Living in Hakuba Village

Me with the Shimokawa family

By Erica Sagisi-Buxton
Dec 2, 2015
The students were all split up into small groups and were sent to do a homestay with a family in the area. I was lucky enough to stay with the Shimokawa family. They were a friendly elderly couple with one son in his late 30s. When we arrived at their place they made us feel so at home. I think I loved the homestay portion of this trip to Japan the most because of the Shimokawa's hospitality. They even let us call them mama and papa. Even though they spoke little English and I spoke little Japanese, we did not let this language barrier get in the way of this experience. I was able to learn so much from my homestay family. During my stay I learned more Japanese vocabulary and I was also able to learn how soba is made and eat it too. One morning my homestay dad took our group out to go sledding at Escal Plaza. It was such a fun bonding experience for all my homestay sisters and our homestay dad. We stayed there for nearly an hour and a half playing Around in the snow. 

I got to eat so much great food in Hakuba, Nagano: hot pot, japanese tamago, soba, sushi, and a whole bunch of foods I still don't know the names of. My homestay parents were very good cooks and everything they made was very beautiful in appearance.

(Above) Ono food my homestay family prepared.

(Below) We helped make soba noodles for lunch. 

 

On the last night of our homestay, our homestay mom let us try on her kimono. From the first day we walked into their home we noticed the kimono there on display and thought it was such a beautiful thing. We were so happy and grateful to get to try on the kimono. My homestay mother even said that she and her mother sewed the kimono themselves when she was twenty. Trying on the kimono was quite a process. We had to put on these socks, followed by the kimono and all the special belts that go around it. Everything had to be positioned perfectly and even though the process was around 10-15 minutes for each person, my house mother was was delighted to go through the steps for each of us. Getting to homestay in Japan was such a fun experience and given the chance, I would do it again.

Nagano is Breathtaking

By Erica Sagisi-Buxton
Dec. 2, 2015
On Saturday November 28th 2015 we took a bullet train from Tokyo to Japan. The view of the land from the windows of the train was so beautiful. There were mountains in the distance and many beautiful Japanese homes accompanied by green fields along the way. As we got closer to Nagano, we noticed some snow on rooftops. All the students started getting excited about the snow. I'm from Hawaii and have never seen or experienced snow in my entire life, so for me this was a big deal and I was hopeful that our place of destination was going to be one with a winter wonderland. When we finally reached Hakuba, Nagano via bus after the train ride, we hurriedly walked out of the bus to rush to the snow waiting outside. This was the first snow (according to my host family). Snow was falling from the sky and it was so amazing. It looked like shave ice from Hawaii before they put all the delicious flavors in! I think Hakuba is a perfect place to enjoy nature in Japan. The alps there are breathtaking and the area is well known for their apples, persimmons, and oranges. My homestay family let me try apples and persimmons from Hakuba while I was visiting and they were both delicious. I was so disappointed that I could not take any of the fruit home to the islands. Speaking of persimmons, there are many persimmon trees in the yards of homes in Nagano. It's actually a very amusing thing to see in December. You can see trees filled with these almost spherical fruits all over Nagano, with hardly any leaves surrounding the fruit. I just really loved everything about Nagano because it showed me the country side of Japan and the people there are so friendly. On top of that it is a perfect place for snapping photos.

Hakuba Goryu Escal Plaza

View of the mountains in Nagano, Japan.

Persimmon trees.

Finding Warmth in the Snowy Mountains of Nagano

It was freezing stepping off of the bullet train. I couldn’t feel my fingers, but I knew they were shaking with nervousness as the wait to meet my host family begun. I was excited for two reasons; one, meeting a family I was going to be living with and knew nothing about, and two getting to see and touch snow for the first time.

As we go drove up to Escal Plaza my nerves had settled and I was eager to walk through those doors and meet my host family. I remember sitting there with the other HPU students in my group, just looking around waiting until our host family came and found us.

As I sat, an elder man who spoke very few English approached us. This was Mr. Shimokawa which we would call Papa. As we loaded his van and drove down the mountain to his lodge the beautiful alps of Nagano filled my eyes with joy.

Although it was dark, the snow was beautiful and white. It was falling so gracefully from the sky as it carpeted the roads ahead of us. As we stepped out of his van and I looked to the sky, fresh snow welcomed us.

Being a local kid, this was my first time seeing real snow (other than the snow you find in the freezer section of the grocery store). It was amazing and cold. Can you believe the first time I saw snow was also the first time I was out of the country and first time I was in Japan? Well, I still can't.

As we entered the giant lodge Mrs. Shimokawa; Mama, came to greet us. A small, kind women welcomed us with her warm smile. 

