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Contents

Narratives“The House of Japanese” Rob Evans 2“Least Favorite Word” Jezabel Martinez 4“The Foreigner” Michael Sammler 6

Original Art Frank Mlombo 8

Articles“The Way” Harsh Gupta 10“Invitation to a Wonderland” Tadaya Iwaya 13

Hanabi Recommends Dan Dooher 16

Call for Submissions Alex Miner 18

The House of JapaneseWhen I was in high school, my house was old and my parents were lightsleepers who slept with the door open and worried after me incessantly. AsI arrived home and parked the old Taurus in the driveway, I would enter myhouse stealthily and without light. I had a whole system worked out foravoiding the creaking floorboards and making sure there was nothing in myway. At the top of the staircase, there would usually be a note left by myDad, a single sheet of paper, folded in half and propped up so that I wouldsee it when I came in. When my toe found that sheet of paper, I wouldreach down and pick it up. Could anyone have seen me, they would havedescribed my actions as careful, but not as groping in the dark. I knew whatI was doing.

I suppose this weekly experience left a deeper impression than I hadimagined because it is all I can think about as I learn Japanese. I imaginethat Japanese is a dark building similar to my house. The people who live inthis linguistic house have all the same needs as me, so of course all thenecessary rooms exist in this exotic house of Japanese just as they exist inmy native house of English.

The problem, of course, is that the floor plan is different and unfamiliar tome. Each grammar point studied is a careful step forward. In contrast tomy ninja-like stealth as a teenager as I navigated the house I grew up in, myactions in the darkened house of Japanese can only be described as gropingin the dark, and with none of the pleasant sexiness that the double meaningof that expression implies.

For two years or so I moved around this darkened house called Japanese.With each butchered greeting, I started to see the shape of the rooms inwhich I stood. I found the walls, the sink, the toilet (that was just as fun asyou might imagine). I found the edges of the tatami mats. I never managedto find the bed, but then I realized that the strange softness in the closet wasmeant be to be slept on. It’s called a futon, which was surprising to mydorm-addled mind wherein a futon is a couch that can become a place to

Hanabi Staff

Alex Miner - EditorMichael Sammler - DesignerDan Dooher - DirectorBrett Rawson - Assistant

All images in this issue wereprovided by Michael Sammlerunless otherwise indicated.

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grope in the dark: in this case, with more of the pleasant sexiness of thedouble meaning that this expression implies.

As I moved around in the dark, I was obsessed with one question: Wherethe hell is the damn light switch? I searched every wall, and checked thespace around the sliding doorframes twice. Finally, I entered the showerroom, and found a switch. It turned on a tiny light, intended, I imagine foraiding in the shaving of one’s face. And so in this dimness, I began tosearch once more. The strange box in the corner of the tatami room, Idiscovered, was a TV.

I became distracted from the great search for the light switch by the TV. Ifigured if I could just find the remote, I could watch the TV and thenarrow rooms of the house of Japanese would expand into an entireworldview. I began my search. In the real world, this search consisted ofsitting at my desk staring despairingly at pure evil made into the form of aset of characters called kanji. But back to the light switch. It turns outthat it’s a distracting little ball on a string that hangs from the light. I leaveit to your imagination to figure out the meaning of that image, because I,as yet, have no idea. I am in the dark on that matter, so to speak.

P.S. About the remote control for the television, I did find it. It even hada bilingual button called the Heisig Method. Usually, that button doesn’twork so well, but every once in awhile, you press it and everythingsuddenly makes sense.

Rob Evans

Least Favorite WordI love Barack Obama, really, but “change” is probably my least favoriteword. Every time I hear it directed at me, I want to drop to the floor and curlinto the fetal position with my hands over my ears and cry, “ぜったいやだ!!”

Don't get me wrong. I'm an adult. I can do change. After all, I change myclothes. I change my hairstyle. I change my underwear.... And coming toJapan was probably the biggest change of my life! But I have never been afan of changes that I have no control over.

