After we’d been here for about a month I realized that the one thing I missed most was my girlfriends. Don’t get me wrong, I dearly love the men in my life, but I’ve discovered that we women really do need one another.

During that first month, I worked on Sundays so we weren’t able to search out and begin attending a church. At home, many of my girlfriends are also part of my church family so these two needs really went hand in hand. As soon as we began attending Hope Church, I began to pray that God would give me at least one woman friend there. He has answered far beyond my wildest dreams!

God’s been doing that a lot lately. In response to my feeble requests, he’s been pouring out blessings. We knew that finding a Christian church to attend in this country might be difficult so I asked for someone that we could have Christian fellowship with even if it wasn’t in a church setting. He answered by leading us to a vibrant church three times the size of the one that we attend at home! When I asked for at least one woman friend amongst that crowd, he surrounded me with so many that I haven’t even been able to learn all their names!

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the church’s two women’s meetings each month fall on Wednesdays, my day off. I’m convinced that it was meant to be that way. Two weeks ago, at the second meeting that I attended, I sat with four ladies, all around my age. Two had lived in the States for a period of time so they spoke fairly good English, one spoke only a few words and one spoke no English at all. It was amazing how well we managed to visit!  After we’d been chatting for awhile, they told me their names. When I told them that I probably wouldn’t remember all of them, one told me not to worry.  Just call us sister, she said!

One of the things that most women like to do is shop together. When I needed to buy all the goodies to prepare the apartment for the coming rainy season, I could have struggled through on my own trying to figure out which packages contained roach traps and what dehumidifying products to buy, but it was so much easier to ask one of my new sisters for help!  After church one Sunday, Seiko and I crossed the street to the Don Quijote, a crowded discount store, better known in our family as the Sad Blue Duck, and with her help I got what we needed.  If you’re wondering where the Sad Blue Duck name came from, that’s what Matt and Robin called the one near their home in Osaka because the store logo is a rather sad looking blue duck!

Though I’ve made friends with several of the ladies from the church, Seiko is especially dear to my heart as she’s expecting her first baby, a boy, within the next couple of weeks.  I can’t cuddle my own wee grandson but I’ll be able to hold Seiko’s baby and as I watch him grow, I’ll be able to see all the stages that Andrew’s been going through.

For a foreign teacher to develop these kinds of relationships with Japanese people, especially in such a short period of time, is highly unusual but when we’re all part of the family of God, amazing things happen!

According to our contract, we’re entitled to five yukyu, days off that can be used as either sick days or personal leave days.  Once these are used up, any additional absences, whether for sickness or any other reason, are treated as time off without pay.

In addition to our monthly salary, we’re also entitled to 5000 yen (approximately $50) merit pay for each month in which we are not late for school, do not leave early, complete the myriad of required paperwork on time, do not violate the working regulations in any way and do not take any unscheduled yukyu.  In other words, if we are sick, it not only costs us one of our five yukyu days but also our merit pay for that month!  I know that $50 will never make or break us but I consider that unduly harsh.

I’m a stubborn woman.  I’ve had a difficult time convincing some people of that but Richard would attest to the fact!  He says I come by it honestly; that I inherited the trait from my mother and my aunt.  I’m okay with that.  In fact, I thank them for that legacy.  I don’t see anything wrong with a woman having a bit of backbone as long as she knows when to bend.

This issue of sickness and yukyu is one area where I’m not willing to bend!  I have absolutely no voice today.  When the sore throat of the past few days disappeared, it took my voice with it!  Regardless of what shape it’s in tomorrow, I intend to be in school.  I plan to save my precious yukyu days for interesting things like climbing Mt. Fuji and visiting with Matt & Robin while they’re here.  I’m not willing to spend even one of them on laryngitis nor am I willing to give up my merit pay, especially since I’ve already done all the required paperwork this month and quite a bit of next month’s.

While laryngitis is definitely a teacher’s curse, if I were at home in Canada, it really wouldn’t be a problem.  During my very first year of teaching, my doctor at the time introduced me to a vile smelling potion known as Friar’s Balsam.  When it’s added to boiling water and the fumes are inhaled, the voice is magically restored.  I know it sounds hokey but it works!  Unfortunately, I didn’t think to bring any with us and finding such a thing here when all I know is the brand name and not what it actually contains, would be virtually impossible.  Someone at church this morning recommended that I try Vicks VapoRub which is readily available here.  I haven’t used it since I was a child but I picked some up on the way home and will try that along with the Halls lozenges which are mentholated and seem to help.  I’m also drinking tea with honey.  Any other suggestions would be appreciated!

On her way to school last Saturday, one of our young female teachers arrived at a station just in time to witness the aftermath of a growing problem in Japan; suicide by throwing oneself in front of a train.   I can’t imagine the horror of watching the station crew remove the body from the tracks and carry it out through the assembled crowd.

Japan has one of the highest suicide rates amongst industrially advanced countries with over 30 000 self inflicted deaths occurring every year since 1998.  Even the Japanese are becoming alarmed by the steep rise in the number of people taking their own lives.  Apparently, in this country, one is roughly five times as likely to die by one’s own hand as to be killed in a traffic accident!

Aokigahara woods, a secluded forest area at the foot of Mt. Fuji, has become infamous as a favourite suicide spot because of the number of bodies found hanging from trees and death by train has become so rampant that the Japanese railways now seek financial compensation from the families of jumpers because of the delays that are caused.

