IN JAPAN

Jun, /2015

I received a very nice offer from a backpacker couple from France. They are also traveling the world after quit their jobs and after 4 months travelling using the hotels, they have decided to try CouchSurfing in order to discover more deeply local people way of life. So, this was the first time to do Couchsurfing for them. What made me happy when I received their message was I could understand that they made sure to read entire my profile. Probably, they sent me a request after they felt we can be fit each other through my profile, I felt it. Their message was not long but it was not only polite one but also a bit mixed humor to feel how their personality is . I was already excited to host them as soon as I finished reading their message. Even they stayed just 1 night at my place, and even my youngest daughter got sick in this hosting but we had really good moment as I expected.

After finished a swimming school which my kids join every Saturday morning, we met up at the nearest station as usual. We didn't have the specific plan to do at my place, so we went the park nearby with my children. They said that before they came to my place,  they tried to play soccer to built good relationship with local people each countries they visited, but it was not easy. Coincidentally , my son and I love to play soccer so we play together. Looking back to my life, although I had been played soccer since I was 5 until 18, this is the first time to play it with foreigner. It was kind of touching thing.


While eating dinner, we talked some topics and heard about their trip so far.
They have visited some east Asian countries for 4 months, and now in Japan. After leaving Japan, they are going to the Cook island and then going to South America. Oh, nice! I want to do the same thing some day.
Unfortunately, we had to stop the talking time because youngest daughter got to start to throw up suddenly. What happened..this was the first time experience even for us... Oh! yeah! She was playing with water and rain boots at the park, she might have drunk the dirty water. How many times she threw up after that...She kept it, again and again, all night long. My wife and I couldn't sleep at all by that.  Moreover, I wasn't able to do anything for my guests... I'm sorry...

We didn't have a specific plan also in next day, we talked about cultures, jobs, economy instead we couldn't talk yesterday. One interesting thing I heard was they have lived together over 8 years but they haven't married. I hardly ever heard such a lifestyle in Japan. I guess it won't be understood easily in the Japanese society but it makes me think about what is the getting married exactly. Why do we need to get married? We can stay together, live together without the married, so why? Yes, indeed, but I don't know. I'm wondering that is also one of the cultural difference. Good to know. They gave me another thinking way!
They also played well with my kids while my wife and I were looking the youngest daughter, video games, card games, Origami... Thanks a lot!

They left in the afternoon and heading to Osaka is next their destination to see the famous whiskey factory. Looking overall, we didn't do anything special such as go out to sightseeing or go around some local spots together but these 2 days were very relaxed moments, therefore very precious and memorable days for me. Hope they feel the same.

Jun, 2015

As I said, I didn't have much information about Turkey on my life, and they didn't have much photos on their couchsurfing profile. So I couldn't imagine well the country and people. Somehow, but I thought Turkey women little bit conservative like tend to be shy, not laughing so much, and they might have some rules about their religion which I have to respect.

These kind of my images were blown away in the moment when we met.
They came to run up to us with full of smile and holding my daughters up while saying Hello!
 I could see that how they have looked forward to meeting us and how they are delighted got to meet us, as soon as I saw their faces.
They are so cheerful and very easy to talk!

They brought these nice Omiyages for us. Magnets which I'm correcting every time  when I visit other countries, famous sweets of Turkey,  a DVD about introduction their city, and the traditional charm which protects the house. If you put the charm at entrance or near windows, bad things can't enter my house.

Most of time my daughters didn't let them go to anywhere, they spent all the time together, it's like almost they are sisters. Dolls, cards, singing, drawing...
I was relieved by this nice ladies love to play with kids. They really played and cared well my daughters, thanks!

Cappadocia

We talked about things of Japan that they noticed through 2 weeks their staying. I don't think like they said but they said that Japan is very clean and safe country. I appreciate your compliment.

You can see the cultural difference with comparing the appliances. Let's see the Japanese life from through the appliances.

