My previous overseas climbing trip to Frankenjura in July was so fun and fulfilling that it naturally led me (as a single dude with no partner/family obligations) to plan the next trip around year-end/new-year holidays. The last (and “1st” for me) solo trip was hippie and fun, but slightly inconvenient logistically and performance-wise (without having a car and accompanied partners). As much as the climbing trip to Barcelona sounded enticing, my Japanese psyche kept me from telling my boss (@ recently changed job) that I take a stretch of leave days before finishing my probation period. The cost of my indecision took me approx. 500 USD (escalation of flight tickets in the space of 1.5 months or so), but bandwagoning the trip with similarly spontaneous (2) folks expectedly turned out to be fun and memorable.
Whatever work-related memories have been obliterated right after a last-minute lousy handover to my boss on 25th (followed by Christmas party@office). During the flights to Barcelona, I watched “Crazy Rich Asians” (whose title seems to lack another adjective: “Chinese/Oriental”, for the sheer sake of political correctness in ethnic representations). The movie adeptly utilizes and defies stereotypes of “Chinese”, and as it features Singapore (where I stayed for an exchange program @ University), it was entertaining throughout the whole movie. Aside from that, the last strings of ups-and-downs are well composed and very moving (even though I seldom watch/enjoy romantic kinds).
Improvised guideposts @ Beijing Airport (Admittedly “Business” seems more classy)
It was 7:30AM and still totally dark when we landed Barcelona Airport. Headed straight to Hertz counter and by the time we went outside the car park with a compact Citroën’s C3 as our company vehicle for the trip, we were greeted with a typically and expectedly-Spanish warm sunny winter weather, which furthered our already hyped-up expectations toward our upcoming 8 days (how short!) trip.
Thought this much of clear sky would continue for the rest of the trip…
However, after circa 1 hour into the direction of Lleida (mountain side), it got inauspiciously foggy. Having made a shopping trip at Carrefour (for foods) and Wala (sports gear shop @ south of Lleida for procuring a gas can), it was still 14:30 by the time we bumped into the ginormous curtains of rock cliffs at Terradets.
Wala @ Lleida
Terradets (Paret de les Bruixes)
Despite slightly cold (4c) temp and ostensibly seeping rocks at the parking area, we hurried to the Bruixes wall (the approach to Bruixes is short: 10mins and obvious, once bolted ladder leading to the path is identified) purely out of excitement. As Bruixes wall gets in the sight our steps got quicker and each stride got longer till the joy culminated when we arrived at the bottom of the wall and realized it’s entirety.
Bruixes wall
The glory to go for 1st try was bestowed upon me by rock-scissors-paper result, but 7b (which seems to be a limited few of up-routes in this crag) is my OS grade in Japan, and OS trying without limber-up (moreover with the pressure to send/fall quickly by awaiting overly eager 2 climbers) added an extra hurdle (“excuse” in case of failed attempt) to me.
Route name at the bottom of each line (some are illegible)
Nonetheless, I managed to conquer the route with excessive over 20mins of clinging to the wall (which understandably should have irritated the ensuing 2 folks) and overly pumped-up arms. By the time all 3 of us did 1 round it was getting darker, so I finished with a drenched 6b+ as a cool down. The approach-back was a bit scary under the slippery surface (even with bolted ladders), so the caution is advised (especially when it gets dark).
From the parking (next to the bridge of the dam), it takes approx. 20km to reach the small town of Salàs de Pallars where we booked a reasonable accommodation just before leaving Japan. (There are a few bookable-via-web options at Cellers and more at Tremp, but we didn’t mind driving extra 10km or so just to save some cost.)
The hotel (Alberg la Solana) looks rather chic with its antique facade and facilities are sufficiently comfy and neat. Moreover, the uncle is very nice and mellow with his peaceful dog.
