My Sister’s Wedding & Quick Chicago Trip

In June 2014 I made a brief trip back to the US to attend my sister's wedding. So here's a quick post about the wedding and a quick summary of my time back in the States.

Happy Wedding, Liz!

Congratulations to my sister Liz, who got married to Curt Rabinak on June 14th, 2014! 

The wedding ceremony

Although I’m living in Japan, I was fortunate to be able to fly back to Chicago for a few days to see the wedding and spend time with my family. Liz works at a Catholic school in the city, so she had the ceremony at the school’s church and the reception in the school’s banquet hall. I think it was perfect as Liz and her new husband were able to have a lovely wedding day while avoiding the enormous costs that comes with most weddings. It was modest in scale yet full of happiness and grand memories. I hope it’s a day they will never forget.

Everyone enjoying the wedding reception

The wedding also gave me the opportunity to see much of my family. I was finally able to see many aunts, uncles, and cousins whom I hadn’t seen for nearly a decade. I got to see my cheerful grandmother, Nana, who loves so much to hear about my adventures in Japan. I was also able to catch up with my stepsister, and her little son who seems to be growing up very quickly these days.

A picture with my awesome grandmother

To Liz and Curt, I wish you guys a long and happy future together. Thanks for inviting me to your wedding, it was very nice and I hope you'll keep these cherished memories for many years to come.

Chicago / Crystal Lake

Since I started my blog, I don't believe I've ever talked much about my home in the US, so I thought I would just mention it here. During this trip, I came back primarily for my sister's wedding as I wrote about above, but it was also nice to stay a few days at my old home.

My home in Crystal Lake, IL

Usually when I first meet people in Japan, I just say I'm from Chicago because it's a lot easier that way. But to be more accurate, I live in the far northwest suburbs of Chicago in a small city called Crystal Lake. Although I do love the city life, as I'm currently living in Tokyo, I still miss the quiet, peaceful atmosphere back home. Life seems to pass a lot more slowly there; and I never realized how much I could enjoy that until I made these short trips back. 

Having a deck and backyard like this is so nice

Going back home during this past trip also reminded me of just how different it is than Japan. Here were some of the most noticeable things in my experience back in (middle-class suburban) America:

- massive grocery stores, huge selection, cashiers often get angry if you pay with coins
- people's greetings are much more casual compared to Japanese
- people are much taller on average... and yes, 'bigger'
- kids drive much nicer cars than I ever remember (I was surprised!)
- lots of sugary foods everywhere, huge portion sizes
- pickup trucks are enormous, minivans are still dorky (Japan's minivans are cool)
- driving on the Chicago tollways feels like a scene out of the Fast and the Furious
- lots more green space, more trees, more grass, more parks
- soccer moms! I never see soccer moms in Japan!

Nanohana Matsuri - Rapeseed Flower Festival

Field of Rapeseed Flowers in Yokohama Town, Aomori, Japan

Nanohana Matsuri (Rapeseed Blossom Festival) is a neat little festival that takes place every year in Yokohama Town, Aomori Prefecture. The town features the biggest seeded acreage of rapeseed flowers in Japan; and the festival is a great way for people to come and enjoy the vast fields of the bright yellow flowers.

People enjoy a maze at the festival

It’s a fairly local event, with about a dozen food/drink stands, small stage, as well as a simple maze through one area of the flowers. The weather was nice when I was there, so it was quite lively with some small crowds coming to check out the festival. Of course the main reason for going is really just to see the fields with your own eyes. It’s pretty spectacular.

Here I am standing in one of the fields of yellow flowers

The fields of yellow blossoms are not only there for show but are harvested for a variety of uses. They’re grown for such things like animal feed, vegetable oil, and biodiesel fuel. In North America, “rapeseed” is usually referred to as, “canola,” and used for canola oil. In Japan, the cooking oil also goes by this name.

For more information, including location and dates, you may want to try the official Yokohama Town website or aptinet site (both in Japanese).

Tsugaru-nuri: Traditional Japanese Lacquerware from Aomori

NOTE: I have one more tsugaru-nuri post to make in the future, but this is the main one!

