The View From My Desk: Mori JHS

The actual view from my desk at Mori JHS.

I'm wondering if it's too early to declare a decisive winner in the "Matt's Favorite School" race, but Mori JHS is currently leading the pack, closely followed by Kitayamada JHS (a post for another day). What the winning criteria for contestants in this farcical little contest are I can't properly say except to tell you that: Mori is a brisk ten minute bike ride from Casa de Matt; has a great bunch of students; staff not too shy to engage me in (limited) conversation; and is situated in an...interesting...location. Of course the other schools have their individual charms, however Mori JHS's flavors mix together into an especially sweet cocktail.

Situated just under a kilometer north of downtown, past the expressway, Mori JHS is off to the side of one of the wider side valleys in the area and at the foot of a strikingly beautiful sheer rock walled mesa, Oogansenzan. You can't quite see that mesa from my desk, but just walk across the staff room a few meters and, boom, there it is. No wonder Mori used to be the hub of activity in the Kusu region during the feudal era.

However, the mesa isn't the only thing that makes Mori JHS's location "interesting". Like I said, the school is on the side of a valley, and on the hill right behind the school just happens to be the Kusu JSDF base--a Japanese military base. I have to commend them on hiding the location so well as I didn't even realize it was there until someone told me the stubby buildings you have to be a kilometer away to see sticking up above the treeline was a base. I would have found out last week though when I went to the post office at lunch and had to halt on a green light because I was being blocked by a line of fucking tanks rolling out of the base. Now I realize the familiar dull clinking of caterpillar treads at noon isn't nearby construction. Where they're going will be the sub-topic of an upcoming post, stay tuned.


Mori JHS from the field. The base is on that hill right behind the school.

Mori's students aren't, from what I've seen of their tests, the sharpest students in the silverware drawer, but they make up for it with gumption and guts. This is the only place where not even a single student runs away from me in fear of being pulled into a conversation. It's also where I have the strongest connection with a class, third year, group two. I don't know why they love me so much and actually *gasp* listen to me instead of falling asleep. Maybe it's because I used a small bit from a Taka and Toshi routine. These two guys are hot shit in the Japanese comedy world, specializing in manzai, two-man Laurel and Hardy-style skits. Here's a link to one of their routines: http://youtube.com/watch?v=uM2c86b_ZWk
Anyways, every time I'm spotted by one of them they yell my name and a loud "Obeika!" Don't even ask about what it means, I just can't be bothered right now.


Oogansenzan behind the athletic field. The kids here are getting ready for the sports festival.

Other than "oobeika" the kids have given me two nicknames. One is from my first day at Mori when I introduced myself on the athletic field during their sports festival practice. The staff had wanted me to use a megaphone to talk to them, but I hate those damn things and decided just to raise my voice. I guess the kids in the back didn't hear me well enough because they thought my name was "mushroom" instead of Matthew. The other nickname is just a twisting of Matthew, "macho". So now I'm Macho Mushroom.

And now this macho mushroom is going to upload some pics of Mori JHS and go out for a run or a bike ride. Whatever tickles my fancy by the time I get to the door. Later!

--Matt