Saturday, October 4--The Sake Flows

A busy day today. We started out at JMSDF, where I teach, as guests at the Second Service School’s 50th Anniversary celebration. The ceremony was held in the mess hall, where tables were laid out with amazing displays of food and drink. The Japanese officers and staff of the school, as well as the American instructors and their spouses, stood attentively as speeches were given. Unfortunately we could not understand the speeches, and I felt sort of left out as the rest of the audience laughed appreciatively at some joke delivered by the speaker. It was also quite startling at the end of the speech, when, with the exception of the American contingency, the entire audience bowed as one. Japanese customs and traditions are so complex, yet performed so innately—everyone always seems to be on the same page and knows exactly what is expected in each situation. I know they are taught these customs from childhood, and it is unreasonable to think I can walk in and know everything within two months, but feel like I am being disrespectful by trying to learn as I go along.

After the speeches, there was a traditional opening of sake casks. I think it was more of a photo opportunity (guess who went without a camera?) than a real opening of the casks, because the lids split perfectly when hit with wooden mallets. Once the casks were opened, sake was distributed in square wooden boxes (how do you drink out of a wooden box? From the side? From the corner?) and toasts were made. Then the feasting began, and everyone made a beeline for the sushi table (students at the school are well-fed and regularly get many of the other types of food that were available today, but the cooks never fix sushi for them). I tried many foods, including yakisoba, tempura (shrimp, shitake mushroom, and green bean), yakitori, and even a piece of sushi (I chose one that appeared to have no fish). We quickly learned that we had to keep a plate with some small piece of food in our hands at all times, otherwise someone would run up to us with a full plate and insist we eat more. Everyone was extremely attentive to the Americans, never leaving us without food, drink, or conversation.

At the end of the event, there was more toasting, I assume to the continued success of the school in the future. There was a ritual for leaving the building which involved letting the most important guests leave first, and bowing along a type of receiving line. As we exited the mess hall, we were given a gift, which consisted of aerial photos of the school, a commemorative sake box imprinted with the school logo, and a badge holder. All in all, we enjoyed ourselves immensely, and were very happy to have been included in the celebration, considering I have only taught there two days!

This afternoon we browsed through the annual Fall Bazaar which takes up one entire parking garage on base. Vendors offer furniture, artwork, gift items, china, kimonos, wooden screens, toys, antiques, and assorted junk from all over Asia. I was hoping to find a tansu (step) chest, but nothing jumped out at me. Today was our scouting mission—we’ll try to go back tomorrow to take a second look and do any purchasing (supposedly the closer to closing time we shop, the better the deals are).