There was so much that happened in just the two nights I spent with the Shimokawa family. We had ate traditional home cooked meals, helped with the dishes, took a bath in a shared bathtub, made sushi and soba from scratch, tried on a kimono that was created by Mama and her mother back when she was 20, we had went sledding with Papa and pelted each other with snowballs, had built snow mans that we later destroyed while sledding, and so much more. 

 Bullet train that took us to Nagano. 

 The bath.

 Home cooked meals from Mama.

 Mama and me.

 First snow man... Baymax?

 Making soba with Papa.

 Pau Hana.

 Sledding with Escal Plaza in the back.

 Sushi... well it would be once put it all together.

 Me in the kimono... I'm so fly.

Group picture with the Shimokawa Family.

My experience cannot be shared in just words. I am grateful to have met the Shimokawa family and I will continue to reach out to them and keep contact with them. Although it was freezing and cold in Nagano, the Shimokawas were warm and welcoming. When I get another opportunity to go to Japan, returning to Nagano is definitely on my list. 

East Capital Adventure

Stepping off the plane after seven long and dehydrated hours was the best feeling in my life. As I breathed in the smells of Japan it was as I had stepped into a dream that was now my reality.

Was I really here? I couldn’t believe it and I would have asked for someone to pinch me but the cold weather was enough to shake me into realizing that I was actually in Japan. All my years of hoping to visit Japan have come true and I was no longer in Honolulu.

As our bus drove through the small and complex roads of Japan, I glanced out the window. Although I was staring at a whole new world, it reminded me of home. It was welcoming.

After checking into the Dai-Itchi Hotel and eating dinner, we were given the chance to explore with no restrictions (besides an 11 pm curfew).

Fortunately I was able to spend this experience with my older sister so in a way it was comforting to have her there and it gave me a strong sense of safety.

As we walked the streets of Tokyo I was able to see that although Tokyo and Hawaii may have similarities, they also had their differences. The roads were clean and smelled decent (most of the time) even though there weren’t any public trash cans insight. The roads were small and the cars were smaller. The time itself was around 8 at night, yet the night sky was lit by the streetlights that guided students, businessmen, and housewives to their destination.

As I walked into stores I realized that even though this was Tokyo, a city compared to America’s New York City, the part I was seeing wasn’t as crazy as I expected.

Around almost every corner a convenience store could be found; a Lawsons or a 7i and holdings (which was a 711). To most in Japan a convenience store isn’t so thrilling, but to me it was amazing. The variety of boxed coffees and juices, there were all sorts of teas even a convenient pre-made boba drink. There ice cream was fancy, topped with fruit and chocolate, compared to drumsticks and ice cream sandwiches back at home. The bentos looked like home cooked meals packaged and placed on the shelf. It was a wonderful sight to see.

As I walked through stores I saw that the people there were friendly and kind and understanding to the fact that I had no idea what they were saying. Even though I know some Japanese, it was a whole different story seeing it in action at its homeland.

 View from our drive to Dai-Itchi Hotel.

 First meal in Tokyo.

 Food!

Boba Tea at 7i and Holdings.

My first impressions I will never forget. My misconceptions have been fixed and I can wholeheartedly say that Japan is a wonderful place and that Tokyo is something worth traveling for.

My Homestay Experience

         I was fortunate enough to have had Miyazaki family to be my homestay host. They welcomed 5 girls who they never met into their home with so much warmth. Spending 2 nights with them, made me feel like I was part of their family. They brought us to many places such as picking apples, eating oyaki, taking us to the ski lift, and eating gelato. Not to mention, all of these was a first time for me.

         The first thing on the agenda was to harvest apples. I was very excited because I have never seen nor picked out an apple from its roots. Okaasan drove us all to their own apply tree. The tree was covered with beautiful apples surrounded by snow. I somehow felt like Snow White. Okaasan first showed us how to correctly harvest the apples. After, we started harvesting. Once the basket was full, Okaasan told us to pick a small apples and eat them. By far, these were the freshest and sweetest apple I have ever taste, right out of the tree.

            Next, we head out to eat some traditional oyaki. The restaurant was located right on the edge of the hill and it looked very traditional. We walked into a room and sat around the fire where they cooked the oyaki. In front of us, there was an old lady who was making the oyaki and next to her was an old man cooking it. They served us 2 types of oyaki with miso soup, tea, and pickled   vegetables. The oyaki was so delicious, we asked for more. 

            Third, we headed to the ski lift. On the ride to the top of the mountain, we saw the beauty of Hakuba, Nagano. On top of the mountain, it was snowing. Everything was covered in snow. I jumped with joy because this is the very first time that I have experienced snow. I felt like I was a kid again. I laid on the snow and made snow angles. My homestay sisters and I even started a snowball fight. I had so much fun I wanted to stay longer.

