On to Fukuoka

It’s Friday morning, and time to go to my school community. Packing is interesting; while I haven’t accumulated too many things yet (I did learn a few things from 2003), what I have to add to the suitcases is bulky, starting with the box for the camcorder (I need that to prove that I bought it here). Again, I call on my last experiences here; the formed-plastic ‘innards’ are discarded, as are all of the little plastic bags for cords, etc. (except for those that I am unlikely to use while I am in Japan – those stay sealed up until I have need of them), and the box itself is collapsed. Ah, now it fits nicely on top of the rest.

Most of my clothes are dirty – rather than pay hotel prices for laundry, I will carry the wash to Dazaifu and make laundry a first priority there. I made certain to pack enough underwear to make it to my main destination (and I have a set to spare, so it has worked out well). That does mean that most of my clothes are now in plastic bags, so I rearrange the stuff inside the suitcase and add in the last of the souvenirs from the baseball game.

Hmm, these bags seem to be heavier – did we get that much paper in our meetings? Oh well, things will lighten up once I get to the school.

Breakfast and check-out – my partner has requested a taxi for 10 AM, and it arrives on schedule. We load up (one of my suitcases ends up riding in the front seat) and head for Haneda Airport, where we will catch a flight bound for Fukuoka.

The flight is uneventful. I had forgotten that Japanese planes use a nose camera to show you the takeoff and landing; we get a good shot of the southern part of Tokyo before the plane climbs above the clouds (and later a nice picture of Fukuoka as we arrive).

Upon our arrival in Fukuoka, we are met by Ishii-san and Nakagawa-san (now fully recovered) and one of the English teachers at our school. We load into Nakagawa-san’s car (actually an SUV, one of the first I have seen in Japan – almost as big as an American one!), and head for Dazaifu City. Our lunch stop along the way is at a local eatery known for its tempura; you decide on what combination of items you would like (vegetables, fish, or a few other things), buy a ticket from the machine near the front door, and enter the eating area, which is set up much like an American diner (stools around a long counter).

Once seated, one of the servers takes your ticket and puts a colored token in front of your place along with a bowl of rice and some miso soup. Side items are found in serving containers placed at intervals – pickles and relishes of various sorts – and a small bowl with something like soy sauce is sitting beside a small metal tray with a wire rack inside. Unlike most Japanese restaurants, green tea and water are self-served at dispensers around the edge of the room, so free refills are readily available.

The reason for the tokens soon becomes clear. Tempura is best served directly from the fryer, but things cook at different speeds and temperatures. This shop accomplishes the task of keeping things piping hot by cooking items one set at a time and serving them to everyone within a defined area immediately. A piece of fish appears on my metal tray, and one of the other teachers shows me how to dunk it in the soy sauce. Almost before I finish that one, my next item appears in the tray; I watch as the server takes a small tray with several of the same items and walks along the counter edge, serving it to those whose colored token indicates that their order includes such. Once you have received all of your items (which are apparently served in a specific order), the server removes your token, indicating that your meal is complete. By the time lunch is finished, I have eaten several kinds of fish and quite a few vegetables (including slices of pumpkin and eggplant) that are delicious and quite filling.

After lunch, we head for my new home, a Weekly Inn in Dazaifu. I have already seen some pictures online, so the size of the room is not a surprise (it’s small), but I discover that there are some new things to learn about this style of living in Japan. (I stayed in a residence-inn style of hotel in 2003.) The first surprise is when I enter the room – the office clerk shows me that I must insert my room keycard into a slot on the wall, which turns on the electric power for the lights and microwave. Hmm, that’s a new one, but it seems to make sense.

There is some soap and shampoo, and toilet paper, but not enough for a month-long stay, so I will have to plan on buying those things as I need them. The tiny kitchen does have a microwave oven and refrigerator as well as a single burner gas hotplate, and we discover that a set of dishes, pots and pans are included in this room, so I will be able to cook without difficulties. Dishwashing soap and a scrub sponge are sitting on the counter, so I don’t need to buy those items.

A short discussion with the clerk provides the information that weekly cleaning is done – in my case, on Thursdays – and that linens and towels will be changed then. That should work well; I will just need to remember not to leave things strewn about on that day each week.

I get some instructions on how to use the TV (which does offer one of the English language channels so I can see some news and other shows in English) and figure out basic settings for the microwave, lights and air conditioner. Then my partners ask what I need immediately to settle in; I mention that I want to get laundry soap and something for tomorrow’s breakfast, and some tea. They decide that they will go to a grocery and pick up those basic items while I get some things unpacked, and a short time later, they return with the basics and some ice-cream (Haagen-Daas, no less!) for all of us to share.

Then I am left alone, to settle in and unpack in earnest. Laundry first – there is a coin-operated washer on the first floor, and wonder-of-wonders, a tumble dryer (the first I have seen in Japan – while they are available, the cost of electricity makes them expensive to run, so most people do not have them). The clerk comes out of the office and helps me determine the correct settings for water level (as well as how much soap to use – Japanese laundry detergent is much more concentrated that most American brands, so a very little bit goes a long way).

She even starts the machine for me, using a token that she apparently keeps handy for running the machines to wash towels, but indicates that I should bring Y100 coins the next time. I hold up a coin as an answer, and she and I both smile. I manage to do two full laundry loads, which takes care of immediate needs – I will do the last load on Saturday or Sunday, and be ready for the week.

Nakagawa-san picks me up at 7:15 PM, and we head for the school, where I get to meet the principal and a few more teachers. The principal is the administrator member of this year’s MTP team, and he is eager to meet me and discuss his impending visit to our school in the fall. His English is quite good; during subsequent conversations, he tells me that he has been working to increase the amount of time spent on English conversation in the school because he feels that his students need to improve their speaking abilities to go along with the reading and writing studies.

A PTA meeting (yes, they have those in Japan) is in progress, and the parents have planned a welcome dinner at a local yakitori (Japanese barbecue) after the meeting is finished. We walk over to the restaurant and join others around a long table. Introductions are given all around, some in English and others in Japanese (I manage a decent introduction of myself in Japanese, so I have remembered some of it).

Appetizers are on the table, beer (and later sake) appear at every place, and the leader of the parents’ offers a toast, then various types of barbecued foods appear. The remainder of the evening is long but very enjoyable; I get a chance to talk to several of the parents and have more than enough food and drink to fill me. It was a good party.

Back to my new home (via taxi, with my partners – we’ve all had more than enough alcohol to drink, and no one needs to be driving), and I crawl into bed. Tomorrow I get to sleep in!