Jam Sesión @ Bruixes
どうやら行き当たりばったりなのは他2名も同様のだが(安堵)、シュラフ、テント無しで寒空の下宿無しとなるのは是非とも避けたいのは満場一致なので、成田にて出発直前にSalàs de Pallarsという岩場基部から30km程離れた宿を抑える。WiFiと暖房環境の乏しい8時間のトランジット@北京を経て、7時ではまだ夜明け前のEl Prat 空港に到着(所謂「日の出」は8:20頃)。左ハンドル、マニュアル運転、時折のラウンドアバウトに慣れてもらい、バルセロナからLleida(スペイン語ではLが重なると「J」の発音に近くなるため「ジェイダ」がしっくり来る)に向かう。
Wala @ LleidaParking/Approach Entry to Bruixes (From bolt ladder on the left wall)
Terradets界隈に入ると、これまた馬鹿でかい岩壁に期待を膨らませながら岩場基部の駐車場に着いたのが14:30頃。ボルトラダーから続く15分弱程のアプローチを経てBruixes壁(スペイン語で「魔女」の意)に到着。幸か不幸かOSジャンケンで勝ってしまったのでいきなり7b (Jam Sesión) に取り付く事に。20分以上の奮闘(と恐らくは後続2名の苛立ち)の末、無事OS。3人でロングルートを回すとトライ数も限られるため、びしょ濡れのダウンをもう一本だけ出して登攀終了。ウェブ検索で一番コスパが良さそうな基準で選んだAlberg la Solanaにて宿泊。1人(+1匹)で宿を切り盛りするお爺さんが親身でほっこりする。
Alberg la Solana @ Salàs de Pallars
12/28
The fog was much deeper than the day before and the temp in the car indicated 1c, but that didn’t stifle our eagerness to climb, so we were at the crag by around 9AM. Having carefully observed massive (sport-routes in Japan rarely exceed 25m) overhang lines (many of which are too hard for us), we selected to try Energia Positiva 7c+. The 35m line exemplifies what hyper-strenuous route takes to be. On the flip side though, each part is relatively manageable with occasional cruxes (though concentrated after mid-end sections) and rest points. Having anticipated this much long route requires sizable time to digest, especially taking turn with 3 persons, I gladly let go the privilege to crack the beta for the other 2 folks. Thanks to this sneaky tactic, I managed to send the route on the 2nd try (possibly clinging onto the line beyond 30mins), which was a sufficient accomplishment for me to end the day. It had been all foggy and the evening temp seemed to be around freezing point, so there were only 2 other parties at the crag during the day.
The fog and cold temperature even furthered (lowest: -2c!!) and convinced me (with previous day’s exhaustion) to take a rest. I requested to have me dropped off at the town of Tremp, but it didn’t take more than 15mins of freezing wandering before I started to regret. It was more of seeking around AC/insulation-equipped shelters rather than sightseeing, but the rest day was well deserved and appropriate. After the climbing of the rest of party, we headed to “Siurana Camping”. As we didn’t make a booking in advance and it was after 10PM by the time we got the camping, we were almost left stranded under the freezing Siurana, but barely admitted in the “Communal room” where there are approx. 10 beds inside a cabin (with a stove).
Umami @ TrempCitadel sitting on top of the city of BalaguerYellow ribbons are ubiquitous (in the context of Catalan Independence)
Siurana
12/30 (Can Melafots & Ca La Isabel)
Breakfasting outside was more bearable than I had imagined and the gradually rising sunshine helped a lot. “Can Melafots” is within 10mins walk from the camp and populated with many climbers (and general tourists alike) assumingely thanks to the south-facing warm location and relatively climbable line-ups. In contrast to Bruixes’ juggy tufas, Siurana is generally characterized by smaller and non-juggy crimps. Despite having some hard time to adjust with smaller holds and the initial bouldery moves (due to the cliff formation of the crag that has overhangs in the beginning), enjoyed some nice and technical routes.
