Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Nagano Prefecature - Karuizawa Part 1

Last August we took a family vacation to Nagano, Prefecture. On our way to Nagano, we stopped at several points of interest on our drive to Karuizawa.

Our first stop was the cool little town called Narai-juku. The town is the oldest post town in Japan. During the Edo Era from 1603 - 1868 the Nakasendo Road was one of the main routes linking Edo (the old name for Tokyo) and Kyoto. In 2007 this city ranked among Japan's top 100 Beautiful Historical Sites. 
Streets of Narai-juku, Japanese Heritage Post Town
Narai-juku city, its shops, and buildings have been preserved and reflect several different periods of Japanese architecture. We spent a few hours walking the narrow streets, playing in the park, visiting the shrine, and appreciating the amazing Kiso Ohashi wooden bridge.
Alex in front of the Kiso Ohashi bridge
You can see the amazing design of the bridge behind Stephanie
Next stop, Matsumoto castle which is located naturally, in Matsumoto city. The castle is known as "crow castle" due to its unusual black exterior. The castle has a beautiful moat with many colorful koi.
Matsumoto Castle, Matsumoto Japan
Another view of Matsumoto castle
Koi in the moat outside Matsumoto castle
Final destination and home base for the week, Kariuzawa, Nagano Prefecture. Nagano prefecture is a bit north west of Tokyo and the weather is much cooler than our Kansai region. The trip was wonderful and provided a much needed break from the stifling heat and humidity of Kansai.

Nagano was new territory for our family and the farthest North I have been in Japan so far. It is still on the island of Honshu but about an 8 hour drive from our region. We stayed in log cabins at a camp founded by German missionaries in an area called Karuizawa. The area was relatively dry, stunningly beautiful, very relaxing and cool, did I mention that already...
Cabins at Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture
The cabins were built with amazing craftsmanship and the windows were unlike any I have encountered before. We played German monopoly in the multipurpose room and visited with retired Japanese missionaries who were vacationing at the camp as well.  
Inside our cabin, all wood construction - so beautiful
We had a wonderful trip and enjoyed the time to rejuvenate and see a new part of Japan. There is too much to post in one blog update so you will need to visit again in a couple of weeks to see the rest of our wonderful family vacation to Karuizawa.

This time of year brings to mind so many things for which we are thankful. We appreciate our families, friends and faithful supporters who generously contribute to God's work here in Japan. Thank you for partnering with us in this great adventure and for your prayers for the lost of Japan. We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and wish you the best as we anticipate the celebration of our Savior's birth in December.

In His service with a thankful heart,

K. Chadduck

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Yukatas from Mrs. Honda

We have been richly blessed by our friendship with Mrs. Honda whom we met through the retired English conversation group in our community. She has been a wonderful friend sharing cultural experiences, practicing Japanese and English with us as well as recently providing us with beautiful yukatas.
Yukata given to me by Mrs. Honda
This fall we had the privilege of attending a festival with Mrs. Honda as her guests. She gave us beautiful Japanese yukatas (summer kimonos) and Mrs. Fujii also provided us with traditional shoes. They came to our house early the evening of the event to help us get dressed for the festival.
Stephanie getting ready for the festival in her koi yukata
Mrs. Honda, Mrs Fujii, Stephanie and me at the festival
Enjopying the live music and lights
Mrs. Honda took us to the city center a couple of weeks prior to the festival to practice dancing so we could learn the traditional dances before attending the festivities. We had a wonderful time dancing, seeing friends from Stephanie's basketball team, and particiating in the various activities during the festival.
Dancing at the festival
When we arrived they gave each school aged child a bingo card in order to play with the crowd. Alex won a kitchen timer shaped like a robot. It was kind of tricky playing Bingo in Japanese but we had some help from Mrs. Honda who confirmed we were marking the right squares on our bingo card.
Robot kitchen timer Alex won playing bingo at the festival
Our family at a local Japanese festival fall of 2016
We appreciate all Mrs. Honda has done in welcoming us to Japan and befriending our family. She has become a dear friend and we enjoy getting to know her better and spend time with her. I had a wonderful time at this event and fully enjoyed being included by Mrs. Honda and her friends in their social gathering.

