedies—well,the snowmanmightmeltbutthatis acceptable.

Youmaygenerateagameeasily fromthegame’shomepageor

makeacopyfromthegame’s template as with the previous virtual tools.Iprefertomakeacopywhich appearsasaspreadsheetsince hereIcanmakethegamemore accessibletostudentsbyadding ahintwhichisalwaystheactual meaningofthewordtheyaretrying tofigureout.Youarefreetoassign anddeductpointshoweveryou wantinthegameyoucreate.

DidsomeonesayJeopardy?There isnoJeopardyherebutthenext bestthingfortheALTclassroom istheFlippityQuizShow.It’slike Jeopardyandisespeciallyperfect forcontent/comprehensionreview. Makeitagroupcompetition; addtrueorfalsequestions; throwinvocabulary;and/ortest comprehension—thisgameisyour oyster.Simplyreplaceheadings andothercellswithquestionsof yourown.Andtopreventyoufrom wastingtime likeI didon myfirst try,

donotattempttoformatordelete anybluecells.

Truly,Icangoonandonaboutthe usefulnessoftheFlippitywebsite asaresourceintheEnglish classroom.Thereare28resources ontheFlippityhomepagecurrently, whichismorethanwhatwas availablewhenIwasintroducedto itafewmonthsago.I’llleavesome ofthediscoverytoyou.Untilnext time, !

PittaisanALTbasedinMasaki.You mayseeherinMatsuyama,Tobe, Takayama, or any other random place onher bikewhich shenamed “Petty.” She likes bike riding, watching Korean movies,andhasaconcerningliking forspicyfood.

TRAVEL

TRAVELEDITOR connect.ajet.travel@gmail.com

ChloeHolm

“Thereisnogreateragonythanbearingan “Jobsfillyourpockets,butadventurefills yoursoul”—JamieLynBeatty

TRAVELDESIGNER connect.ajet.assistantvm@gmail.com

EmilyGriffith

“IwillhonorChristmasinmyheart,andtry tokeepitalltheyear.”–CharlesDickens

COPYEDITOR connect.ajet.copy4@gmail.com

JonSolmundson

“Remember:Whenplayingagame,the goalistowin,butitisthegoalthatisimportant,notthewinning.”—ReinerKnizia

Photo:2ykang|Pexels.com

tuckedaway inthe farreaching mountainsof Kyushu,therelayasmallvillage,overgrown withfloraleleganceandlusciousferns, freeroaminggoatsandforestanimalsthat wanderedandgrazedtheexpansive cliff sidesandpastures.Asthesunbeganto setonthisvillage,wandererscouldhear themagicaboundingatnight:smallhidden spritesemergingfromundertreeroots, forestspiritsexchangingshared greetings,a young witch taking a spin around the area she callshome.Thisvillagewashome toJapan’s mostbelovedcharacters—curiousrabbits, mischievousgardenfairies,blundering hippotrolls—freetoexistandflourishinthe whimsicalland,farfromanynon-believers thatmighttrytosquanderthemystical.

Thissmall,fairy-likevillageexiststoday,andit iscalledYufuin.

Yufuinisasmalltouristtownthatharbors someofJapan’smostbelovedand memorable characters.Totoro,Kiki,Heidi,Snoopyand Moominarebutafewofthecharacters withshopsdevotedtothemthatlinethe cobblestonedstreetsofYufuin’sFloralVillage. Thelittletownmostlyconsistsofonemain shoppingstreet,Yunotsubo,withmultiple attractionsbranchingfromthisstreet,the mostpopularbeingYufuin’sFloralVillageand Lake Kinrin. As Yufuin is a tourist area, the main streetislinedwithnumerouscafes,shops, andattractions,makingitimpossiblenottobe dazzledbythecutenessofitall.

Thevillagetakesinspirationfrom Europeanfairytalesinadditionto itsJapanesecounterparts,with influencesfromAliceinWonderland, ShauntheSheep,andPeterRabbit.

TheseEuropeaninfluenceswork intandemwiththeidyllicJapanese aestheticsofGhibli,Pokemon,and theSwedishderivedbutJapanese lovedcharactersofMoomin.The combinationofJapaneseand Europeanfantasticalstylescreates acozyandwarmfeelingperfectly nestled in the mountains. It’s at once

bothmajesticalandwhimsical, grandioseandhumble,conjuring imagesofsprawlingpasturesand carefullyarrangedEuropeanfloral bouquetsalongwiththesmaller forestcharmofJapanesegarden whimsy.Visitorscanenjoyboth cultures’fantasticalstorieswhile experiencingtheunexpected delightsofthequaintvillageand localhandcraftedartisangoodsfor sale—reminiscentofoldfashioned marketplaces.

