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The Bell Family is
Moving to Japan

We're moving to Japan!  After several months of careful consideration and discussion the Bell family has decided to pull up roots and move to Japan.  This idea was brought to mind after we went to Japan in November to visit Yumiko's family.  Our daughter Emily had such a wonderful time with her grandparents that we thought it would be nice for her if we could move closer to them.

This decision was indeed a tough one... Yumiko and Kurt had been thinking about leaving California for some time for a variety of reasons, so the idea of moving was nothing new. However, the idea of moving to Japan was indeed a novel idea which took us quite by surprise. You see, while we were visiting in Japan we were concerned to see how quickly Yumiko's parents were aging, and at the same time delighted to note how much they loved being with Emily and she with them. With these thoughts in mind we decided that the time is perfect for a move back to Japan for at least a year (but maybe longer). Emily does not start school for a few more years so this is a great time to immerse her in Japanese culture and language (Kurt too) and to allow her to get to know her HUGE extended family in the little valley of Yada in the shadow of Mt. Fuji.

As for our plans in Japan... Well, we have already located an apartment we wish to rent (pending availability) a few minutes walking distance from Yumiko's parent's house. The apartment is really quite small by American standards, but normal size for most Japanese. We are really looking forward to living the Japanese lifestyle again as there are a lot of practical efficiencies about the Japanese way-of-life which we think that we may have lost track of in the last couple of years.  We imagine that as a family we will spend lots of time with the relatives.  This is because Japanese families tend to be very tight, with mom, dad grandparents uncles aunts and cousins forming the nucleus of an individual's social relations and identity (I love that).  Kurt plans to enroll in formal Japanese language training and will work real hard to bring his Japanese up to a conversational level. We are going to buy a little (very little) car and we're looking forward to doing lots of fun things in the area around our new home. Yumiko and Kurt also plan to try for another kid.  We are very excited about the prospect of bringing another little kodomo into the home.

The larger Shizuoka area is a very interesting place and should prove an exciting place to live. Shizuoka was once the capital city of the first Shogun of Japan (Ieyasu Tokugawa). The city was chosen by the Shogun for its temperate climate and strategic position on the pacific coast near the geographical center of the main island of Honshu. The city is surrounded on all sides by the high mountains of the Southern Japanese Alps. These mountains act as a natural fortress and once helped protect the Shogun from rival feudal lords. As a former seat of Japanese government and culture, Shizuoka is famous for it's many artisan trades and cultural refinements. Traditional craftsman of all sorts continue to ply their trade from Shizuoka in service of the many historical buildings and institutions around Japan. Woodcrafts, lacquer ware and ceramics are still made in traditional fashion in small workshops all around the city. Yumiko's father is an example of this fact as he is a third-generation traditional shoji door and window maker. One of the things that is fun to do in Yumiko's town is to take walks and check out all the little craftsman's shops scattered here and there.  It's fun to try and figure out what people in the shops are making. Sometimes a workshop will feature a small storefront for selling the shop's wares. One several occasions, after entering such a little store, we have been invited by the proprietor to go back and tour the main work area. A favorite event of this type was when our family was invited to tour a small family-run workshop where three generations of family members work to create little old fashioned "Daruma" dolls. Legend says the Daruma was a monk who lost his arms and legs from sitting many years in meditation. The doll is today used as a motivating charm and is popular with people, especially students, taking on new challenges. Daruma's eyes are unpainted, and when you start a new endeavor you are supposed to paint one eye on the doll. If you successfully complete the endeavor you then you fill in the other eye. It's not uncommon to see one-eyed Daruma dolls staring at you from shelves within peoples homes, reminding their owners that they have some goal to achieve.

The Shizuoka region is full of interesting and historic places and sights. You can't walk more than two or three blocks in any direction and not run into a forest-shrouded temple or shrine complex. I love strolling through these places in the early morning or late evening as the new or dying light adds an exciting element of mystery to the elaborate wooden buildings and exotic stone statues staring out from the myriad sacred spots scattered throughout the landscape. We are looking forward to many fine strolls with Emily in the neighborhood around our new home. One of our favorite such places is the nearby mountain-top tomb where Shogun Ieyasu is buried. The tomb complex is accessed either via a precipitous climb up the side of the steep mountain or via an aerial tram which crosses a deep gorge to the tomb complex. The top of the mountain consists of numerous places of worship, accessed by a wide stone stairway which steadily climbs to the pinnacle of the mountain. The temple-complex rises several hundred feet from where the tram arrives to the very top of the mountain.  A wide and steep stone stairway leads up through successive plateaus, each of which contains a group of beautiful temples, until the tomb is at last reached at the very top of the mountain. Each temple is entered through a huge gilded wooden gate guarded by pairs of giant, fierce-looking wooden gods captured in tableau while in the process of trampling demons underfoot. Each successively higher temple is more beautiful and ornate than the last. Finally, at the summit, nestled in a low fern-shrouded grotto cut from the mountain top there is a great stone monument (The monument looks a lot like a Borg cube from Star Trek NG).  The huge square stone (as big as a suburban home) marks the final resting place of the Shogun. We love this place and we can't wait to take Emily to this and many other culturally important sites in order to introduce her firsthand to the history and artistry of her Japanese culture.

In summary, though we are excited about opening a new chapter in our lives, we know that life is Japan will be as full of challenges as life in the states. However, we hope that in the end this decision will prove a good one. I guess that we will just have to wait and see.

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