Trip to Kochi and Muroto

Trip to Kochi and Muroto -

This past winter we took a brief three day trip to visit the beaches of Muroto and then onto the city of Kochi. These cities are located on Shikoku island which is south of Honshu, the island where we live. This was the second time we have been to Shikoku but this time we drove down the Pacific Ocean side which lead us onto Awaji Island and then onto Shikoku island.

I mention this because the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge bridge between Awaji Island and Shikoku which crosses the Akashi Strait, is the longest central span of any suspension bridge in the world measuring 1,991 meters, 6,532 feet or 1.237 miles. It was truly a sight to behold and the tide going in and out of this location crates some very large and strong whirl pools.

Akashi Kaikyo Bridge

It was cold and windy while we were there so we were bundled up in sweaters and coats but the landscape was still beautiful and the beaches were much different than the beaches we have experienced along the Sea of Japan side. While along the coast of Muroto we did some beach combing, visited a sea turtle museum and also a dolphin training facility.

We spent the last day of our trip in Kochi city visiting the Kochi Castle, doing some hiking and touring the street markets in town.

Chadduck House Nameplate-

It is customary in Japan to have a family name plate on the front of one’s house. We did not have one for the first year we lived in Japan but recently ordered one and Bob installed it on the front near our gate. Because there is no Kanji for our name, it is written in Katakana which is used to write foreign words in Japanese.

I just learned to read Katakana this fall and our name in Katakana is pronounced Chadaku.

Heguri Basketball Team Graduation-

Last spring Stephanie graduated from the Heguri Mini Basketball team and we were blessed to be part of a wonderful graduation ceremony. The event lasted most of the day with an actual graduation ceremony and gifts exchanged between the players, parents and coaches.

Parents of graduating girls were asked to give a brief speech to the families, teammates and coaches. Bob presented his speech in Japanese while I had a translator for my portion. It was a very special and moving event since Mini Basketball is much like close family friendships. The players performed dances, played games and were presented with elaborate picture books of the season while the coaches spoke about the graduating girls and their contribution to the team.

Mini Basketball Graduation Celebration

That night all graduating families went to yakiniku and celebrated with the coaches. It was a wonderful experience and meant a lot to our family to be included in such an event. Though the mini basketball season goes all year long and is a big commitment, the friendships and activities with this group have enriched our experience in Japan tremendously. We are very grateful to have been welcomed into this fun loving and wonderful group.

Thank you for following our adventure in Japan. We are grateful for your  prayers, support, and investment in our ministry.

In Christ,

K. Chadduck

English and Japanese Language Acquisition -

Learning a Foreign Language -
I am dedicating this entry to language acquisition and applaud all of you who are pushing yourself to master another language. I can attest learning another language is not for the faint of heart. It can be challenging, embarrassing and of course rewarding.

My personal journey learning Japanese has been like most adult students I expect. Because I have so many roles to fulfill in any given day, actual study time can be hard to come by. Not to mention because you are an adult, you are expected to keep you with adult conversation. I want to share some of my most amusing, humiliating and hopefully encouraging experiences with language acquisition while living in Japan.  

The first few months after we arrived I admit there were days I would not leave the house because of the emotional energy required to go out. Sometimes I just did not have the energy to try and explain myself, communicate through charades or try and find a specific ingredient at the grocery store to no avail. Some days honestly, I just opted to stay home and not try and communicate with anyone who did not speak English.

English Conversation Group –

The first year in Japan, Bob was invited by one of our neighbors to a retired English conversation group in our community. The original meeting was over a year ago and that interaction has led to some wonderful friendships. As a result of that first meeting we have attended several community activities including their annual summer BBQ, a local summer festival, lunches with various members of the group and game days at our local elementary school.

Several members of the English conversation group have also attended our American style Thanksgiving, Spring Festival at our school, as well as the monthly English conversation service held at our local faith community. 

We have had such a wonderful time getting to know this unique, adventurous and fun loving group. The menu for this BBQ included a variety of  grilled vegetables, steamed tofu, inoshishi (wild boar), grilled beef, pork and onigiri (seasoned rice balls). We had so much fun with these friends and are thankful they include us in some of the English conversation group activities.