I'm not totally nuts though. I can appreciate some natural changes. Forexample, right now winter is changing into spring. And I am reallyappreciating the lack of snow and ice that made my walks to school duringthe winter months a heart-pounding, gravity-defying, unwanted thrill ride.Better yet, I appreciate the fact that I no longer have to fight indoor frostbiteby huddling in a corner of my living roomdirectly in front of the heater and notmoving -- except to maybe rotate myself tomake sure all sides have equal third degreeburns. And of course it is wonderful to seethe さくら beginning to bloom too!

But April is really beginning to get on mynerves. Everything around me is changing!At school, my schedule has changed (albeitslightly), my desk has changed, and mystudents have changed. Not to mention thesurprisingly painful change of losingteachers that I really loved and felt specialconnections with, to other schools. Andwith these seemingly insignificantworkplace changes comes the depressingrealization that even bigger changes are

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lurking around the corner. Soon, several of my closest friends will returnto their home countries, or move on to different things, and newcomerswill take their place.

I'm not oblivious to the fact that I was someone's replacement; that mypresence was a change that some (or many?!) people weren't totally happywith. But we were all someone's replacement. And I am not complainingabout the incoming JETs. I am looking forward to meeting them becausein my opinion, the best part of the JET program is getting the chance tomeet new people. I just want to know why? Why is it that the moment youget comfortable with your life and start to finally settle into yourself,everything changes and you have to start over?

I have no choice but to accept change as it comes -- obviously. But I wish Ididn't have to lose anything. And change almost always comes with a sideof loss. Why can't it just come with a side of chips instead? Then maybe,rather than sitting here staring grumpily at the new teacher across from me(whose only real flaw is that his new face is a constant reminder ofchange), I could just extend my hand and happily say, “Wanna chip, bro?”

Jezabel Martinez

The ForeignerPart 1

Driving home down the 7. It’s a weekly chore. But it’s well worth the class.There is something about the sounds of the surrounding area. The studentbrass club finishing up practice. A final push at perfection before parentscome and take them away in little K cars. Probably to have dinner waitingfor them with the grandparents. This was always followed by smallindependent bands. Future young rock stars and set musicians get ready foranother weekend of smoke filled bars. Jam sessions of funk, j-pop, soul, andjazz. Conglomerates of all three practice rooms can be heard on the thirdfloor if you stand in front of the “Let’s Drink Coke” vending machine. Ipleasantly listen. Indecisively thinking, “Will an afternoon milk tea haveenough caffeine to get me through another grammar lesson? Or will I trailoff 30 minutes into the 40 minute commute home?” The neighboringmachine’s “American” size Pepsi Zero, as our textbook liked to amusinglylabel the size of Western vended refreshments, is a tempting choice.

The sound of fuzzy plucked bass lines often drown out the sound of thevending machine’s satisfying gulp of coins hitting the change box. Theclunk of soda that couldn’t be safely opened for another 10 minutes. I oftenstood there in reflection of my day till the realization of a waiting tastybeverage snaps me back to reality. I’m always exhausted at this point of theday.

Struggle through class then the drive home. The single lane, 40-kilometer,dark drive home. The sounds were nice if you could crack your window.The scenery in the day was a wonderful sea-filled landscape of baby bluesky speckled with French gray puffs of passing clouds.

But at night time, during the fall and leading into winter, there was the rain,hard and furious. A cracked window would secure a wet seat 5 minutes intoa 40-minute drive. Wipers like that of a submersible. As safe as permitted Ioften reflected on my day, letting my thoughts drift to small wonders of

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Japan. Neighbors, coworkers, the few Japanese friends I could make whilespeaking a dismally small amount of Japanese.

Rain wasn’t really an inconvenience. It only covered the nicer things ofthe drive. I didn’t hate the rain. But I did live in fear. Occasionally somedriver would force me out of my pleasant nostalgic thought cocoon. Snapmy thoughts back to the realities of the road. Tailgaters, speedsters, soccermoms late for their TV drama? It was the first good hard rain of theseason. It appeared.

This wasn’t the first time I had trouble with an impatient driver. Alwaystrying to speed home from his love hotel girlfriend so he wouldn’t be lateto dinner with his family. But the resulting anxiety and fear was too much.

