Kuroneko Doumei

The Quest Continues
29 April 2013

I'm currently on a quest to find employment in Japan. Up until now I'd been setting my sights on getting a job as a translator of some description. However, my plan of passing the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N1 hasn't panned out quite as well as well as I'd hoped. I've taken the exam twice so far and whilst my second attempt yielded a slightly better result than my first, I'm still about 10 points below the pass mark. This has made my task of finding a job as a translator a lot more difficult, as employers typically require you to have passed at least JLPT N2. Moreover, because I changed to a History degree in my final year at university, I don't really have anything concrete to show that I'm capable of communicating effectively in Japanese. That's probably why I've not had much success so far.

I've now decided to change my approach. Instead of betting everything on possibly scraping a pass mark on JLPT N1, I'm going to play it safe and aim for N2. Considering how close I was to passing N1, I'm fairly certain that I'll be able to pass N2 without too much trouble. Whilst I wait for the exam date to arrive I'll also be applying to various Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) and English Conversation Schools (Eikaiwa). Even though I'd previously avoided applying for these positions in the past (I didn't think I was really suited to that type of job) I've decided to be a little bit more open-minded about them. It's a more accessible route to finding employment in Japan and it's not like I'll be making a long-term career out of it.

Having researched a little bit about the current market situation in Japan with regards to ALT companies and Eikaiwa schools, I've decided that the most attractive option for me is a company called ECC. It's a well-established company in the language-teaching sector and its training methods and employment benefits are very appealing. I've applied for an opportunity to attend their interview/seminar session in London in June via their website, but I haven't heard back from them yet. I'll have to e-mail them directly and send them my CV and hope that it will make them consider me. I think I could become a half-decent English conversation teacher if I were to work for ECC. I hope Lady Luck is on my side!

Posted byHocchan at 1:19 pm 0 comments  

Labels: Japan, Work

More Japan 2013
25 April 2013

I didn't realise how out of practice at writing I was until I went back and proofread my previous post. I must have gone back and edited it about 20 times in total. Plus I should really learn to check my facts about places before I write about them, haha! But I digress. The main reason for this update is to share a few more photos from my trip to Japan. I wanted to include them in the previous post but the whole thing would have become far too long-winded if I had. I guess you could call these the deleted scenes.

The first couple of pictures are taken at 浜離宮庭園 (Hamarikyū Teien) near the well-known Tsukiji fish market. Whilst it probably would have looked far more vibrant had I gone there during the summer months, it was still a pretty nice place to spend a sunny spring afternoon. The cherry (?) tree you can see in the second picture was absolutely stunning. It really stood out amongst the surrounding greenery and made a great focal point for the entrance area. Further towards the centre of the park was a brilliant field of bright yellow rapeseed flowers. They provided a nice contrast to the skyscrapers in the background.

The next couple of pictures were taken in Kawagoe, Saitama prefecture (and I double-checked my facts this time to make sure). The 'tunnel' of wooden plaques (ema) you can see in the second of the two pictures was quite possibly the largest collection of the things I'd see so far in Japan. There were just rows and rows of them, squeezed in tightly next to one another. It must be a popular place to make wishes, I guess. Finally, the last picture was taken at Mount Takao (Takaosan). It's about an hour west of Shinjuku by local train and is a popular spot for people looking to escape the hustle and bustle of central Tokyo. The mountain is also renowned in folklore as a place where Tengu reside. As such, there are various Tengu-related miscellanea to be seen on the trek to the top of the mountain; including the cute little signpost seen above, warning you to take caution over them. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) I didn't see any of them during my time there.

Posted byHocchan at 9:38 am 0 comments  

Labels: Japan, Photos

Japan 2013
24 April 2013

I'd forgotten just how difficult it was to write an introduction to a passage of text. I've been sat here for a little while, experimenting with different openings but I've not been happy with any of them so far. This is probably why I've resorted to rambling about how I can't think of a decent opening, rather than actually writing a decent opening. But at least that's gotten it out of the way. Now I can get down to writing about the main topic of this post - my recent trip to Japan.

I took advantage of all the free time that I've been having and treated myself to a two week trip to Japan in March. I spent most of my time in and around the Tokyo Metropolitan Area just relaxing and exploring the cities and towns. It had been a long time since I last had the opportunity to speak Japanese to anyone so as expected, my pronunciation had gone down the pan. Over the two weeks, however, it slowly improved and I felt pretty comfortable with speaking Japanese again by the end of my holiday.

As usual I stayed in the Chisun Inn hotel in Asakusa. Any time that I'm in Tokyo I'll stay at this hotel. The rooms are clean and tidy and the rates are very reasonable for the centre of Tokyo. Furthermore, the staff are friendly and helpful. Plus it's in a great location just five minutes walk away from the famous Sensōji, and a couple of stops away from the Sky Tree via the Toei Asakusa Line. I realise that this is turning into an advertisement for the hotel but I would highly recommend staying here if you're on a tight budget!