Thank you to all of our support partners for your generosity and kindness. We appreciate your faithful contributions to what God is doing in Japan and in our community. We value your prayers and continue to be amazed by the friendships and oppotunities we have been given. May God open hearts and draw the people of Japan to Himself.

Grateful to be serving in Japan,

K. Chadduck  


Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Camping at Kotohikihama Beach

This summer we took a few camping road trips to explore more of Japan. One of my favorite places by far was Kotohikihama beach. This beach was amazing for a variety of reasons and we definitely hope to visit again.
Beach at Kotohimihama - Kyoto, Japan
Alex on the beach at sunset
Kotohikihama is on the Sea of Japan side about six hours from Nara, in the Kyoto Prefecture. A fellow teacher recommended this beach and loaned us her tent to camp for a few days. The camp was perched on a cliff of sorts overlooking the Sea of Japan with the ocean shore just below. We visited in August so the weather was hot and perfect for swimming, beach combing, and snorkeling. 

I have not been a big fan or snorkeling since I had a not so pleasant experience in Hawaii with fish that were too comfortable with tourists nibbling my arms for food. I have since stayed primarily on the beach venturing into the ocean generally when I get too hot and then only to cool off and return to the much more predicable shore.

The first thing we noticed about the beach was that it made this really cool sound when we ran on it or slid our feet on it. The beach is known as a singing beach or in Japanese, "Nakisuna" which literally means singing sand or harp-playing beach. It was really, really cool and I have never been on a beach like it. 
Stephanie on the singing sand beach
The snorkeling was fantastic and I broke tradition and spent a fair bit of time snorkeling along the rock formations near the shore. Visibility was roughly 30 - 40 feet and there were a ton of creatures to been seen and in the case of our family, captured. We brought small nets and buckets which were soon filled with starfish, octopus, baby flounder, sea urchins, sand dollars, large snails and a variety of other colorful small fish. Our family thoroughly enjoyed the beach and tried to savor every moment.
Starfish and another salt water fish
Octopus Bob caught in the reef
Alex holding the octopus - why, well because he could
Our treasures for the day snorkeling

Octopus is a very popular menu item here in Japan and several people came over when we caught this one to tell us how to cook it and that it is very oishi or delicious. You can see it gets tired of being messed with and inks the water while Alex is trying to pick it up.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, there was a natural onsen on the BEACH! There was an outdoor onsen, (think hot tub) built right on the beach and each morning about nine they would turn on a pump to fill the onsen with water and leave it on until the beach officially "closed"  about five pm. It was really hot and a great way to warm up after getting cold snorkeling in the ocean.

The facility had showers and bathrooms so it was much more like camping at a state park than roughing it like we have on some occasions. We BBQ'd Japanese style and wished we could stay much long.
Japanese style BBQ at the beach
We also met a Japanese family from Osaka who invited us to light fireworks with them and hangout one evening. It was a wonderful trip and we can't wait to get back and spend more time at this gem. We ended up giving the octopus we caught to this family instead of eating it ourselves.
Family from Osaka who invited us to set off fireworks with them
Thank you so much for your prayers and support. We appreciate your partnership and value your contribution to what God is doing in Japan. We are thrilled to be here building relationships and loving on those He sends our way. We are excited about the opportunities He is giving us to invest in our community and school.

In His service with a gratitude,

K. Chadduck

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Calligraphy with Miho

Calligraphy with Miho -
A couple of months ago we had the opportunity to practice Japanese calligraphy with Miho at her studio. She teaches traditional Japanese calligraphy and we had a wonderful time learning more about this Japanese art form.
Practicing various strokes and pressures to get the right effect
We first started by making our own ink. We rubbed the charcoal stick into a powder and added water. We then worked the charcoal to make it the correct consistency, selected the correct width of brush for our specific project, and began to practice.