The stream of oncoming headlights ebbed at the solid line blind corner justbefore the “National Disaster Prevention and Relief” center. A gray littleK car, blinkerless and shimmering appeared. Defiant of the accelerationbeing forced upon it, the gray car dove into the right hand lane. The cardangerously dipped. The front right tire dipped down in an almostapologetic manner. Was it bowing to ask forgiveness for the driver’s baddecision? As the suspension caught up and the G’s from corneringdissipated, the gray car slowly recovered to its full upright stature just intime to catch a new set of oncoming headlights in its little rain-sweptwindshield. And just as it had dived into the right-hand lane of now-oncoming traffic, it slid back in behind me, still a bit wobbly from its nearphysics-defying maneuvers.

For some reason, this night would be burned upon the retinas of mymemory. Scares too deep to be mended by a mere bitch fest with myfamily while they half-listened, trying to figure out the volume control onSkype. My recuperation would be a long time to come.

Michael Sammler

Subsequent installments of “The Foreigner” can be found on the AkitaWiki at: www.akitajet.com

Short History:Frank was born in Pretoria (South Africa).*1996-2004: Studied BA (Fine Art) with UNISA.*2005-2007: Worked for the Dept. of Water affairs as

an Art Director.*2007-2008: Studied Postgraduate Certificate in

Education.*2008-2009: Worked as an ALT in Akita (Japan). Exhibitions:*1996: Greater Pretoria Art Project*1998: African Window Art Exhibitions*2004: Akha~Moma Art Exhibition*2008: Absa Art Project

Frank Sindile Mlom

bo

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Passion and Inspiration: I started loving art when Iwas 7 years old and startedcreating portraits andlandscape drawings. I wasinspired by my uncleDavid Baloyi, who was apainter, and my mentorMartin Lekotoko, who is awell known painter all overthe world. I am inspired bynature, music and poetry tocreate my art.

Future Plans: I wish to see myself having artgalleries around the world andaccommodate all artists irrespectiveof their backgrounds. Seeing myselfas a well established artist is myultimate goal.

(All artwork in this section provided by Frank Mlombo)

“みち道 ”

TheWay

In Japanese culture, there arevarious arts or “ways” as they arecalled -- for example, 書道(Shoudou -- The Way ofCalligraphy), 茶道 (Sadou -- TheWay of the Tea Ceremony), 花道(Kadou -- The Way of theFlower), 香道(Koudou -- TheWay of Incense), 居合道 (Iaidou-- The Way of Mental Presence

and Immediate Reaction), and 剣道 (Kendou- The Way of the Sword). Ihave come to think that these arts offer different means or mediums torealise the same basic truths and virtues of life albeit in different skills or“flavours,” as I like to call them.

I myself have been practicing Shoudou and Koudou and have been to a fewclasses of Ikebana, the art of flower arrangement. My friends practice Iaidouand Kendou. Each of these seems to have the same common flame whichburns in them. In Shoudou we talk about making the mind one with thebrush to get perfect beauty through the hand movements. In Koudou we talkabout “listening” to different fragrances as if becoming one with them. InIaidou we talk about becoming one with the sword to have the perfect swiftbut gentle movement of the sword. In fact, all these arts challenge similarmental abilities.

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I am pretty confident that my friends practicing how to guide the bladefrom its sheath go through the same frustrations and wonderful emotionsas they sway their bodies like the wind, as I do. With every move theyconquer, I am sure they feel the same joy as I do. They learn how tocontrol their minds and bodies as well.

The mind always wanders. When I sit with my brush to write a very easycharacter, I can barely draw straight lines. (Yes, I am bad at it; I know.)But I can do so much better when I calm myself down and think ofnothing but the character. I become more conscious of the tiniest of myhand movements, the thickness of the brush, the flow of the ink from thebrush onto the paper; a strange, mysterious joy starts erupting in my heartwhen I see the beautiful forms left by my brush. I feel like drawing more.It’s as if the character I draw reflects what I am feeling and it does this soefficiently. Every character drawn has a story behind it. Change ofthoughts, feelings, worries -- it all reflects on the paper. But when youdon’t think of anything else and focus on just the character, it comes outwith such a mysterious beauty.