Camping Siurana
またまた氷点下付近の寒空の下、Siuranaでは野外で朝食。寒いが日が射して来ると温かい。今パーティの単独ドライバー様はレストのため、残り2名で歩いていける Can Melafots へ。昨晩は夜間で只管に蛇行する山道に食傷気味だったが、壮大なシウラナ全容が見えていれば、道中も楽しかったであろうに。Can Melafotsは陽が一日中当たり、易しいグレードも豊富なので人気エリアの模様。岩壁の形状のため出だしのハング核心が多く、ホールドもガバばかりではないので、個人の登攀としては終始しどろもどろだったが、年末休みと重なってか観光客も数多く通る脇で、Bruixesとは打って変わって一日中半袖でいたい位のポカポカ陽気を楽しんだ。
Can Melafots @ Siurana
”Communal room” @ Camping Siurana
12/31 (El Pati, El Cargol & Esperó Primavera)
Combining a mandatory (as a climber) visit to La Rambla, we climbed at the crags nearby El Pati. However, my climbing pathos/eyes didn’t seem to be matured enough to be able to identify the La Rambla line. Each of us tried long routes, nearing 40m scale at El Cargol and Esperó Primavera area. Though these areas are adjacently located and there are many options, but many of manageable (around 7c or lower) are constantly populated with climbers all day long (possibly due to the soaring lines and vibes enabled by long routes). As I might have eaten too much liver pate (which I usually enjoy during overseas tours because of rare availability in Japan) at the dinner, I was too drowsy (with a slight feeling to throw up) to stay awake to celebrate the countdown, but the rest of my party didn’t bother to stay awake either.
Ginormous swing at El PatiLa Rambla @ El Pati
La Ramblaの有るEl Patiに参拝させて貰う事に。然しながら、ライン読解力の無さのためか聞いてみてもLa Rambla のラインが良く分からなかった。。付近のEl Cargol と Esperó Primavera エリアにてロングラインを楽しんだ1日。長いスポートルートは日本では中々お目にかかれない事もあってか無条件で楽しく心地よい。恐らくレバーとフォアグラペイストの食べ過ぎで胃もたれが酷かった事もあり、大晦日らしいお祝いやカウントダウンは特に行わず早めの就寝。
La Morena del Montsant (40m) @ El Cargol
Margalef (Racó de les Espadelles)
2019/1/1
Left Siurana Camping for Margalef in the morning, which took around 1 hour winding drive via the town of Cornudella de Montsant (where a mountain shop: Goma Ⅱ is located).
Goma Ⅱ @ Cornudella de Montsant
It is possible to drive back and forth between Siurana and Margalef, but the abundance of accommodations at Margalef (though not many seem to be bookable online) dictated us to find some place to stay at Margalef (as the remaining last 3 days was planned to be spent here). As expected, it didn’t take much time to bump into Refugi de Margalef (El Racó de la Finestra) and booking on the spot has secured the shelter for the rest of our stay in Spain. (To be precise, this Refugi turned out to be very comfy with a very reasonable price and generous facilities)
Refugi de Margalef (El Racó de la Finestra)
Now that we got unencumbered by the possibility to spend a night in the refrigerated car, we headed straight to; Racó de les Espadelles, the biggest area (during winter time when another big “Racó de la Finestra” is in shade) in the crag where we eventually ended up spending the remaining 3 days. From the town to the parking, the hill-climb by car (approx. 2.4 km after the noticeable recycle bins at the skirt of mountain) is pretty steep, winding and narrow (to have a 2-way passage, so it should be safe to assume the path is practically one-way in accordance with the rest of climbers’ flow: up-morning, down-evening) . To our fortune, our apparently feebly powered car (Citroën C3) managed not to get stuck there, but the caution is advised especially during early morning and late evening when the path could potentially get icy.
Parking for Racó de les Espadelles
The approach to Racó de les Espadelles is obvious and short (less than 10 mins until the left-edge of the area) with a bit of fix-roped slope. As obviously noticeable by exterior, the rocks here feature juggy and in-cut pockets that almost-literally bite deep into your skins. Finger skins deserve care and preservation if climbing over consecutive days is planned. Maligna 7c line was very enticing with juggy roof climbing but seems to require plenty time and dedication for me to send during this trip (so gave up after the 1st try). Nonetheless enjoyed the edgy pocket holds combined with steeply hanged walls. Dining space at Refugi de Margalef was in a festive vibe with climbers from various countries clustering around in the same room.
