A Change of Pace: Sightseeing and Intense Humidity

Facebook post on July 3rd, 2023 

Before I knew it, a whole month had already passed since I arrived in Japan.

I arrived on June 12th in Goto, and since then, I've been busy with paperwork and organizing my new/old house.

I want to settle down, but considering that my youngest son is only staying for a month, I want to make sure he has a good time. It would be boring if all we did was cleaning and shopping. So, I'll put aside the thoughts of "relocating to Goto" and switch to a tourist mindset.

There are plenty of workshops and experiences to enjoy, such as glassblowing, glass crafts, knife-making, and paper-knife crafting. Disneyland might also be fun, but I would rather spend money on these kinds of activities.

However, the humidity is intense!

Was Japan always this humid? Even 23 years ago when I used to live here, was it like this?

I came in June to acclimate to the weather before it gets hot, but I didn't consider the rainy season. Rain, rain, and more rain. And it's not just the misty rain like in the Chilliwack area; it pours down heavily. The thunderstorms are intense too.

I wonder what will happen if a typhoon comes...

Cellphone lens fogs up with humidity.

The humidity is at 98%, it's so damp that it feels like it's just 2% away from turning into water!

I want to let fresh air in, but as soon as I open the window, nearby papers start curling up. When I pick them up, they bend over like wet paper. Even the dishes I wash don't dry over night when I leave them out!

I can't figure out the right time to do laundry. Even when I hang it out, it doesn't dry.

How does everyone manage?

I can't remember what I used to do in the past.

In Canada, even if it's raining outside, if I air dry them indoors, they become crisp overnight. But the way laundry dries here is not quite the same. I'm not sure if it's dry or not just by touching it.

I forgot about the Japanese rainy season.

Indeed, thanks to the humidity, my skin feels smooth and moist..

Restless Days

Facebook post on June 28, 2023

I say,

"I'm going back to Japan!"

"I've returned to Japan!", only to realize every day that Japan has become a foreign place for me. In fact, I find myself delighted over something as ordinary as "being able to speak Japanese!"

Even so, little by little, I'm starting to feel somewhat accustomed. There are moments like,

"I managed to go to that supermarket without using Google Maps!" or

"I made a automatic payment without any fuss!" or

"I called a local electrician/plumber, and they came to fix the water leak!"

I found myself surprised that a real human answers a phone at the first pick.

It's these kinds of things that make me rejoice at every little step. Such a tiny joy.

Last year, I came to the Goto Islands for a preliminary visit. I said,

"I won't know until I see it for myself."

This year, I came to live on the Goto Islands. I said,

"I won't know until I live here myself."

I met some people when I came for the visit last year, and I was able to meet them again. I'm truly grateful for how kind they are, really, really grateful.

They even brought me a used electric kettle, saying,

"Can you make use of this? Oh, by the way, I thinned out some carrots and made tempura with the carrot leaves to share with you. Please take the plate as well."

I think it's cool; the world of giving ”leaf tempura with thinned carrots.”

In the middle of these unsettled days, I find such kindness touching.

When I practiced Reiki, the time for Reiki was a calming meditation-like time. But now, without anyone to practice Reiki with, I'm rediscovering just how much I loved Reiki.

Is anyone who would like to have a reiki? 

The Importance of Greetings and the Scent of Home

 Facebook posted on June 21, 2023

I moved to an unfamiliar land, an unfamiliar town, and an unfamiliar house. I'm so lucky to speak Japanese, otherwise, it feels like I moved to a foreign country.

Despite having a place that required my initial greetings, I was occupied with paperwork such as residency registration and setting up utilities.

Amidst this chaos, we visited a local Shinto shrine.

To my surprise, reaching the shrine involved driving under a torii gate—a practice I had never done before. My mind was filled with confusion.

Do I bow my head while passing under the Torii gate?

Isn't the center under the Torii gate where the Kami walks?

Is it appropriate to drive through it?

With these thoughts, I parked my car at the gravel square next to the Torii gate. However, upon realizing that the shrine was quite far to walk from there, and considering the asphalt road and passing cars beyond the torii gate, I wondered how people managed to enter through it.

Thus, I approached an older gentleman who was gardening nearby and asked,

"Excuse me! I want to visit that shrine over there. Where should I park my car? I placed it next to the torii gate."

"Ah, I wonder whose land it was next to the torii gate. It's better to park your car beneath the shrine," he replied.

"But is it okay to drive under the Torii gate?"

"Well, everyone living around here drives under the Torii gate."

"Not next to it, but under it? Under?"

"Yes, Under."

I drove under the Torii gate and I proceeded to introduce myself at the local shrine.