            We then headed out to Okasaan's friend, Kikisan, house to eat some gelato. Not knowing, Kikisan’s house was right next to the gelato place. We were laughing because we had no idea how close it was. They served many varieties of gelato. After we getting our gelato’s we walked to Kikisan’s house. Her house was very cozy. It had a mixed vibe of modern and vintage. We stayed there for an hour or so and made ourselves feel at home.

         Homestay was definetly my favorite part of the Japan Study Tour because I got to experience what it is like to live with a Japanese family. Also, I got to experience many new things like the ones I mentioned above. I will never forget Okaasan, Noesan, and Kikisan for treating as like real family. I never thought that within the short period of time, I would grow an attachment to them. Thank you for welcoming us to your home and family! Until we meet again!

"Millions of spirits come here to purge themselves of toil and care..."

a clip from the movie Spirited Away

Many of the students that came on this trip, including myself have a fascination with Japan because of the things we watch, eat, and etc. One of things a lot of us share in common is the love of Miyazaki Films. Spirited Away is one of the reasons I became more interested in the country and their culture. Ever since I watched the film back in 2001 it has been my favorite movie of all time! The only reason why I bring this up is because we all finally know how it feels to be those spirits in that bathhouse.

If you've never seen Spirited Away before here is a short synopsis: (taken from Amazon's product description)

From one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the history of animated cinema comes the most acclaimed film of 2002. Hayao Miyazaki's latest triumph, filled with astonishing animation and epic adventure, is a dazzling masterpiece for the ages. It's a "wonderfully welcoming work of art that's as funny and entertaining as it is brilliant, beautiful, and deep" (Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal). SPIRITED AWAY is a wondrous fantasy about a young girl, Chihiro, trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free herself and return her family to the outside world. An unforgettable story brimming with creativity, SPIRITED AWAY will take you on a journey beyond your imagination. "To enter the world of Hayao Miyazaki is to experience a kind of lighthearted enchantment that is unique to the world of animation" (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times). It's a fantastic tale the whole family will want to experience over and over again.~~(c) 2001 Nibariki -- GNDDTM

So basically, Chihiro needs a job and she was asking the head master, Yubaba, for one. The spirit world isn't very kind to humans and Yubaba explained, "Why would I need a weakling like you? Besides, this is no place for humans. Millions of spirits come here to purge themselves of toil and care."

This concept of a bathhouse always befuddled me and I never understood the concept. I actually thought this concept was only in the film and was a "spiritual" concept. However, I've experienced my own bathhouse scene which made me feel like some of those spirits.

During my absolutely lovely time at my homestay, our homestay okaasan (mother) took us to a public onsen which was a 5 minute drive from the house. It was separated according to gender, which was a relief to me. But the idea of being nude in front of people in general is slightly uncomfortable. The most awkward part was the stripping of the clothes. I could remember all of us giggling and telling each other just look up and get into the bath part as soon as we can. I remember our okaasan laughing at our shyness. In onsen, you have to shower yourself before you take a dip into the actual onsen or "hot tub." Towels are not allowed in the onsen area, therefore they have to come off before you step into the shower and onsen area.

It was the point where we were all nude, realizing we were all feeling the same way is when we broke the walls of insecurity and uncomfortable-ness. People come to the onsen to purge themselves of toil and care, they don't have the time to look at you and judge you. They don't have the time to talk about you and ridicule you. They don't have the time to praise you and be in awe of you. Onsen time is a time for yourself, for your own relaxation and health. And thanks to Spirited Away I knew that you put the towel on your forehead, so I felt pretty good about knowing that, haha!

This part of their culture may seem minuscule but it is a huge eye opener for me. Their group mentality comes down to being able to take baths together without having to care about all the other things in the world. It's amazing to see the differences of the cultures and I was feeling blessed to be able to walk the bridge to the other side and experience this part of their culture. Honestly, it got easier and easier to take the towel off and rid myself of the toil and cares of the world. I'm typing this now wishing there was an onsen 5 minutes from my apartment because after all these finals, even the spirits know I need one.

Japanese Food

One of my favorite parts of the trip was the food. I love trying new and different food from what I am used to. I know a lot of people before going on this trip were a bit skeptical about the food, but in the end, it seemed most of us really enjoyed it. Japanese food is so well balanced with rice, vegetables, and meat and it all tastes very good. One thing I also noticed is that there food lacks spice and a lot of it is sweet. Spice is something I put in all of my food, I love spicy food and would usually prefer it that way rather than have it sweet. Something about how they make their food to where it is not too sweet that makes it so great. I didn't miss adding black pepper or cayenne pepper to my food at all. I think the people who picked the food for us thought we may get tired of Japanese food after a while because toward the end we were provided American and Italian food. I know for me, and some others, we were not yet tired of the food and were really hoping to have more of it even up until the end.