Ahhh, Japan. My love since middle school and my home for almost five years. My favorite things about Japan include okonomiyaki, shrines and temples, festivals, functioning public transport, and the excessive bowing. Read more below!
Welcome to another edition of the Deskwarming Diaries, where an ALT enters her last year of teaching. This post features plenty of highlights, some updates, CPR training, and an earthquake drill. Let’s jump in! First, the highlights: In elementary school, I’m teaching the kids...
This is part two of my first attempt at Chogatake! If you missed part 1, click here to read it first! After a night of fitful sleep, I woke up around 4am because the sun was up and shining into the room. I could already hear the sound of the hut’s front door opening and closing as...
Chogatake is located in Nagano’s Middle Alps in Kamikochi, the same park as the beautiful Karasawa. Roughly translated, Chogatake means “Butterfly Peak” because of the butterfly-shaped snow patches visible in spring. I was itching for another overnight trip and chose...
“Sensei, do you want to try one?” I looked up and saw an eye-catching, rectangular shape wrapped in crinkly plastic in my coworker’s outstretched hand. “Sure! What is it?” “It’s candy… But you might not like the texture. It’s like...
After driving past field after field of cherries in Yamagata Prefecture, Hunter and I finally parked and made our way to 立石寺 (Risshaku-ji), more commonly known as 山寺 (Yama-dera). That 山寺 literally translates to “mountain temple” should give you some idea of what getting to...
This post was originally posted on my old site on January 30th, 2019. Some of the information is no longer accurate; see the ‘More Information’ header for the most recent details! Located on the north side of Mt. Fuji, the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station is the most popular of...
What’s a goshuin, you ask? Simply put, they are the best things ever. To put it more informatively, they’re red and black collectable stamps that you can receive at many shrines and temples across Japan! They act as a kind of record, so people can always remember where they...
Welcome to another edition of the Deskwarming Diaries, where an ALT is wondering where the last two months have gone. This post includes journaling, and updates for running, Golden Week, and the Olympics. Let’s jump in! Here are the highlights! A few weeks ago, my school held their...
Welcome to another edition of the Deskwarming Diaries, where an ALT keeps asking if it’s Friday yet, even though she knows it’s not. This post features boiler woes, kamakura and snails, Valentine’s Day lessons, and an upcoming interview. Let’s jump in! You know...
Happy Setsubun! For whatever reason, it seems like this is the only Japanese holiday that I consistently have things to write about. Three years ago, I attended festivities at Zenko-ji in Nagano City, last year I learned more about the tradition of throwing beans at an oni-mask-wearing...