Shipwreck beach

Once upon an adventure in Japan the Ellis Family set out for a well traversed path for a place called Shipwreck beach. The directions we chose, and trusted, were horribly, horribly wrong. We had heard that the trip should have taken no more than an hour, so when we hit the 2.5 hour mark we knew we were nowhere near the right place. Instead of coming home we decided to stop at a Japanese rest stop, go potty and regroup. When the boys finished (cause you know we are faster) we decided to look at the racks of flyers, all in Kanji. Then Marshall made an amazing discovery. On the back of a DoCoMo (cell phone company) flyer was a map of the entire prefecture (like a large County). It was all in Kanji, but it showed where we were at that moment. The highway system was on there, and we knew what highway we were on, and found the one where we were going. Yay Marshall!!!!!

After a little over an hour, we arrived at the parking area for the beach. We walked for about a mile and a half, picking up sea glass, neat pieces of wood and stone and eventually got to the shipwrecks that the beach is named for.

We have been back a couple of times and always find or see something new. We will go back several more times before we depart Japan and will certainly remember this as one of our favorite places in this amazing country.

Our latest pests...I mean pets

Some people would not think that these things make good pets, but we think they are very cool and they are super-easy and fun to care for. Marshall had seen these at the mall and a few other stores, but they were really expensive and we opted not to buy any. They are called Kabutomushi or where most of you are Rhinocerous, Staghorn or Hercules Beetles.

One day at work, one of my senior NCOs asked me if I was still interested in getting some of these and I asked, "How much and what is the catch". She said no catch, they would be free and that all I would have to do is go pick up the cage, food and beetles at the Youth Center on base.

Unbelievably, the Youth Center had a 25 gallon aquarium full of beetles and gave me all the food and items I would need to care for them. They said they didn't even know how many there were left, but we counted 4 males and 5 females when we got them home. We happened to be having a party that night, so we just left the new pets in the living room. We didn't have any gambling or make the beetles fight or anything, but somehow they were still the center of everyone's attention. The males are very territorial though, and they were pushing each other off of the logs and food cups.

The beetles started passing away almost immediately, but we did have a few that lived for several months. We found ou that they only live for about 6 months as an actual beetle, so it wasn't our fault, lol.

When the last one died, Summer and Marshall took the aquarium outside to empty the wood/dirt and disovered 6 "baby" beetles (pupa) in the debris. We don't know how long they have been in there, but we found out that they live in this state for almost a year. We fully expect to have new Kabutomushi beetles this spring to show off.

Our Lunch Guest

Today was a pretty typical Sunday. I spent my morning running around making sure everyone had pressed clothes, fixing little girl hair, and locating that missing Patton Leather shoe. Somewhere in all the morning chaos I managed to obey when God told me to put something in the crock-pot for lunch. Then off we went to church; practicing the morning music along the way. Once at church Ryan and I had to wait to do our sound check because the computer that controls the sound booth was down. Typical Sunday morning stuff.

Well the sound check delay caused us to miss Sunday school. So we were sitting in the sanctuary talking with friends and in walked an older Japanese gentleman. Ryan greeted him and the three of us started talking. He introduced himself as Kiyoshi Osada. He spoke English very well. We found out that he was visiting from the west coast of Japan. He had come to Misawa on the bullet train to get inspiration for his writing. He is a poet by trade. He was visiting different regions of Japan to study the dialects. He said they provide great material for his poetry. Church was about to start so Ryan asked him to sit with us.

During church I again heard that small still voice and this time it said to invite him home for lunch. I protested a bit saying “but God the ironing board is still setup in the living room and I did not get a chance to do the dishes before we left”. But God pressed on and I ran out of excuses. So I had Ryan ask and he accepted.

On the drive to our house I asked Osada-san where he learned to speak English so well. He said that he studied it in school as a boy but really learned it when he went to college in Miami. Well hello! God is so cool! He could not believe that we were from Fort Lauderdale. We spent the weekend reminiscing about Florida, The Miami Dolphins, Bush Gardens, and of course Disney.

During lunch Ryan pulled out a Root Beer and offered one to Osada-san. He was very delighted and said he had not had one in about 25 years. Then he started asking about other sodas. He was so excited when Ryan found a Mountain Dew in the cabinet. By the end of lunch the man had about four different cups in front of him. We had so much fun giving him a taste of soda, cookies, and even an American meal with forks, which he had not had is such a long time.