La gomorra @Racó de les Espadelles
これまた元旦らしさは皆無で淡々と朝飯を食べ、転戦先のMargalefに向かう。Siuranaからは山道を1時間程でSiuranaから通えない事もないが、Margalef自体にも宿は充実している。道中のCornudella de Montsantという小さな町ではGoma Ⅱという登山用品店が便利らしいが年始休暇で休業中であった。Refugi de Margalef (El Racó de la Finestra) という宿の空き状況を確認し、宿事情が片付いた (Margalefが今ツアー最後の訪問地のため) 所で、岩場に向かう。
Curtain of countless rocks at Margalef
冬場に登れるセクターとしては最大級の Racó de les Espadellesに向かう (冬場で無ければ日陰主体の Racó de la Finestraも大きいエリアの模様)。アプローチは急登が2.5 km程続き、朝夕は氷点下まで冷えるためレンタカーで登る場合は慎重に行った方が吉。岩壁は見た目より更にガバで掛りの良いポケットだらけの強傾斜が多く、これでもか!という位掛りの良いホールドが散在している。とはいっても高グレードは傾斜が強く引付け&ロックパワーが生半可では余り勝負出来ない。かっちょいー Maligna 7c を触ってみるものの、泥沼の消耗戦が予見されたので、早々に撤退。指皮消耗が余りに激しそうなので、残り2日の岩場滞在中にレストを入れるか入れまいか、悩みながら、ポケットガバをならしつつ触る。Refugi de Margalef の宿はキッチン、WiFi、暖房、シャワー環境諸々充実しており、各国のクライマーで賑わっていた。
Crowded dining @ Refugi de Margalef
1/2
Blessing of sunny weather over the last few days at Siurana and Margalef had totally lowered our guard and the foggy and freezing morning inauspiciously reminded us of the hard-cold valleys at Bruixes. Nevertheless, having been pressed by the time constraint of remaining 2 days of climbing, we were at the foggy crag by 9AM. It was when I almost decided to take a rest day before the sky cleared up around 11AM. The accumulating fatigue and worn fingertips didn’t necessarily encourage me to try hard routes, so I enjoyed relatively manageable OS tries. Though our last supper during this tour would be the next dinner, but the departure to airport would be early in the subsequent morning, so we cooked a sumptuous dinner to celebrate the end of a short but cherish-able tour.
Cooking facilities enrich the dining @ Refugi de Margalef
1/3 – 1/4
The absence of fog in the morning assured us to go ahead to the crag and utilize the last day. The OS tries continued, but with more emphasis on grasping jugs to the point of self-inflicting the laceration on my fingers to satisfy my masochistic climber’s psyche. The 5th day of climbing in a row was more doable than I had imagined but the worn-out fingertips make it harder to grip edgy holds. Leaving aside the desire to abandon the flight ticket and just extend the stay, we mournfully left the crag to prepare the early departure to El Prat Airport in the next morning.
Some people are really hardcoreLa Mainadera @ Margalef
Tarragona Climbs & Lleida ClimbSiurana GuidebookMargalef Guidebook (2019 Edition was available on Jan-1st!)
Since “Tarragona Climbs” & “Lleida Climbs” cover a varieties of crags in the region, these are more suited for hopping around multiple crags. For huge crags, such as Siurana and Margalef (that has 82 areas!), the dedicated guidebooks cover more routes and information on each area (sun/shade, recommended season etc.)
