My Thriving Town

By Tiffany Tse, ALT, Kumenan, 2006-07

When I applied for the JET Programme, I had a vision of life in Tokyo—flashing lights, stylish crowds, dazzling skyscrapers, thriving atmosphere. I soon learned that my vision, shared by so many others, would be replaced by the reality of Kumenan, a small town of 6,000 people in Okayama.
At first glance, Kumenan struck me as a thriving place in a very different way from Tokyo. In early August, the town was a rich, luxuriant green, its landscape stunning. On my second day, I trudged up the stone steps winding uphill through dense forest to reach Senryuu Park, a Kumenan landmark with a famous view. I was rewarded with a glimpse of the sprawling town spread out before me, flanked by emerald terraced rice paddies on all sides. At that moment, sweltering in the summer heat, surrounded by the lush verdure of trees and grass, I sensed that living in Kumenan would help me thrive, even if my city dream was shattered.
Kumenan, though isolated from pachinko parlors, shopping malls, and restaurants, offered many opportunities for exploration. In my spare time, I biked slowly through the shabby back alleys of town where the buildings were old and rundown. A cluttered drugstore, a supermarket with dusty shelves, a modest clinic, a tailor’s shop—these were the kinds of stores that existed in Kumenan. Walking around the quaint, hushed streets and discovering these shops, I found one true gem—a tiny bakery selling exquisitely decorated mochi and cakes.
In the beginning I was desperately lonely, but my Chinese-American features—black hair, dark eyes, fair skin—didn’t stop Kumenan townspeople from recognizing the new ALT in their midst. Shopkeepers, 7-11 clerks, librarians, and strangers on the street recognized my face from a town newsletter and stopped to say hello. Drivers in their cars bowed to me, and one another, as they steered through narrow roads. I was invited to a moon-viewing party, welcomed into homes for delicious Japanese meals, asked to attend a tea ceremony. I feasted on fresh somen noodles at a local festival. I visited a neighborhood shrine as dusk fell and the light disappeared in one of those magnificent sunsets you experience only in the countryside. I sang and danced to the Kumenan song. I watched cherry blossoms dripping and drifting all across the charming town which, by that time in April, I had started to call home.
For me, one of the challenges of living in Japan was learning to love my town, to appreciate its gracious people and verdant land despite the lack of neon, concrete, and the thriving, city atmosphere I had craved. As the year progressed, I slowly realized that Kumenan thrived too, with its natural lushness and warm, intimate community that I associate with memories of Japan. JETs who may someday find themselves daunted by the prospect of living in a remote place will discover that, given a chance, their town also thrives with a multitude of welcoming townspeople, secret niches to explore, and a wealth of adventure in experiencing the unusual and extraordinary.



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