We’ve finally learnt about our placement in Japan. While we don’t yet know exactly where we’ll be, we do know that we’ve been placed in Gunma prefecture with the Gunma Board of Education. This is great news and an answer to prayer, because Gunma is part of the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo. That’s excellent news for my Iaido, since I’ll be able to visit, if not train, with Esaka-dojo, with which our dojo in South Africa, Katsujinken Kai, is associated.

Gunma is roughly a 3rd of the size of Gauteng, with a population of around 2 million (compared to 10 million in Gauteng). It’s also home to Subaru, so hopefully I can pick one of those up and practice some of my rally driving skills in the mountains. And speaking of mountains, Gunma is known for its hot springs and ski resorts, so we’ll really have to give those a go.

LINK OF THE DAY

I’ve got a few links today, thanks to my contact in Japan:
Gunma Living Guide
Gunma Jets
Gunma Prefecture Site (Japanese)
Wikipedia

WORD OF THE DAY

Hajime: beginning, begin, start. We often use it in Iaido when we are practising our footwork (ashi-sabaki), whoever is leading the practice will shout “Hajime” to start us off.

And why is it the word for the day? Because it has begun!