English Conversation Group

Stephanie’s Mimi Basketball Team –

We loved being a part of our community basketball team. It was not easy at first because everything associated with the team was of course in Japanese and we could not read or write much. Thanks to a couple of team mom’s who were sympathetic to our situation and made sure we knew what we needed to know, we were able to navigate the various team activities. They were a gift and probably have no idea how much their kindness meant to us. We cherish their friendship and their grace towards us.

One particular incident that stands out above the rest was the day we had a parents vs. players’ basketball game. After finishing the games we broke for a Somen noodle lunch. Each family brought cooked Somen noodles, they sent them down a bamboo pipe cut in half with water and edamame (soybean pods) and kids and parents lined the bamboo shoots and scooped Somen noodles from the trough. We ate them out of bowls with delicious Somen sauce. So…we dutifully brought our cooked Somen noodles and gave them to the mom’s in charge of the event, got out our obento (sack lunch) and fully enjoyed the experience complete with kakigori (flavored shaved ice).

Alex eating Somen noodles at mini basketball

At the close of the event there were a group of four to five mothers standing around visiting after cleaning up the day’s activities. One of the mom’s handed me a plastic container of left-over cooked Somen noodles. I thanked her for the noodles and saw some Katakana written on the top of the plastic container. “Thank you for the noodles, who do I return the container to I asked.” The mother looked at me in a puzzled way and I asked the question again. I knew a couple of the mom’s in this group pretty well and she says, “It is yours. It says Chadduck san.” “Oh, the dish is mine”, I said turning totally red faced and now profusely laughing at myself. They said it has your name written on it. “I cannot read Katakana” I said, “My husband wrote it on the container.”

Our name in Katakana

We all had a long and hearty laugh at my expense but I knew these women and they were not trying to humiliate me so I just rolled with it. Honestly, it became a standing joke among us for the rest of the basketball season. This was one of many silly, embarrassing and sometimes downright humiliating experiences but it is all part of being in a culture where

everything is new.

I found there were a handful of mom’s who wanted to practice English and they were as tentative about trying to use their broken English as I was about Japanese. I relish those mothers who did not let their likelihood of being embarrassed keep them from trying or pursuing relationship with me. Some of those mothers who stepped out and tried to bridge the gap will forever be the most cherished relationships I have made in Japan.

Japanese Lessons with Matsui Sensei –

This past year I was able to take private Japanese lessons for about 6 months with Matsui Sensei. Until moving to Japan I was sort of oblivious to my inability to speak another language. I really had no idea how unusual it is to be monolingual and what a huge disadvantage I was at having only taken a couple years of foreign language in high school. Having said that, Japanese is a really, really hard language to learn and it does not come easy for me. I looked up some statistics on the Language Testing International website which states for example, Spanish takes something like 24 weeks or 720 hours of intensive and/or immersion study, in a 1:4 class ratio to attain their levels of expected performance while Japanese takes something like 80 – 92 weeks, or 2,400 - 2,760 hours of the same level of study to attain expected performance levels.  

OK, did you catch that? Based upon those statistics it looks to me like Japanese is going to take almost four times the effort to attain the same level or mastery! When I read those statistics I thought that is impossible, I will be an infant in Japanese forever! I will never actually be able to carry on a conversation and be understood.

Japanese Lesson 

What I have learned though, is by studying vocabulary and phrases, I have been able to participate in conversations. Albeit rudimentary, I am able to get across basic ideas, concepts and follow the conversations around me to get the gist of what is being discussed. Another huge piece of this is the Japanese in my circles and community are very gracious and polite. As long as I am trying they are really patient with my broken Japanese. I admit sometimes it is a hybrid of what little Japanese I know and a bit of charades thrown in as well. But hey, each time I meet with a group to practice my Japanese and their English, I walk away from the interaction knowing four to five more words in context and I notice I am able to pick up more of the conversation.

Let me just say language accusation is amazing, difficult and wonderful! I am stunned at how many students are taking my high school English class in their second or third language. Kudo’s to you! You impress me so much and I love working with you as we make learning language fun! You are my inspiration to keep working on my two year old Japanese. I aspire to attain some of the language mastery you demonstrate every day in English class. You guys are incredible!

