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Learning to Drive in Nanae

By Ben Mirin, CIR

There is no test to obtain an international driver’s license for Japan…but there should be.

The Nanae Town government generously provides a personal car for its Coordinator of International Relations.  The privilege of driving it, however, must be earned through several driving lessons on Japanese roads.  For a CIR who arrives during the winter, these are especially pragmatic.  Nanae’s snowplows are in short supply, and the few that patrol the town don’t disperse salt or other compounds (I’m told it’s for environmental reasons) to help melt the snow that accumulates almost every day.

I have driven in snow; after all, I’m from New England.  Outside of this, my experience on American roads would prove more of a hindrance than an asset.  Nevertheless, I approached my car with confidence and optimism. Japan is incredibly dynamic, and there are always opportunities for both foreigners and natives to try new things.  With two weeks since my initiation as CIR, I was already well trained in embracing such chances with a positive attitude.

click to enlarge

Seeing the car for the first time, I also remembered how Japan is a place of enduring traditions.  The one I was to inherit that day was 13 years old, a Suzuki Cultus Crescent that had been passed down among all the CIRs since the job’s inception.  From a leftover collection of Whitney’s mix CDs to a collection of scratches from Bobby’s bicycle, it was full of stories.  Looking around, I was also glad to see seat belts in the back seat.  Japan doesn’t require passengers in the back to wear them, but this is one Japanese practice I don’t expect I will adopt or permit.

Having withstood the trials of 5 different American drivers before me, this time-tested vehicle seemed worthy of my trust…but was I worthy of its keys?

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How to Use a Japanese ATM

By Ben Mirin, CIR

Every Japanese bank operates its ATMs on a specific schedule.  Located in the Nanae Yakuba (town office), this Hakodate Shinyou Kinko ATM closes at 6pm every day, and imposes a surcharge for withdrawals during the weekend.  Despite the occasional inconvenience these schedules might cause, Japanese ATMs are excellent tools for managing finances.

(Special thanks goes to Emi Kimura for her invaluable assistance in making this video.  An apology is also due for my ridiculous sunglasses.)

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10 Things I Didn’t Think I Would Need in Nanae, Japan (Part 2)

By Ben Mirin, CIR

2. A fly rod

I did not expect to see salmon jumping in the Europe River at this time of year.

A week ago, I was awake at a time I only reserve for two activities: bird watching and fishing.  The former was on my agenda, and I had leapt out of bed after a long night of karaoke to meet my friend Tanaka-san for an expedition to find White-tailed and Stellar’s Sea Eagles near Yakumo, a coastal town roughly 1 hour from Nanae by car.

Together with Tanaka-san’s daughter, Miu, we spent the morning cramped in the car, driving among different lookout points that Tanaka-san had memorized.  At each stop, we lowered our windows and peered through the freezing rain to scan treetops and shorelines for birds.  The name Yakumo has a meaning: 1 week and 8 days of rain.  I wondered what could attract eagles to such a place.

The answer became clear when the rain let up.  Stepping outside momentarily, I walked to the edge of a nearby bridge and looked out over the river.  Hundreds of spawning salmon were tailing and splashing all along the shore.

Almost on cue, eagles began to cry in the cold morning air.  Looking up I saw dozens of them circling over the water in search of the fish. Dozens more were clearly visible in clouds of black and white plumage that peppered the surrounding hillsides.  I had never seen so many of these huge raptors in one place.

A White-tailed Eagle in flight

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New CIR Arrives in Nanae

By Ben Mirin, CIR

I arrived in Nanae under the weight of three checked bags and an additional checking fee.  10,300 Yen, approximately $123.  My second carry-on bag, a red Delsey roll-a-board, usually skirts past security in American airports, but officials at Haneda Airport were careful to enforce the rules on size limitations.

First contact

The flight from Haneda AP to Hakodate was the final leg of a journey that began in Concord, Massachusetts at 5:15am.  An early flight from Boston to Newark, a 20-hour flight from Newark to Tokyo, and a night in the Narita AP Rest House had preceded it.  Still, my spirits were soon lifted.  The Section Chief and International Relations staff from Nanae’s General Affairs Section greeted me with hot tea and a 12-foot banner welcoming me to Nanae.

Left to right: Kouji Teraya, Ben Mirin (CIR), and Azuma Miyata

After first contact and official greetings, our group got into the car and drove to the apartment building that would be my home for at least the next year.  My coworker, Emi Kimura, speaks fluent English, and she translated for me and my bosses as we drove beneath heavy cloud cover and a light mist left by a large snow storm two days before.

The apartment was a studio, and spacious by Japanese standards. I unloaded my luggage and prepared for a crash landing on the futon, but the night had just begun. My coworkers planted me back in the minivan they had borrowed to transport my baggage, and out we went for dinner.

Kaiten sushi. I have eaten sushi in the States many times before, but nothing could have prepared me for the sight I beheld inside this restaurant. Platters of beautifully prepared morsels were circulating on a conveyor belt that snaked its way around three dining areas and a fully stocked sake bar. Waitresses scurried up and down the aisles like clockwork, answering calls from buzzers located in the individual dining booths. Why diners used these call buttons was a mystery to me, as the parade of fish, egg, tempura, and vegetables held my full attention.

There was no time for hesitation. I grabbed small servings of sushi as they came until I had an assortment of platters decorating the table in blots of soft color. Food served in kaitensushi adds up dangerously quickly, and we soon had our individual collections of small plates in stacks of ten or more. Washed down with cups of green tea from the faucet at the head of the table, this meal almost put me to sleep. If I weren’t so obsessive about unpacking my bags I truly would have crashed into bed when I arrived home.

flickr photo courtesy of jetalone (CC licensed)

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Nanae Students Visit Concord

By Ben Mirin, CIR.

On October 11th, 2010, eight students from Nanae High School and Middle School began a week-long visit to Concord, Massachusetts.  All were select members of Nanae‘s annual delegation to Concord, and most had never traveled outside of Japan.  Together with the help of the CIR, Ben Mirin, and staff at Concord-Carlisle High School, they produced a 10-minute documentary about their experiences and initial impressions of CCHS and its people.

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