"I recently moved here from Canada. My name is Mari Okazaki. Thank you for watching over me and my family. I have specialized in Reiki therapy for many years in Canada, but from now on, I would like to learn new things in this place, so I made the bold decision to move here. Thank you in advance for your support."

Feels good.

And then, there was the house.

A home is the foundation of our lives, and we want it to be as comfortable as possible. So, I began by peeling off any washable materials and washing them. Just doing that already transformed the scent of the house completely. Whether it was the old house's unique smell or the previous occupant's lingering scent, my senses became hyperactive. On the first day, I felt as if someone was constantly watching me, unable to get any sleep. I could almost hear whispers saying,

"There's a new person. Will they fit in here? Will they stay?"

Ah, that's right—I hadn't properly greeted the house either.

"My name is Mari Okazaki. I have moved here from Canada. I will be living in this house from now on, so thank you for having me."

Then, I rearranged the Miroku Buddha, Daikokuten & Ebisu combo statues that had been randomly placed—into their proper positions. Just doing that made the house feel much calmer, and the scent no longer bothered me.

Slowly, but surely, the place became more comfortable.

I also planted the baby basil I received as a gift and did a little bit of weeding (with a scythe, a very analog way of doing it). I was covered in sweat, but it felt refreshing.

And that's my story today.

The Modern Life's Foundation: Wi-Fi

Faebook posted on June 21, 2023

Well, it has been a week since I arrived on Goto Islands. It's been a whirlwind of days, going to the city hall multiple times to obtain my residency certificate, and multiple visits to an office to arrange my mobile phone contract, only to be sent back multiple times, then trying to sign up online and getting rejected.

Things just don't seem to be going smoothly. However, amidst all this, there are some positive things happening.

When I was preparing to move into my new residence, I thought to myself that if I couldn't get a mobile phone contract, I should at least secure Wi-Fi.

So, I contacted the local "Goto Television" in advance and requested,

"I'm moving on XX date, could you please arrange Wi-Fi connection on that day?"

Unfortunately, I didn't receive a response, and the moving day arrived. Until then, I had been able to use the Wi-Fi at my temporary accommodation, so I managed to stay in touch. But for the new place, all I knew was that the electricity and water services were already set up with the basic fees, and it seemed that gas could be connected right away. I had no idea whether Wi-Fi would be available in that area.

Why am I so anxious about Wi-Fi? I'm clearly suffering from a modern ailment.

It feels like cutting off the umbilical cord that connects me to the world, severing my lifeline.

What should I do? What should I do?

Renting a Wi-Fi router would take time because it's an isolated island. If I were at my old home in Chilliwack, I would have friends there, and if anything happened, I could walk to the neighbors and manage somehow. But now, right after moving, I don't even know who lives next door.

Well, it's natural to feel anxious, but still, I'm anxious!

With such worries weighing on my mind, I arrived at my new home, opened the windows, and made a shopping list to gather the essentials.

As I was about to drive out the drive way, a car with "Goto Television" written on it came from the other direction.

"Oh, that company! I was planning to go to the office today (since I don't have a phone, all communication must be done in person), and now they're here. I'll ask them some questions. I'll be right back!"

I hurriedly stopped the car and called out,

"Excuse me! I was just about to go to Goto Television's office, but I saw your car. When I reserve Wi-Fi, does it connect immediately?"

The person responded,

"Well, we need to check the house's connection and such, so we won't know if it can be done right away or if installation is required."

"It's that house right there. Could you please take a look? I just moved in today."

"...Ah, are you Ms. Okazaki?"

"Huh? Yes?"

"We have a reservation for Okazaki-san today. I think we contacted you by email. Was today okay? If you're going out now, we'll have to reschedule."

"No! Yes! Please do it today, right now! I didn't receive the email, but if you can do it now, please do!"

Phew! If I had gone shopping a little earlier, it would have been a disaster! I say "I'm lucky! I am guided after all! (And I quickly become optimistic.)

Moving to an unfamiliar town and a new home is shaking my heart more than I imagined, but in moments like this, I feel a sense of being protected.

That's the story for today.

P.S. By

the way, I have a phone number now, yay!

The Pain of Change

Facebook post on June 17, 2023

Oh boy, the reality of relocation far exceeds my imagination. If I were to compare it to childbirth, it's like being in the midst of labor pains. There's no going back, but I can't rush things either, so I find myself panting in the middle.

In my case, it wasn't just a regular move. Due to the inability to trace my life history, obtaining a residency registration was quite challenging (although I managed to get it now). Born in Canada, raised in Nagasaki, registered in Yokohama, and disappeared from the record by having lived in Canada for 23 years, I made a direct move from Canada to the Goto Islands where I have no personal connection. The staff at the Goto City Hall were flustered by this extraordinary situation.

