Sister Cities: Ryuo-Cho, Japan and Sault Ste. Marie, MI

                Both Sault Ste. Marie, MI and Ryuo-Cho are considered to be sister cities as a result of an agreement between both cities.  During a very interesting presentation on September 11, 2013, the Lake Superior Elders were given a vast amount of information about Ryuo-Cho.  Ryuo-Cho, a small city in Japan with approximately 13,000 people, participates in a middle school student exchange with Sault Ste. Marie, MI.  Odd years city representatives from Sault Ste. Marie visit Ryuo-Cho and on even years representatives from Ryuo-Cho visit Sault Ste. Marie, MI.  The people in Japan appear to be extremely polite and civil and they are open to multiple religions. The presenter saw a small child, approximately five years of age, walking down the busy streets in Kyoko, the main city in Japan, without an adult in attendance of the child.  She pointed to the child and asked “where are the child’s parents?” and was told “this is a safe society. Adults look out for all the children.”  Are we missing important elements in this country? 

Where should I start, perhaps with the most interesting detail I observed during the presentation.  We were shown a clip of deer roaming the streets amongst people, not afraid of people.  The Deer of Nara is an area in Japan that honors white tail deer.  According to folklore, in the past there was a sacred man who arrived on a white tail deer.  I will probably look into this a little more at a later date. 

Zero tolerance exists concerning driving and drinking in Japan.  You cannot have any amount of alcohol no matter how small the amount and drive legally.  How much is too much?  The presenter went to a place that served alcohol, a karaoke place, and there needed to be a designated driver present.  They take their karaoke seriously and everyone who was present in the place that served as a karaoke bar, which was the front room of a person’s home, had to sing karaoke.  Space is a precious commodity in Japan so no space is wasted.  The presenter thought the family she stayed with had water front property; but the water was a rice field in their backyard.  The homes are smaller and the streets are very narrow. 

While the presenter was in Japan she stayed with a Japanese family, a retired couple.  One night he played a shamisen, a stringed instrument.  A shamisen has a neck about the size of a guitar with no frets and only three strings.  It reminded me of a sweet stick, an antique stringed instrument in the US.  Her host sang Japanese songs and appeared to be very proud of his talent.  He plays in a band and is enjoying his retirement immensely. 

In Higashiomi a giant kite ceremony is held annually.  There was a huge kite flown and the crowd is cheering when the kite is up and there was booing when the kite fell to the ground.  Another attempt was made to fly the first kite. Lots of kites were flown at this festival. 

The presenter viewed a traditional wedding ceremony.  The bride wore a traditional head dress which was worn to hide her horns until after she is married.  I thought this concept was funny.  However, do the men wear a head dress also?

Food is considered an art form and the food is usually served in an elegant manner.  The presenter was served a savory Okonomiyaki pancake which is made with different combinations of meat and other ingredients.  Shabu shabu is served with vegetables and meat.  Water is boiling and a very slim slice of beef or another meat is put into the water quickly for a few seconds.  Shabu shabu is considered a high end dish. They went to a sushi bar and the food was served on a conveyor belt. 

The presenter visited the biggest seafood market in the world, The Tsukiji Fish Market.  Only 60 people at a time are allowed to enter the market and shop at one time.  They needed to arrive at 3:00 a.m. to get a spot at the market.   Two thousand tons of seafood goes through the market each day.  Prices of a large tuna can run as high as $100,000. 

The presenter told us about the high tech toilet system in Japan.  There are lights to indicate if someone is in a stall at public restrooms.  Buttons exist to flush and other qualities of the toilet such as cleansing features. 

The school  day at Ryuo-Cho runs from 8:25a.m. to 4:00p.m. for the high school students and perhaps the younger students also.  There were 337 students and 23 teachers at the high school level. One of the middle school children was wearing a Soo Locks t-shirt when the presenter was visiting the middle school.  The Superintendent of the School is also a part of the city government.  Interesting.  Under the same management are the nursing homes also.  So all ages are covered by one form of government?  That may be an efficient way of doing things. 

The presenter and the others who traveled from Sault Ste. Marie to Ryuo-Cho were given instruction in flower arranging, which is referred to as Ikebuna.  The Japanese consider flower arranging to be a scientific process.  They were also taught calligraphy which when you look at the written Japanese language it does look like a form of calligraphy.

The presenter visited many sacred places such as the “The Golden Pavilion.”  This structure was coated with gold leaf which is believed to protect against negative thoughts.  It was burned down in 1950 and rebuilt in 1955.  She caught a rare glimpse of Mt. Fuji.  The Hikoni Castle was constructed during the 1600s and served as a military base in the past.  She enjoyed riding the Bullet Train and the other amenities and experiences except the bed she slept in which consisted of a thick covering on the floor.  At first it was comfortable and then she felt all her bones ache.  The food itself was an experience in itself and the people were extremely friendly and accommodating.