In the spirit of Yufuin’s wistful embrace of pop culturecharacters,IwenttoYufuindressed asAlicefromAliceinWonderland,adorning theiconicWhiteRabbit’spocketwatchand wearingswathesofbabyblueandwhite. Thefloralvillage,whilenotverylarge,isthe perfectlocationforanAliceinWonderland photoshoot:cobblestonestreetsthat leadtoagrazedpastureareimmediately reminiscentofEuropeanfarmlandsand Alpinehills.Groomedhedgesandcarefully placedfloralarrangementsandfountains areabundant.Assortedmemorabiliashops dotthearea,allperfectedcuratedand decoratedforafantasyshoot.Mypersonal favoritephotospotsweretheKiki’sdelivery shopandbakeryandtheMoomin/Alicein Wonderlandcollaborationstorethatsold wallets,towels,cutebentos,accessories, andmore.

WhenIwalkedthroughtheinitialivycoveredwroughtirongatethatmarks thepassagefromthetouriststreettothe floralvillage,Iinstantlyfelttransportedto anotherrealmfilledwithfairylightsand magic.MyAliceinWonderlandcosplay wasappreciatedbyothervisitorswho tookpicturesofthecutestreets,andit wasgreattoshareinthemagictogether. Thecrowdswereabitofahindrancefor thephotoshoot,withmanypeoplewanting picturesofthesmallspace,buttherewere enoughsideareastositandtakelovely pictures,withtwosmalloutdoordining chairsreminiscentofateapartyanda benchinfrontofthefeedingducks.The experience was magical, an immersion into charactersI’vefollowedandlovedsince childhood,andIwasabletosharethislove withotherJapanesevisitors.

Afterspendingampletimeinthe floralvillage,Iwantedtoexplore themainshoppingstreetand otherattractions ofYufuin. Dueto Yufuin’s small size, I was fortunate enoughtorunintosomeother localJETs,andweexploredthe areatogether.Eventhemain shoppingstreetsdisplayedthe villagecharmthewholearea exudes, with handcrafted wooden goods and Japanese accessories, rangingfromkanzashi,traditional Japanesehairaccessories,to Pinocchio-esquehandcrafted woodenboxesandclocks.

Theentirevillageistheperfect exemplificationoftheStudio Ghibli-esqueaestheticthatso muchofJapan’smediaisknown for:perfectlyinstagrammable cafeswithcutecharacterfood creations,hidden merchstores of belovedcharactersfromSnoopy toTotoro,eventhewideappeal

ofpettingzoosandanimalcafes, withthefloralvillagehaving lesscommonlyseenanimalsto petandinteractwith,suchas squirrels,owls,goats,andducks. InYufuin,IfeltlikeIsteppedinto the worldsofSpirited Away,Heidi, GirloftheAlps,andTheSecret WorldofArriettyallatonce.Very fewplaces arequite asidyllic and wholesomeasYufuin.

IconsiderYufuinandtheYufuin FloralVillagetobehiddengems onKyushu.Whilethemain attractionsofthetwomore famousonsentowns,Oitaand Beppu,aremoreeasilyaccessible, Yufuinisdefinitelydeservingofa visit.Preparetobetransported toafairylandthatcombines Europeanromanticaesthetics andJapanesecharacter love,and toexperienceaplaceMiyazaki himselfwouldbejealousof.

9-10 a.m. Depart on the Yufuin designated busfromBeppuStationtoYufuin.

Theentirerideisaboutanhourand dishesoutbeautifulviewsofSwitzerlandesquepasturesonceyoucrestoverthe mountains.

11a.m.ExploretheYufuinFloralVillage

Despite being small, I spent about two hours in this area doing a photoshoot, enjoying the scenicdisplays,visitingtheowlsanctuary (andthecatcafeifIwasn’tallergic),and spendingplentyoftimeexploringthe variousshopsandmemorabiliacarts.This areawasthebestattractionformesoI suggestgivingyourselfplentyoftimeto exploreand enjoythe fairytale scenery.(Be warned:thereisn’tabathroominthefloral villageexceptonewhereyouhavetobuy somethingfirstatashop,butfortunately manypublicbathroomsareaccessibleon Yufuin’smainshoppingstreet!)

1p.m.Grablunchatoneofthemany picturesquecafesorboutiquesinYufuin MyfriendsandIateataEuropeanstyle restaurantthatadvertisedawiderangeof glutenfreeandveganoptions.Theowner spokeadecentamountof Englishandwas abletosuggestmanyuniquedishestous. Therearesomanygreatcharactercafes (includingaSnoopycafe!)andaesthetic diningspotshere,sodon’tmissout!

2 p.m. Explore the rest of Yufuin town and seeLakeKirin

Checkoutthemanyartisanandlocally ownedshops,withproductsrangingfrom wood crafted home decor to Japanese style jewelry,andeverythinginbetween!The selectionofgoodsavailableisastonishing andthestoresdefinitelydeserveatleast sometimetowindowshoptoseeallthe elaboratelylaidoutdisplays.Ifthere’s time,IsuggestLakeKinrinasthewater supposedlyshimmersoffthesurfaceand isareallifemagicshow!

