MY LIFE IN JAPAN without temples, karate, kimonos or anything else traditional

This is my favorite photo, out of all of the pictures that I have ever taken.  I took it in Odori Kouen, in Sapporo.  It was the first weekend of my one-year stay in Hokkaido University, on a beautiful Sunday in October 1993.  I happened to be taking a rest when I came across this scene of a mother feeding her child some corn on the cob.  Note the look on her friend's face as she watches on.  It is the little moments like this that make up the majority of our memories, and for me it also symbolizes the importance of the family unit.

Here is a look at the view from a beach in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture.  Known primarily for its temples and large bronze Buddha, it is a local hangout for surfers and windsailers.  Not a bad place to just watch the sun set.

Here is a picture of Sakuragicho Station, with Landmark Tower and Minato Mirai looming in the background.  This is my favorite picture of Yokohama, the place that I called home for 4 years.  I like the contrast of the new, towering structures of Minato Mirai with the long span of graffiti that runs underneath the Toyoko line station.  It reminds me of my real home, New York City.  But even moreso does my current home in the Shibuya area of Tokyo.

OK, not the most flattering shot of either me or my friend Tom, but what little you can see in the background is the scenery from atop the second-largest Ferris Wheel in the world, in Sakuragicho (the largest being in Odaiba, Tokyo).

I'm not much of a flower enthuiast, but these ume plum blossoms near Yugawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, are stunning.  Japanese have a very profound respect for these beutiful flowers, which is easy to understand once surrounded by them.

Speaking of flowers, here are some sakura cherry blossoms in the Yokosuka Naval Base, Kanagawa Prefecture.  Pictures do not do the sakura justice, but rest assured that when they bloom, the country enters into a fever pitch to catch even a glimpse and maybe even to down a beer or two while doing hanami (flower watching).  The Yokosuka base is one of the many facilities used by the U.S. military in the Kanagawa area, and they open up to the general public a couple of times every year.  The U.S. military does not get much positive press in Japan, but I remain in support of their efforts to protect U.S. security overseas, as well as providing for a stable and safe Japan.

OK, this picture isn't much for scenery, but just to plug the fact that on a random day in September 1998 shopping in the Landmark Plaza Mall in Sakuragicho, we came across rapper L.L. Cool J doing some shopping with his wife.  He gave me 10 tickets for his Yokohama concert just for translating for him, which made quite a birthday present (the show was on my birthday, September 12th).  Here I am with some fellow JET teachers, sporting a wonderful goatee (don't mind the look, this was soon after the World Cup, so being a rabid Italian soccer fan, I was doing my best Alessandro Del Piero imitation).

This is a monument erected in honor of those who lost their lives in World War II fighting in Okinawa.  The most moving part of this monument for me was the fact that it honors the lives not only of Japanese soldiers, but of those from enemy forces as well, including the United States.  I found this to be the best anti-war statement in all of Japan, including memorials in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  Honoring the value of life and not only for your country.

I was lucky enough to be able to go to the Opening Ceremonies of the 1998 Winter Olympics, held in Nagano.  I was always bored by this kind of spectacle on TV, but found myself truly absorbed in the majesty of this international event.  I made it to Nagano for three days out of the two-week Olympics, which left me with memories that I will never forget.  The surrounding area is also very scenic and offers a wide variety of onsen hot spring resort areas (which I strongly recommend!).

One of my final duties as a teacher on the JET Program was going on a junior high school trip with the 2nd graders (13-14 year olds) to Shirakaba, in Nagano Prefecture.  The sight of these "elderly" women working in the rice fields strongly demonstates how little age has to do with what the body can accomplish if you put your mind to it.  This is their livelihood, which is anything but glamorous, but deserves as much respect as any other occupation.  Just a half hour in these rice fields was enough to make me respect their work and dedication.

People in Japan like to drink...and so do I.

Here I am on a bridge leading to one of the nearly 300 islands of Matsushima, near Sendai.  Considered one of the sankei three most scenic views in Japan, it is definitely worth the trip just to see the sunset.

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