While doing couchsurfing, I have talked a lot about difference between Japan and their countries with my guests. The categories range is various about, language , culture, lifestyle, job, education and more, but one of interesting topic is always about appliances we are using everyday. I guess Japanese products are pretty much different from overseas ones which my guests are using in their daily life, including usage, so guests are always interested in them. It is very interesting because we can see the cultural difference through to compare the appliances . Here are some stuffs that essential for Japanese daily life and often I talk with my guests as one of culture exchange. These are just few but I hope you also enjoyed to compare between your country and Japan, and you could feel little bit of Japanese life seeing this.

Bidet Toilet

The most famous one as you know and I highly agree with the opinion, the best Japanese stuff is bidet toilet.  According Wikipedia, This machine named Wash let was released in 1980 by TOTO,the biggest Japanese company in sanitary field. The basic features are warming your bottom, and then cleaning it with warmed water. I met this machine for the first time was when I was 11 or 12 in one of my friend's house just had renovated and it was around first of 90's. The first impression was, I remember I had very strange feeling and I couldn't stop laughing because the shower tickle me. So I wondered who prefer this strange machine, and I thought at least I don't need it. But now, I can't live without this machine anymore. I haven been to America, Netherlands, and Germany in winter, staying places were all hotels though, I always almost got the heart shock because their toilets are supper cold like ice! Also, I'm not used to using only toilet paper anymore, so I always feel little bit uncomfortable with those, unfortunately. I hope every hotels get to set this machine in every rooms.

a controller of bidet toilet

I don't know whether this is used only in Japan, but I think it is a very useful water heater with controllable. Before that, let me explain the Japanese bathroom and usage. You can see the two sections on this picture, right side is obviously a bathtub, but I would like you to watch left side because some of my guests were confused using type of this bath room. The left part is a place for taking shower and washing body. We never wash body in bathtub. Firstly, we wash body and hair then get into the bathtub to warm body and to relax. By the way, in logically speaking, the hot water will never be dirty because we wash everything before get into the bathtub, but it's not meant completely clean. For this reason, it is a very famous story in Japan that teenager girls hate to use bathtub after their fathers use it. Japanese fathers are always said dirty, stinky, creepy by the girls. I'm so sad as a father of 3 daughters..probably I would be said same things from my daughters in near future.

Anyway, this practice doesn't depend the seasons, we usually do in any season, so it's necessary to make bathtub full everyday. We can do this routine task automatically with the water heater with these controllers.

We have two controllers which one is set in bathroom and other one is in room side, mostly close to kitchen. The both controllers are avalable to change the temperature of course, and available to pour hot water is set the amount of necessary to fill the bathtub automatically, also available to set the timer. Once achieved the amount which is set, then the water heater keep the temperature for 4 or 5 hours (depends the machine).  This is so useful because we had to check few times while pouring hot water into the bathtub to avoid to be overflowed before this type of water heater appeared, it was so stressful. But now, we can do anything while pouring, jobs, cleaning rooms, laundry, or even we can go out to somewhere to have dinner.  I think this is also essential stuff for our daily life.

Rice cooker

I don't know so much about rice cooker in overseas, but I believe Japanese rice cooker is the best in the world. Japanese people including me stick to cooking rice because rice is main meal in Japan. If rice were not cook well, the dinner would be in very sad mood. So, rice cooker is very important stuff, the taste is very influenced by rice cooker's quality. There are so many rice cooker in Japan. Nowadays the popular ones have good iron as a inside pan, and available to use pretty much heat and pressure power to make rice to be fluffy. These are not cheap but we believe the very good rice cooker is worth to buy.

Gas stove

This is my gas stove with a small oven for mainly fish, very common one in Japan. Actually, I have hardly seen the gas stoves used for daily life in overseas countries so I don't know much difference but some guests were very interested in this category. To compare these with referring pictures, yes, the form is different. We don't have big oven in it, just have small one on the center. We can cook the middle size of Pizza somehow, but any other baked dishes we can't. The feature of this type of gas stove is available to control the fire power and the time using with electric panels, and also the auto stop can be used if the pan or oil will be too much hot or inadvertently forgot to turn off the fire. In totally, it is very electronized, not simple. I don't use all of ability of this gas stove because it's too much for me, but according manufacturer's manual it seems has a lot of usages. For example, you can cook the rice with this gas stove as just put the pan on it and push the "rice" button, or you can boil the water safely and easily as same as rice, just put the Kettle on it then put " Kettle" icon, or you can cook some dishes automatically with just push the button which selected by you in 18 menus that prior programmed by manufacture for each dishes, I never use it though. 