The first thing I noticed was calligraphy is much harder than it looks. Miho made it look effortless and graceful. I struggled to hold my arm and hand in the correct position, to push down just hard enough to make the stroke thickness accurate, and then let off so the tails of the letters were wispy. 
I know it looks simple, but it is not!
This was a lot of fun and gave us an appreciation for the massive calligraphy signs you see around Japan. We practiced several characters before selecting the one we would put on our board to take home. I chose the kanji for "light", Bob chose the kanji for "road or path" and Stephanie chose the kanji for "Japan".
Bob selected a difficult kanji to try
Miho blessed us with a wonderful lunch and calligraphy lesson at her studio. We got to bring home our kanji characters which are now displayed in our genkan (entry way). 
Our final products signed and stamped by Miho
Stephanie Joins Heguri Mini-Basketball -
Some time in June Stephanie started attending practices with the local mini basketball team and officially joined the team in July. It has been a wonderful and unique experience for both her and our family.
Our team banner at the tournament
There are have been some comical misunderstandings on our part and also a lot of patience on their part as the team mothers communicate practice changes and game schedules. We are grateful they allowed Stephanie to be part of the team and are so gracious in working with us.

She played in a tournament in July with twenty three teams from our region. The gym was quite large and consisted of three teams playing at any given time. Our girls played well but did not advance to the next round of play.
Preparing for the tip off
They definitely play a different style of basketball here with practices four days a week ranging anywhere from 2-4 hours. The first half of practice is conditioning and ball handling. We were shocked to find no one shoots the basketball the first half of practice. We see the impact of this type of practice though, as Stephanie's dribbling and ball handling skills have improved tremendously.
Lined up for a free throw
We are enjoying getting to know the families and participate in the social gatherings associated with the basketball team culture. It has been a great way for us to become acquainted with local families and continue trying to speak Japanese.
Stephanie catching somen noodles from the bamboo pipe
These pictures were taken at basketball family day which consisted of eating somen noodles and soybeans sent down a bamboo shoot, eating kakigori (shaved ice), and finishing off the festivities with with a players vs. parents basketball game.
Alex catching some lunch as well

You can eat the noodles from the end of the pipe...but I don't recommend it!

Our friend James and Bob trying their hand at catching somen noodles
Stephanie is picking up Japanese really quickly given she is around many girls her age who only speak Japanese. She is probably the most fluent Japanese speaker in our home now and is likely the most natural sounding conversationalist. She has a lot more opportunity to practice her Japanese than the rest of us and it shows.

Day Trip to Suma with Miko and Kazu -
We took a brief day trip to Suma and met up with former MFWI students to enjoy a warm day at the beach. Kazuyo was one of our very first home stay students with MFWI several years ago in Spokane and Mikiko was also a home stay student maybe two summers ago in the US. We swam, played some games on the beach and finished our visit with dinner and donuts together. It was great to catch up with the girls briefly during their summer break before they begin studies again.
Day trip to Suma in Kobe, Japan with Kazuyo and Mikiko
Donuts at a local bakery in Suma
I apologize it has been nearly two months since my last blog entry. I hope now that school is back in session my schedule will allow for more consistent blog entries. We continue to be amazed at the friendships and opportunities we have been afforded since arriving in Japan.

We love living in Japan and are trying to take in the culture and experiences whenever possible. Thank you for your continued support be it financial, prayer support, or both. We know it is by God's grace we are here and we want to be effective for Him in our calling. We ask you to pray for those we encounter while in Japan. May their hearts be open to the gospel and may we be effective witnesses of His love and the gift of salvation.

We appreciate all you do to help us serve in Japan and are very aware of our partners around the world. May God bless your obedience and may He be exalted in our joint efforts to reach this amazing country for Christ.

