Presented by Allison Forbes


Hokkaido, Japan

Hiyama Distric

PAGE 1

Hello, my name is Allison Forbes.

I am a Canadian from Vancouver who is living in the Hiyama District of Hokkaido, Japan. I arrived here in July of 1996 to fulfill a contract with the JET Programme.

The purpose of this program is to promote internationalization at the local level, and foreign language education in senior and junior high schools throughout Japan. Currently, there are over 5,000 participants from over eighteen different countries.

I work for the Hiyama District Board of Education as an Assistant English Teacher (AET). As such, I visit over twenty schools, and am able see every part of this region.

Hiyama has recently been identified as an under populated area in Hokkaido. There is a real sense of space and wilderness here. As in many parts of Hokkaido, there is ample opportunity to enjoy outdoor recreation actives. However, unlike to rest of Hokkaido which was populated within the past century, this district has over 800 years of history. Consequently, there are buildings of historical and architectural importance.

It was originally settled as a Japanese outpost during the Edo period. The purpose of the settlement was to claim the North island, thus creating a buffer zone to Russia. Later, it served as a port to transport fish and lumber to Honshu.

The region is somewhat isolated from the rest of Hokkaido by a large mountain range. The history and isolation has created a populous with a distinct dialect, and set of customs; more specifically a unique blend of Honshu, primarily from Kyoto - Edo Period, and the more "Westernized" Hokkaido.

This isolation still exists to some extent. I often encounter people who have never seen a foreigner in person. This of course often creates unusual situations for the seven foreigners living in the district. Suffice to say I can imagine what it might be like to be a famous celebrity.


PAGE 2

Hello. My name is Allison Forbes. I am a Canadian living here in Japan. I am teaching English to high school students in the Hiyama District of Hokkaido. I am currently working as an Assistant English Teacher in the JET Programme on a one year contract.

I have been living here since July of 1996. It has been quite interesting and enlightening.

I have travelled quite extensively during my life, but I have never experienced anything like Japan. I am currently struggling with the language and enjoying the ups and downs of culture shock.

When I first came to Japan, I was confronted with the obvious differences between Canada and Japan. I am forever taking my shoes off and putting on slippers. There are even special slippers for the washroom. There is of course the difference in "cutlery", not to mention drinking your soup out of the bowl. If only my mother knew. Every culture has a difference in semantics. These of matters of daily life become second nature within a matter of weeks.

Being able to function in a culture where I am basically mute and functionally illiterate also becomes an exercise in frustration. I used to feel like a chicken in front of the instant bank machine. If I just got the right combination of button/key strokes, a little pellet of yen would come out of the machine.

The real problems that I have been encountering are based on the differences in the very fabric of the culture. Canada is basically an individual-based soiety; Japan is a group-based society. As part of a group, you are expected to do whatever it takes to keep group harmony. Sometimes that means just being there. I often looked at these requests as being unrealistic. I would look at something expectations. I sometimes think "Why am I here, I of no use here".


I am looking forward to all our your questions; as I am sure there will be.