control panel 2 for small grill

It was surprising for me one of my guest don't know this game as I wrote on pastpost  : Couchsurfing experience 8th guest from France

So, I would like to show you the way to share if someone don't know this game because it's really fun! When I was high-school student, my friends and I were always playing this game in almost all of our idle time, for example each break times between class and class, after lunch, or sometimes after the school etc.  Try it with your family  friends if you have cards in your house!

How to play

This game is played by two people and compete " the speed " that which one loses all the cards faster.There are 2 cards on the battlefield which are put by you and enemy, and you and enemy have 4 cards on the table of each side. You can put out the next number the card both " one plus " and "one minus" to the number on battlefield from your 4 cards, then, put out the new card from cards handed and add as one of 4 cards.
Continuing this task and if you lose all cards faster than enemy, you win.

• Separate the cards to Black team and Led team.

• Hold the card with face down on your hand. Put out the 4 cards from the top of cords on your hand in front of you while face up. These 4 pieces are own cards.

• Firstly, put a card on the Battlefield from the top on your hand while face up to start the game but, you and enemy have to say something to make the timing is completely same when you put the card first , like " ready go!" or " 1,2,3", something like that.

• Put the cards QUICKLY if you have next number card against the battlefield one's in your 4 cards (available both "one more" and " one less" ) , then put out a new card to add as a new peace of 4 cards from handed one also very quickly. In this case, “King” is on Battlefield so you can put “ A” because it’s next number from “King”. Also, enemy can put “Queen” at same time. Faster one is prioritized.

• If you put the "A" faster than enemy's "Queen", you add the new card as one of your 4 cards on your side.

• Continuing this competition until you or enemy lost all of own cards in cluding 4 cards.

• When you lost all of cards handed, you can use cards already put on battlefield. leave the top of one of them.

Anyway, I accepted their changed plan and met up the station not nearest, but I chose for considering their convenient.  They had just arrived Japan this day and came to directory from airport to this train station. They said they had killed time at Izakaya for early arrived than meeting up time, but it was also good thing for them because they surely needed some rest after long long flight. I thought it's interesting they chose Izakaya, not cafes or restaurants, they must know Japan very well. 

Their son doesn't speak Japanese and my kids don't speak English at all, but he and my son is almost same age so this two boys played well. According his parents saying, he had been excited to see Youkai watch was very popular in Japanese elementary boys instead of Pokemon at that time. It's a game for Nintendo DS and also the anime, I was surprised to hear that because it had just released even in Japan, but he already knew this new anime/game even live in Germany.  I really felt the difference from my childhood. The internet really changed the world.

Anyway, they found this common interest became good friends very soon and my daughters too,  even they don't speak each languages. It seems there is no language barrier for kids. This is the new discovery thing for me.

Even this period, my wife had been hooked to make gyoza, so we offered them join to cook. That was very fun to make gyoza joining all families together and they did very well more than me! This is one of good memory. 

They are very curious about inside other people's house and said that Japanese bathroom is most important point.  They seems they liked our bathroom. Our bathroom has a room available to use not only for just get off/on clothes also for laundry. It has a washing machine avalable to pomp the water from bath tab, hanging space , and word robes available to make organizing clothes simple after washing and drying. They complimented this system very much! Also, they were surprised to see the glow in the dark wallpaper shone with UV light on it ( of course we have UV lights on ceiling for that purpose) which put on all of walls in second floor. Although my kids haven't been delighted to see it anymore because they are used to seeing it too much, their son was delighted. Thank you boy!
This boy isn't going school actually. The parents have strong and serious educational philosophy as they blogging about it. It made me and wife very surprised, we have never heard about homeschool system in Japan. They said that it's also unusual thing in western culture, but I felt sort of the society tolerance in Europe, it's not same as Japan. This is another new discovery thing through this hosting.

