Hello. I am Akane Saito. I have been in Kamiyama since November 9th as a student of Monosus' Kamiyama School.
Here, I would like to tell you about my classes and life in Kamiyama.
The training camp
I live together with the members of Kamiyama Juku at a training camp on top of a mountain (Kamiyama Ski Land Hotel).
In the mornings and evenings, everyone eats delicious meals made with local ingredients prepared by the mothers at the training camp, and sometimes in the evening the fathers join them with some drinks, and time passes peacefully in a family-like atmosphere.
Scene of dinner one day
Shrimp and vegetable tempura - a hearty, nutritionally balanced mom-made meal!
When you go to the lobby, there is always someone watching over the fire in the wood stove, chatting away in the warmth.
Members of Kamiyama Juku warming up miso soup on the stove.
The training camp is attended by 12 Kamiyama students from Relation Co., Ltd.'s event coordinator department and two Kamiyama students from Monosas (commonly known as Monosasu students).Although they are from different departments, there are no barriers between them and the atmosphere is very free and relaxed.
Scenes from the class
The Improvement Center, where Monosasu Juku conducts its training, is located along the national highway, about 15 minutes down from the training camp on top of the mountain.
At Monosasu Juku, the curriculum is designed to primarily equip students with coding skills as a coder and basic knowledge of the web in general.
In coding classes, students are challenged to master new skills by combining practical exercises with explanations from textbooks. Each student researches the topic on their own, asks questions, and absorbs knowledge, then tests their understanding with short tests.
In the first week, we created one HTML page on our own, and in the second week, we worked as a group to create a website using our current skills in CSS and JS.
Our members are highly ambitious and enjoy coding.
Group photo of Monosasu Juku members during an extracurricular class on Friday.
Last week, I went to Kamiyama Onsen to relax my body, which had become stiff from working in the same position for a long time, and to relax in a new environment. There, locals from the elderly to children were relaxing in the hot water. I was able to relax both physically and mentally. I'm wondering if I should buy a ticket.
Holidays
On my day off, I walked around Kamiyama and went to a farm stand called Picocino .
The colorful vegetables from the farm are lined up, and props and other items are also on sale. On the day we visited, there were also stalls selling bakery goods and Thai ramen, and we enjoyed delicious food while chatting with locals and shopkeepers amid the scenery surrounded by mountains.
There were several food stalls set up and it looked very lively.
The vegetables are arranged on colorful shelves, making them a visual treat.
I was able to buy ingredients for cooking here, and there are also lots of vegetables for sale at the roadside station.
Colourful and fresh vegetables that will taste great in any dish.
I also went to Awa Cafe, where free Wi-Fi is available.
Working at my own pace on the computer felt just like reading my favorite book in a relaxing library.
The only downside is that the delicious smell fills the whole store, so you'll get hungry pretty quickly (laughs).
You'll be able to concentrate and forget the passage of time.
Today was the first time I looked up at the night sky.
It was a clear day and, as expected, we could see lots of stars.
It's really dark at night on the mountain.
I also noticed that the moonlight was very bright.
It has only been two weeks since I found myself in a place that is different from the norms of the area where I live, but I have seen more through conversations with people with different ideas and goals.
Until now, I didn't feel like I had a strong will, and my top priority was adapting to other people's opinions and my environment, but I now feel that somewhere within me there are feelings like, "I want to do this," "I want to try," "I want to make a decision," and "I want to convey my will."
Work can be hard, but it can also be interesting, and the things in front of you connect you to the place or to someone, and you are supported. Such a system is beginning to emerge.
モノサスアーカイブ