John Baylor's Journal: Day 2

I wouldn`t want to be a psychiatrist in Japan.  Everyone is happy.  The college students seem to be running a 24/7 pep rally.  The students here at the Biwako Seikei Sport Kollege (BSSK) are phenomenally hospitable.  In fact, everyone we meet is extremely friendly; that, combined with a rock bottom low crime rate, good schools, beautiful mountains and scenery, and a Japanese, first-world economy finally growing again, and you can see why so many Americans fall in love with Japan.

Despite sixty years of strategic alliance with the west and more than 40,000 US troops in the country, the Japanese still find westerners unique, especially here in rural Shiga, Japan. The players` height alone draws attention anywhere, but even the traveling party gets plenty of looks simply because we look different.  Everyone shares a hearty hello and smile.

Probably due to our current rural location in Shiga, few people speak English.  Thus, the Huskers are always ready with a hello in Japanese plus a wave.  However, my neck is starting to hurt from bowing.  Now they tell me that you should bow from the waist.

Yesterday the BSSK treated the Huskers like rock stars.  About a hundred showed up to watch practice, ooing and ahing at every thundersous Pavan, Larson, Cooper, Stalls, Gates, Mancuso, or Houghtelling slam.

I think more than a few students have a crush on Rachel Schwartz.  Her introduction before Friday`s match brought loud applause.  Blondes have advantages here.  What else is new.

The rain has been regular.  Thank goodness we`re not a baseball team.  Still, children play soccer in the rain.  I`d tell my teacher that I`m heading in to work on geometry.

Our condos in our 10-story building oversee Lake Biwa, Japan`s largest.

When the stifling summer heat arrives here in about a month, so do the out-of-towners.  We`re about 30 minutes by train northwest of Kyoto, of city of 1.4 million in south-central Japan.

The Huskers played two matches versus BSSK, winning the first by two and the second by nine.  The air was moist, as was the heavy ball.  Forty-five minutes of pageantry preceded the match: flags, anthems, a ceremonial first serve by a member of the 1964 gold medal winning Japanese Olympic team, President Bush, and the Japanese Prime Minister.  Actually, the President and Prime Minister, though invited, were no-shows.  Otherwise we had all the trimmings of a major friendly continental duel.

During each break, we had frisbees flying and basketball players dancing and general wacky fun.  About thirty floor sweepers kept the floor clean and as dry as possible.  People will do what it takes for free entry.

Then the Huskers played an intra-squad match followed by a drumming exhibition.  This karate-suit wearing high school troop brought in huge traditional drums and awakened babies for miles-- very cool.  Finally the players were mobbed for autographs by local school children.  The players posed for countless photos and exchanged countless smiles.  Then the KSSK team changed into tradional Geisha dresses and helped host a big welcome banquet afterwards. The all-you-can-eat Sushi was tasty.

The banquet was sponsored by a local energy bar called Soy Joy, which says it soon will launch in the US.  I call it, "Soy Pain."  They should work on the taste.

Our body clocks are all still confused.  Most of us are falling asleep by 10 p.m. and awakening well before 7a.m.

Today practice and then a coaching clinic led by Coach Cook and BSSK`s Toshi Yoshida.