Taking advantage of 2.5 weeks of employment-free period (technically speaking, I just used up my remaining leave entitlement under my last employer, and I would have loved to extend the stay for another 3 months or so, had I been non-Japanese enough to not give a daxx about getting stuck in the office), I secluded myself in the remote forest of Bavaria (Germany), constantly groping the surface of overhang limestone cliffs with uncontrollable gasps out of excitement, bumping into nice folks (who could belay), eating pretty much bread/würst/liver-paste/kiwi/berries (from meadow grounds) days in and out, daring to request the ride to crags (in exchange for nothing other than taking a seating space and belaying time), unsuccessfully restraining roar and self-hate after the miserable attempts of poor climbing, being unencumbered by checking emails and all the web stuff etc.
In short, I had a fun time in one of the most famous (admittedly debatable, especially in the eyes of general public) & popular rock climbing areas in the world. The chronicle of daily such and such started out in Japanese, but in response to a few requests of some people I have met (and been offered much of help from), English log is also described below. However, to spare me detailing hourly-wise records (which would probably be never read anyway), English version is distilled to a few sentences for a day and let pictures and Google Translate do the job (should there be needs in the first place).
7/10: There was an applaud of being alive after the successful landing of AEROFLOT flight.
Moscow Airport layover in the middle of 2018 WC
正午12時発のMoscow経由Frankfurt行きAEROFLOT便を利用。”Three Billboards (in Ebbing)” と”Murder in Orient Express” を観賞 。ビルボードではZombi Landに出ていたスキンのオッチャンが良い味を出していた。細かい台詞は分からない部分があったが、中々に感動を誘う。良作である一方、一歩間違えれば胸糞悪い映画にもなりそう。サッカーWC真っ盛り中のモスクワ経由後フランクフルトへ。着陸後に拍手が起きたのには笑いを禁じ得ず(ロシア便での無事着を祝う意)。22時頃の到着だったのでハナから空港泊予定。連日の寝不足もあり翌朝6時頃まで快眠。
Don’t mess with RussiaYoga room in Frankfurt AirportSelf-made hotel in the 1st night in Germany
7/11: Having walked miles only to wait hours in front of crags (with no chance of climbing), I almost regretted that I should have climbed in Japan instead.
7/12: Put a flier for requesting a partner, and it made the all difference.
Game Changer (Typo was unintentional)
前日の苦い経験により若干引き籠り気味。取り敢えず朝飯を食い、いかにしてパートナー確保出来るか思案。親切そうな人に声掛けオペレーションを考えたが、機を伺っていると、探りを入れるナンパ師(加えて挙動不審な東洋人)の如くなり憚られたため、Marthaに紙とペンを借りてビルボード(フライヤー)作戦に変更。これが功奏。マルサの声掛けもあり、直ぐにパートナーが見つかる。アルゼンチン出身のドイツ人セバスチャンと娘のレイラ。本日最終日という事で15時までだが、遊んで貰える事に。しかも行先はKurt Albert (Redpointの考案者)初登のクラシック課題SautanzがあるObere Gößweinsteiner Wände。
7/13: Again, had a hard time getting a partner, but patience (plus 4 km walk) had paid off.
二度寝をしてしまい起床は9時。昨日のビルボード作戦で声をかけてくれたオランダ人カップルは今日レスト。そのため、ビルボードの脇で只管待つも、今日は反応無し。11:30頃にはキャンプ場に人も疎らとなったため、岩場取付き前で待機作戦に変更。前述のRichard Wagner(2km程)まで歩き、誰もいないのを確認してEl Dorado(更に2km)まで歩く。昨日とは打って変わって晴天なので、着いた頃にはヘロヘロ。行動食を全て食いきって昼寝。隣接する公園への訪問者はいるもののクライマーは現れない。
3箇所目(‼︎)はKajak Mietserviceというカヤック乗場 (Doos)近くの駐車場から10分+α程歩くNeppwand (Fake Wallの意)へ。マシューが看板課題のCrossing over 9+/10-を触っている間、トポでもお薦めのErfahrungsfeld der Sinne 8を目標に定める。ホールドの乏しそうな中間のフェイスからどっ被りの凹角を超えていく観るからに面白そうなルート。OSトライでは中間部フェイスを意地の脚上げで突破したものの、ルーフ入り部分を読み間違えおじゃん。
7/24: Bumped into (with 3 fingers) the nest of Siebenschläfer (a small rodent who supposedly hibernates 7 months!! in a year) @ Graischer Bleisteinwände
7/27: Active rest at Hexenküche and celebrated the birthday of the Slovenian Grand Master of Chakura.