Thank you for following our adventure and for your support. We appreciate your commitment and investment in what God is doing in Japan. Please continue to pray for our family and those God brings across our path.

In Christ,

K. Chadduck

Kyoto - Arashiyama

Bamboo Forest -

Last July Bob and I made a trip to Kyoto prefecture and visited Arashiyama. The kids were away at summer camp and we took the opportunity to visit another area in Kyoto. I knew it would be more temples and shrines and they were not too excited to see more of these so just the two of us went.

I am not sure if I have mentioned this before, but Kyoto is my favorite prefecture in Japan so far. It is so diverse and full of Japanese historic significance not to mention really beautiful. There are roughly five distinct areas to visit in Kyoto and we have been to two of the five regions so far.

Arashiyama is famous for its bamboo forest and monkey park. We went in the summer so we did not see the spectacular lights they use in the winter to create a beautiful winter wonderland in the forest. The forest was still impressive and I am glad to have experienced it for myself.

Kyoto, Arishiyama Bamboo Forest

Lotus garden -
There were some beautiful gardens around Kyoto. I finally got to see one of the giant lotus seed pods in many American dried flower arrangements. I never knew the giant seed pod was from a lotus flower until I saw one in Kyoto. Here are the flowers in bud form as well as full bloom. They really are very beautiful and much larger than I ever realized.

Lotus seed pod, bloom and open flower

Monkey Park -
The next stop on our itinerary was the Arishiyama monkey park.  Honestly I was not getting my hopes up because well you know, I was expecting to see some contrived monkeys in cages which they would then charge us some exorbitant price to feed pieces of fruit or something. Much to my surprise, it was wonderful.

We had a pretty good hike to the top of this mountain area and all along the way we were reading signs about not feeding the monkeys. Signs warning,  "Do not take plastic bags and do not look the monkeys in the eyes". I was starting to wonder what we had signed up for and if I really wanted to hike this mountain to be freaked out by some crazy monkeys.

It was a beautiful day so we were thoroughly enjoying our hike up the mountain. I was keeping my eyes open for one of these crazy saru's (monkeys) that might just attack me if I looked at them the wrong way. Towards the top of the mountain we spotted our first monkey, no kidding a baby monkey was scurrying along the hiking trail following its mother who was a ways off in the thicket. I could not believe how close they were and that they just went running by us.

Ok I thought, this could be really cool. But I must admit I was still skeptical about what it would be like at the top. We passed a family almost near the top with elementary age kids and the father mentioned something in passing about, "You will be glad you made the hike, it's worth it."

Alright, I was encouraged and if a guy with his family of three kid can handle the experience, I am probably going to be safe from a monkey attack. I was starting to get kind of excited since I had seen the baby monkey and a few others close by.

Arishiyama Monkey Park, Kyoto Japan

It was a really cool experience at the top of the mountain. The monkeys were loose just hanging out and going about their business. You could feed the monkeys if you chose to via a small wooden hut enclosed with wire so the monkeys could not get to you if you had food. They thought of everything at this place and trained the monkeys effectively only to take food from tourists via the feeding hut.

It was well worth the hike up the mountain and I was amazed at how close we got to the monkeys. I was a bit surprised by how disinterested the monkeys were in all the people mingling around. If you are ever in Kyoto, this is one place I highly recommend you make the trip to see.

Temples and Shrines in Kyoto -
We visited several temples and shrines around Kyoto including some with unique moss gardens and a Zen Buddhist garden which was the first I have ever visited. The surrounding grounds were really extensive, serene, and beautiful to tour.

Moss garden on the grounds of a temple

Kinkaku-Ji Temple -
Next stop was Kinkaku-ji, officially named Rokun-ji, a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto. This is often referred to as the Golden Temple and you can see why. It is a very famous temple and one of the must sees if you take a trip to this part of Kyoto so we went to see it for ourselves.

Kinkaku-ji or the Golden Temple - Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto Tower -
On our way home I just had to take the typical tourist picture of Kyoto Tower outside Kyoto station. We had a wonderful trip. I am pretty sure we walked twelve hours one day and I do not know how many miles. We took in some very famous and beautiful landmarks in Kyoto and I can't wait to schedule a visit to another region.