Spend with a foreign family further almost same age gave me pretty interesting new knowledge and experience. The one unfortunate thing was I couldn't catch the meaning and even the words when they were speaking in their family, their talking speed was so fast for me. Maybe I was just not used to their accent because I have been training with American accent ? I hope so.
Anyway, it's really " Real English", it's really cool, I was impressed.
I hope I would become be like them someday, well, I need to improve my English more and more.

He is Hideyoshi Toyotomi the important samurai in Japanese history. He is the first Daimyo( top of samurai) who succeed to rule all of Japan about 500 years ago. Arima Onsen is known well as the place he loved so much.

In 1580's, he visited Arima Onsen for the first time to relax after a big war to rule Japan, since then he loves this Onsen and he visited very often. Many of very famous people as same as Hideyoshi in each period love this Onsen and visited a lot.

Tosen-shrine is the guardian of Arima says that this Onsen was found by 2 Japanese Gods in ancient. The injured 3 crows were bathing in the puddle when 2 Gods visited Arima, then, they also found the 3 crows healed their injury with this water just in few days. It is said that this water was the Onsen.

Also we can see about Arima Onsen in the oldest Japanese history book, Nihon-shoki. This book says that two emperors visited this onsen in around 600's. This thing also made Arima famous in that period.

The Onsen

Arima has 2 unique onsen called "Kin-sen" meaning golden onsen and "Gin-sen" meaning silver onsen ( actually it means normal color) . Both have some effects for body and mind like skin beauty also good for skin troubles, heal your stress both mind and body, further to treat and improve some organ symptoms and some blood conditions by their materials included in onsen. The materials included onsen are, carbon dioxide spring, hydrogen carbonate spring (we aware it is soda), chloride spring, sulfate spring, iron spring, sulfur spring, acidity spring, radium spring, and simple spring consist of some low level materials. Most of hotels in Arima provide kind of the one day bath is meaning you can just take onsen for few hours without staying. Also, Arima has a free bath just for feet, we call it " foot bath ", it's one of "Kin-sen". You can have a bite the onsen feeling even only using this foot bath. Please note, you need a towel prepared by your self at here.


My recommendation one is GOSHOBO is a hotel. This is "Kin-sen" golden one. It has an atmosphere of Meiji period, it's about 100 years ago, you can feel like you were in that time. I don't have any pictures of inside of this hotel but I have visited once. At this onsen,  You can see a kind of tunnel with onsen first, then you can go to main onsen through this interesting tunnel. The main onsen is like in a cave with some rocks, but half one is like on outside. I have visited various onsen in Japan a lot, but I think GOSHOBO style is not common so it's very interesting. This interesting Onsen is located close to enter side of Arima onsen town and it takes just 5 minute from the train station by walk.

Nature, Sakura

In my case, we always visit in the night to see them and the temperature is also good to walk around.

Nature, Koyo

Also, the "Ochakai", means to play old Japanese tea party with wearing Kimono in this case, will open usually between in November. You can feel the old Japan at here but this party is always full and crowded by older Japanese, in my imagine.

There are some temples and shrines as same as other sightseeing places of Japan. I am not interested in Japanese temples and shrines anymore, but each one has rich history so I think you would be able to enjoy them:) The most famous one is Tosen-shrine I mentioned in history category, this picture is not Tosen-shrine though. This shrine is the guardian of Arima onsen as the 2 Gods who find Arima onsen out and 3 crows they appeared in " the story of finding"  are enshrined. 

Arima onsen is located in middle of Mt.Rokko so you can go to top of this mountain using Ropeway. There are some activity spots on top of Rokko like hotels, farm, play ground, restaurantes, cafes. From the top, you can see all of Kobe center. 

Speaking of Mt.Rokko, here is famous for wild boars are living. I have seen them couple of times while I am driving, so if you visit there you might see wild boars there, even in Arima onsen town.

There are 2 main route to get Arima onsen, from south or from north. From south, you take the subway bound to Tanigami from JR Sannomiya station which is central Kobe. At Tanigami station, change the train named Kobe dentetsu line bound for Sanda, further again change the train at Arima guchi station bound for Arima onsen.  It takes 30 min totaly from Snnomiya station ,about.

