The Backpack Adventures

Week 121: February 19 – 23, 2024 Day 840: February 19, 2024 Monday – Rumoi Rumoi High School 2.19.24 It’s another sunny day. The snow outside had melted significantly. If this continues, there won’t be any left by the end of next month. For today’s work, I’m back at my main school, Rumoi High School .  Here’s my workload today:  Class with Matsuda-sensei 1st period – School Uniforms @ 1-56 of Matsuda-sensei 2nd period – Story Writing Activity @ 1-34 of Matsuda-sensei 4th period – Story Writing Activity @ 1-56 of Matsuda-sensei In the evening, I published a reel on our Facebook page, and I was surprised by how quickly it gained views. This motivated me to make more quality videos in the future.  Day 841: February 20, 2024 Tuesday – Rumoi Rumoi High School 2.20.24 It’s a snowy day again here in Rumoi City today. Last night, there was strong rain, hence the snow outside is mushy. For work, I’m back to my usual Tuesday school visit to Rumoi High School .  Here’s my wor...

My family and I attended the 22nd Takikawa Kamibukuro Lantern Festival  ( たきかわ紙袋ランターンフェスティバル ) , also known as the Takikawa Paper Bag Lantern Festival , for the first time on February 17, 2024 . It was my 838th day in Japan as an ALT under the JET Programme , and this visit became one of the standout memories of our Hokkaido travels. We had seen photos of the festival before, but witnessing it in person was an entirely different experience. Takikawa Kamibukuro Lantern Festival Takikawa Kamibukuro Lantern Festival Details The Takikawa Kamibukuro Lantern Festival is a relatively young event. It began in 2003 and was founded by artist Igarashi Takenobu. The idea behind the festival is simple but heartfelt. Residents come together to craft thousands of handmade paper bag lanterns, each one prepared with care. These lanterns are then lit at the same time for one special winter night. Once everything starts glowing on the snow, the entire area transforms into a peaceful and dreamlik...