Re: So who's actually retired in Japan?
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 10:27 am
We discussed this, and it seems the NLA is secular now, so I'm not sure how, but you don't have to be christian or mission-associated to join (tho there may be other limits and hurdles).TJKansai wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 2:25 amThat is it. The name is NLA, Nojiri Lake Association. Founded by missionaries 100 years ago.captainspoke wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 6:03 amI haven't heard of this, but will ask--a fellow retiree is coming over wednesday. He spent his early life in shikoku, child of missionaries, who spent a few or more summers there over the years. From his telling of it, old style hand pumps to get water, and outhouses, but still fun. This would probably have been in the late 50s, maybe into the (late-ish?) 60s.TJKansai wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 12:23 am...
The Kokusai Mura on the edge of Lake Noji in Nagano becomes an international summer camp for July and August. These days perhaps 30% are Japanese and 50% mixed nationality.
Out of season, it is more a like a retirement village, since village employment is very limited and the nearest large city is Nagano, 45 minutes away. Not an easy place to live though, given the large amounts of snow and limited car access.
They finally put city water in, so the hand-carrying water and outhouses are pretty much gone.
Still tough in winter though, as they get meters of snow and its on a hillside without many roads (almost none plowed).
And now, the four of us are planning an overnight there in May, and we're just now booking accommodations. It turns out the one guy who went there as a kid (above) knows someone who is still there--or will be there when we visit--so we'll be stopping in for coffee or something.
Our friend here relayed that one of his good memories about it back when, was that later in the day, towards evening or dusk(?), everyone would go out in boats to the middle of the lake and sing vespers. I'm not religious, but that would undoubtedly be a very cool, moving experience.