最終日のエドワードとディビッドに朝お別れを告げ、Magnet最終トライ(というのは名ばかりの消化負け戦だが)に備えてレスト日予定だったがスロベニアギャングに尾いて車で15分弱、アプローチ7-8分程のHexenkücheへ。ここも終日日陰で、ハードルートは少なめだが課題数は多く岩質は比較的しっかりしてそう。平日でキッズスクール一行もいって人気エリアの模様。案の定「岩を見ると登りたくなる症候群」を抑えきれず、見るからに楽しそうな流線形の凹角を突くAthos 7とどっ被りを行くKleine Hexen müssen hexen 8もFLしたが、やはり指への負担を懸念し登りたい衝動を抑え、写真/ビレイ係に徹底。レストランにて誕生日のベネディクを祝い、スロベニアではスキージャンプが盛んでレジェンド葛西を始め多くの日本選手が崇められているとの事。キャッシュが底を突きかけなので奢って貰う。なんだかなぁ。
7/28: Got slapped by Magnet, torrential rain and my own stupidity at the last day, so I FKKed (bathing naked in the creek) full-fledged for the 1st time and it was enlightening.
I`m not contending the nomenclature, but wonder the commonalities among these countries
Got Wifi for the 1st time in 2.5 weeks only to realize a mere handful of emails/messages have been actually directed at me (with dozens of spams), which cemented my conviction of non-necessity of carrying a smartphone around (at least for me). Watched “Greatest Showman” (another great musical with the celebration of human diversity), “Unsane” (reasonably thrilling not to the point of disgusting) and “Super 8” (home-made film in the end credit was more fun). Returned home safely with another applaud of successful landing (happened at Moscow, but not at Tokyo’s landing though)
Overall:
In terms of redpointing, the result was a bit of letdown, but the climbing and travel in overall has been very fun and indeed memorable thanks to the spontaneous encounters with nice folks. Having received undeserving help and supports (notably; car ride, belaying time and foods), I would love to return (pay forward) the favor by extending the help to uninformed foreign climbers in Japan (nearby Tokyo only though) who should have planned to go elsewhere nonetheless (as far as rock climbing is concerned).
Having functioned as a corporate soldier for an organization that manifests itself with a modest-to-blatant bureaucracies, I have always wondered why there seems to be some penchant for deploying 3rd party consultant/specialist even though the services/deliverables offered from them are somewhere between mediocre to lousy, to say the least, and obviously unworthy of paying sizeable money.
The simple truth is that clients (or representatives of the org) are incentivized to hedge the risk of messing up (and subjected to criticism) when/if management decision takes an unfortunate turn by translating/relegating the ownership of such decisions to some 3rd party who would gladly takes the blame as long as the deal is already done.
As “idea is cheap and execution is everything” rings true, it was always baffling to me why behemoth organizations seem to cluelessly count on the “ideas” of consultancies, but now it became clear to me the execution of “undertaking a scapegoat role” is what the money is actually paid for.
