Impressions of working in Japan: Lunch

12:00 - 13:00 Lunch break
Time stand up and go to the lunch room, take out the lunchbox and get nourished. At lunch people socialize and have friendly conversations with other employees because during work people hardly talk, and if they do it is plainly work related. This is an important hour. It breaks the almost silent office atmosphere and gives an opportunity to refresh oneself.

Almost all the men in the office do not join the common room for lunch. They prefer to eat on their desk and use computer simultaneously. I was curious to ask is the reason for this. It turned out that while eating they browse news sites. This they do because they need topics to have a lively conversation with their customers when they meet in future.

That could be efficient use of time but leads me to think of an absurd question: in their shoes, which one you would prefer to browse: A flock of office ladies at the cafeteria or news sites in the Internet?

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The internship began last week. Now, after having digested the initial information flood I'll start to write about how it is like to work in Japan. This post marks the first entry in the series of working in Japan.

Finnish language in Japan

Every once in a while these things pop out to my eyes and I can't but take a photo. So here, a collection of Finnish language encountered in Japan:

ihana = wonderful

Ihan, the name of a clothing store in Nagoya. According to the shopkeeper, who yet hasn't been to Finland but wants to go, "Ihan" is Finnish and means wonderful, as in "ihana". The store, however, sells products like flip-flops from Morocco.

keittiö = kitchen

Keittiö, the name of a women's clothing store in Oita Park Place. Before taking a closer look, I though it would naturally sell kitchen ware.

sama, sama = same, same

Sama Sama, is an onsen in Oita city center.

finland

How did that crate end up to be a base for flower pots in Japan, I wonder...

Kiitos hei hei! = Thank you bye bye!

KIITOS HEIHEI! print on an eco-bag in Parco shopping mall. "Kiitos, hei hei!" is a phrase oftentimes said by Finnish cashier at a shop counter, close equivalent to ありがとうぎざました！

sateenkaari = rainbow

SATEENKAARI, another eco-bag print. Hmm... does it look cool in the eyes of Japanese consumer?

涌蓋山 - Waita-zan

涌蓋山 (わいたざん), 1499m. A cool Sunday morning. Not a cloud in the sky. Yesterday night's sudden decision to head to highlands seemed very promising. And off we drove, via the scenic Yamanami highway, past Mt. Kuju, until the small village of Sujiyu (筋湯) where we footed and treaded on the trail.


Short story tells following: In the past Haneyama and another mountain contended which one was higher. Haneyama lost and started to rage and in its ager stomped the groud with tremendous power. The shock created Waitasan.


According to our guide, the trail can be completed within 3,5 hours. However, as we made a turn to a smaller mountain on the way back it prolonged to 5 hours.




After mountaineering your joints sore and muscles tired a great way to relax is to take an onsen. Sujiyu village offers an ample variety of hot－baths. One that we took at random was an open-air onsen with a view towards Waitasan. Natural stone, dark wood, slowly rising steam for 400 yen per person. A shamefully inexpensive meridian for our trip.


Yamanami highway. Except for this part in the photo, full of ups, downs and needle curves, and therefore a great fun to drive.

万年山 - Hane-yama

万年山 (はねやま), 1140m, in a word, not that exciting during the mid February mist. Too early wake up, 2 hour train ride, almost an hour wait, and finally 45 minute bus trip - all this before reaching the track's vague base. Doesn't sound fun but like every time, again mountain proved worth climbing.


An empty chestnut shell in frost. Having now climbed three mountains in conditions ideal for ducks and other water animals, I came to realize that, no matter what, a mountain is always beautiful. Whether outside is icy, rainy, foggy, sunny, cold or warm, a mountain is comely and pleases the climber's mind. Wow, getting somewhat philosophical here.


Back to Hane-yama. From the base 2 two hours is needed to reach the flattish, bamboo-grass covered peak. A paved road leads almost all the way up to the very end, from where the path becomes only slightly steeper. In the summer its a nice 3 to 4 hour day walk, I reckon.

Finding one's way to Bungomori（豊後森、ぶんごもり）train station isn't a challenge, but from there on the bus connections may be somewhat annoying. When inquired about the bus stop at track base the bus driver got confused not knowing where to drop me off. Nevertheless, accessing this land mass by public transportation is not a problem.

Here, impressions along the way:


Spooky things deep in the forest. Can you guess what they're for? Thousands of shiitake mushrooms, which are the pride of Oita prefecture, grow on the the crossed tree trunks.


The flattest peak I've so far encountered.


Haneyama's photo-front.


...And it's very peak. Yep, I missed the view.

田原山 - Tawara-yama

田原山 (たわらやま), a mountain similar to Tsuwado-san with a height of 542m, can be completed quite effortlessly in 2,5 hours. However, only if the following preconditions are fulfilled: First, it should not rain, and second, the track base should be reached by car.


Neither of these applied yesterday. Water was pouring down from the murky sky as I started to walk off from the Nakayamaga station to the car park from where the actual hike began. This quite dull passage already took about 60 minutes to wend.


Slippery mud slopes, more rain, and several chains were the things encountered after 45 minutes in the bush. This hike was to be disastrous - I thought.


No good photo opportunities, just turn back and... Suddenly the sky cleared out from clouds and revealed blue, and steam heated by sun started to rise from the valleys. The beauty of nature made an astonishing appearance. Having to bare 2,5 hours of misery, I took this fantastic event as a reward.






From here on the weather was fine enough to dry clothes at the peak.


The cheerful train conductor at Nakayamaga station gave me an umbrella in the morning for the rain and sweets when returned in the evening.