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Oita - Ehime, Japan, April 2000
The next flight put us in San Francisco with no extra time to spare. We walked for what seemed miles to the international gate. Joe Phelan and Bob Hicks, two gentlemen joining us on the exchange from Sacramento, California met us at the gate. I felt as if I had known them for years from the many e-mails and phone calls we had exchanged. No sooner had we exchanged greetings than it was time to board the plane. In all the hurry I had failed to meet Duncan Lennon and his wife Bea, (a couple from Savannah, Georgia) but I soon found them a few rows back. We were on our way to Japan. 13 hours later we touched down at Kansai airport in Osaka. We breezed through customs and were met by an English-speaking guide who graciously took care of details of loading the luggage and the rubber-legged passengers on the bus to the hotel. Our first night in the hotel gave us time to recharge our batteries and get to know each other. Our flight the next day was not until afternoon which gave us the opportunity to see some sights in Osaka, Japan's second largest city. Osaka has a famous samurai castle which, on paper, should have been easy to reach. It was two blocks to the train station and four stops to the castle. Unfortunately it is not possible to just cross the street in Osaka, you must go into the underground to do so. Once there the group of Americans soon realized they weren't in Kansas or Nebraska anymore! Thousands of Japanese business people were frantically flowing from all directions. Like salmon swimming against a strong current the 19 Ambassadors awestruck by the shear mass of humanity and the catacomb-like maze of tunnels, had no clue which way to go. The kanji signs offered no clue, and the ticket booth attendees were only slightly more consolation. Like our prairie forefathers, we sent scouts ahead to report to way. Eventually we made our way to the train station and, with helpful encouragement from several friendly Japanese, we purchased enough round trip tickets to the castle for each of us only to have them eaten by the turnstile when we reached our destination. After a substantial walk from the train station we reached the grounds of the 16th century fortress. The cherry blossoms were just beginning to pop and the air was sweet with the fragrances. The view from the top of the castle was spectacular. We knew it was worth all the trouble! We flew to the southern island of Kyushu into the port city of Kumamoto. Tak Hirano, the president, Kazumori Tsuzuki, the exchange director, and Yukikio Hori held up the same welcome banner they had 7 years before. It was great to see them once again! Kazumori was the exchange director as I was in 1993. Not only did I have the rare opportunity to visit Taketa City once again, but I stayed in the same room, the lovely apartment above Tsuzukisan's hardware store. It was truly like coming home to dear friends! As the bus traversed through the rugged countryside Tak told the group about day-to-day life in Japan. His English was very good; he said he has been studying for many years and tapes CNN broadcasts to hone his pronunciation skills. The ambassadors had many questions for him and the bus trip to Taketa City offered a great opportunity to learn about Japan from the Japanese perspective. The weather was warm and the skies were clear. Each turn provided an even more spectacular mountain vista than the last. Soon we reached the picturesque town of 18,000 where we met our hosts. The following morning the group met at the Taketa City Office to meet with the Vice Chairman of City Affairs and presented him with the key to the city of Lincoln from our Mayor. Our hosts them drove us to the base of the ruins of Oka castle, a former Samurai fortress overlooking Taketa City. This castle was started in 1185 and withstood many attacks until it was ordered destroyed one hundred years ago. We were each given a walking tour map of the city and then had the day to explore on foot this lovely town. On Friday the wild cherry blossoms were in full bloom. The grounds of Oka castle were thick with the light-pink flowered trees. The pathways throughout the fortress were canopied by the thick blossoms. In every direction the mountains were flecked with blooming cherry trees. Bright blue skies made the blossoms even more beautiful. It was as if an impressionist painter had artistically dabbed splashes of light pink paint throughout the varying shades of green. As the group explored Taketa the cherry trees throughout the city were bursting with color. At 4:00 the group met at the Tajimaya cake shop for instruction on the formal tea ceremony and many ambassadors were given the opportunity to prepare tea according to the ancient customs. Throughout the week many of the hosts arranged potluck suppers for their guests. It gave the ambassadors a chance to see the accommodations of others in the group and to share marvelous food. Our Taketa hosts always seemed to have interesting activities for us to partake in from Koto lessons to dried flower painting, ikibana (flower arranging) and kanji calligraphy instructions. There were