Just a little longer and I'll be here.
～Kamiyama Monosasu Juku 4th Term Student Report II～

I've been living in Kamiyama since September, and now I'm in my third month. I've switched from squeezing sudachi citrus into my tumbler of water to squeezing yuzu citrus. This is my first time living in Shikoku, and the scenery has changed since I first arrived.

Nice to meet you. I'm Harada, a fourth-year student at Monosasu Kamiyama Juku. This time, I'd like to honestly write about my life in Kamiyama, the school, what I'm learning, and what I've felt through living together for about three months (this will be a long post, so please bear with me).

This time's Kamiyama Monosasu Juku reporter

What I am learning at school

This is the fourth time Monosasu Juku has been held in Kamiyama, and the content of the classes seems to change slightly each time. We, the fourth year students, are mainly studying two areas of web production: "front-end engineering" and "web direction." Since the curriculum itself is a short four months, both the students and the principal are highly motivated to "acquire coding skills as a web engineer" while looking out at the beautiful nature of Kamiyama.

Practice git by going back and forth between each other's desks

However, since none of the participants had any practical experience in web production, the class started with an overview of web services in general. In September, the class focused on styling with CSS while checking markup with logical structure in HTML and PSD files, and from October, the class learned the programming skills required for the front-end while learning jQuery and PHP.
According to the school principal, the course is progressing at an ideal pace (important!).

With regards to programming, in addition to explaining how to write code, we also touch upon the basics of logical thinking through quizzes and other methods, and allow students to visually check the results of their programs, such as by adding simple movements to web pages. Little by little, everyone is becoming able to think like an engineer, compared to when they first joined the school.

After that, from the end of October to early November, they intensively learned how to incorporate into CMS, then took a major web production exam, learning specialized content for aspiring directors and engineers.At the time of writing, they are working in a team of three, one director and two engineers, and are currently undergoing OJT in team production using actual projects.

In November, a senior from Monosasu Juku came from Yoyogi to be our lecturer!

Various questions fly around during the classes. Not only about the contents of the textbook and implementation methods, but also about how to apply it in practice, troubleshooting that may be expected in the workplace, and many other questions that arise from imagining themselves working as web engineers in the future. In response to these questions, the school's principal, Mr. Ito, takes the time to thoroughly and clearly explain "what he has done so far" and "how he plans to deal with it in the future" based on his own experiences, so he can imagine what his future work will be like and it motivates him every day. Although the class goes off track a little with each question, the time is extremely useful.

The polite and attentive Monosasu Senpai (left) and Hamai-kun (right) inputting information into his brain.

And don't forget that tests are conducted every 7-10 days, using the skills you have acquired! With each test, the test period from start to finish gets longer in line with the level of the assignments, and since October the test period has been spread over multiple days.

During the test period, as the deadline approached, people spoke less and less, and there was a sense of impatience as we worried about each other's progress and quality. There was a sense of exhaustion after somehow finishing and submitting the work. There was also a sense of anxiety while waiting for the test results to come back. Although I found myself dreading tests after all, each time I finished, it was a good milestone in realizing that I was gradually improving in my ability to create high-quality web pages in terms of both design and technique.

My reason for applying

By the way, I want to be a director. Perhaps it's the result of prior study (or maybe I'm talented?), but I seem to be quite good at coding and programming, and I often hear people ask me, "Ray, why do you want to be a director and not an engineer?" This is a good opportunity to summarize the reasons why I want to be a director and not an engineer.

"More than just producing high-quality output as an end (engineer), I want to be a hub (director) and be involved in the quality of the entire project."

That's the biggest reason why I want to work here. If the scope of my involvement is large, I think I can work with a wider variety of people and improve my own level, and I think the project itself will be rewarding by giving back my strength to the whole team.

I'm usually quite picky about the choice of words when communicating, so I think I'd be well suited to working out the details so there's no misunderstanding even when deciding on requirements and specifications. Thinking about my future career, I also want to work with a strong sense of accountability and responsibility for the entire project and the entire company, which is another reason why I want to become a director.

Another thing I would like to add is that my ideal image is to be able to work without being tied to a specific location, and to be able to fly around. I hope that as a director, I might be able to work while running around to various places (even if it's not according to my own schedule).

Before applying, I had dabbled in programming for fun, so I believe that I have a relatively advanced understanding of the front-end among the students. I'm hoping to somehow maintain the lead I had at the start and move on to the director training, but I'm also feeling quite anxious inside because there are many of my classmates who are rapidly improving their skills.