From north, take the train , it's also Kobe dentetsu line bound for Shin-kaichi to the Arima guchi station, then transfer the train at there to Arima onsen station.  It takes also 30 min in total. I think this one is easier if you come from Osaka, go to JR Sanda station first, then use this way.

October, 2014

When we did over 10th hosting, my kids said something like complain that " Why the kids don't come through Couchsurfing? It's always adults, we want to meet other kids ".  Oh, it's nice idea! But it's not easy as you said, to overseas with kids would be very hard task for parents, furthermore through Couchsurfing.. I can't imagine to do so. Yeah, maybe someday I might get such a request from someone.

I accepted both offers.

The first one was meet up the guest from Philippines. They were using Airbnb so this time was without staying. This was the first time for my family just to meet up with guests and kids through Couchsurfing.They are a family and group of 4, mother, 2 little daughters ( 10 and 7 month!)  and grandmother. The husband couldn't join this trip because he is working in Saudi Arabia.Couchsurfing with older lady and a baby, it sounds very hard combination... I salute you sir!

Although I thought we have confirmed exact meeting place and time through some messages we exchanged before we met, I got trouble to meet up.

We were going to meet up at in front of ticket gate of Shin-Kobe station at 11 am, and I think I said it at least 3 times in messages, furthermore this station is just 2 stations from their place, but earlier 10 min from 11 am, they started to say it's complicated to get there for them so they prefer to meet up their place instead of Shin-Kobe station. I was going to Shin-Kobe station by my car with 40 min from my house and I almost get there! Yeah, I can understand using the train in away country would be difficult sometimes, I have to be their help! 

After we met, we move to our house and spend couple of hours together. They cooked for us soup with chicken and tomatoes, mainly. They said it is a local food of Philippines. Actually, my son invited his some friends to my house to play guest's children, so there are over 15 people in house, it was kind of party. We enjoyed the meals together both they cook and my wife cook.

Although it was just few hours, kids enjoyed playing together, especially their oldest daughter and my oldest daughter are almost same age so they played well! They enjoyed to cook something sweets with materials are already set in the box by sweets company.

I heard that this trip is the birthday gift for 10 years daughter. Hmm, they give the trip as a birthday gift, definitely I can't ! They must be a rich family.

September, 2014

2014 summer was super busy with Couchsurfing since we had been hosting almost every week in 2 month, but at same time, it was so much fun and we could have so much precious experience we had ever.  Finishing the last hosting with a couple from Montreal, my children's summer vacation also finished, I was going to stop the hosting in a while with end of summer.  I had felt it's time to giving a rest for my family.  However, I received a request. According to the request, they are bring a Guitalele. What is Guitalele?  Probably it's mixed guitar and ukulele? 

Oh, it's interesting since I also play guitar, maybe can we Jam together? Sounds great!  I accepted the request again.

They are a French couple came from near Lake Geneva in France and stayed my house 2 nights.

Listen to their background and travel story

Before we met, we discussed which is better the dates to meet for each other before we met. Fortunately they offered us weekends. Although I had my job in that weekends, anyway it's better for my family.  They came here after they have visited west side Japan including Osaka.
Although they are a French couple, one of them is originally from an island which is located Caribbean far from France. I didn't know France has such islands in Caribbean. They speak French despite located near English and Spanish speaking countries.... It's hard to image the situation like that for me. Japan is also " a islands country " but they are gathered.  Yes, world is so wide. I shouldn't finish my life only in such small country. They are traveling for 1 year in Asia and Oceania. In 5 months,  they have visited 5 countries India, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, and now they are in Japan.

They quit their jobs and decided to start this traveling.
How great.. 

In Japan, if we quit the job once it would be so hard to get another job again usually, but I met already couple of people who quit their job and started world traveling.  I wounder is it common thing in out side of Japan?  Sometimes I think about it, why Japanese people is working for long time such as from 8 am to 11 pm everyday? For what? What is the life?