一番大事な「遂行」(有象無象の野次の中なんとかやり遂げる)義務も無いのに、何故官僚機構/大企業 etc. がコンサル起用に御執心なのかと今まで不思議だったが、何のことは無く、経営/組織(及びをそれらを代表する個人/集団)がリスク取りたくないから、有事の際の責任転嫁/リスクヘッジ先として起用しているだけ。別に個人のポケットからお金払う訳ではないから、組織(を担う代表)としては、何かトラブルが起きた場合でも安心を担保できるスケープゴートを雇えるのは、捨て金としては賢い使い方だし、コンサル側も憎まれ役を買って出さえすれば泥臭い遂行を担う必要も無い、相互にとってハッピーな状況。
I was late for work about 10 mins for 2 consecutive days. This is the 1st time since I started working, and it is such an abomination for any decently-behaved salaryman. One time glitch is conceivable even for dedicated Japanese work soldiers, but no excuse could redeem my tarnished reputation of being late for 2 days in a row. Nonetheless, I dare to attribute the cause to the malfunctioning of my stupid i-Pad whose alarm was apparently muted in the day 1, which prompted me to check if the sound would come out before going to bed on the same night (which confirmed the normal working of alarm sound). Despite my checking in the previous night, the sound was muted again in the day-2 morning.
Sometimes, a coincidence manifests ifself with clearly malicious intentions. On the other end of spectrum, we are undoubtedly beneficiaries of ubiquitous (yet non-obvious) happenstances that we seem to take them for granted.
Stumbled upon a gem from a school rulebook for an elementary school (to which kids aged from 6-12 are enrolled) in Japan. It shall be noted the 48 bullet points are meant to be read, understood and abided by 6 years’ old kids…
<Caveat>
Based on my own elementary school experience, I am relieved to testify that most schools are not as stringent as what is excerpted below and most children (and teachers alike) couldn’t care less about ostensibly absurd rules designated by school.
===XXXXX Elementary School Rulebook 2018===
[On the Way to School]
1. Students should arrive at school between 8:15-8:20 am.
2. For safety reasons, students should walk to school with a designated group of students, not alone (If a student realizes that he/she has left something home, he/she should directly come to school without going back home).
3. Absence, late arrival, early leaving or absence from PE class should be notified via parent-teacher notebook.
4. In case of late arrival or early leaving, students should come to school/ go home with their parent.
5. Students should bring only necessary things to school (They can bring their own water flasks throughout the year, but should look after them themselves).
6. Students can bring money to school only when money is collected by school. The money should be put in a money envelope and handed to the class teacher.
7. Outdoor shoes should be taken off before going on the boards in the shoebox area. Shoes should be worn properly (without stepping on the back of the shoes).
8. In case of leaving indoor shoes home, they can be borrowed from the class teacher. The shoes borrowed should be washed and returned to the teacher.
9. Students should go into the classroom and make preparations as soon as they arrive at school.
[During Class]
10. A book to be read during the reading time should be prepared by the time it starts. The book should not be a manga or textbook.
11. Easy-to-use pencils and erasers should be prepared (Flavored ones or kneaded eraser are prohibited).
12. Five pencils, one red pencil, eraser, ruler and permanent marker should be put in a pencil case. (Colored pens can be used up to three colors depending on the grade).
13. Plastic sheet (called Shita-jiki) should be used when writing in a notebook.
14. Students should call their friends with “-San” (One of the honorifics used in Japan).
15. Designated tools should be prepared in a toolbox (Content varies depending on the grade and should be confirmed at the beginning of the new grade).
16. Students should use their own devices/ tools and should not borrow them from each other.
[PE Clas]
17. PE shirt should be tacked into the half pants.
18. Red/white reversible cap should be worn. Long hair should be tied with elastic hairband.
19. PE shirt should be worn without undershirt (in order to avoid wearing sweaty undershirt).
20. When it is cold, students can layer clothing (such as sweat shirt) until body is warmed up. Hoodie/ front-open (such as zipped) top should be avoided for safety reasons. Tights/ leggings should be taken off.
[Calligraphy/ Art/ Music Class]
21. Calligraphy tools (calligraphy brush) are to be taken home on the day when they are used and washed.
22. Pallet/brush for painting can be washed at the sink in the school.
23. Students should prepare a music bag and keep the textbook, recorder, songbook and music file in there. (Students in the third grade or above)
24. Approval should be gained from the teacher when entering into another classroom except their own one.
25. Students should walk on the right side of the corridor/ stairs in a quiet manner.
26. The whole class should walk in two lines on the right side in a quiet manner when moving to special class/ returning to the classroom.