However, even if Messi plays goalkeeper well just for fun, no one will say to him, "You should be a goalkeeper!" So, when he officially becomes a director, I want people to say, "As expected, you're a director who understands technical aspects!" instead of, "Why don't you do engineering?", so I will do my best to do what I can during this course!

A day filled with thoughts on how to work and live

Students listening intently to Mr. Hayashi's talk

Let's go back to the story of Kamiyama Monosasu Juku. In mid-September, the representative, Mr. Hayashi, held a one-day workshop on the type of person Monosasu is looking for, as well as working and living.

The students listened to Hayashi's talk on how they can proactively interact with society, what skills they need to do so, and what they should focus on to improve their skills during the seminar, and they were able to spend a very enriching time speaking frankly about their thoughts through conversation with their peers.

I personally feel that the fact that each person was able to speak in their own words and share with each other the current anxieties of their peers and their own feelings about where they stand is one of the factors that has made their communication and communal life thereafter more intense.

It was an intense day with many important moments, but one thing that stood out to me the most was what Mr. Hayashi said:

• At work, value rationality over aesthetics.
• Be aware of your motivation and have the skills to manage it
• Improving your portable skills will change the way you see things (don't forget to improve your technical skills in this class!)

These three points will likely prove to be very useful advice for me in my future work.
Although nothing else specific came up, this workshop gave me the opportunity to think about how I should try to be more objective in my observations and thoughts, and to avoid being too subjective as much as possible in my daily life.

To be honest, when I first saw the advertisement for the school at Nihon Shigoto Hyakkaten I vaguely liked the sound of the phrase "having your own measuring stick," but after the workshop I felt that in order to have one's own standards, it is very important to refine and reexamine one's own measuring stick every day through "working" and "living" in order to live independently.

Until now, I have not actively participated in so-called workshops or seminars, but through my experience meeting Mr. Hayashi and Kamiyama, I strongly felt that there are many interesting people in the world. I would like to actively participate in various workshops and seminars in the future so that I can hear interesting stories from many people.

Why do we do this in Kamiyama? (Talk about food, etc.)

DIY toys being made at the Ono dormitory where everyone lives together

In October, the school principal, Mr. Ito (I love the sound of the word "principal". In reality, Mr. Ito is not a scary principal, but rather a guy who teaches you about the fun of the web. He's a wonderful person who can make people feel at home!) asked during class, "Why is this school being run in Kamiyama?" From there, an intensive meeting was held, following the workshop in September, where over two hours were spent aligning each student's outlook on life and their thoughts.

While respecting the opinions of each of the nine people, I would like to write down some of the good things about coming to Kamiyama for me.

• By limiting private space and time, you can live without any slack.
• By building consensus among peers and establishing new lifestyle habits and patterns, students can improve their communication skills, gain mutual understanding, and develop the ability to think from the other person's perspective.
• Being close to nature sharpens your senses and allows you to experience small moving experiences every day.
• Your sense of happiness will increase when you help your allies and receive kindness from everyone in town.
• In fact, the rice is delicious!

I am so impressed with the food every day that I feel like I have never had such fun eating before. The Ski Land Hotel where I stayed when I first arrived and Kamaya where I had lunch on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays go without saying, and they have enriched my dining experience in Kamiyama, but just as wonderful is the self-cooking in our communal living space with the other nine students, and it feels like I am visiting a restaurant that is only open to the first nine people each day.

We don't have any master chefs, but we take the time to plan meals on a limited budget and avoid getting bored, and everyone is actively involved in cooking, eating, and cleaning up, so breakfast and dinner are important times every day. As an only child, I think the fact that we have a large family has a big impact on our enjoyable eating habits.

I am always conscious of the rationality of cooking and cleaning up, and by doing the shopping on Saturdays and preparing dishes on Sundays, I reduce the burden of cooking on weekdays while increasing the color of breakfast and dinner, making meals more enjoyable. I would like to continue preparing weekday menus on my days off, even after I move away from Kamiyama.

The two who performed poorly in the two games of Old Maid were in charge of washing up after dinner. Of course, we didn't want to lose, but it also functioned as entertainment and was a good distraction if we were feeling a little down during the day. (Unfortunately, I'm often the one who loses.)

Speaking of the food, I cannot help but express my gratitude to everyone at Kamaya.
Not only do they greet us with smiles at lunchtime, but they also share their food with us again and again, and it tastes great. Their kind consideration is very much appreciated. All of the students are really grateful! Thank you as always!