Famous Kyoto Tower just outside Kyoto station

Thank you for your support whether you are giving financially or praying for our ministry. We appreciate your commitment and investment in what God is doing in Japan. We are grateful for your partnership and excited about the opportunities God is providing. Please continue to pray for our family, open hearts for those God brings across our path, and wisdom to love those around us well.

In Christ
K. Chadduck

Nagano Prefecture - Karuizawa Part 2

This is Part 2 of our family vacation update to Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

Japanese Style BBQ -
We vacationed with the Steward's for part of our stay in Karuizawa and enjoyed Japanese style BBQ together a couple of evenings. I have to say I really like Japanese style BBQ. It seems to be a bit more healthy and you pace yourself as you eat. Because the grill is small, food takes a while to prepare and the meal is served in shifts if you will. I find it allows more time to socialize around the grill, slowly enjoy the meal over a few hours, and anticipate the next round of meat, vegetables and various sauces.

Par of what makes the experience different is you pour the BBS sauce into a bowl and dip your food into the bowl rather than coating the meat and cooking. This way all your vegetables, meats and rice may be coated with the sauce evenly. I think I prefer this style of BBQ and the slower pace it provides as well as reason to hang around a fellowship.

Bob at the grill, can you smell that good food?

Blueberry Picking -
All you can eat blueberry picking. Or should I say all you can eat and pick until you make yourself sick! We thoroughly enjoyed the slower pace of the week and still managed to do some blueberry picking, visited an amazing waterfall and enjoyed great fellowship with the Steward family.

His basket never seems to get full...

Ice cream with fresh blueberry sauce - oh so good!

Karuizawa - Shiraito Falls - 
Shiraito-no-taki waterfall is one of the most famous sites in Karuizawa. It is known as the White Thread waterfall for the way the water falls directly out of the sounding rock. We took a short road trip one afternoon so see these amazing falls. I guess certain times of the year they have a wonderful light show projected over the falls. The area was beautiful and reminded me of places around Western Washington with many ferns, small streams and beautiful crystal clear pools surrounding the waterfall.

It was raining the day we went but it had been so hot it really was still pretty comfortable to be in shorts and a jacket. These falls are only 9.8 feet high but span 230 feet around a curved rock formation creating a beautiful scene.

Karuizawa Shiraito Falls - Karuizawa, Japan

Old Karuizawa -
We spent an evening walking around Old Karuizawa visiting small gift shops, ice cream stands, and also a small Anglican church built by Alexander Croft in the 1890's. He was Canadian born missionary who founded the Anglican church in Tokyo and also the Shaw Memorial Chapel in Karuizawa. He was very influential in bringing many Japanese to Christ who later would become prominent business and political leaders in Japan 

Mr. Croft is also credited along with James Dixon for making Karuizawa a popular summer vacation destination in their attempts to escape the stifling heat of Tokyo. I find it amusing how history is sometimes to very practical and this town became popular because it was a cool pleasant place to live. Apparently one of their other claims to fame is John Lennon vacationed in Karuizawa in the 1970's as well. 

Shaw Memorial Chapel - Old Karuizawa town

Stone Church -
This was a really unique and beautiful church. The church seats about fifty people and is open to the public. This church was apparently built in commemoration of Uchimura Kanso who was a leader in the Non-church Movement and a Christian evangelist. When we entered there was a pastor welcoming everyone and indicating it was a non-denominational church where all are welcome to worship at their Sunday services.

Maybe that is what was meant by the non-church movement but I can not be sure. Sometimes things get lost in translation and I am wondering if that is what happened when they say non-church movement. None the less, it was a beautifully landscaped area and the inside walls of the church were covered with apotheosis which made if feel like you were outside while sitting in the pews.

Stone Church in Karuizawa, Japan

Thank you to all our friends and family for your prayers and support. We are thrilled about what God is doing in our community and the opportunity to serve Him here in Japan. We hope you are all off to a good start in the new year and are thankful for God's faithfulness and amazing love for us.

In His Service with gratitude,

K. Chadduck