On the other hand I’m also taught the valuable virtues of perseverance,patience, controlling my emotions and, more importantly, thoughts andmind. I will have to write thousands of characters to perfect my skill; overand over, again and again. These characters are made out of the same basicstrokes that all the students of kanji know.

I do not practice Koudou as seriously. It’s around once a month and ismore like a social gathering. Koudou is a beautiful art which involvescalligraphy, poetry, and even drawing and ornamenting. Like Sadou, thereare numerous precious instruments. It has a class to it -- a certain air.Different games are played in which one’s ability to “hear” the differencesbetween incenses is tested. The people nearby and this classiness makesone nervous and unconfident. Above all, two fragrances are, most of thetime, almost indistinguishable. When you smell the same fragrance twice,you end up smelling something different because of innumerable factors(for example, the effect of the previous smell). You have to have yourbody and mind under complete control and a total focus on the fragrance.Hands tremble as one takes the cup on which the tiny piece of incensewood lays in fragility. The time one takes in the fragrance passes by

extremely fast. Often, there is not enough time to understand what wassmelled. Often, the next fragrance is already waiting for you.

In the past I have had the smells remind me of a rainbow, metallic oranges(when the smell was nowhere close to citrusy), my grandfather, and an oldroom with rustic furniture in it. Last time, I smelled something whichevoked a sense of dark fear in me. It was an extremely sweet and delightfulfragrance when I took it in from my right nostril. Then, when I took it infrom my left one, I smelled something bad and pungent -- like pain. Thefragrance reminded me of those people who live in high society but are dirtydown under, like a gutter. Previously, I have also been reminded of joyfulmemories of my childhood. Every incense ceremony makes me go througha lot of emotions and makes me realize much. I enjoy every minute of itthoroughly -- especially since I also have such wonderful company with me.

In Ikebana the object is to see each flower and twig and try to find theposition which shows their beauty the best. I have grown up on WilliamWordsworth’s poetry so I can relate well to finding beauty in flowers. Andyet, it is difficult to feel something different every time you turn the singleflower a bit. Even when you do find the most beautiful view of a flower,you have to harmonize it with the rest of the flowers in your arrangement.

Hence these are all “paths” which lead us to bettering ourselves. Accordingto me, this is what “道” -- The Way, means.

Harsh Gupta

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Consider an expeditionto a wonderland. Youcan see all kinds offantasy creatures if youobserve carefully Youri m a g i n a t i o n a n dattention to detail willhelp you to find them.

These are the strange,mysterious woods ofNakajimadai RecreationForests in Kisakata,Nikaho-shi. In thesebeech tree forests everytree has strange knotsthat look like the facesand heads of dragons,monkeys, turtles, andeven people. With thehelp of a guide, you caneven find bear scratches,flowers, and some of theharder-to-find features,including the SucklingChild Knot. AgarikoDaiou, Agariko theGreat, is the biggestdeformed beech tree in

Japan. The second biggest tree in this forest is called the “Candlestick.”People come to find the many faces and strange formations.

There are three explanations for the deformity of the beech trees:1. The influence of snow and strong winds, suggested by Professor

Hisakichi Takeda2. Cutting by charcoal burners by local old men3. The influence of the Chokai Volcano, according to a professor at

Tokyo University

Come decide for yourself.

This area also contains Shishigabana Swamp, designated a naturalmonument in 2001. There are 163 mosses here including three very rarespecies: Hiraurokogoke, Handerusoroigoke and Yamatoyahazugoke, whichProfessor Inoue of Akita University says “have survived from the Ice Age.”Yamatoyahazugoke is native to Japan.

Also, beautiful Chokai-Marimos are formed here by entangledHiraurokogoke and Handerusoroigoke. The diameter of Chokai-Marimos isover one meter in some places. They live in acidic water where the pH levelis in between 4.4 and 4.6. The temperature of the water is 7.1 to 7.3 degreesCelsius. You can see more beautiful Chokai-Marimos in the morning than inthe afternoon due to the influence of sunbeams.

