Farewell Japan...'Sayonara, watashi no tomodachi!'

It's even farewell to my trusty Japanese bike!!
Thank you bike for taking me to places near and far!

Reading the initial posts of my blog, 'Lost in Japan', I can't believe that now the 'boot is on the other foot'! As I drove away from my Australian home in 2010 I could barely breathe and now, as I leave Japan in 2012, I can barely breathe again. It has been with much sadness that we've watched our final days in Japan draw nearer. The time to leave was inevitable but, strangely, in a way it actually really scares me to leave. I know I'm leaving part of my heart with Japan!

My life here couldn't have been more different to my life in Australia....high rise living, trains, no work, millions of people, predictable yearly seasons, no family or old friends. I have missed my family dearly, but fortunately our 'Japanese Experience' has given family and friends the opportunity to share this country also. Modern cities, that spread as far as the eye can see and beyond, crammed with skyscrapers, shopping malls and high tech gadgets. It's a consumer's world but beneath the glitz and bright lights lies a country with deep rooted traditions and a culture that is so intriguing for any 'alien' visitor.

I have loved everything....the people, the places, our apartment, the trips, enormous Tokyo, Yokohama, Hash Running, bike riding, yes....the crowded trains, the amazingly enormous JR rail system that runs like clockwork, the virtual cities that exist under the railway stations, the adventures, so many new friends and I musn't forget the toilets with warm seats that automatically flush....the list is endless! Without a doubt, this has to go down as one of the greatest experiences we've ever had.....a time of countless highlights!

The 'tapestry of our lives' so beautifully enriched with many happy memories of a wonderful nation and wonderful people. 

The humility, respect, courtesy and calmness displayed by the people of Japan should be experienced by all. Never for one moment did I ever feel unsafe or scared.....no raised voices, anti social or attention seeking behaviour.  It has been a time of laughter, frivolity, learning and sharing. A time of countless 'team building' opportunities with project team people from across the globe, a time of discovery and a time of much happiness.

But now Japan it is time for us to leave.

This will be our last 'Kampaii!'

To my gorgeous teachers, Toshiko san and Ritsu san.....Arigatou gozaimasu! I will truly miss you and will treasure my memories of you forever....of the endless hours spent sitting opposite each other as I struggled (but tried so hard) to learn your language. I know I was a diligent student but I think I needed another year with Tokyo Lingual! I enjoyed our chats, outings and friendship and I will always be very proud of my medals! I am also proud to have you as my friends!

May you both have  long and happy lives, I will always remember you. 

Leaving you makes me very sad!!

Friends!

To Reina san and Hiroko san (my girls at the desk in Leyton House) farewell....Thank you for your assistance and language tutoring. You are such lovely ladies and I will miss you very much. I will miss pushing my bike past you each day or stopping for our little conversations. Realistically, somedays you were the only people I talked to!

Hiroko san! Always so helpful and caring, I will miss our chats!

Reina san, our lovely concierge who has been with us for our entire stay!

I will also miss nodding, bowing and saying, 'Arigatou gozaimasu! to the Leyton House Security staff as I pass by them on my way in and out. I will be exchanging the very large marble foyer of Leyton House for a doorway far less glamorous. I certainly won't be wheeling my bike inside and leaving it outside my door on the 16th floor. I also suspect that the Japanese custom of taking shoes off at the threshold will be hard to enforce at home. I will try though. Ganbar i masu! Stopping for my regular cafe lattes at the coffee shop in the building will also be missed.

And finally to you Moses, our little Malaysian Yakusa,  

(even though you've already moved to Perth prior to PNG) 

we will really, really miss you.

We had lots of fun....maybe too much sometimes.....the three of us!!

I recall when Steve met you in Brisbane prior to arriving in Japan. He'd said, 'I think you'll like him Jen.' He was right! We've been a great team, the troublesome trio. We've had so many adventures and meals together but, for me, the snow exhibition was one of the funniest. For as long as I live, I will never forget the sights of the 'Sakhalin Snow Bunny' uncontrollably riding the slopes, putting up a wall of snow as he slid down the hill on his behind or disappearing head first into the exceedingly deep powder snow. Your passion for Burberry, Banana Republic and other fancy attire has kept us on our toes.....it just amazes me that you can eat so much and still stay so trim! Not like those who eat 'too much mayonnaise' in a country we won't mention! Thanks for watching over your 'boss' and supporting and keeping him in the right head space. For fear of swelling that head even more, the 'boss' thinks you're one clever person and has a huge amount of respect for you! We look forward to hearing from you when you are a 'politician' in Bintalu! Please, please keep in touch!

One night after the Tohuku Earthquake. How can we forget how hard it was to collect your family that day!