In Christ,

K. Chadduck

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Camping Trip to Shima - Ise Prefecture

Camping Trip to Shima - Ise prefecture -
Once summer school let out, we took advantage of summer vacation and headed to Ise prefecture and spent some time at Shima. Because of the time of year, we had the beach virtually to ourselves. We stayed in a Japanese style bungalow with tatami mats and futons, (think camping pad and light sleeping bags). 

The campground was across the street from the beach with a huge covered patio to get out of the blistering afternoon sun. We beach combed, swam, body surfed and took full advantage of the beautiful ocean and beach. Stephanie found the largest sand dollar I have ever seen. The shell is bigger than the palm of my hand and was one of the best finds of the trip. The campground and the wonderful campground attendant were the other best finds of the trip.
Stephanie's huge sand dollar!
The sweet and heartwarming campground attendant showered us with kindness and unbeknownst to us, was very generous in providing some amazing delicacies for us to try. She appeared at our picnic table and offered us some Sazae shellfish or Shima famous Turban snails. We told her no thanks but she returned about ten minutes later with a huge abalone served up in the shell and a plate of the Turban snails, one for each member of our family.
Abalone served in the shell - a Shima delicacy
What ensued after that was both delightful and very entertaining. My whole family ate the abalone except me and indicated it was good, but pretty chewy. Then she proceeded to offer us the utensils to eat the GIANT Saza shellfish. Only Bob and Stephanie were brave enough to eat the unsightly shellfish.
Sazae shellfish in the shell - before
Our attendant proceeded to coat the shellfish in soy sauce, pulled it out of its shell and served it up on the plate. I kid you not, I almost gagged. I never could stand the smell of liver and it looked a lot like liver to me.
Sazae shellfish out of the shell - after
I am attaching a video of Bob and Stephanie eating the Sazae shellfish, you can hear me laughing hysterically in the background.

You can hear Bob as ask her "Oishii desuka?" Which means is it delicious? She says,  "So, so oishii". Meaning yes, yes it is delicious. They tried the first part of the snail and said, " Oishii". Then came a part that looks like well...something you should not put in your mouth. Bob says, "kowai". Meaning I am scared. She laughs at him and tells him, "daijobu". Meaning it is ok, it's alright. 

He takes a bite at her prompting and as you can see from the video, once she is out of earshot he says, "Oishii jenai". Meaning, it is not delicious. 

Once we returned home we learned she offered us a very expensive and coveted delicacy of Shima. We greatly appreciated her generosity however, the delicacy unfortunately was wasted upon our family. 

Alex Graduates 8th Grade -
So proud of this kid and the young man he is growing up to be. Alex graduated 8th grade this spring and will begin high school in the fall. So fun to be a part of our kids everyday experience in Japan and at school. What a blessing it is to teach, worship and serve with them all the while watching them grow into loving, caring and responsible young men and women.

Bob handed out the 8th grade graduation certificates and was able to give Alex his certificate which made the promotion that much more special for our family.
Alex graduating 8th grade

High school and junior high graduation celebration
Bamboo Shoots From Our Neighbors -
Our neighbors dug bamboo shoots and shared some with us. I had no idea this is what the small strips of canned bamboo we buy in the states looked like in their original form. Apparently this is a seasonal tradition and families harvest "takenoko" and eat it in many dishes. They serve it with rice, in stir fry, and boiled. 

Bamboo shoots are dig up from the base. Once peeled, they boil it and cut it into chunks or strips. It has a very mild flavor and has chambers inside the stalks.
Takenoko shoots from our neighbors
Our neighbors recent "takenoko" (bamboo) harvest 
Thank you -
You may grow tried of hearing me say it, but thank you for your faithful support and prayers. Because of your support, we are able to invest deeply and generously in the school and our community.

We marvel at the grace of God, His kindness and faithfulness. We see Him open doors and opportunities for us regularly and are humbled by the friendships we have made and community in which we get to serve. 

In Christ, grateful and amazed we get to serve Him in this way. 