27. Students should inform the class teacher before going to the school nurse office. One student who is asked by the teacher will accompany the sick student to the nurse office.
[Break]
28. Outside playing areas are the playground and pilotis (Students should not go behind the school lunch kitchen).
29. The pilotis is only for unicycle and stilts ride (The playground can be used for skip rope or tig).
30. When playing with a ball, students should pay attention to their surroundings (Playing around the stairs or ball kicking are not permitted).
31. Equipment used should be tidily put away in the designated place (Balls and skip ropes should be kept in the classroom. Unicycle and stilts should be kept in front of the columned school building hatchway).
32. Students should stop playing, prepare for the class and wait in a quiet manner when the bell goes off (to be seated at the time of the bell).
[Lunch]
33. Students on lunch serving duty should wear a mask, line up and get dressed (Hair should be tucked into the hat).
34. Students on lunch serving duty should walk in line in a quiet manner (walk on the left side only during the lunch time).
35. Students in charge of wiping (Paper Person) should walk after the line and immediately wipe whatever is spilt.
36. Students should be seated and wait in a quiet manner with mask and hat on when they are not in charge of serving.
37. Equipment for lunch such as dish carrying basket, food carrying container or rise container should be placed on the serving table or desk and should not be placed on the floor.
38. Lids for the containers should not be placed underneath the food carrying container when serving.
39. Leftovers should be returned to the food carrying container and the dishes should be sorted and returned (Leftovers, rice grains or soup should not be left on the dishes).
40. Rice scoop, ladle and milk carton should be returned to the designated places (They should not be left in the food carrying containers).
41. White gowns should be taken home at the end of the week and washed and returned to school at the beginning of the week.
42. Students should be seated and wait until all the students can say “Gochiso-sama” (Word said after the meal to express gratitude for the meal).
[Cleaning]
43. Wiping cloth should be washed in a bucket, not directly in the sink.
44. At the end of the cleaning, students should make sure that all the equipment is returned to the designated places before exchanging greetings.
45. Rubbish should be separated and taken to the rubbish pit in front of the new school building hatchway.
[Short Meeting before Going Home]
46. Students should leave their belongings on the desk, keep good posture and say good-bye.
47. Indoor shoes and PE kits should be taken home over the weekend, washed and brought back at the beginning of the week.
[Clubs/ Student Committee]
48. Personal belongings should be taken to the club/ committee activity places, from where students are to go home after the activities.
As a salaryman who used to gladly dedicate everything to the benefit of company (which is no longer the case though), it gives me a sense of immorality to take a paid-leave for no particular reason.
This is especially true if the leave day is spent for indulging myself in a super-sento (public bath) all day long, while knowing evereone else is stuck in the office.
Spa/sento/onsen facilities reveal their true potential only when enjoyed for a whole day long (instead of 2-3 hours, which seems rather long in many circumstances).
Traditionally, it is a custom for Japanese families to get together around year-end/new-year at their home town (usually children who moved out of their home town are supposed to come back) and pay a visit to some local shrine or temple for the new year prayer. What is particular in Japan is: this new-year prayer is more cultural than religious/spritual.
Granted many of us stumble upon Shintoist/Buddhist (as the 2 most predominant religions in Japan) events along the course of our life (e.g. marriage, child-birth, funeral etc), but the majority of Japanese don’t feel affiliated with any religion, and not necessarily conscious of religious gestures/implications of such events.
The same is true for me, and the followings are some snapshots of my new-year day and they would give some idea on how non-selective we could be when it comes to scratching the surface of religions (without commiting rigorously)
Yasukuni Shrine (靖国神社)
Yasukuni Shrine 靖国神社
晩白柚 (Citrus grandis)
Bampeiyu: Citrus grandis from Kumamoto 晩白柚 (熊本産)
St. Mary’s Cathedral
Replica of Our Lady of LourdesSt. Mary’s Cathedral