After lunch Ryan showed him Google Earth which he had never seen before. He showed us his house and then we showed him South Florida. He was amazed and had a great time looking at his college and the beaches he went to in the 1980’s as a college student. What a blast!
When Ryan drove him back to his hotel he gave us a gift of one of his poetry books. I can’t wait to have a friend at church translate some of his poems for us. What an exciting and unexpected gift this man was for us today. I could tell that he had a great afternoon also. He said that today he went to church to praise God. He was hoping to find some Americans to talk with because the base was so near, but he did not plan on making new friends. We were sure to exchange addresses and phone numbers. I am so glad that I chose to obey God this morning. The results are always awesome when you are obedient.

Maddison’s Birthday

Maddison turned 5 on April, 2nd. For many months we had been psyching the kids up for the move by telling them that soon after we arrived in Japan it would be “birthday season.” Maddison was so excited that her big day had finally arrived. For her birthday she received many cards and emails, a Japanese doll, and a Dora bike, and her second Webkinz. The bike and Webkinz were the big hits.

Yes, we did let her ride the bike in the house, but it was just for a minute. We also have a tradition in our family that the birthday person can choose what or where they would like to eat dinner. Well of course she choose the Japanese McDonald's. She did stick to the usual chicken nuggets not daring to try the shrimp burger. Happy Birthday Maddison! We are so proud of you! You are a beautiful, happy young lady and we are blessed that God entrusted us with you.

Changing Of The Tires

So this is an activity that I never dreamed of participating in. But apparently they make tires for the different seasons. Who knew? OK, so I am not really that blond. But it was strange to look for a minivan to buy based on if it came with an extra set of tires. This is our Toyota Emina.

Once the snow melted Maddison helped Ryan change to our summer tires.

This is Ryan's SUV it is a Toyota Surf with All Season tires. Now that is a nice feature. One out of every ten cars on base is this exact car, same color and all. I think I see him everywhere I go. I took a picture of his favorite sticker. Bald is beautiful!

Spring Cleaning or The House of "Ralph"

With the beauty of spring exploding all around, it gave me a tickle to see the houses throwing up fabric items. Well I guess one sure sign of spring’s arrival is when all the locals air out their bedding. It was amazing that every house in town did this on the same day. It was like they all received the same newsletter. I found myself driving around just to see how wide spread the homeowners association was.

It's Potty Time

With my love of ceramics I guess it is only natural that I am intrigued by items made of porcelain. OK, so these may not be beautiful works of art worthy of a museum but they do bring many giggles to our family. It is amazing what one culture has managed to do with a potty. In many public restrooms you will find potties that play music while you go. I guess that is to disguise any sounds that may disturb others or cause them to think that you are actually going to the bathroom behind that little door.

Then other restrooms have the “camping pot” as I like to call it. This is simply a somewhat glorified hole in the ground. I don’t really understand why a culture as refined as this one would have such a crude device. Sorry that the water looks "yellow" the color of the tolet gave it that tint. I PROMISE! Maddison likes the “mommy and me” stalls that have a big and little potty together. I am partial to the ones with seat warmers and bottom washers.

The potties in our house come complete with a faucet where you can wash your hands as the toilet bowl is filling. I prefer to use the sink! Yes, it is true that I have found myself taking pictures of in the strangest things in Japan. Check out my giant baby on a Japanese changing table!

Why we don't call more often

This is a good indicator why we have not called back to the states a lot yet. The finger cramps took over about day two. We really can't wait to get our Vonage box arrives so we can call more often.

Ryan Sighting

This is a new section, that you can participate in. Michael Bell, our Music Minister and friend from Charleston, gets the honor of the first post. If you have a "Ryan Sighting" at a restaurant, movie theater, or anywhere else and can get a picture send it to us and you can help everyone get a good laugh.

Michael's "Ryan Sighting" was on Saturday, May 17th, 2008 at 6:32 PM at La Careta in of all places.....Charleston, SC.

Taiko Drum Ensemble

We were treated to a truly once in a lifetime opportunity when a Japanese Taiko Drum master and his team visited our base and performed. In Japan the word Taiko means drum. But outside of Japan taiko is known for its powerful performance and the tremendous energy it exudes. Taiko is more than just playing a large powerful drum. It is a group of organized movements that tell stores of ancient Japanese legends. It is such a moving experience because that drum beat is mesmerizing. It touches your soul and pulls you into the performance. Even if you don’t understand the legend.

