Fujimamas

Sunday night, J. and I along with a horde of friends, hit Tokyo for the evening. We had a great dinner at Fujimamas near Harajuku station. The chef is a Lubbock, TX, native and the food is described as "East-West Fusion" - very, very tasty and a very cool place. The restaurant is in an old tatami mat factory.

http://www.fujimamas.com/tokyo.html

Welcome to Hong Kong, Chinese for "This Place is Small so Build High"

Finally getting around to posting our photos from Hong Kong. J. and I met in HK last week (Thanksgiving Week) - she arrived by ship and I by air. We're such jet-setters...

We had a great week exploring such a unique city that is totally vertical in every way. Tall, modern skyscrapers as far as the eye can see, Victoria's Peak rising behind the downtown core, a 2.5 km public 'up' escalator to get you where you need to go - and the ole "walking up hill, both ways" or at least it seems that way.

To me, HK feels like a chunk of London broke away in some seismic accident, floated around before landing in Asia (obviously that has a lot to do with its colonial past). The Soho area is more like a London neighborhood than some areas of London! Except more hills...

An old friend from DC, Chip, happened to be in HK for work last week while we were there so it was great to see him. He lived in the city as a kid so he was our unofficial navigator, tour guide and general answer man for much of the week - even when he just made things up as he went. I arrived late Monday night and J. pulled in Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday morning, my phone rings early and its Chip. He says, "Meet me at the escalator at 10AM and we'll hike up to top of Victoria's Peak." I oblige thinking this won't be too taxing. Well, I was wrong. To say the trails and roads to the top are steep is an understatement. There were times I think my kneecaps were touching the tips of my toes I was leaning so far forward going up the road. And I thought my cardio training had prepared me - not. But the views from the top were well worth it - as you'll see from the photos.

After Jill arrived, we spent the rest of the week eating great food at the many restaurants - Italian, Chinese, Egyptian, Spanish and a few ice cream stops too - in Soho, shopping a bit (and then some), being hosted for a great dinner by J.'s generous friends (and HK residents), Geoff and Lana, exploring the city, another trip up Victoria's Peak - this time on the funicular/tram - and venturing across the harbor to Kowloon which is "colorful" to say the least. Oh, and spending about 2 days looking for postcards which must be against the law because they are IMPOSSIBLE to find anywhere in the city.

Great week, great city and definitely worth a visit if you're ever in Asia.

(click on slideshow to see larger photos)

Hiroshima and Miyajima Island

Hiroshima... I think, for any American, a visit there comes with a certain amount of unease - whether realized or not. Is it proper to even visit such a place with the history left from WWII and the Bomb? How will the local citizens view us? Am I overreacting altogether???

I don't think I was anxious beforehand, but as soon as stepping from the train, I felt it - ableit mildly. Were people staring? Were they going to be friendly? However, these feelings passed quickly as people smiled and welcomed us at the hotel, restaurants and museums without so much as a second glance. Yep, I was overreacting.

No matter how many museums I visited or monuments I saw, its still hard to get my head around the devastation that happened there. To see that city now and think that just over 60 years ago, 150,000 - 200,000 people, the majority of its population, died suddenly or within weeks after the Atomic Bomb - while the city infrastructure was leveled in one morning - defies all imagination.

My take-away from the visit was that the city now is a credit to everyone, both inside and outside of Japan, who played a role in its rebuilding.

Today, it is a beautiful city full of activity, commerce and warm people. There are urban parks and open spaces (a rarity in many Japanese cities), beautiful river fronts full of cafes, bike paths and high-end residences and a downtown full of everything from a Gucci store next to a mom-and-pop yakitori stand to a modern baseball stadium and the International Peace Park.

Hiroshima is a keeper. Great city and worth another visit someday!

Our other day there led us to Miyajima Island, a beautiful natural wonder about 1/2 mile off the coast of Hiroshima (and a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The island is known as the "resting place of the gods" due to its natural beauty and peacefulness. It felt like we'd left the 21st century and entered an old Japanese village - with deer and monkeys raoming freely on the streets. There are ancient shrines, pagodas, the famous Otorii Gate and village merchant shops along the shoreline, while at the top, Mt. Misen is home to ancient Buddhist temples surrounded by medevial forests and fantastic views of the Seto Inland Sea. We explored the island for hours and I now know why the Buddhist monks liked to retreat here for meditation and enlightenment. You'd have to be downright evil not to feel the peace and tranquility as you climb its trails and take long views of the sea and mountains in the distance.

Great trip!

Ukai Toriyama

Last night (Saturday), J. and I took off - along with trusty traveling companion, Deb - for a bit of an odyssey. We were in search of a unique restaurant that had been recommended to us. We were told it was deep in the woods of Mt. Tokao, about an hour west of Tokyo. Well, we departed a little past 1PM thinking that would give us plenty of time to arrive in the area, do some exploring and make our dinner reservation of 7PM. We made it by 7PM, but without too much time to spare. Did I mention getting there is an odyssey??? There were 4 different train transfers, including one delayed train, and a bus ride before we ever saw the restaurant. Literally, if you were to look for this town on the Tokyo subway/train map, just go to the very LAST stop and you'll find it.

Was it worth it, you ask? Absolutely! Easily one of the most beautiful and unique dining experience I've ever had.

The restaurant - not sure I would even call it a "restaurant" since its more like a small mountain village - is a collection of 39 preserved and renovated Japanese thatched-roof tea houses, farm sheds and other small buildings. Some are for private groups and some are large enough to acomodate multiple tables/parties.