K. Chadduck  










Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Bob Accepts Principal Position at KCS -

Bob Accepted the Principal Position at Kansai Christian School –
So some of you may know by now but for those of you who do not, Bob will be the principal at Kansai Christian School (KCS) next year. After much prayer and teaching in the school for a semester, we think this is where God would have him serve the KCS community.

We are excited about being a part of this wonderful student body and faith community. He has continued to teach this semester as well as take on administrative tasks associated with the principal position. He is grateful for the unique opportunity to have worked alongside Sampo Sainio, (former KCS principal) this past year as he learned about the school and transitioned into his new role.

KCS is pursuing accreditation through the Association of Christian Schools International (ASCI) so we are preparing for many changes in the next few years as the staff pursues accreditation.
Sampo Sainio, former KCS principal passing the torch to Bob
Kyoto Temples and Parks
About a month ago we spent the day in Kyoto and took in many world famous tourist sights. Though Kyoto is not far from where we live, just a few hours, there is a noticeable difference in some of the day to day customs. Because it is a metropolitan area you will notice many foreigners in the area and hear numerous languages spoken as you mingle with other tourists.
Alex in front of a temple entrance in Kyoto, Japan
Kyoto has been on our list of places to visit since we arrived and we finally were able to get away on a weekend. Because the area is so rich in history and has so much to offer tourists, we were advised to plan several day or overnight trips to see the various regions.
Pagoda in Kyoto, Japan
We visited Kiyomizu-dera Temple which is just one of the many World Heritage sites in Kyoto. This temple features the world famous "Kiyomize-no-butai (main hall's wooden veranda)" which is supported by 139 pillars and provides and amazing view of the city as well as surrounding gardens.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kyoto, Japan
Pagoda from across the valley Kyoto, Japan

Sacred watering pools at Kiyomizu-dera Temple
We had a great time visiting the area, walking through beautiful parks, seeing hundreds of men and women dressed in traditional kimono's, and visiting small shops lining the streets filled with wonderful Japanese items and great food.
Entrance to another large temple in Kyoto, Japan
Entomology in Japan
So to paint a more complete picture of life in Japan, I feel the need to show you some of the "pests" we have encountered while living here. They have ranged from cockroaches three inches long, lots of super tiny mosquitoes, centipedes, mamushi (Japanese viper) and yes these GIANT Japanese bees.
Large Japanese bee I found outside the school.
I found this gem on my way to school just outside of the school gate. It was dying on the ground but was still alive when I found it. If you know my family, they are always interested in pests and wildlife. To happen upon a giant bee was very interesting and led to a lot of teasing among my children.
You can see from Stephanie's had it is about three inches long
I am grateful to report for the most part, these pests leave us alone but once in a while I still let out a pretty good scream and my family asks from the other room, "centipede?" Sometimes it is and sometimes it is a roach that has made its way into one of our closets and startled me. 
Centipede - they are not poisonous but they can still pinch!

Ominous aren't they? Yes, they get into the house sometimes!
Kansai Christian School Drama Night
Each year KCS performs a musical with students and staff for families and the community. This year the musical was "Back to the Cross". It was based on similar themes as "Back to the Future" but with a Christian twist.
Stephanie as "Whitney" in "Back to the Cross"
The premise is a group of kids get into a time machine and travel back in time together. Some of the kids are believers, others in the time machine are not. Their stops to different time periods change the future and as a result, churches are not built, communities are changed, and they realize the impact of one life lived for Christ.
Stephanie as an All-American Valley Girl.
They did an amazing job and the production was great. Stephanie played Whitney, an All-American Valley Girl with frizzed out hair, valley girl jargon, and a scrunchy to boot. We really enjoyed the performance and this was Stephanie’s first acting debut. Many family, friends and neighbors attended at a local theater the school rented in our area.

Thank you for your faithful support. I apologize for not updating the blog for a few weeks. We were really busy with end of the year school activities and continue to prepare for next fall. We appreciate all of the financial as well as prayer support we are blessed to receive. We love what God has called us to here in Japan and are blessed to partner with you serving the broader body of Christ.

In His service with gratitude,

K. Chadduck