Off to Ikusaka!

Finally, the day I had been waiting for for so long finally arrived! It was time for me to head to my teaching placement and get to see where I would be living for the next year. Orientation wrapped up with one last breakfast for us before we set off for our placements. Some people had flights to catch, like my friend Emily, but my group was taking a bus because our prefecture is only around 3 hours away from Tokyo.

At around 8:30 I headed downstairs and checked out of my hotel room, then went to meet up with my prefecture group to wait to load the bus. We got a quick picture of all us new JET’s, then headed off to board the bus. Once we were on the bus, they gave us a little while to just relax as we drove out of Tokyo. After a bit, our Prefectural Advisors went through an arrival handbook with us to give us some general information. After that, they gave us another little break, then went through another packet of information on life in Japan and Nagano.

After absorbing all that information, we stopped for a short bathroom break, then got back on the bus and drove for a bit longer. Thankfully, our next stop was lunch. They gave us about an hour to get some food, then had us change into our formal clothes. We took a picture at the scenic overlook of the lake by the rest stop, then once again boarded the bus and continued our journey. I was getting more and more exciting to meet my caretaker and to finally arrive in Ikusaka.

After about 45 minutes we arrived in Matsumoto, which is the second biggest city in Nagano, and the closest city to me. After I got off the bus I spotted two men who were holding a welcome sign with my name on it. I went up to greet them…and promptly forgot any Japanese I knew. I wanted to impress them with the introduction I had memorized, but I was so nervous that I ended up being too scared to really say much. They presented me with their meishi (business cards), and I thankfully remembered the etiquette to receive it with both hands and to bow. It is very common in Japan to give people these cards when you are introduced. Thankfully, one more person joined us, and she was able to speak English. She told me that they were going to go take me to lunch, which I wish I had known about because I wouldn’t have eaten. Oh well.

They loaded up my carry on and backpack (thankfully my large luggage was sent ahead) and we set off to go get food. At the restaurant they told me it was ok to just have a dessert, so I ended up getting a really yummy sundae. Though we basically had to speak with one person acting as interpreter, it was a really nice lunch. Once we finished eating, they took me to pick up my hanko, which is the stamp I would use as my official seal, my inkan. In Japan these are what you use as your official signature. It was nice that they already had it made for me, so I didn’t have to worry about getting that done.

Next, they took me to go grocery shopping. I was told to get groceries for about the next 3 days, which would be covered by the Board of Education. I was pretty shocked at that because I wasn’t expecting for them to pay for my groceries. I’m not sure if the cost might end up coming out of my paycheck, but it was still nice. I was able to find most of the basic foods I ate in the US, though cereal options were very limited because it is not commonly eaten here.

After getting groceries, it was finally time for me to arrive in Ikusaka. The drive to the village was very nice. Nagano is a very mountainous region and there were some very nice views. Ikusaka is a small village of around 2,000 people that sits right in a mountain river valley. The river is a gorgeous blue-green color, and the mountain views are fantastic. I was immediately in love with the scenery. I knew right away that the surrounding nature was going to make me like living in Ikusaka.

They took me right away to my apartment, which I was super excited to see. My predecessor was very helpful in preparing me for life in Ikusaka, but she hadn’t sent my any pictures of the apartment, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was definitely pleasantly surprised. The apartment is pretty spacious and was in excellent condition. It is part of two small buildings that host four apartments, which are specifically designated for teachers to use. As a teacher in Japan, you get moved to a different school every few years or so, so schools often provide housing for the teachers to live in during the week. Many teachers then go home to their families on weekends.

Honestly, the apartment probably could have not been as nice and I still would have been happy because it has one crucial thing: an air conditioner. I honestly would be dying without it because it is very hot and very humid here, so I am so glad that I got one. Another plus of my apartment is that the rent is very cheap, which should help me save money or pay more on my student loans because of the lower cost of living.

After they got my gas turned on and showed me how the stove works (it’s a gas stove) and how to adjust the water temperature and such, they took me to the school so I could meet some of the teachers. I got to meet Kyoto-sensei (the vice principal) and my JTE (the English teacher). The meeting was pretty much just me sitting there while everyone talked about me in Japanese, with someone occasionally translating for me, but it was fine. Everyone seemed pretty nice, which was a relief. We only hung at the school for a little bit, then they dropped me off at my house to have the evening to myself.

However, another ALT in the area offered to pick me and the other new ALT close to us up for dinner at her place, which was really nice. The drive up to her village, however, was not. I thought roads in Europe were narrow, but here they are even worse. Sometimes you have to stop on a narrow part of the road to let another car squeak past you. The roads were also super curvy, so it was just a nerve wracking drive. Aside from the drive, it was a nice evening, and it was great to meet the other ALT’s who are going to be near to me.

Overall, it was a pretty nice day. Everyone was so nice and welcoming, and even though there is a language barrier, it worked out fine. I had a very nice first impression of my village, and I was excited for the upcoming days of getting to know the village and the people I would be working with. Hope y’all enjoyed this post and stay tuned for my next post on my first week in Ikusaka!