Food and Friends in Tottori, Yonago, and Shimane

Initially the weekend of December 12th was supposed to be relatively mellow. But then some of my younger coworkers invited me out for dinner Friday night. We went out to what I learned later to be the first shabu-shabu restaurant in Japan (according to one of my coworkers). Shabu-shabu is a Japanese style meal where you boil vegetables and thin slices of meat in a pot on your table. The meat and vegetables turn the water into a broth, which is consumed during the second course with ramen noodles. The company was good as well. I got to attempt to speak more Japanese and learn more about my coworkers interests and hobbies. One of my coworkers is apparently quite amazing at rhythm games, demonstrating her skill on a challenging smartphone game, scoring over 90% on the hardest difficulty.


I also learned some interesting facts about the Japanese education system. Japanese teachers are hired on yearly contracts until they take a rather rigorous test in their field of study. This test functions akin to tenure, and once complete a teacher can take a full time position within a school. But only a few teachers have the opportunity to take and pass these exams in each field every year. Additionally, teachers are evaluated by the school and board of education, and received different ranks based on their review. The higher ranking teachers receive larger bonuses during the end of the year.

The next day I headed across the prefecture to Yonago to join my friend Maria for a Christmas party at the house of a rather eccentric man, Nishikori. He is the rowing coach for an international rowing club in Yonago. He volunteers with an international welcoming board in his city and often recruits JETs, translators, and other English teachers for his teams. He himself is a rather well traveled globetrotter, having photos of his family all over the world littered around the house. His house reflected his personality, with tons of eclectic amenities. Some stuff included a bathroom sink with two faucets, once which had the functions of a kitchen sink nozzle, and another which could be pivoted to turn into a drinking fountain, a clock which played Ghibli music on the hour, and a permanent kotatsu table dug into his kitchen which heated from the floor (most are electric and heat from the underside of the table). Nishikori is apparently an avid skier, so he invited me along for one of his next ski trips once the mountains open up.

After eating a fantastic potluck dinner at Nishikori's, the next day I went to the nearby city of Shimane and did some quick shopping. While in the city, Maria suggested we visit Gessho-ji temple. We hopped on the rather festive tourist bus loop, which was filled to the brim with Christmas decorations, complete with a whole Christmas tree.


Gessho-ji features an ancient group of monuments for Japanese feudal lords. The monuments were quite large and surrounded by wide fields with rows of lanterns, weathered by the passage of time without looking dilapidated. The ornate gates at the entrance to each monument were carved by famous artists with various themes. The artists were able to create depth and bring realism into to their etchings on these ornate gates. These notable works of art stand as an appropriate tribute to the noble families buried here. Guarding the main monument was a massive, detailed turtle statue, which is said to come alive at night and patrol the grounds. Due to the poor weather, the temple grounds were completely devoid of people, adding to the mystique of the tombs.

But then, regrettably, I had to make the trek back to Tottori-shi. I look forward to visiting Shimane again and seeing more of the sights in a different season.