several onsens (hot springs baths) in the area which experienced a great deal of American business. Many of the ambassadors attended a Junior High Induction ceremony which gave us valuable insight into the life of the Japanese student. On Monday, April 10, the group took a bus travelling through the scenic mountains to the hot springs resort city of Beppu where we visited the beautiful geyser-steamed gardens call "Sea Hell." Volcanic steam spewed from rocky vents giving the area a Dante hell-like appearance. The steam vents and the boiling waters were in strange contrast to the colorful flowers and cherry blossoms of the gardens. Following lunch, the group visited Usuki, an area known for its ancient stone Buddah cave wall carvings. After the full day of touring, it was back to friendly Taketa. On Tuesday, April 11, at 6:30 PM we met at the Chamber of Commerce and industry building for the Welcome and Farewell party. We were entertained by a troop of professional festival dancers. There were a few amateur dancers as well. Joe Phelan and I were asked to secretly adorn the beautiful ceremonial costumes and masks and dance in the ritual way. It was great fun and few realized we weren't part of the troop! All the ambassadors were asked to cook "American-type" dishes for the potluck supper which followed. Among the menu items were chili, lasagna, salads and tacos (not to be confused with the Japanese tako which is octopus). All the dishes were well received and we had many interesting comments. As an ambassador, it was a delightful experience and an educational one. Trying to find chili powder in a supermarket where no clerk spoke English and the labels were unreadable was a real challenge! With the presentation of gifts to the clubs and farewell speeches, the hosts sang traditional Japanese songs and to conclude, the ambassadors sang "There is No Place Like Nebraska," complete with kazoos. Following one last free day with our hosts, we said goodbye to our Taketa hosts and boarded the bus for the harbor of Oita. We boarded the ferry for the three-hour ship ride to Matsuyama. We shared two large, open cabins which had thick mats on raised platforms which spanned the entire width of the room. The upper decks had an eating area with row after row of vending machines. A traveler can find virtually anything in vending machines in Japan from beer and sake to hot and cold coffee, even film and cameras. It seems you are never more than 100 feet from a vending machine. A area with tables and chairs made a pleasant place to chat with fellow ambassadors and pass the time. The ship passed through one of the most scenic national parks in Japan, the Seto Inland Sea on its way to Matsuyama. Unfortunately it was foggy and the sunset was obscured by clouds. We reached Matsuyama harbor after dark and we were instructed to go to the very lowest level of the ship (where the trucks were). No small task considering the small mountain of luggage we were transporting. As we stood waiting for the huge sealed door to open the air was thick with diesel smoke. The gate lowered and following a brief walk we were met by our hosts. The Matsuyama club also had many things planned for us. It was quite common to run into 5-6 ambassadors during excursions with our hosts. Matsuyama castle was a popular site which attracted many ambassadors throughout the week. Located 440 feet above the downtown on Katsuyama Hill the 16th-century Edo-period structure offers spectacular views of Matsuyama in all directions. The following morning we travelled through the mountains to an area overlooking a reservoir which is rated as one of the most beautiful cherry blossom viewing areas in Japan by the Japan Travel Bureau. It was not hard to see why! The stillness of the water reflected a forest of wild mountain cherry trees in full bloom while a colorful 100-foot span of a koi nobori (fabric fish kites) swayed gently in the breeze. Koi nobori can measure 10-50 feet in length and are made of colorful silk or cloth and strung on ropes in series between tall poles to catch the wind. In April and May the brightly colored banners are displayed outside of homes to celebrate the birth of a baby boy. Picture taking at this place was easy, just point in any direction and shoot! Every shot was a postcard! Another favorite destination in the area was Deer Island, a rocky-coasted island only 200 meters from the mainland. Accessible by a short ferry ride, Deer Island¹s name is derived by the Doberman-sized Japanese deer which inhabit the island. These friendly creatures have the run of the rocky island which takes about 20 minutes to walk around. We met almost all the ambassadors and hosts on the island as most visited the island that day. On Sunday, April 16 we met as a group at the Bancho Hotel in downtown Matsuyama for the club¹s Welcome party. Gifts were exchanged, toasts were made and a wonderfully displayed buffet was presented. The food in Japan has been described as "edible art" and that was certainly the case. A treat as much for the eye as the palate! The Ambassadors once again performed "There is No Place Like Nebraska" (complete with kazoos) to an appreciative and