So why was it such a big deal to have a Japanese Master visit and work with our small taiko troop of Americans on the base? Well like many things in the Japanese culture it has guarded secrets that should only be passed onto those Japanese who are worthy and have trained in the art since birth. So when this master came onto the base and worked with our troop he was taking a huge risk of rejection from his fellow masters. His reason for sharing his art form with us was to help the history and purpose of taiko to spread around the world. He was so happy to work with a group of enthuastic Americans who were eager to learn. We were honored to be witness the performance.

A little Taiko history…In feudal Japan, taiko were often used to motivate troops, to help set a marching pace, and to call out orders or announcements.

I added some Taiko Drum links for "You Tube." They are on the right side of the page. This is not the performance we saw but some that I found on “You Tube”. I wanted to include this clip so that you can see how cool Taiko is. At our performance they wore costumes and sang as well.

Release The Salmon

Each year during spawning season local fish hatcheries go down to the local rivers in Misawa and catch the fish as they swim up stream. This event is also treated as a big festival. I am looking forward to trying to grab one of those slippery suckers. Once the fish are caught the hatcheries remove and incubate the eggs. Apparently salmon eggs are at quite a risk in the wild and to keep up with demand the hatcheries are needed. So those salmon eggs spend the cold winter growing into cute little baby fish in the comfort of a monitored environment. In the spring it is time to release them into the rivers.

Our family was handed a bucket that had probably 2,000 of the squirmy little suckers. As we made our way to the river’s edge with that “black gold” we were very cautious not to drop any. The kids had great fun poring the fish into the river. Afterward they joined the Japanese school children and slid down the big salmon mural made of rock. Then we went to a local community center and they played Japanese games in the gym with the other children. They had such a great time. The Japanese ladies had prepared a traditional meal for the American families but unfortunately the room was too small to hold all of those in attendance. We decided to leave and make room for other families, but vowed to get to the dining room earlier next year to participate in the meal.

The Easter Bunny Is Able To Hop To Japan!

With Easter fast approaching Marshall was concerned that the Bunny may not be able to hop across the ocean. Would he be able to find us on a little island or in a hotel for that matter? My kids adapt well but when they are confronted with a crisis such as this the questions can drive one a little bonkers. Thank goodness our squadron and church had such fantastic Easter parties for the kids. Somewhere between the crafts, candy, and egg hunts Marshall’s fears were subsided and he decided that bunny must have some pretty powerful legs. On Easter morning the kids were delighted that the bunny had found new colorful waste basket to use as traditional baskets. As ours were still on a ship in the middle of the ocean. That is one cleaver bunny I tell you. He was even able to visit the local 100 yen store to include some fantastic Japanese goodies. What fun! My favorite part of the day was the Easter Dinner that they had at church. I can handle a lot but the thought of going back to our hotel room for a meal that should be grand and shared with extended family made me blue. It was great that all the families at church got together to celebrate.

Trains and Shopping

Our next stop on the tour was to the bullet train station. Our tour guides showed us how to read the maps and recognize some of the symbols for cities we may want to visit. All of the maps are in Kanji which is Japanese symbols. The whole process was very overwhelming and I will defiantly need a seasoned pro to accompany me when I want to purchase tickets. I did learn that Misawa (whose Kanji characters translate as "3 springs") got its name because of its three rivers. Then we went downstairs in the train station and got to sit on an actual parade float. It was very large and impressive. I can't wait to see one like it in action.

The final stop was to a mall. It was a bit different from American malls. First, the stores don't have any walls to divide them. You have to pay attention to the pattern one the floor and the items sold in the store as an indication that you are entering another store. One has to be cautious not to remove items from a store without paying for them. We have also noticed that all malls have grocery stores in them. So you can purchase produce right next to the shoe store. Let's not forget the arcades. They are crazy. Ryan and Maddison had a great time playing the taiko drum game.

Hachinohe City Tour: Shinto Shrine 101

Then we went to a Shinto shrine. Shinto does not have a founder nor does it have sacred scriptures like the bible. Shinto is deeply rooted in the Japanese people and traditions. "Shinto gods" are called kami. They are sacred spirits which take the form of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility. Humans become kami after they die and are revered by their families as ancestral kami. A person that was thought of as extraordinary can have a shrine built to honor his kami once he is dead. The shrine we visited was built to honor the kami of a Japanese nobleman. Shinto is an optimistic faith, as humans are thought to be fundamentally good, and evil is believed to be caused by evil spirits. The purpose of most Shinto rituals is to keep away evil spirits by purification, prayers and offerings to the kami. There is no absolute right and wrong, and nobody is perfect.