 And to all the others on 'The Team'...good luck as you move onto the next phase of this huge project or take up another company related posting elsewhere. We will always remember the different things we've done with each of you.....running, skiing, eating, drinking, celebrating, climbing, diving, soaking in onsens, laughing, squashing into trains....to name just some.  

Kampaii kampaii to you all!!

A very early team building event!

JGC Beer Party-Osanbashi Pier

A night in Roppongi....what another one?

Farewell Siva san!!

Big Daryl-our karaoke man!

Stephen san will miss his girls!

Sayonara Yumi, Nozomi, Felicia, Les and Daryl

The delightful Amada san and Macka!

Farewell Yoko san.....you lovely lady!

Bye bye Biata....o mokoshi...be happy!

Yow Yeen's farewell speech, Recognition Dinner, Shinagawa

Thanks Ron........a final company 'Kampaii'!

Farewell to Pompadours, Motomachi Street, Uniqlo, Daiso, Why Not?, Sura Baya, Yamashita Park, Aka Renko, the ferris wheel, Chinatown, Beatles Bar in Shinagawa, Kentos, Harajuku, Kamakura and every other place we visited!

Farewell to my man, the great and mighty Fuji san! I never imagined that a mountain I'd only ever seen in magazines would become the mountain I eagerly greeted of a morning, with or without his snow coat! The mountain I even climbed and what wonderful memories I have of that adventure! Anato no subarashi-i desu!

And as I walked away from Leyton House, our home in Japan, once again the tears rolled freely down my face. Our apartment with views from every window, close to the water and an ideal location!! A place where we lived so comfortably and entertained so many 'alien' visitors. Farewell 1602 Leyton House, 168-1 Yamashita-cho, Naka ku, Yokohama, Japan.

That's Leyton House! But watch it ,'You're standing on the ferris wheel!'

I can now look at the map of the World and say, 'I lived up there.... in Japan.....I called it 'home' for nearly two years!' We will think of you, as you continue to rebuild after the devastating Tohuku Earthquake of March the 11th, 2011 and its aftermath. You have suffered so much and the recovery will be slow. We, too, shall never forget the fear of such an experience!

To those of you who have shared my blog, this is the final posting of 'Lost in Japan'. I hope my blog has been enlightening and allowed you a glimpse of this lovely country. Thank you for sharing the journey with me. In the beginning I had no idea the blog would develop as it did and have such a wide following. To all those people around the globe who responded, thank you. And to those who even ended up in Leyton House or enrolled with Tokyo Lingual because of my stories, I'm glad you chose so well. I guess for those who have visited, I must say there will be only one more 'Jenny Lost in Japan' tour......the 'aliens' return trip home to Australia!!

Truthfully, I was rarely lost but now saying goodye, 

I  feel I'm not 'Lost in Japan' but that I'm 'Losing Japan'!

Maybe one day I will say to you...

Shibaraku desu ne!

But for now....

Nak i ta i desu yo!

Thankyou Japan for sharing your country.  

Arigatou gozaimasu!

 Ki o tsuke te kudasai!

Kampaii Nihon wa! 

Sayonara!

Please note: Copies of my book 'Lost in Japan' will be available from Blurb.com as soon as it is finished and been published.  Just google blurb.com......go to bookstore......then type in lost in japan by jennifer lewis. 

 

It's nearly over!

The countdown's begun....the time for us to leave Japan is getting closer and closer and closer!  

Tomat te kudasai! 

 Stop the clock.....we want a bit more time!!

A farewell party in Tokyo with Linda, who goes the day before us, started the show. Perched on the 50th floor of La Tour Shiodome Building, Hamamatsucho overlooking the bright lights of the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo, we reminisced about our experiences and adventures in Japan. It's not easy leaving this country.....it's such an endearing place!

Linda had said bring something to eat but don't bring too much alcohol.  Unable to carry alcohol in our freight home (company policy!!) it has to be used up! Obviously no one listened....she ended up with more than she started with and we ended up taking ours home again. There was whisky, sake, plum wine liqueur, Danny's special margaritas, beer, white wine, red wine and more sake!  And food...well it was ridiculous how much there was....Japanese, Indonesian, Mexican, Indian, Louisiana American and......! So much delicious food! Oishi desu! It's a sad time as the team breaks up and sees people heading in all directions....PNG, Australia, America and, of course for us, retirement!!  Naturally, the Japanese workers will remain in Japan as well as some expatriates for a little while longer. Thank you, thank you Linda for hosting such a great night!

Rumiko san you are such a sweet lady and I wish we didn't have to part.......there are so many more Japanese Hash Runs left in me! Maybe one day we will meet again in Alabama if we all visit Danny there!

