Embracing the Inaka

As a first year JET, I’ve spent most of the first two months here in Tokushima just trying to figure out which way was up. I hit the ground with zero knowledge of or background in Japanese language or culture, and I’ve been so busy trying to study Japanese and work on fitting into my school that I haven’t really had much of a chance to take a breath and see what Tokushima has to offer.

That all changed over the long weekend when I finally had a chance to experience the real inaka. A friend in Katsuura was kind enough to invite a number of JETs, including my wife and I, to spend a day swimming, hanging out, and enjoying a late summer day in September. We arrived in Katsuura and the beauty of Tokushima outside of the city became immediately apparent.

Just the view from the car window was breathtaking. Rolling hills of lush green surrounded us. They may not have been the Rocky Mountains, but the stifling humidity that I often complained about finally paid off in the density of vegetation and trees lining the hills. It is so dry in Colorado that I never get the opportunity to see anything but rocks in the mountains.

Our first stop was at a crystal clear river for some swimming.

We were sandwiched between two people fishing, but they were very accommodating, and there was plenty of room on the river for good fishing and good swimming. The water was amazingly cool (a bit too cool for some) and clear. It felt so good to swim in the middle of this peaceful place. The water was deep, the current was mild, and if you got too cold you could warm yourself on the beach.

After a great time here, we hit the road and headed just down the road to Komikatsu. Another JET lived here, and was fortunate enough to be within five minutes of a waterfall. Walking up boarded path through some trees, I listened to my friend talk about the first time he was here, “It was just surreal, I didn’t know what to say, and I almost started getting kind of emotional because it was so beautiful.” He didn’t oversell it. Even though it has been fairly dry over the past few weeks, the waterfall was powerful and striking.

There was a large rock where you could jump off into the water, and it was kind of scary because the water was so clear it almost looked like you were jumping straight into the rocks!

I decided to take the plunge anyway and had a bit of a shock since this water was considerably colder than the river! The shock quickly wore off when I looked around and realized that I was swimming…in a waterfall…on an island…in Japan. Surreal doesn’t really even begin to describe the experience.

After swimming, climbing on the rocks, and taking a number of pictures, we packed up and headed back to make dinner in Katsuura. We stopped at a fruit and vegetable stand to pick up some delicious fresh ingredients.

Everything looked so good, and it was so inexpensive! Maybe this whole “inaka life” thing wasn’t so bad after all.

            We finished the evening by making burritos and playing some games. It was a nice bit of home cooking, and with the ingredients everyone brought, we had a pretty good selection for dinner!

I returned to the city, stuffed full of good food, good friends, and my first experience of the countryside. Though I still love my apartment in the city, I definitely will be taking more trips out west and down south to try and enjoy all of the beauty that Japan has to offer. I feel so fortunate to be living in Japan, and I can’t wait to see what else is in store for me in the future!