There are many reasons for the rising suicide rate but most are related to the recession that Japan has been experiencing in recent years.   Men account for a staggering 73% of those who take their own lives and many are businessmen experiencing financial difficulties and/or work related stress and exhaustion.  There is no doubt that this is a country of hard working, tired people.  We see the weariness on their faces every day.  Men, especially, work long hours and are under a great deal of pressure to succeed.  One of my private students, a fascinating young man who works for a trading company, often has to cancel his Saturday English lesson due to work commitments.  Last Friday, he worked through the night until 6:00 a.m. without even having supper because his company is preparing for important foreign visitors.  He came to class without having had any sleep because, like many others, learning English is not simply a hobby for him.  It’s required by employers as another means of getting ahead.

The unemployment rate here falls below that of most other developed countries but it has been rising since 1998 so some of those who take their own lives are amongst the jobless.  Family breakdown is another reason for suicide.  The divorce rate has climbed significantly as women have joined the workforce and found the means to free themselves from troubled marriages.  Perhaps the saddest statistic is the growing number of bullied students who are committing suicide.  Apparently bullying is rampant in Japanese schools.

Cultural issues come into play as well.  Japan is one of the few countries in the world where suicide is still considered an honourable act.  It has long been seen as a way to restore honour to one’s name, family or organization when one has failed in some way and Japanese literary tradition romanticizes it.  There is also a complete lack of religious prohibition against suicide here and there has long been a reluctance to discuss and deal with serious mental health and stress related issues.  It isn’t only good cold medications that are banned here.  Many of the cutting edge antidepressants that are readily available in western countries are not yet legal in Japan.

Until recently, a book entitled “The Perfect Suicide Manual” which gives explicit instructions on how to commit suicide by a wide variety of means, was consistently on the bestseller list and readily available.  It was finally designated a “harmful publication” after the suicide death of a 12-year-old girl.

As I enjoy the beauty and the rich history of this country, I’m reminded that there is a darker side and a high price being paid for the rapid advances that are being made.

I’ve succumbed to my first Japanese cold.  Fortunately, I brought some echinacea with me and, with its help, I’m hoping that this doesn’t amount to much.  I don’t really have to use my teacher voice here as my biggest class has only eight students and the rooms are quite small but my throat was very sore at school yesterday which makes teaching rather difficult.  Today’s my day off so my voice will get a rest but I decided that I’d better go in search of lozenges and decongestants just in case they’re needed.  Back in Canada, that would be no big deal but here, where I don’t understand the language, it’s all part of the adventure.

My favourite cold medication is Sudafed but, since it contains a substance that is banned in Japan, we weren’t able to bring any with us.  There are three little drugstores in the shopping area surrounding our closest school so I went exploring to see what I could find.  In the first store I entered, I found some Halls nestled amongst the chewing gum!  There was only one flavour and since all the labeling except the brand name is in Japanese, I have no idea what it is but at least I know that it’s lozenges.  I discovered cold medications behind glass under the front counter.  I could tell that that’s what they were by the pictures and a few English words on some of the packages but there were so many kinds!  How would I choose?  What a delight to discover that the girl behind the counter spoke enough English to help me out!  She was able to ask about my symptoms, recommend the decongestant that she felt was best and explain the dosage.  As she rang up my purchases, she asked if I had a points card.  I didn’t have, of course, but she was able to explain that if I had one I’d receive points with every purchase and eventually earn a discount.  Since there was no cost involved in getting a card, she helped me fill out the application form and I now have a bright yellow Matsumoto KiYoshi point card!  Since we usually buy things like paper towel and toilet paper at the little drugstores, I’ll make sure I frequent that one from now on.  Not only will my purchases earn me points, but more importantly, I know that there’s someone on staff who speaks enough English to help me if I need it.  It may be crazy but carrying a points card from a local store is just one more little thing that makes me feel like I belong here!

After church yesterday we ventured into Tokyo again to visit the Imperial Palace, the home of Japan’s emperor and the imperial family.  The palace itself is closed to the public for all but two days each year but the east garden is a popular spot for strolling and picnicking.  We spent about an hour and a half wandering through the garden enjoying the sunshine and the peaceful surroundings.

The present palace occupies the site of the original Edo Castle from which the Tokugawa shogunate once ruled all Japan.  In its time, the castle was the largest in the world but virtually all that remains of the original structure is the massive moat and the imposing stone walls.

Japan’s government is similar to the British parliamentary system.  The emperor, considered divine until the close of World War II, has a role similar to that of Queen Elizabeth’s so in a sense, I suppose visiting the Imperial Palace is akin to visiting Buckingham Palace in London.  Despite the fact that the emperor no longer holds the power that his predecessors once did, he is a figure of enormous respect in Japan.  There was a definite police presence in the area and though admission to the east garden is free, visitors are issued a plastic token when they enter and return it to the entry kiosk when they leave to ensure that no one remains in the area after it closes at 5:00 p.m.

After leaving the garden, we strolled over to the elegant Nujibashi bridge where it’s possible to catch a glimpse of the actual imperial residence.  From there, rather than retracing our path back to the train station we arrived at, we walked to another nearby station and returned home by a different route, stopping on the way for supper.

Perhaps what surprised me most about yesterday’s outing was the ease with which we can wander around a place like downtown Tokyo!  The first couple of times that we went into the city seemed a bit intimidating and we were careful to keep track of where we’d been and how to get back to our station.  Now, we’re much less concerned, realizing that we can find our way back from anywhere and knowing that when we’re unsure about how to do that, it’s easy to find help.  The worst that can happen is that you get on the wrong train or one going in the opposite direction from what you had in mind.  If that does happen, all you have to do is get off at the next stop and go back!  As long as you don’t leave the stations, it doesn’t even cost anything.  The price of a trip depends entirely on where you enter the system and where you leave, not on how many detours you take along the way.