Ogawa Machi: Our Japanese Hometown

A hand drawn/painted map of our town-Ogawa Machi.

Nearly three years have passed since my husband, Karl, and I moved to Japan.  At this time three years ago, we knew that we would be moving to Japan, but we were still anxiously awaiting to hear about where we would be living within Japan. 

Only six short weeks before we were scheduled to leave, we finally found out where we would be living during our time in Japan:  Ogawa Machi, Saitama.  Karl would be working in a tiny neighboring village: Higashichichibu Mura. 

As soon as we had this information, we consulted with the all-knowing Google to try and find out a thing or two about our new place of residence.  Unfortunately, we found very little information. 

Because of this experience, I have decided to take it upon myself to document all of our favorite places in Ogawa Machi on this blog.  Though not nearly as exciting as Tokyo (which is a mere hour away by the Tobu Tojo train line) Ogawa is a fantastic place to live. 

Ogawa is, by Japanese standards, a small town.  The population is probably somewhere around 35,000.  It is nestled in a little valley right at the edge of the Chichibu mountain range.  Like most places in Japan, it too boasts a long history. 

Right after the massive 9.0 earth quake that shook Japan on March 11^th, 2011, we were reassured many times by the residents of Ogawa that we were living in a safe place.  Ogawa was built directly over an enormous bedrock, so even though we can feel lots of shaking during earth quakes, the buildings are quite sound. 

The weather in Ogawa is, for most of the year, fantastic.  Saitama is rated at the sunniest prefecture in all of Japan.  Since the ground doesn’t freeze, the growing season lasts all year long.  The occasional slushy snow falls in the winter and the summer is horribly humid.  But the spring and the autumn are perfection.  Unless you have allergies, that is.

Over the next few weeks, I will devote posts to several places in Ogawa that we wished we had known about when we first arrived.  For anyone else moving here in the future, I hope that you will find this useful. 

Senso Ji Temple and Asakusa Shrine

If you are coming to Japan for a trip and plan on spending some time in Tokyo, chances are you will find your way to this temple and shrine.

Detail on the side of the Senso Ji.  In case you are wondering, here is a good explanation of the swastika.

Asakusa district is one of the biggest tourist areas in Tokyo.  It is surrounded by outdoors malls full of tourist shops all full of the same souvenirs.  There are also a few nearby shrines, plenty of good restaurants, karaoke bars and even a small amusement park.  

Souvenir shops are still closed in the early morning.

I have been to visit Asakusa Shrine and Sensoji Temple many times during my time living in Japan.  But by far, the best time was this last January.

Tokyo is the biggest city in the world based on population.  This teeming megalopolis is home to 13,000,000 people.  It gets crowded.  Add a bunch of commuters, visitors, and tourists and the result is city crowded enough to drive anyone crazy. 

Because of the major crowds, I suggest you visit popular temples and shrines as early as possible-as soon as they open is desirable.  Dragging yourself out of bed on a chilly morning might be difficult, but the crisp cool air, quiet, and lack of bustling crowds make it worth the annoyance a thousand times over.  

The entrance to Senso Ji early in the morning.  By mid morning, it is packed with people.

The first several times I visited Sensoji Temple, we came mid-day.  It was insane every time.  So crowded you could not move individually-you became a part of a crowd that had to move in unison.  Not for the claustrophobic.  When we went this year to get our omikuji-this year’s fortune-we woke up very early and walked the few blocks from the youth hostel at which we were staying.  We were at the temple at about six am. 

It was stunningly quiet and serene in the light of dawn.  The only thing to be heard was the Buddhist monks chanting from within the temple.  

The temple all decorated for the new year.

Definitely worth the early start. 

And afterwards, nothing beats an early morning cup of coffee and some fat pancakes at a nearby cafe.  

The Arrival

Waiting...

One rainy Friday evening in March, we made our way to Tokyo.  Karl and I had packed our bags the night before.  Karl would meet me at the station after work and off we would go. 

We were excited. 

The cold rain couldn’t even dampen our spirits-we were heading to Tokyo to meet Karl’s family.  They had landed at Narita airport and were on a bus heading towards our hotel in Shinjuku.  

Japanese doll display in the hotel lobby.

We were on vacation!

They arrived, with all the signs of 12-13 hour plane ride.  Despite their exhaustion, we managed to find a little udon shop at which we ate dinner. 

After dinner it was straight back to the hotel and bed.  The following day, we would show them Tokyo. 

Castles

I admit to knowing next to nothing about Asian history.  It’s sad, I know. 

I have learned a bit since moving to Japan.  I love visiting museums and historical sites…but unfortunately for me most of the information is only provided in Japanese.  Zannen!  (Too bad!)

Over the summer Karl and I had the opportunities to visit some historical sites of Japan. 

Japanese castles are, as one might suspect, completely different from the stereotypical European castle.  They are grand in their own distinct way.  