Recently the water level has dropped in the swamp and fallen leaves havecovered the Chokai-Marimos, which may be caused by global warming.Moreover, blue-green algae have recently invaded this Marimo area.Although we, locals, have asked city officials to remove the algae, theyhave said they can’t touch them because of environmental protection laws.

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Finally, the area hosts many natural springs fed by snowmelt from Mt.Chokai. It is said that it takes 80 to 100 years for water to come down tothe swamp. The biggest spring is called “Detsubo,” also called “Bears’Watering Hole.” But don’t worry! The bears only appear at early morningand night. Detsubo was designated one of the best 100 fresh water sourcesin Japan by the Ministry of Environment last June. The shape is oval andthe major axis is about 12 meters while the minor axis is about six. It issaid that 3,888 tons of clear water flows from the springs a day.

In Nakajimadai Shishigaban Swamp one can enjoy fresh greenery inspring and in summer one can feel cool air. It’s also a good place to viewautumn leaves in the fall. In every season there are many beautiful wildflowers. The area is a two and half hour trekking course. I suggest you hirea guide. Without the help of a guide, you can enjoy only half of thewonders. The guide fee is 2,000 yen per hour but I haven’t an Englishlicense for Nakajimadai so I’ll guide you in English for free!

Tadaya Iwaya (both photos provided by Tadaya Iwaya)

Hanabi Recommends…亀田Kameda えだ豆　(Edamame) Chips: You can find these delightfulchips at most supermarkets. This edamame/rice chip concoction makes for agreat light snack.

Super Car スーパーカー: Dan Dooher's favorite Japanese Band. TheAomori Band had been compared to a happier version of Radiohead.Unfortunately, these kings of mixing alternative rock with electronic music,and Japanese with English, broke up in 2005. Their music can be rentedfrom most Tsutayas. Hanabi especially recommends the HIGHVISIONAlbum.

A summer road trip: With the ETC deal here for two years, why not gettogether a group of friends and take a road trip to some place new thissummer? During the sunshine months camping can often be free and easy.Other than biking (which is also highly recommended), a road trip mayagain in fact be the cheapest way to travel in Japan.

Attending that random local festival that you just walked by: It mayseem awkward at first, but you won't regret stopping by. Random festivalstend to usually produce the most interesting unexpected scenarios. Scrapyour plans, or lack thereof, and see what happens.

Couch Surfing: http://www.couchsurfing.org A great way to travel andhelp others travel as well. Couch surfing allows you a chance to stay withpeople in the area where you are traveling, or host people from all over theworld who find their way up to Akita. A great way to meet friendly andinteresting people.

Washing your hands or not getting the swine flu: either would be acceptableand appreciated.

Dan Dooher

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Summer Edition

Please submit articles by July 15th, 2009.

Artwork, poetry, literature, essays, editorials, and

letters to the editor accepted.

Cover artwork and photography also welcome!

You can send materials electronically to:

Dan Doohercentalt@akita-c.ed.jp

orAlex Miner

ludditehypocrite@gmail.com

Call for Submissions…and Editors

Because this is my last year with JET, Hanabi needs a new editor. Thatcould be you! Your main duties would be to proofread our contributors’articles and, when the need arises, trim them down. You will also help withthe magazine’s layout and, along with Dan, make executive decisions aboutits content. It’s a fun, low-stress job, but the magazine’s destiny will be inyour hands.

To apply, send us a writing sample in English of under 1,500 words. It canbe fiction or non-fiction, opinion or fact, gossip or scandal. E-mail it to:

Alex Miner at ludditehypocrite@gmail.com

or

Dan Dooher at centalt@akita-c.ed.jp

Even if you aren’t chosen as editor, we would be happy to consider yoursample for publication in the summer issue of Hanabi. Please let us knowin the e-mail if your contribution is an application, or just a regularsubmission, or both. The deadline is the same either way:

July 15th, 2009

More than good writers, we’re looking for obsessive, neurotic types whocan spot typos from ten meters away, but who can also be reasonable,patient, and tolerant, understanding that not everyone writes according to asingle standard of grammar and usage. In other words, we want a mature,balanced person who isn’t anything like me. Let us know if you’re the onefor the job!

Alex Miner