November time, and one of the highlights of my time in Japan thus far. My parents decided to pay me a visit at my new home in Takamatsu!
The timing might seem a little bit strange; after all, I was going to be going home for Christmas anyway - for three weeks, in fact! - so why the rush to come in November? Well, in actuality, I hadn't decided I would be coming home for Christmas until after my family had already booked this holiday. So, of course, I ended up with a pretty good back-to-back set of reunions! Not bad, eh?
Konnichi-wa!
So, for ten days, I had my parents back! Which was a wonderful feeling. I've always had a very close relationship with them, and as they'd never visited Japan (or Asia!) before in their lives, I was thrilled at the opportunity to give them an impression of the place.
We made a decision early on that for this trip, we'd stick almost exclusively to Takamatsu and the surrounding area, so that they could get a feel for my new home. Interestingly enough, while I'd noticed it getting colder in Japan since I'd arrived, my parent's found it incredibly warm!
Somewhat ironically, Scotland was meant to have had the hottest November on record while they were here. Oh dear.
My parents drinking matcha in Ritsurin-Koen (garden)...
...unfortunately, it didn't go down so well.
A couple of teething problems; (1) My parents don't speak any Japanese whatsover, and (2) My parents can't use chopsticks.
All all.
I knew this was going to be difficult... and I wasn't wrong!
Things actually got off to a slightly disappointing start; on the day my parents arrived, my school insisted I visit the hospital as I was feeling very under the weather. I visited the school nurse to attempt to procure paracetamol, but; alas! I was rushed off to the local hospital instead (my first visit to a Japanese hospital!).
I was diagnosed with influenza, given a set of unusual Japanese tablets the like of which I'd never seen before. Immediately upon leaving, I headed into town to see my parents for the first time in months. Arriving perfectly on time (!), the first they saw of me was with one of the infamous white masks seen all over Asia. For the next couple of days, I struggled with a high fever and the symptoms of influenza (including having to take a full sick day off of work!), which slightly got in the way of our reunion. Luckily, by mid-week I was much, much healthier, and we still managed to make the most of the time we did have on those first few days.
Dad enjoys the island views of the Seito Inland Sea.
First up was a trip to Ritsurin Koen (garden!). People who've read my earlier posts will remember that I've already visited this garden, and being one of my favourite places in Takamatsu, it was a prime first-stop for my parents. They were absolutely blown away by what they saw. A beautiful stroll and a spot of R&R at the tea house. Unfortunately, my parents weren't the biggest fans of any of the green tea they tried in Japan.
Mum surverys the bonsai display in Ritsurin Garden.
The next day was a bit of a flop, due to my illness worsening. We attempted to head to Mt. Yashima by cable car but were stunned to discover the service was no longer in operation - having been shut down years ago! Dismayed, we heading back to Takamatsu and spent the evening shopping in the areas around Kawaramachi-station and the Shotengai, but as I started to feel incredibly tired we called it a night for some rest.
This should have been our first clue that
the cable car was no longer in service...
I ended up spending the next day completely bed-ridden, but thankfully my parents popped round to make sure I was okay - even bringing me a weeks supply of shopping from my local supermarket! Honestly, when I was feeling so badly, I was incredibly grateful to have my parents around to support me.
My parents take in the atmosphere of Ritsurin Koen.
I think this is one of the most beautiful places in Takamatsu.
Feeding the Ritsurin koi.
A successful trip!
I was working all week in addition to the parents being around (having saved my holiday time for Christmas), but I'd pre-arranged to take Wednesday as a day-off (and of course, spent Monday as a sick day). I don't want to go into too much detail regarding our day-to-day itinerary (we'd be here a while if I did that!), but one of most notable events was the fantastic dinner we had with my fellow JETs.
Dinner with the JETs! My parents ate Nabe and Sashimi...
and they actually enjoyed them! Hated sitting on their knees, though.
Heading into town on Wednesday evening, my parents had a chance to meet some of my fellow friends on the JET program and lay to rest any concerns regarding me being isolated in Japan. On the recommendation of Gary Wilkinson, we headed to a Nabe restaurant - my first time!
Nabe is like a big Winter's broth; absolutely delicious, and great at warming you up in the cold Japanese Winter...