Karl was able to visit one of the most famous castles in Japan this past July-Matsumoto Castle.  I couldn’t go because of a koto lesson and English classes.  But seeing his pictures, I wish I had gone! 

MatsumotoCastle is one of the only castles in Japan that exists in its original structure.  Pretty amazing.

During our stay in Okazaki while studying at Yamasa, we spent one of the days of Obon exploring the Okazaki castle. 

It is in a lovely park surrounded by a moat.  Okazaki castle is one of the many castles that had been completely destroyed and rebuilt.  Though not quite as impressive as Matsumoto castle, it is still a lovely building.  

There is a small museum on the grounds of the castle we also took time to explore.  At the end of the tour, you could dress up as a samurai and get your picture taken.  Fun!

Karl was very excited.

Studying Japanese?

I confess.  I am a self-proclaimed nerd.  I love school.  I excelled in my class work.  I thrived in that type of learning environment. 

Now I am trying desperately to learn Japanese, but primarily by self-study.  And it is totally different ball game. I miss having the structure of a classroom with deadlines to be met and exams for which to study.

Spending two weeks at Yamasa Institute this past August was like a throw back to college.  I loved it.  It improved my Japanese to the point at which I finally feel more comfortable self-studying.  I no longer feel like I am completely floundering…wondering if I am going in the right direction.

I have also recently come across some really incredible study materials.  Let me share them with you:

1.  Download the “Anki” flashcard program.  There is a wealth of resources in the form of flashcard decks all ready for you to download.  The program is specifically designed to help you retain the information you are trying to learn.

2.  Are you trying to learn the Kanji characters?  It’s a pretty daunting task.  I recently discovered a book called “Heisig’s Remember the Kanji.”  Book one covers how to write the kanji as well as the English meaning while book two gets into the readings for the kanji.  There is also a book three, but I don’t know much about it.  This approach to learning Kanji works really well for some people’s learning styles, but not all.

3.  Podcasts.  If you have an iPod or any other way of accessing podcasts, search for Japanese language learning podcasts.  There are lots of them.  The one I primarily listen too is called “Learn Japanese Pod.”  They are fun to listen too and also other cultural notes in addition to just language points. Trying to learn the kana?  Play this!

Do you have any tried and true way of studying languages?  If so, do tell!

Lists

Lists.  So. Many. Lists.

In order to graduate, get married, and move to a foreign country within the space of three months, it is absolutely essential to use lists in order to maintain a state of sanity. 

Believe me, I know.  From experience.

Reflecting back on that busy summer of 2010, the two craziest weeks were the week leading up to the wedding and the week arriving back from our honeymoon.  Which was the same week Karl left for Japan.

During that week, Karl and I had four days in which to get him packed and ready to fly to Japan. 

Yikes.

One of the things we had to take care of was getting our international driving permits.  I don’t know how it is in other countries, but in Japan a US drivers license means next to nothing.  This is because they are issued per each state-not the country itself. 

But what about this international driving permit?   

A word about that: First, if you need to purchase an international drivers permit, do not go to the DMV.  You will only waste your time standing in line.  Triple A issues the permits.  You need to provide a passport-sized photo and pay $15.00.   They make the permit for you right on the spot.  It takes only a few minutes.  Easy.

But…they are unfortunately not the complete solution to legally driving in Japan.  They are valid for only one year.  After that, assuming you want to continue driving, you have to start from the bottom up with Japanese drivers ed. 

Yay.

I have been lead to believe by numerous people that earning your Japanese drivers license is one of the most difficult and annoying things one can attempt to do.  The primary reason for this is the scoring system and requirements: In order to pass the test and receive your license, you MUST get a perfect score. 

That’s right.  100%.  Perfect. A+.  Plus, the test administrators tend to be very picky.  Naturally.

*Correction*  (9/27/11) I was apparently misinformed about the test scoring requirements-there is a margin of error.  I am not sure what score is passing. 

We are fortunate enough to not need a car.  So we are choosing to ignore the whole thing.  Karl did try getting his scooter license once…but it was too much of a pain.

Here’s to biking, walking and public transportation. 

And saving money.           

Moving to Japan?-Revised

NOTE: Due to the many comments I received, I have decided to take down the original post and heavily edit it.  I have added and changed information. Also, this list of suggestions stems from my personal experience and location in Japan.  Please keep this in mind.  Everyone’s own experience is different based on many variables including knowledge of the Japanese language (or lack thereof-which was the case of my husband and me) and where you are located in Japan, city or country, etc.

Thanks to everyone who left comments on the original post-I hope this is now even more helpful for those of you who are preparing to move to Japan.

One year ago my life was a flurry of graduations, planning my wedding, planning my honeymoon and preparing to move across the world to Japan. 

In short, it was a crazy-amazing-summer. 

Karl, my husband, was hired through the JET program.  He left for Tokyo four days after we got home from our honeymoon.  I stayed in the states for three more weeks in order to provide a smoother transition.  While Karl was over in Japan figuring out our new life, I was back home closing accounts, finishing business and packing. 