Kamaya girls (both ends) and student Tanaka (center)

"Itadakimasu (thank you for the meal every day)" is a phrase I love from the Food Hub Project !

So, let's go back to why we chose Kamiyama. As of November, nine students are living in the Food Hub Project dormitory. I'd like to share with you some of what life is like there, apart from studying and eating.

I've started by prefaced my post with a positive attitude, but I live a pretty minimalist lifestyle. I've pared down my possessions as much as possible, and only have grooming supplies and about three sets of clothes (washed every day!). In my room, I only have a futon, one travel bag, a PC (for studying, writing this blog, and checking recipes), a smartphone, and an iPad. (Even in the middle of nature, I think wi-fi is an important lifeline for living a high-quality life!) That's all.

Looking back at my life, I have hardly used convenience stores since late September, and as I wrote above, I cook for myself for breakfast and dinner (and lunch on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays). I don't have a TV, and my entertainment consists of chatting and playing Old Maid with the dishes washed. I am enjoying a stoic lifestyle that I was not able to achieve in Tokyo. Of course, I also enjoy healthy activities such as soaking in Kamiyama Onsen, going bowling with friends, and renting a gymnasium to play basketball.
By the way, laundry doesn't dry easily when living in the mountains, so I use quick-drying bath towels like those used at pools. (I highly recommend it!)

To commute from the dormitory to the cram school, I walk 30 minutes along a mountain path in the morning to alleviate loneliness (this was something the student leader Katsumata said casually, but when you're in a group 24 hours a day, you can't secure time alone unless you actively make time for yourself... a very apt expression), as a bit of light exercise, and to enjoy Kamiyama's great outdoors. On the way home from the cram school, there are hardly any streetlights and it's scary, so I take everyone's car. I plan to continue walking to work on sunny days, even in December.

I enjoy this view every day on my way to cram school.

And about the eight precious people I live with. We all come from different places and have different lifestyles, and I am (hugely) older than the youngest student, but as of the time of writing, we have not had any major fights. Or rather, I think it is going pretty well. Each person is conscious of making the other eight comfortable, and is careful enough to make sure we live as a big, lively family with lots of smiles (much more peaceful than the big families you see on TV!).

On weekends, when someone goes home, it feels lonely even if there is only one person missing. When they come home, we can say "Welcome back" from the bottom of our hearts. We are bound by a strong bond that probably no one could have imagined before entering the school.

I have no doubt that the strange experience of living for four months with eight people I had no connection with, in Kamiyama, a place where I have no roots, will be an extremely important turning point in my life.

Looking outside the house, it's really quiet (except for the regular local broadcast), which helps me concentrate when I need to study. Even when I get a little tired, the huge green landscape makes me feel comfortable as soon as I lift my head. It's so shocking that it makes me want to pinch myself even now, as a born city dweller.

Due to the tight curriculum, I may not have been able to fully immerse myself in the Kamiyama community through town events and interactions with people. Still, I feel every day that it is a very luxurious experience to acquire front-end skills together with the eight best people who have gathered in Kamiyama, enjoying moments that I probably won't encounter for a while (or maybe ever) after these four months are over, such as a heron (huge!) on the surface of the river, deer and wild boars (and other small animals that I don't really know what they are) that suddenly appear on the road, the wild sudachi in front of my house, and black kites flying much lower in the sky than in the city.

Before coming to Kamiyama, I wanted to get away from the city for a bit.
"Anywhere outside Tokyo is OK."
"Kamiyama? Isn't that the Kamiyama in Tokyo?"
It seems like I applied without really thinking about what kind of place it was, and I even jokingly told people around me that I was going to Tokushima Prefecture, but now I find myself telling them that I'm in Kamiyama for a while.

A picture of a fulfilling holiday start

A grey hoodie for when you're in a pinch. With Katsumata-kun (right), my roommate.

The square in front of my favorite restaurant, Kama-ya. From the left, me, Kuno-kun, who is much older than me, in the middle, and G, or Maki-kun, on the right, who is not much older than me but is treated very differently by those around me.

lastly

There are only four weeks left of the 4th gen students' life in Kamiyama. Although there have been some twists and turns recently, they have still been able to spend good times with good people.

Three months have passed and I have begun to understand my teammates on a deeper level, and I feel like we have become much closer to each other.

