Japan’s series of consecutive holidays in early May provides a welcome respite from the hectic activity of the last three weeks.
According to the Wikipedia article on Golden Week in Japan, movie theater operators were responsible for applying the term “Golden Week” to the period from April 29 to May 5. This period in question contains four national holidays, one on April 29 and the final three on the third, fourth, and fifth days of May. Interestingly enough, when referring to Golden Week in Japanese, one always uses the Japanicized pronunciation of the English name (so it sounds something like “goruden uiiku”). The abbreviation GW (pronounced in Japanese as “jii daburuyuu”—not much of a syllable saving there) is also common.
For most Japanese, Golden Week is synonymous with “let’s go somewhere”, so pretty much any form of long-distance travel is packed solid this time of year. The Japan Times reported today that some bullet trains were at 160% of capacity as the travel rush hit its peak. Those travelling by car are likely to find traffic jams that can reach dozens of kilometers in length along the most heavily travelled highways.
For us foreigners in Okayama, Golden Week means “let’s avoid travel and just have fun”. I’ve spent much of the week at home, brushing up on kanji (Chinese characters) or experimenting in the kitchen. (I recently found a show called “Ikkagetsu Ichiman-en Seikatsu”, or “Living for One Month on 10,000 Yen”. It’s a two-person competition to see who can save the most money and last for one month on the rough equivalent of $95. Besides having a high comedic value, it has a lot of good tips for saving money and still being able to prepare a variety of dishes.) For much of yesterday and today I was with the Sedlaceks, doing things like tennis or soccer at the sports park or bowling at Okayama Fair Lanes.
Tomorrow is a special Prayer Day with the Bridgemans, our fellow TEAM missionaries in Okayama prefecture. The last time I was in Japan I usually visited the Bridgemans every Tuesday to help teach two English classes at their home and assist with things like passing out tracts for the local church. I’m looking forward to seeing them tomorrow as we all get together for lunch and a time of prayer tomorrow morning.