Packing for coming to Japan was…frustrating.  Because I really didn’t know what exactly I would need.  Even after communicating with former JET’s and reading the JET handbook.

For all you new JET’s and spouses of JET’s: Here is my advice to you.

Things to bring with you to Japan:

• Stick deodorant.  They only do spray on here. Although, some people don’t mind it, I prefer my stick deodorant.

• For all you ladies- THIS is a must. I’m telling you.  It’s wonderful.

• Cold, allergy, fever, etc. medicine.  To get “real” meds that actually do something, you have to go to the doc.  You can’t get anything good over the counter here.

• Advice, Ibuprofen, Tylenol, etc.  You can get Ibuprofen here, it is called EVE.  They sell it in pharmacies over the counter.  However.  It costs about twelve bucks for 20 tablets.

A word about meds: Some medications are illegal in Japan.  It is worth finding out what is and what isn’t just to prevent possible hassle in the airport.  Also-I just learned this-apparently some online companies ship meds to you from overseas.  Does anyone have more information regarding this?  I am afraid I don’t know much about it.

• Do you like to bake??? Bring your own bake ware.  I brought an 8x8 pan with and that was one of the smartest things I did.  I use it all the time.  Chances are you will only have a regular/small size microwave/convection oven.  So plan for that size.  (Note: It is possible to find bakeware.  Although what I have found here was nothing I was looking for-full size loaf pans and muffin tins.  I am sure they are somewhere; I just haven't been able to find them.)

• Top sheets.  I can’t find top sheets for our bed anywhere. They only sell fitted as far as I can tell.

• Peanut butter (it is expensive here and I have only been able to find it in small amounts.  Even at Costco, I couldn't find any.  Also, the only brand I have really seen is Skippy. My husband likes JIF. Don’t ask me what the difference is-I don’t know!)

• Coffee (There is lots of coffee here, but Karl and I really don’t care for any-and we have tried lots! You can get the Starbucks brand though, and that is good but expensive.)

• Yeast, if you like baking-I JUST found yeast for the first time in an import store for a reasonable price.  If you like to bake however, I would bring at least a little with you till you gain your footing.

• All the clothes and shoes you think you will need if you have “big bones.”  I am a size 11 shoe, and there is no hope for me.  I basically fit the biggest men’s size that is typically carried.  I am a size 12 pant size-and my inseam in 34 inches.  It is virtually impossible for me to find any women’s pants or skirts that fit.  My husband is quite tall and also has lots of trouble shopping for clothes and shoes. Frustrating.

Things you DON”T need to bring with you:

• Towels, washcloths, etc.

• Q-Tips, cotton balls, swabs, etc.

• Toothpaste (we were originally informed at one of my husband’s JET orientations that fluoride toothpaste was unavailable-apparently that is false! Thanks for the corrections everyone.)

• Blankets, pillows, etc.

• Typical kitchen ware

• Cough drops

• Toiletry items.  Unless you use an extremely specific brand, you will be fine.  You can easily find Pantene Pro V, Dove, etc.  I have also seen Dr. Bonners soaps, if you like organic and natural.

Places to go to equip your new apartment.  This very well may vary across Japan, but these are the places we go in Saitama Prefecture.

Pharmacies:  These stores are pretty close to a Walgreens.

• Matsumoto Kiyoshi

• Welcia

Kitchen ware, home goods, etc.

• Cainz Home Center-It's basically like a mini Menards.)

• IKEA-oh yes.  They are here.  Even the one closest to us is very inconvenient to get to.  We do not have a car, so on our trips to IKEA we have to keep in mind that we are carrying everything back with us on the train for one and a half hours. 

• Hyaku En Stores-These are everywhere and are basically dollar stores.  You can find lots of great kitchen/bathroom stuff for very cheap. 

Imported groceries:

• Costco! (Also has lots of other items, of course.  House wares, books, etc.)

• Kaldi Coffee Farm-We wandered into a Kaldi last summer a few weeks after arriving when we exploring a city about 45 minutes from where we live.  This is a great import store.  They have imports from Europe, the US, all over Asia, New Zealand, etc.  Sometimes the inventory does change though so sometimes we have gone looking for something we found before and it wasn’t there.

• International grocery stores-These can be found! I was lucky and found one in a city 45 min away right in the train station.  Mexican, Italian, Indian foods, a much bigger and better baking goods section, imported liquor, imported snacks and cereals, etc.  Ask the JET’s or other foreigners who live near by where the closest one is-they are bound to point you in the right direction.

• Another great way to get groceries that you might not be able to find in your local supermarket is ordering things online.  Here are a couple of great websites that are in English.     
• The Meat Guy
• Alishan Organic Center 

Most importantly, don’t get too stressed about moving.  If you forget something, ask someone to mail it to you. 

And remember, this is an adventure-have fun!