First guest and mold

 Facebook post on July 16, 2023

After coming to Goto for one month and one week, I am finally starting to settle down. Gradually, I feel capable of having my first dinner guest. I'm delighted to have someone to share my homemade dumplings (even the wrappers are homemade), Hijiki rice, and vinegar-marinated salad. While it's an incredibly casual meal, having guests like this makes me very happy while I'm actively seeking new friends.

It's refreshing to engage in conversations with my Senpai, the experienced Goto locals, and I'm constantly learning from them.

Now, about the mold.

I spent a week at my sister's place in Yokohama and returned home to be greeted by a strong, musty smell the moment I opened the door.

No doubt, it's mold.

Even when I open the windows, the humidity is overwhelming, and I can't quite tell whether it's better to keep them open or closed. With a temperature of 28 degrees Celsius and humidity at 90%, it's the perfect environment for mold to thrive.

Oh no, mold on the walls? And on the back of chairs too? Wait, it's everywhere?

Even the utensils in the kitchen drawers like wooden spoons and bamboo chopsticks are covered in mold. Leather bags and cotton eco-bags are affected too. It's a mold invasion!

What did I do wrong to end up with mold inside my house? Should I have left it ventilated instead of shutting it tight? Perhaps I should have disinfected it before leaving?

Then, during the Gyoza party with my guest, they said,

"Oh, that's quite common during this time of year in Goto."

"Wait, is this normal?"

"It's not entirely normal, but Goto during the rainy season can be tough."

Others suggested using a "circulator." When I asked what it was, they laughed and said it's not just a regular fan but a more powerful device to move air effectively.

They also mentioned the importance of creating a "discard room," where you don't place any belongings in an unused room, to prevent mold growth.

And finally, during the rainy season, it's best not to leave the house for extended periods.

I also came to realize that Japan has many fermented foods, and the line between spoilage and fermentation is quite thin. Decay is a failure, while fermentation is a success.

Even though I have experienced many challenges in life and am quite capable of handling challenges, I'm a complete beginner as a Gotoresident. Living in a 60 to 70-year-old traditional Japanese house is entirely foreign to me, and I'm still learning the basic norms from my more experienced Senpai, who are well accustomed to this lifestyle.

Instinctively, it seems like:

• Leaving the cupboard doors open might be better.
• The drawers in the wardrobe might be better left open too (or perhaps not using the wardrobe at all).
• It's best to stay relatively still during the summer so I don't experience a pouring sweat just by walking three steps.

So, this was a story about the joy of having a guest and the importance of mold prevention.