Now that you have had your religion lesson for the day I want to tell you about some of the parts of the shrine. It is easy to tell a Shinto shrine from a Buddhist temple because the Shinto shrine has a Torii Gate. That is the red post and lentil system in the photo. One or more torii gates mark the approach and entrance to a shrine. They come in various colors and are made of various materials. Hanging from the gate you will see a straw rope with white zigzag paper strips (gohei). It is called a shimenawa. It marks the boundary to something sacred. A rope similar to the shimenawa is also worn by yokozuna, the highest ranked sumo wrestlers.

I also included a photo of the Purification Trough. This is found near the entrance, the water of these fountains is used for purification. You are supposed to clean your hands and mouth before approaching the main hall. Our Japanese guide walked me through the steps of purification. The symbolism of washing away sin and cleansing my mouth of unrighteousness was as powerful as that water was COLD!

The Ema is the structure that has all the wooden signs hanging from it. Shrine visitors write their wishes on these wooden plates and then leave them at the shrine in the hope that their wishes come true. Most people wish for good health, success in business, passing entrance exams to high schoolor college, love or wealth. In Japan it is harder for students to get into high school than it is for us to get into college. It takes many years of extra preparation. Students go to school all day, attend driver training in the afternoon (if they want to be able to drive legally) and then go to preparation school in the afternoon and into the night. We see them walking home at 8 or 9 pm some days. Those who do not make it into high school go on to trade school.

Omikuji are fortune telling paper slips that one would buy at the shrine. They contain predictions ranging from daikichi ("great good luck") to daikyo("great bad luck"). By tying the piece of paper around a tree's branch, good fortune will come true or bad fortune can be averted. Wow, that was a bunch of information. The art historian and lover of architecture in me was fascinated by all the parts of the shrine. I got abunch of my information from http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2059.html

Hachinohe City Tour: The Fish Market

The next day we took a tour of Hachinohe City. It is a neighboring city of Misawa and much larger than our sleepy little farming and fishing community. Our first stop was to the fish market where we met up with our interpreters. They accompanied us through the fish market which was very helpful. We could not believe how many varieties of sea life they had which we were not familiar with. They had everything from giant spitting clams to the lethal blow fish. We could not resist picking up a few items for dinner that night. Our favorite items that we sampled where little cakes that looked chocolate but were actually dyed black with squid ink. They were wonderful.

Misawa City Tour

On our second week in Japan we took a tour of Misawa City. Along the way we were given little tidbits about the best places to grocery shop, buy cars, etc. The first stop on our trip was to a Buddhist Temple. There are two major religions in Japan Shinto and Buddhism. Shinto was present in Japan first and Buddhism was imported from China and Korea. Most Japanese consider themselves Buddhist, Shintoist or both. Religion does not play a big role in the everyday life of most Japanese people today. They do not have a daily relationship with the gods they worship nor do they have any type of weekly congregational worship. The average person typically follows the religious rituals at ceremonies like birth, weddings and funerals. They may visit a shrine or temple on a holiday to honor their ancestors or the god of the holiday. Many festivals, most of which have a religious background, are held at the temples or shrines.

The building was very ornate and you had a sense that you were walking into history. We just don't have buildings that old in America. The inside of the temple was just a cold as it was outside and I remember thinking how fitting. I know that my God is always present but it just felt that he was very far away from me in that place. The first photo is an idol that people go to when they have a cold and want to be cured. Can you see the tissue stuck all over it? That gave me quite a chuckle. The second photo is of the alter. The third photo is a room full of separate compartments. Families buy a cube where they place a little table that has a tea set on it. They perform a tea ceremony on the anniversary of their relatives death with the tea set. The higher or lower your cube is on the wall the more the spot costs.

Our next stop was to a home of a samurai family, the Tonami clan. Powerful feudal lords had ravaged Japan in a series of civil wars lasting for roughly 100 years. The Samurai were like his private guards or army. Their identity was a highly guarded secret. This little house was very interesting. It was exactly what you think of when you imagine the cliche Japanese home. It had tatami mats on the floor, rice paper screens for walls and doors, and fire pits in the middle of the rooms for heat. We were shown the escape hatches hidden throughout the house for a quick get away. One of them was a through a trap door in the floor where the samurai would dive into the water well under the house and swim through underground pipes to the neighboring fields. It was all very covert.

The final stop was to the Misawa cultural center where we were briefed on cultural differences. Did you know Japanese ladies flush three times. Once before going, once during, and then again after. Don't you feel more cultured for now knowing that.