My personal tsugaru-nuri goods (The chopsticks were crafted by myself)

A few months ago I attended a local cultural workshop in which I learned and participated in the process of crafting tsugaru-nuri hashi (津軽塗箸), or "Tsugaru lacquered chopsticks". What a cool experience it was! The unique procedures and techniques required to produce tsugaru-nuri crafted goods come from the traditional Tsugaru culture of Aomori Prefecture, so it was a terrific opportunity to learn about both the craft and the local culture. It also inspired me to not only share what I've learned, but also gain a better understanding of the culture as a whole.

Regions of Aomori: Tsugaru and Nanbu

So what is "Tsugaru" anyway? Well, Tsugaru and Nanbu are the two main cultural-historical regions of Aomori Prefecture. Tsugaru-chihō (津軽地方地方, Tsugaru "region") occupies the west and central area, whereas Nanbu-chihō (南部地方, Nanbu "region") takes up most of the eastern side including the Shimokita Penninsula. Since each were different political domains in the Edo Period (17th-19th century), each developed distinct local cultures influencing language, music, art, and more.

Map Showing Tsugaru and Nanbu Regions of Aomori Prefecture

Personally, I've been most exposed to Tsugaru culture since Aomori City falls into this region and I lived there for years. And since the local art tradition of Tsugaru-nuri is so common, it didn’t take me long to see it.

What is Tsugaru-nuri (lacquerware)?

Tsugaru-nuri is a special craft/paining technique applied to a wide variety of lacquerware goods; most common are chopsticks, bowls, plates, and things of that nature. But nowadays, artists have gone much further than this to include less traditional objects like smart phone cases, jewelry, and keychains, just to name a few. The craft has numerous styles, including 4 special techniques which can also be expressed in various colors, patterns, and glosses.

Learning the Local Craft for yourself

It takes many years of practice to master the craft, but there are still opportunities for everyday people to learn about process and even participate. For a long time I was unaware of these opportunities, so when I finally heard that I could book a lesson to learn how to do it, I picked up the phone and made a reservation. I went to a museum called Nebuta-Mura (ねぷた村, "Nebuta Village") in Hirosaki, located about one hour southwest from Aomori City. 

Nebuta-Mura, a museum in Hirosaki

If you are interested, you can get more specific information about the museum from the following links: Japan-Guide (English) / Official Website (Japanese). It's worth noting that there are occasionally other opportunities elsewhere in the prefecture, so keep your eyes open if you are living in the area or about the travel there.

Making Tsugaru-nuri Chopsticks

The best way to learn about the actual process is to go and try it for yourself! And to be honest, I don't want to make this post too much longer. But here's some pictures of my experience to get some sense of it, I certainly hope this inspires others to try it sometime!

From start to finish, the steps in crafting tsugaru-nuri chopsticks

Much of the process involves using lightweight sandpapers

A great experience, please give it a try if you have the chance!

School Sports Recap - Undokai & Chutairen 2014

Two of my favorite yearly school events are undokai ("Sports Day") and chutairen ("Junior High School Athletic Tournament"). I wrote in detail about these in my blog last year (see links), but I still wanted to publish a short photo summary for this year.

The pair of events were not so different than previous years. Teachers and students spent a significant amount of time to prepare in advance. Everything went smoothly and there were no big surprises. During undokai, students made great efforts to compete individually, between classes, and between grades at their school as their parents cheered from the sides of the sports field. In regards to this year's chutairen, where my school's students competed against other schools in the city, there were successes and failures, and cheers and tears. Although similar to last year, they were just as enjoyable. And further, they were to be the final chances I had to watch as a teacher of the school since my departure from Aomori was fast approaching. Without further ado, let's get to the pictures!

Koda JHS Undokai

Students preparing and setting up before the event

One of many the many races to take place

Students work hard but seem to really enjoy their Sports Day

One of several quirky competitions

Harder than it looks, I think

A few boys watch as the chaos of tug-of-war ensues

Relay races are held towards the end of the day

Students excitedly cheer on their teammates

Chutairen

The start of the opening ceremony

Participating students (athletes) from each school march during the ceremony

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Boys kendo

Students are very loud while dueling, it often surprises me

After kendo, I stopped by the baseball fields for awhile

Girl's bball won their first game, but lost the second in a close game

Students who don't participate in sports still cheer for their classmates

My school's strongest sports club, volleyball, won first place again this year!

And with the selection of pictures above, I'm going to finish this post and hopefully get a little closer to getting myself up to date with my blog! If you are reading this, I hope you enjoyed the pictures and thanks for checking it out.