tolerant audience. A Matsuyama member who is a music teacher accompanied the hosts and ambassadors in several "American" songs. Several beautiful Japanese songs were also performed along with a traditional dance by a member in a ceremonial dress. The evening was concluded with several group photos which were later presented to each ambassador. On Monday, April 17 the group met for a bus tour of the scenic islands of Seto Inland Sea National Park and a tour of the Shimanami Kaido, an ancient shrine. The majestic bridges which connect the main islands of Honshu to the east and Shikoku to the west are modern architectural marvels of engineering. Two of them are among the world¹s longest suspension bridges. The vistas and views from the bridges were indescribable. The sun was warm and the sky was bright blue and the cobalt-blue sea was calm again making for postcard-like photos in all directions. On Tuesday, April 18 the group met for a picnic lunch and party games at a park in the area. We were asked to gather wild flowers in the park and paint pictures with the juices of the blossoms. The winners were awarded prizes; it was delightful! Following the picnic, many of us traveled to nearby Uchiko, a restored Japanese village known for its wax production and candlemaking. In its heyday the wax production facility employed 200 people. The village gave ambassadors a glimpse of what Japanese life would have been like 200 years ago. Quaint shops each with its own specialty supplied the factory workers of the town with the necessities of life. The architecture of the buildings and their construction were fascinating. Mortise and tenon rafters held together with wooden pegs made up much of the construction. Though we had very few "group" activities planned during our week in Matsuyama, we had many potluck dinners at various hosts houses. The group gathered many times during the week to share wonderful company, good sake and delicious food. One of my favorite photos depicts one such gathering, an entryway filled with guest shoes. In Japan, a visitor always removes ones shoes in the entryway. Slippers are then worn throughout the house. In special "traditional rooms" were tea ceremonies are performed the floors are adorned with rice straw mats called "tatami." The slippers are removed before entering the tatami rooms. The expensive mats can be easily destroyed by dirt fibers from the slippers. For cleanliness sake, special "WC" (water closet) slippers are worn in the toilet room. American men who travel to Japan should be advised that Japanese slippers are quite small by comparison. Just the sight of me wearing them will provided much happy entertainment to the Japanese. All too soon it was time to leave our new-found Ehime friends to return to our lives in the U.S. Although Matsuyama and Taketa are quite different from one another in size and character, the people have many things in common. They have a special zest for life and a willingness to live for the day. Also the generosity and kindness of the Japanese was unlike any I have experienced in my travels. The American expression "that person would give the shirt off their back" certainly applies to the Japanese. I often felt internally unworthy of their generosity, but I was never given that impression by my hosts. Personally, I know I can never repay the kindness they have shown me, though, when given the opportunity I would try my best to do so. On Thursday, April 20 the group left Matsuyama airport for Osaka and on to San Francisco. We arrived in San Francisco on Thursday Morning (before we left) and were shuttled to the Villa Florence on Union Square. After a rare, sunny afternoon of sight-seeing it was an early evening for most of the ambassadors. Following a good breakfast it was back to the airport and two relatively short flights back to Lincoln. Finally I should explain the headline of this story, Sakura Hubuki. The Japanese phrase means literally "cherry blossom snow" which I will never forget. As the wind frees the cherry blossoms from the trees the sun reflected in the gently falling petals. They resemble large snowflakes falling to the earth. Like snow, the light pink petals drift in the crevices and stairs of the pathway. I recall places where the "sakura hubuki" drifts were 6-10 inches deep. It seems hard to imagine, but the petals are almost more beautiful on the ground than in the trees. I asked each of the Ambassadors to write about a special experience or observation during their stay in Japan. Click on the Ambassador name to read about a memorable experience on the exchange. Gaylord Becker |
©2008 Friendship Force of Lincoln. All Rights Reserved. |
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arly on the morning of April 4th, 19 Nebraska ambassadors met at the Lincoln airport to begin a wonderful adventure to the "land of the rising sun." Ordinarily the Lincoln airport is rather sedate at that hour, but we were in for a noisy reception. A group of Taiwanese students were traveling on our flight to Denver and the line was very long and quite energetic. Miraculously we all made it through the line with only minutes to spare and we were on our way. 
