A postcard from Iwata A postcard from Iwata (March 12, 2004)

Sister City resident writes of trains and soccer

By Joe Libby

"Let me tell you something about My City Iwata." That was the official city slogan, and the first time my wife gave me an Iwata city sticker adorned with the slogan I had to laugh. But it has since grown to suit Iwata City for me, as has my relationship to the city.

But first, some history: Iwata was officially incorporated about 50 years ago, but has a history far older than that. Iwata is famous for the Mitsuke Schoolhouse, the first Western-style elementary schoolhouse built in Japan, which was erected in 1874. And the area Iwata City occupies was an important economic and political center during the Nara Period (from 710 to 784) when it was known as Tokaido Road Station No. 28: Mitsuke Post Station. It was depicted in Hiroshige Ando's well-known "53 Stations of the Tokaido" woodblock series. The name, Mitsuke, means "catching sight" because this was the first station where travelers from Kyoto could catch sight of Mount Fuji.

At that time, the provincial offices of Totoumi Province were located here and the Totoumi Kokubunji (Temple) was a symbol of Iwata's prominent and influential position. Located on its grounds was a seven-story pagoda, which is estimated to have been 67.8 meters tall.

Over the 12 years I have lived in Iwata, there have been many changes, some visible and some less so. The two most visible changes are certainly the new Iwata train station that was completed around 2000. A very modern facility, with a bakery and supermarket, the new station building has been a long time in the coming. Now we can enter the station from the south as well as the north, a major improvement. You would understand the significance of this if you ever tried to meet someone at the old station.

The second major change would be the conversion of Iwata into a "J-League Town," which became official on Nov. 16, 1993 with the dedication of a statue of Jubilo-kun. He is the official mascot of Jubilo, Iwata's professional soccer team, and the statue stands in front of Iwata station. Jubilo won the Japan League Cup in 1997, and again in 1999, making it one of the more popular soccer teams in Japan. Since many of the players on Japan's national team play for Jubilo, Iwata City hosted the national team during the 2002 World Cup Games that were played in neighboring Fukuroi, as well as other venues in Japan and Korea. I never actually saw the national team when they were here, but we built them a nice training facility, which my sons and all the other youths of Iwata now use for their own soccer training.

Each year the Jubilo Memorial Marathon is held at the site of this training facility and many people turn out to take part in 3K, 5K, half-marathon and full marathon races. Junior members of the Jubilo squad also take part in the run, and the captain of the team usually sends the crowd off with an inspirational speech.

Twelve years ago, there were one or two convenience stores in Iwata. Today I pass four on my way to the Iwata By-Pass. There are still no freeways, but there are ham-and-cheese burritos. The kids still call "Hallo" when they see me, but I am certainly not the only foreign person in the neighborhood. Iwata City, like most of Japan, is always changing and evolving, while at the same time trying to hold on to the best parts of its past. And that suits me just fine.

Joe Libby lives in Iwata with his wife Hiromi and their four sons. He met Hiromi when she was an exchange student in the Bay Area and moved to Japan in 1990.

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