Speaking of the Sky Tree, I had been desperate to visit the new landmark ever since it opened in May 2012. I love tall buildings and structures and I always take the opportunity to check out the view from the top of them when ever possible. Having previously visited the observation decks in Fukuoka Tower, Yokohama Landmark Tower, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo World Trade Center I wanted to see how this new kid on the block compared.

Whilst the view from the first observation deck at 350m was very impressive, I wouldn't say that it was worth the extra 1,000 yen to ascend to the second observation deck at 450m. To be honest, there really isn't all that much difference between the two views. Still, at least I can say that I've been to the very top. The best bit about the experience was undoubtedly the glass floor you can see in the picture above. Had there not been a billion people crowding around it taking pictures I would have lay down on it and had a nap. There's something really therapeutic about looking down at the ground from such a height. Absolutely loved it!

Aside from Tokyo, I also visited the historic city of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture. It quickly became my favourite place in all of Japan; I positively love the place. From the very moment I left the train station I knew that this was a city I wanted to live in. You only have to walk a few minutes away from the main city centre before you get a taste of the peaceful village-like atmosphere. The roads are narrow and winding and the houses are full of character. Train tracks criss-cross the suburban areas and there are a myriad of level-crossings about the place. Kamakura is probably most well known for the giant statue of Buddha (shown in the picture above). The funny thing about the statue is that you can pay a small fee (20 yen or something like that) and actually go inside it. It even has windows around the back!

To the south of Kamakura there is a big stretch of beach which is very popular with surfers and holiday-makers in the summer. Even in March there were a fair few people enjoying the waves, and I can see why; it's a stunning area. Very close to the coast is the house that can be seen in the picture above. This was used as a principal photography location for the recent drama ビブリア古書堂の事件手帖 (Biblia Koshodō no Jikentechō) and was a place I very much wanted to visit.

To the very end of my trip I was extremely fortunate and managed to experience the beautifully stunning cherry blossoms for the first time. I'd always wanted to witness the splendour of them with my own eyes but never got the chance to until now. Originally, the forecast predicted that the trees wouldn't begin blooming until a few days after I had left Japan. However, due to the unseasonably warm weather this March, the cherry blossoms appeared on the last couple of days I was there. I was so happy! They're really a sight to behold. The photos don't really do them justice. It's almost enchanting when you get the petals fluttering down from the branches above you. I could easily have spent a whole lifetime just admiring their beauty.

All in all, it was a brilliant trip to Japan and it reconfirmed to me just how much I love the country. I'm more determined than ever now to get a job in Japan and spend the rest of my life in the country I adore so much. Wait for me, Japan, I'll be back soon! That's a promise.

Edit: Mistakenly thought that the filming location for モヤモヤさまぁ～ず２ (Moyamoya Summers 2) was in Kamakura when in fact it was in Kawagoe (which is in a completely different prefecture)! As such, I've removed the photo of the location from the post. My memory is really bad!

Posted byHocchan at 10:44 am 0 comments  

Labels: Japan, Photos

Time To Get Serious
23 April 2013

Ah, time flies when you're... not really doing much in particular, actually. I can't really believe that it's been nearly a year since I last updated! That's maybe because not much really happened in the latter half of 2012; at least nothing worth writing about. Although, 2013 seems to be shaping up to be quite an interesting year so far. I must admit, there were times these last few months when I considered discontinuing this blog. It seemed kind of cruel to leave it in a state of limbo so I thought about calling it a day on Kuroneko Doumei. I mean, even the word 'blog' seems like such an old-fashioned word now. These days it's all about status updates on Facebook and tweets on Twitter. In fact, the very idea of having to write a properly articulated sentence or paragraph after all this time scares the bejesus out of me. But I've come up with a plan that will both encourage me to revive and maintain this blog and hopefully contribute to my self-improvement over the coming months.

The idea is quite simple. As I'm hoping to get a job as an assistant language teacher of English in Japan (will probably elaborate on this matter in a later post) I thought it would be best if I were to brush up on my, well, English. Since graduating from university last June, I have had very little need to actually use any of the writing skills that I picked up during the four years of my degree. As such, I think my ability to use the language in an academic context has suffered. I doubt very much that I would be able to write a very good essay (or even blog post for that matter) any more. Therefore, I need to get back into the habit of writing again. Not only will this help me to revive my flagging language skills, it will also ensure that I regularly keep this blog up-to-date. At least that's the plan... In the meantime, here's a picture from my trip to Japan - the subject of my next post.

Posted byHocchan at 10:27 am 0 comments  

Labels: Administration, Daily Life