Yes, I agree we have to work to get surely to alive and also have to work to keep the society. But I think Japanese society is unbalanced, it's too focused on job. When I was young I used to work in the same situation looks like 15 hours working everyday, but in fact it's not working, just stayed in office because my boss didn't accept we get back to home earlier. In my experience, it depends on just old bad culture not for efficient despite we can take long vacations without any problems on own jobs if we want, but we are not allowed to do so by society including customers and even in own companies.
So we can take only few holidays in a year. 3 weeks? 2 weeks? it's impossible. Just few days, it's like just performance to show " I am working hard". We can't do any abroad!  
Fortunately, I am not working for such situation anymore but Japan has to change this bad culture in near future otherwise we can't enjoy the life truly.

Chopsticks

Around that period, my wife had hooked to make Gyoza which is one of Chinese foods, so the dinner was Gyoza for the first night. Also, it was first time for them to eat Gyoza and they seems enjoying to eat. 

Speaking of meals, I was little bit surprised to see every couchsurfers use the chopsticks very well.  In my image western people is not use to using chopsticks and always confused how to use them well but it's not, so far.  They always say that they have some Asian restaurants in their countries and they have already used chopsticks for couple of times. Before I started Couchsurfing, I looked forward to teach some Japanese things to guests, and chopsticks is one of those. 

Hmm, it seems I lost one thing, but it's Okay. Anyway, it's good thing.

R and L, differences to distinguish sounds

Having the dinner, I asked them to try the game about R sounds and L sounds.

Although this is famous story at least in Japan, most of Japanese has weakness against some sounds in language and the difference between R and L is the most famous. For example, " right " and " light ", " wrong " and " long ", " read " and " lead ", " grass " and " glass ",  these sounds are completely same for us.

Moreover, not only R and L, also B and V, E and Ea, S and Th, etc. We have a lot of weakness, it's too bad! So, we can't distinguish the sounds of Bus and Bath, See and Sea, Boat and Vote... I heard that it depends Japanese language is consisted with few sounds compared to other countries languages such as English, French, Spanish. Anyway I have a game about this sounds on my phone. You choice the correct one, example from "read" bottom or " lead" bottom when you hear the sounds. I wondered that since they are french and has a lot of sounds in their language, so they might distinguish those sounds and could clear this game easily.

They said that they don't pronounce " H " sound usually, so they can't distinguish those sounds.  Oh I didn't know that, it's interesting!  I'm going to ask and try to other couchsurfers to find out another differences.

A small concert  with Guitalele and Guitar!

Second day, we couldn't spend together because I had to go to my job. They went to Arima onsen I recommend as usual, and had good time. They said that they tried to hiking to over the Mt.Rokko, but they were lost the way in the forest. They enjoyed to see small waterfall and relaxed there all day, instead.
In the night, they showed us their songs with Guitalele. Nice sound by Guitalele and beautiful voice by her.... incredible! I heard that he started to play Guitalele 3 years ago but he already plays well more than me.  They seems to make their songs while traveling to fit the locations. I couldn't understand the lyrics because those were French, but anyway beautiful. One my daughter brought my guitar so that I play and sing as well, I was embarrassed though. I played " Tears in heaven " of Eric Clapton and " Knockin on heaven's door " of Bob Dylan. While I am singing they joined with Guitalele and beautiful voice.  Music is great. We can connect through the music even we haven't grown up in same country and age, also we don't have same language! It was like kind of small concert. That was very fun!

Relaxing time and I noticed the thing about hosting.

Looking back to past hosting, I was always busy to take balance the hosting and working. I don't know why but, I think that I had felt something like pressure that I should continue giving something to make guest happy as shown my thank and hospitality. I noticed it is too much. This relaxing time with my guest is not bad.
Maybe, I should spend like this time more for both to enjoy and continue the hosting.




It’s not good to put too much pressure to myself. Finally, it seems I am getting used to hosting on couchsurfing.
In the end, my family and I went to a service area of high-way to help their hitchhiking.It was also fun to watch the friend trying to hitchhiking.
I was worried that whether they will be able to catch the car easily because my image about Japanese people is conservative, but they succeed very soon!
Great!

They headed to their next destination Kyoto.


Their travel goes on!