These are small things that you might miss if you're not paying attention, but compared to when I met them in September, I feel like they're starting to take more initiative and proactive actions in "living and working." For example, they'll quietly offer a hand to a friend who's behind on work, or go out of their way to bring coffee and lunch to the cram school for friends who are studying on weekends, or silently clean the common areas. These are things that come naturally because we're living together in Kamiyama, and I think we're only able to notice them because we feel so close to our friends.
That's why I'm really looking forward to the future of the friends I've met here, but I also feel sad every time my time to leave Kamiyama approaches.

I'm sure you will make the most of the time that passes by in a flash, do everything you can, and rush through to graduation, and from the new year you will have taken your first step as a web engineer who can respond to any need.

I think the 4th batch of Kamiyama Monosasu Juku students will be quite (or rather, quite) interesting. I have high expectations!
Thank you for reading this long article to the end (it will continue a little longer).

Bonus: School trip to Teshima and Naoshima

In mid-October, the idea of going on a school trip, which had been discussed half-jokingly for some time, was starting to look like it was about to move into the real planning stage. Various possible destinations were proposed, such as Suo-Oshima (visiting the satellite office), udon in Kagawa, and Universal Studios Japan, but in the end, we decided on a trip to Naoshima and Teshima for nature and art! The original date was set for the week after the end of November exams, but it was difficult to get everyone's schedules to match up, so on October 19th, during a break at cram school, someone blurted out "why not do it next week?" and the suggestion was adopted, and the trip was quickly arranged in one week.

With little time, Naoshima expert student Hamai was the leader in planning the budget and adjusting the schedule, reserving lodging on the weekend, checking the weather forecast every day and planning the best route until the last minute, and working hard to come up with a budget. (Thank you Hamai! Personally, I think Hamai was the most outstanding member of the Monosus School in October! Keep up the good work in November and beyond!)

The route we decided on was Kamiyama → Takamatsu (Udon) → Boat to Teshima → Sightseeing until about 3pm → Boat to Naoshima → Sightseeing until evening → Pitch a tent (?!) in an old house on Naoshima and spend the night → Sightseeing on Naoshima the next day → Boat to Takamatsu in the evening → Return to Kamiyama. It was a very packed itinerary. To make it happen, we got up at 5am to leave.

And then the day arrived. Although there were concerns about rain at first, we were blessed with beautiful clear skies, and thanks to Hamai's route, we were able to travel smoothly from Teshima to the two islands of Naoshima.

On Teshima, after playing with the cats on the harbor, we rented a car and toured the town, Lemon Hotel , and Teshima Art Museum . On Naoshima, we rented electric bicycles and enjoyed touring tourist spots such as the Chichu Art Museum and the Art House Project .

Teshima's cats

Although we were supposed to have visited art museums, when I looked at the photos, all I saw were heartwarming scenes of the 4th year students (and the principal)!
(Top left) Arriving on Teshima and strolling around the island (Top right) Shy Yano-san at Teshima Yaoyorozu Lab (Center) Shodoshima seen from Teshima (Bottom left) Photogenic Kuno-kun. Nearby Teshima Lemon Hotel (Bottom right) Only one group of guests can stay overnight. At Lemon Hotel you can have a nice time with someone (just like in the photo) (Teshima

It may be cliché, but for me, Teshima is the Teshima Art Museum. It's as if the mind is bleached in the vast space, as if everyone who visits becomes absent-minded, and as the chirps of birds and sounds of something somewhere echo, it's as if the consciousness is sharpened or diluted as it oscillates between reality and unreality... I was able to feel a mysterious pleasure. Not only the museum, but the whole island of Teshima itself has a somewhat unreal atmosphere, and I will definitely visit again to find out what it is.

In Naoshima, I enjoyed Monet, Basquiat, the pumpkins, the otherworldly bathhouse, Ando's architecture, the bakery that always sells out, the stylish cafes... I really had a lot of fun. But personally, the most fun part was when we all rode our bikes in a line every time we went sightseeing. Every time we came to a downhill stretch, I was able to experience the most clingy youth I've ever experienced, and I really treasured that moment, and I'm grateful again for having met the nine of them.

By the way, Mr. Ito, the school principal who kindly agreed to accompany us, was joking around and looked a little groggy on the boat as it rocked violently from Takamatsu, but after landing on Naoshima, he seemed to be enjoying himself so much that he used up the battery of his electric bicycle in one day. (The students did not run out of battery for two days.)
So, please take a look at the photos of the journey of the school principal and his fun-loving friends.

The ship was rocking quite a bit. Principal Ito was charging (?)

Sunset, consultation, entanglement...

Youth!