4p.m.TrysomeofYufuin’sspecialities

Thereismuchtotaste,includingcheese rolls,pudding,swissrollsandotherdairy productsthatarespecialitiesofthearea. TheYufuincroquetteisalsofamousand delicious.Yufuinhassomefunextra servicesaswell,includingafishfootspa! 30minutes oflittle fishtickling yourheels is quitetheexperience.

5-6p.m.Makesuretoheadbackonthe bustoBeppuorbookastay

IfyouplantostaythenightinYufuinor nearby,besure tobookahead oftime.If it’s justadaytrip,keepthetimetableinmind. Transportationoptionsbecomeslimmer thelateritbecomes,andsoIreturnedto Beppuaround5:30p.m.Irecommendthe sametimeframesothatyoudon’tget trappedinthemountains!

Ipolledthe CONNECT Magazinestaffmembersto seewhichYufuincharacterstoretheywouldmost wanttovisit.Whichonedoyouwanttovisit?

Whichof thesefictional charactersis yourfavorite/ whichof thesecharacter’smemorabiliastoreswould youmostwant tovisit?

ChloeHolmisafirstyearALTliving inruralEhimeandistheCONNECT MagazineTravel SectionEditor. She lovesstories,whetheritbeDnD, superheroshows,Ghiblimovies, oranythinginbetween.She’smost likelytobelostinthemountainsor lostinabook.

VectorsonPixabay.comby:Clker-Free-Vector-Images, GDJ,OpenClipartVectors,b0red,NiedecandYuri_B

DustinGoodwin(Ehime)

Asa“Corona-era”ALTin the inaka (countryside),Ihaven’t hadmanychancesinthepastfewyearstoexperiencethe bustleofJapan’smorepopulousareas.LastyearIfinallyhad theopportunitytotraveltoFukuokawithmysignificantother duringthewinterbreak.I’mhappytohavealittlespaceto sharesomephotosofmytripwithafewnotesaboutwhatI enjoyedinFukuokafromavisitor’sperspective.

TakingtheovernightferryfromMatsuyamatoNorthern Kyushuguaranteessleepypassengers.Afterenteringthe ferryfromoutsideonacrispDecembernight,passengers canfinishtheirdaybyenjoyingsnacksfromtheshopinthe lobbyattheirconvenienceuntilacertainhour.

Thereareavarietyofrooms,eachadifferent size.Wewentwiththeutilitarian(A.K.A. cheap)optionandsleptinthesmallest availableroomwithabunk.Asyoucansee, it’squitecompact.Havingasinkwasvery convenient.No privatelavatory, butthere was apublicrestroomashortdistancefromthe roomsthatwasavailableforthedurationof thetrip.

AfterarrivinginKyushu,thepreferred methodofgettingtoFukuokahadtobethe shinkansen Viewing Japan fromout the windowathundredsofkilometersperhour istheequivalentofrapidlyscanningthrough thechannelsofaradioortelevision.It’sa uniquetravelexperience,andtheplaceto haveitishere.

Wearriveandexplore.Citystreets. Shoppingarcades.Seafoodmarkets.

IwastoldFukuokaiswellknownfor its tonkotsu ramen.It’s myfavorite kindoframen,sowehadtohaveit. You’dbeluckytofindaplacetoget somethatdoesn’thavealengthy queuebeforeopeningforlunch!

Asnightcomesalong,thelightsturn on.WevisitedCanalCityHakata. It’sa must —ahugeshoppingand entertainmentcomplex.Running throughitisacanalwhereyoucan watchan elaboratelight showsynced witha uniqueanimation ofcharacters fromthe hitseries OnePiece.

Foodstandslinethestreetdowntown, andyou’refreetotakeyourpick! We hadalittlesomethingatseveral differentstands,butthewinnerfor me was a stand called “レ ミさんち”or “ChezRemy.”Itclaimstobetheonly foodstand inFukuoka whoseowner is French. His stand is a very popular one, anddeservedlyso!Theownerwas verykind andspoke French,Japanese, andEnglish.Irecommendthequiche!

Christmaslightswereondisplayat thestation.Itwasanicesighttoend thedaywithbeforereturninghome. Fukuokaisawonderfulcitywithno shortageofthingstodo.Ihopesome ofthewordsI’vewrittenandphotos I’vetakeninspireyoutoseewhatelse isoutthere!

Dustin Goodwin, a lover of quesadillas and photography from America, is a fourth-year ALT placed in Ehime Prefecture.Hehasno childrenand is marriedtoa kotatsutable.

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ContacttheHeadEditorof CONNECT,MonicaHand,at connect.ajet.editor@gmail.com withyoursubmissions, comments,andquestions.

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