The problem is, without an address, I can't get a phone contract. Without a phone, unconventional address changes like mine become impossible. I have to borrow someone else's phone and inform them, "If you need to contact me, please call this person." And when a call comes in, the owner of that phone relays a message, saying, "Mari-san, someone called. Please come here and return the call." I drove about 6 or 7 minutes just to make a 30-second phone call, and if I have to wait for a response, I wait right there in front of the phone. It feels like a telephone game from the early Showa period.

Amidst the back-and-forth about missing documents and changing laws, it took me five days to finally obtain the residency registration. I am now officially a resident of Fukue Island in the Goto Islands, Nagasaki Prefecture.

Once I had the residency registration, I had to go through the procedures for national health insurance and national pension. I left Japan when I was 27 years old and worked for a major trading company, so all these public matters were taken care of by the company, and I knew nothing about them. It was quite overwhelming.

And finally, the mobile phone I had to visit the mobile phone store three times. They told me to make an appointment and come, but I couldn't make an appointment because I didn't have a phone to call with. When I explained this, they gave me a puzzled look and said, "What do you mean?" They asked me to bring the required documents, so I brought my passport as identification, but that was also rejected. Apparently, a passport doesn't count as identification. Even though I have the world's strongest Japanese passport, it's not useful in Japan.

And when I asked about buying a data-only SIM card, they said they've never heard of it. But wait, you can buy them at the airport. How come the mighty Docomo can't handle that?

Everything seems to be going wrong, and I was on the verge of giving up.

Just when I was feeling that way, a small miracle happened.

One word: "Mari-san, you're a pioneer. Pioneers are at the forefront, experimenting and trying things out for those who come after you, so that you can teach them. You're currently undergoing training for that."

Pioneer, it has a nice ring to it, and it made me think,

"Okay, I can do this."

That's how my day went today.

Finally, Goto Islands

Facebook Post on June 14, 2023

The youngest child safely arrived.

Pushing two suitcases, when he came out alone from the arrival gate,

"Wow, well done!"

Behind the introverted youngest child's smile, there was a sense of accomplishment in undertaking a solo international trip that even his older brothers had never done before.

And finally, we are at the final destination; Gotō Islands.

Already deeply moved by the kindness of the locals.

The young English assistant language teachers from the local area whom I had met once last year, were holding a sign at the arrival gate to welcome us. So sweet of them!

A fellow from a car dealership, neither a taxi driver nor a representative from a travel agency, came to pick us up at the airport and we got a cool standard-drive Honda minivan.

His mother at the car dealership was surprised,

"You immigrated from Canada?!" and quickly gathered necessary items, such as toilet paper, saran wrap, local-specific garbage bags, and towels.

Indeed, experienced housewives know what makes other housewives happy.

When we arrived at our accommodation, the owner's family brought a super cute welcome gift consisting of one cucumber, one zucchini, and four small potatoes to our room.

It was a shower of kindness.

However, there's a problem. I haven't been able to update my resident registration. Having lived overseas for 23 years has become a tough hurdle than I expected. Not being able to transfer my resident registration means, I am homeless right now.

And that means I can't get a cell phone or an internet contract. Without a bank account, I can't sign up for a cell phone contract. And to open a bank account, I need a phone number. My Canadian credit cards are often rejected due to fraud prevention.

To get a phone number, I need a resident registration. To get a resident registration, I need an address and a phone number. What can I do?

Right from the beginning, I've encountered problems that are making me feel discouraged... Of course, there are worries that come with this kind of big move, but it's truly reassuring to know that I have support, even with things like one cucumber and a tiny little heart-shaped beach stone.

I arrived safely in Japan

Facebook posted on June 4th 2023 
A few days ago, I arrived safely in Japan!

23 years ago, after leaving Japan and establishing myself in Chilliwack, my sister's home became a place for me to return to.

Although I could only go back every 2-3 years for a short period, my sister's house is a place filled with countless childhood memories for my sons.

But this time, it's a little different from the usual homecoming.

In December 2021, I started feeling the desire to live in Japan once again. I have a sense that there are unfinished matters, things I can learn more about, and something I can leave behind for my sons. Such feelings welled up within me. With various emotions in my heart, I made the decision.

Chilliwack, where I lived for 23 years, can be called my home. Leaving behind a place of stability and contentedness, with many friends, where my family is, and a place that nurtured my soul, required considerable courage.

A mixture of excitement and nervousness. It feels similar to when I first landed all alone in Canada 23 years ago. Although I had no idea about the future, I was strongly convinced to start an entirely new life. It's the same feeling.

Certainty in uncertainty.

To create a place where the rest of my family can gather next year, I want to start by establishing the foundations of my life in Japan.

While I left behind three men, it looks like things are going well so far.

These 3 dinner plates bring a bit of tear to my eyes.