I'm pleased to report that my parent's actually enjoyed the food (!). and more importantly, they thoroughly enjoyed the company too. My friends have earned my parent's approval - always a good thing.
A view from Shodoshima.
We also headed into Shodoshima, to take a look at the beautiful olive gardens. Shodoshima is one of the islands in the Seito Inland Sea - only a short ferry ride from Sunport, Takamatsu. While maybe not as famous as the nearby Naoshima, it's a beautiful place with a great history - as well as a cable car ride (!) and a lovely Dutch windmill, completely separate from the rest of Japan in appearance. I treated my parent's to olive ice cream (delicious!) - though sadly, we ate it so fast that I forgot to take any pictures (this simply means a return visit for more is in order).
We were also treated to dinner by my friend Hiroko Tomozawa and her family. Despite having never met my family before, Hiroko invited us into her home with her friends and served us a beautiful dinner which included home-made
takoyaki and
kimchi. Hiroko also treated us to a performance on her Koto - a traditional Japanese instrument characterised by it's immense sound and distinctive oriental sound. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip; the generosity of Hiroko and her family was truly heartwarming.
Hiroko Tomozawa shows off her Koto abilities.
This huge, beautiful instrument was awe-inspiring to see.
On the weekend before my parents left Takamatsu, I was asked to work an extra day on Saturday - for only a couple of hours in the afternoon, to teach a demonstration class to the student's parents. The aim was to show the parents how we ran our English classes. In order to keep my parents' involved and to spend even more time with them, I invited them along to the class with Seki-sensei. Seki-sensei was so keen to have my parents involved, that he offered them a chance to participate in the class, with the students asking my parents questions! After a brief meeting with my Kocho-sensei (school principal), my parents were greeted warmly by the students. Enjoying the class immensely, I felt very priviliged to have had a rare opportunity to show my parents an insight to my 9-5.
Seki-sensei was incredibly grateful to have my parents involved, and so, on the last day before my parents left for Scotland, Seki-sensei offered to drive us to the summit of Mt. Yashima - where we had been unable to reach before.
We accepted, and it was fantastic.
My parents and Seki-Sensei explore Mt. Yashima.
A stunning example of traditional Japanese architecture,
from the peak of Mt. Yashima. Also; a tanuki on the right!
I mentioned that I'd been to Mt. Yashima before, though the last time had been with the JETs and, sadly, sunset had prevented us from getting to really look around the shrines and temples at the peak of the mountain. This time, Seki-sensei offered us a chance to get to the top without walking (!). It was thrilling to see these beautiful, historical buildings in radiant sunshine, and to really show my parents some of the heart and culture from Japan's history.
Mum discovers a new instrument, made by chiming rocks.
It's exactly like a xylophone - with rocks!
We were incredibly lucky - whilst stopping for a coffee, we stumbled upon a Japanese Biwa performance! The Japanese Biwa is another classic Japanese instrument, with a very sad but distinctive sound. We stayed for all of the performance, absolutely stunned at both our luck and the unique, iconic sounds.
A beautiful Biwa performance on
the peak of Mt. Yashima.
After our trip around the mountain, Seki-sensei treated us to some classic Sanuki-Udon (and was staggered by my parent's inability to use chopsticks), and presented my parents with their own chopsticks afterwards as a souvenir of their trip. My parents were extremely grateful to Seki-sensei for his generosity throughout the day, and parted with a desire to return the favour if he and his family ever have a chance to visit Scotland. They have since exchanged letters over the Christmas period, and I'm very pleased that my parent's have had a chance to make such connections the way I have.
Of course, the time had come for my parents to return to Scotland. It was bittersweet, yet not too sad as - of course - I would be returning home for Christmas only a few short weeks after them! I took my opportunity to ask my parents what they found the most striking characteristic of Japan and the Japanese people during their visit. Their response; the kindness. My parents were struck at just how gentle, generous, helpful, and genuinely well-meaning the Japanese people they met were towards them. They had been given an insight into a unique and vastly different culture they'd never experienced before, and were leaving feeling both positive and looking forward to their return.
(Of course, I also asked them what they found the least agreeable aspect of the country. Their response? Using chopsticks!)
My parents have their caricatures taken...
I swear this man is the Japanese John Lennon!
My parents and their caricatures. See any resemblance?