For me, the next very sad farewell was with my beautiful language teachers, Ritsu san and Toshiko san. Hoping to see early cherry blossoms they had planned an outing isho ni to visit the Miura Peninsula but unseasonably cold weather has delayed the start of the blossoms. Instead, they decided to take me on an outing to Ofuna, just south of Yamashitacho, where they promised to show me some places that usually only the Japanese go. Ofuna is in the city of Kamakura but, interestingly, half of the Ofuna Station is in Kamakura city and the other half is in Yokohama. A silly fact maybe but a fact nonetheless!

We'd arranged to meet at Yokohama Station on the Tokaido line platform at car one by 10am! As it's such a crazily busy station you need to be very specific if you want to guarantee meeting up. Once in Ofuna we caught a taxi to Taya no Dookutsu (Taya Cavern) which is actually in Yokohama, but closer to Kamakura both geographically and historically. The cavern is in the precinct of Josenji Temple, Sakae-ku, Taya-machi. From about the year 1200 to 1700, Shingon Buddhist monks gradually excavated this underground maze of tunnels to an imposing scale as a site for spiritual training. The Shingon Mikkyo sect was a Japanese sect who practiced mystical Buddhism. Disciples of those times would fast for twenty one days, sit in religious meditation and dig in the cliffs by hand. There are a total of seventeen caves. After paying an admission fee we were given a candle on a wooden holder outside the entrance which we then lit  inside the doorway. Damp, silent corridors led to small, domed meditation chambers with walls and ceilings carved with fantastic creatures and Buddhist images. Finally, we found ourselves in the spring room with a great turtle and birds carved on the walls. 

Taking photos was prohibited so this shot has been imported from the internet.

The  cavern is carved out of a solid sheet of clay stone rock. This solidity enabled the cave to survive the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 with only minimal damage.  The total length of the cavern is 1500 metres but only 400 metres is actually open to the public. Many passages, although visible, are blocked off but it is easy to see that the caves are like a spider web. 

Fortunately for me, I had two excellent tour guides, Toshiko and Ritsu, who stopped and explained the meaning of the carvings in each chamber. Even they had difficulty reading a lot of the information and for me there was certainly nothing in English. In the spring chamber we placed an index finger in a small stream of water coming from the wall. It's believed that if you have a part of your body you'd like fixed then with the index finger you rub the water on the site and you will be cured. Toshiko rubbed it on her head to make her brain better able to think! I rubbed the water on my thumb which I'd injured skiing....I guess time will tell!! It's amazing that this incredible place is not on the normal tourist itinerary as it is so old and fascinating. A hidden Japanese treasure!

This photo shows the stream of sacred water where we dipped our index finger!

After leaving the cave, Toshiko and Ritsu took me to a delightful Japanese restaurant popular for its soba noodles. Soba noodles are made from buck wheat, most of which is produced in Hokkaido. I chose soba noodles with vegetables and tempura, Toshiko had chicken, vegetables and soba noodles and Ritsu chose wild vegetables and soba noodles. Naturally, green tea accompanied the meal. Totemo oishi-i desu ne!! We sat at a large wooden table looking out into the garden. 

Each paver outside was carved with an item on the menu. This was my tile depicting 'Soba noodles with tempura'.

I was particuarly fascinated with the flooring in the toilets. Handmade tiles depicting animals, flowers and shapes were laid randomly to create a beautiful mosaic floor. Initially, I think Ritsu was a little surprised at my interest but she soon understood why I was taking photos of the toilet floor!

After lunch we caught another taxi to the Kenritsu Flower Centre Ofuna Botanical Garden (Ofuna Flower Centre).  The flower displays were lovely and we spent a very pleasnt time wandering through each of the different gardens and hot house displays.

Ritsu san inspects the buds!

Toshiko san enjoys the beautiful fragrance!

A very unusual plant!

Next we headed back to Ofuna Station area. Most of my visitors will recall the large white statue, known as Ofuna Kannon, that stands on a hill to the west overlooking Ofuna.  The gentle and merciful expression attracts the faithful, passersby, and even the eyes of passengers aboard the nearby trains. The statue is 25.4 metres high, 18.6 metres wide, and weighs 1,915 tons. An image of Amida rests atop the forward part of Kannon's head beneath the hood. A smaller image of this kind is generally called kebutsu, the image which a Buddha manifests in order to save sentient beings (that is living beings with consciousness that have the ability to see or feel).

We passed through the station and wandered down the busy street on its eastern side where we made a few small purchases in yet another Japanese china shop and enjoyed a delightful Japanese afternoon tea.

Arriving back at Yokohama Station, it was a very sad final farewell for the three of us. I found it hard to turn and walk away from my lovely Japanese friends, Ritsu and Toshiko. In fact, I actually turned back for one last hug and then made my way through the busy station with tears rolling down my face. I'd had a really lovely day.  

Watashi no tomodachi arigatou gozaimasu!