JET Programme Series: Yamagata's Wonders, One Adventure at a time - Kosi Regis
2023/4/28
JET Programme Series: Yamagata's Wonders, One Adventure at a time - Kosi Regis
Located in the north of Japan’s main island Honshu, Yamagata Prefecture is defined by its nature. Affectionately referred to as Japan’s fruit kingdom, the prefecture is famous for various fruits from cherries to pears and watermelons which are all cultivated in abundance. Nature continues to stand out as Yamagata’s crown jewel with the myriad of hot springs, ski slopes, whitewater rapids and even mountain temples. With so many sights to see and places to explore, the youngest Trinidadian JET set out on a journey to represent his country and bravely ask, “Have you ever heard of Trinidad and Tobago?”.
The JET programme has provided me with the opportunity to combine both my passion for teaching with my passion for Japanese culture. My short time as an English teacher has already been incredibly fulfilling. And as my both my Elementary and Junior High schools prepare for graduation, I look back on the past months fondly. From sports days and English speech contests to preparation for entrance exams and the Eiken exam, I’ve truly loved every minute of the experience.
I’ve relished the opportunity to inject as much Trinidadian culture into my class presentations and introductions. To this day some students still shout out, “Manatee!” from my explanation about animals in our country and they still groan in jealousy when they hear that our summer vacation extends for two months. Although I must admit that I was a little surprised at the amount of singing elementary school ALTs have to do on a daily basis but my nights out doing karaoke has allowed me to receive many “コシ先生歌が上手” (Mr. Kosi you’re good at singing) from my youngest students.
When I’m not teaching, I’m off discovering what Yamagata has to offer. I’ve taken the 1000 step ascent to Yamadera temple in summer, autumn and winter in order to truly experience the magical views uniquely present in each season. I’ve been whitewater rafting down the Mogami river with an instructor who was just a little too eager to have his students hop into the river. For my first experience with winter, I made my way up a mountain where my ski instructor tested not only my skiing ability but my Japanese ability as well. While my Japanese ability was up to par, I quickly found out that my skiing was quite lackluster in comparison, leaving me frequently laid out in the snow.
I was also fortunate enough to arrive in time to witness Yamagata’s pride and joy, the Hanagasa Festival (Flower Hat festival) where hundreds of people did a traditional dance down the city’s main street. I even learned how to do the dance myself, though I’m a far cry from being even half as good as those who poured weeks of practice into perfecting their skills. This was the first festival since the pandemic began and as a result all the participants were ecstatic to once again celebrate their culture.
Overall, moving to Japan has truly been the experience of a lifetime. I’ve barely grazed the surface of what Japan and even Yamagata has to offer. As graduation looms ahead, I join my students in preparing to take the next big step in their lives. Similarly I join my co-workers in preparing to welcome new students who will eventually join the long list of people that I’ve asked, “ Have you ever heard of Trinidad and Tobago?”
JET Series: Yamagata's Wonders, One Adventure at a time (Japanese Embassy's Facebook)
JET Programme Series Archives
The JET programme has provided me with the opportunity to combine both my passion for teaching with my passion for Japanese culture. My short time as an English teacher has already been incredibly fulfilling. And as my both my Elementary and Junior High schools prepare for graduation, I look back on the past months fondly. From sports days and English speech contests to preparation for entrance exams and the Eiken exam, I’ve truly loved every minute of the experience.
I’ve relished the opportunity to inject as much Trinidadian culture into my class presentations and introductions. To this day some students still shout out, “Manatee!” from my explanation about animals in our country and they still groan in jealousy when they hear that our summer vacation extends for two months. Although I must admit that I was a little surprised at the amount of singing elementary school ALTs have to do on a daily basis but my nights out doing karaoke has allowed me to receive many “コシ先生歌が上手” (Mr. Kosi you’re good at singing) from my youngest students.
When I’m not teaching, I’m off discovering what Yamagata has to offer. I’ve taken the 1000 step ascent to Yamadera temple in summer, autumn and winter in order to truly experience the magical views uniquely present in each season. I’ve been whitewater rafting down the Mogami river with an instructor who was just a little too eager to have his students hop into the river. For my first experience with winter, I made my way up a mountain where my ski instructor tested not only my skiing ability but my Japanese ability as well. While my Japanese ability was up to par, I quickly found out that my skiing was quite lackluster in comparison, leaving me frequently laid out in the snow.
I was also fortunate enough to arrive in time to witness Yamagata’s pride and joy, the Hanagasa Festival (Flower Hat festival) where hundreds of people did a traditional dance down the city’s main street. I even learned how to do the dance myself, though I’m a far cry from being even half as good as those who poured weeks of practice into perfecting their skills. This was the first festival since the pandemic began and as a result all the participants were ecstatic to once again celebrate their culture.
Overall, moving to Japan has truly been the experience of a lifetime. I’ve barely grazed the surface of what Japan and even Yamagata has to offer. As graduation looms ahead, I join my students in preparing to take the next big step in their lives. Similarly I join my co-workers in preparing to welcome new students who will eventually join the long list of people that I’ve asked, “ Have you ever heard of Trinidad and Tobago?”
JET Series: Yamagata's Wonders, One Adventure at a time (Japanese Embassy's Facebook)
JET Programme Series Archives