Apparently, the owner of the restaurant buys/collects old buildings, moves them to the site and renovates them for use. They are immaculate - as are the grounds. The gardens surrounding the place are 5 acres of beautiful mountain streams, ponds, Zen gardens and so forth. The wait staff is composed of Japanese ladies in kimono who provide great service and the food is grilled at your table. Just a great dining experience.

Shibuya and Harajuku

Couple of weeks ago, I took off to Shibuya and Harajuku, prominent areas in Tokyo, to roam the streets for the afternoon. As always when in Tokyo, they are fascinating, alive with people and sprinkled with history amongst the modern city life.

Harajuku is famous for the "Harajuku Girls" because of their unique fashion sense. This area has influenced the style-de-jour of college-aged girls with dyed hair, wild clothing and a hipster sort of attitude. Singer Gwen Stefani has popularized this style in a line of clothing and a song about them.

Shibuya is home to that monkey who ran through the train station as well as the "busiest pedestrian crosswalk in the world"... Great area for shopping and people watching.

A few photos from the day below. I checked out the Meji Shrine. Emperor Meji ruled in the early 20th century and was credited with opening Japan to Western ideals and customs. He was the first Emperor to cut off his top-knot and start to dress in Western-style business suits, a very big deal at the time. His shrine memoralizes his life and was rebuilt after WWII.

Shinkansenning to Kyoto

Last weekend (10/10-13), J. and I took off to Kyoto for 3+ days of touring this ancient Imperial capital city. For over 1500 years, Kyoto was the center of power in the Japanese lands. Today, its a large commercial center that combines the modern elements of any large city with great preservation of its ancient Buddhist Temples, Shinto Shrines and Imperial Castles and Palaces. A fascinating place, no doubt. One minute, you're walking past the most modern building and in the next block, your faced with a 7th century temple. One interesting bit of geography was that there was a shogunate in the west of the city and one in the east - and they proceeded to fight in the center city. So, today, their battlefield is the modern core of downtown while all of their palaces and temples are on the perimeter. That requires a great deal of walking, I tell you!

Kyoto was one of the few major cities in Japan NOT bombed during World War II. In fact, as I've read, it was considered as a target for an atomic bomb because it was the 'intellectual capital' of Japan. Thanks to the urgings of then-Secretary of War, Henry Stimson, it was removed as a target and received relatively minor atacks and little damage. Therefore, its one of the few cities in Japan where pre-war buildings, as well as the historic sites, can be seen.

One of our favorite areas to visit was Gion, the old geisha district. While there are still the traditional teahouses and private houses where geisha entertain, the area across the river is now a bustling entertainment and arts district full of nightlife, street musicians, artists and other bohemian types. We saw a great impromptu concert down on the riverfront Saturday night by a band of twenty-something jazz musicians.

Great city full of history, great craftsman still making pottery, ceramics, silkscreen fabrics and merchants selling fresh fish and tea from tiny stalls. Oh, and I can't go without mentioning the shinkansen (the bullet trains)... That is THE way to travel! It was wonderful - and so easy, stress-free and worth every penny. Write your congressman and tell them to start investing in the same in the US - there is no better way to travel!

Some photos from our travels below.

Salty Dog Triathlon 2008

Okay, and finally... This weekend, I participated in the Salty Dog Triathlon here in Yokosuka. It was fun - except for the swim. For whatever reason, I still have these strange, mild hyper-ventilating panic attacks about midway through the swim. Paging Dr. Phil!

The race consisted of a 400 meter swim, 15K bike and 5K run. The weather cooperated - cool and overcast - so it went pretty well once I was out of Tokyo Bay. However, I think I ingested way too much saltwater for my own good!

Something...Something... YOKOHAMA!!!...Something...BAYSTARS!!!

Several weeks ago, J. had a haircut appointment in Yokohama on Saturday afternoon (which I begged off from... I know, shocker...), but I met her late that afternoon up there in hopes that we could catch the BayStars vs. Chunichi Dragons baseball game.

I'd heard from many people that attending a Japanese baseball game was a "must" for any sports fan visiting here. Let me tell you, its not a "must" just for visitors. The game, alone, would be worth getting on a flight and traveling across the Pacific!

I used to be a pretty big baseball fan. However, in the last 5-10 years - don't know if it was the fact that the Cubs would crush my spirit every year, the work stoppages or just the outright greed and stupidity of both players and management that turned me off - but somewhere, I lost all interest. And let's face it, sitting through a game can be downright boring. However, if American baseball games were HALF as much fun and entertaining as a Japanese baseball game, I'd probably buy season tickets.

The fans are incredible. Yokohama's team, the BayStars, is about as deep in last place as one can get. They have the worst record in the league. Yet, on this Saturday night, with only 1 week left in the season and absolutely nothing to play for, their supporters were out in force, cheering and chanting and singing as if lives depended on it. Just an unbelievable atmosphere. Its all very organized by 5-6 guys in white gloves and kimonos who stand on risers in front and lead the cheers. Despite having the worst seats in the stadium (but in the middle of the home cheering section), we found ourselves getting completely wrapped up in the game and the cheers. We even did our best "hillbilly Japanese" to sing along with them (it involved a lot of mumbling about "something... something... Yokohama!... something... something...BayStars!!").

Yokohama hit the game-winning HR in the bottom of the 8th inning to pull out a come-from-behind win. Needless to say, pandemonium reigned from that point on...

Japanese baseball fun fact: The fans cheer LOUDLY and non-stop while their team is batting. But as soon as the third out is made, they sit down and don't. say. a. word. (or head to the beer stand...) Then, when the opposing team makes their third out, they rise with a full-throated roar and don't stop until Out #3 again.

Ueno Park - Tokyo

Again, a "past due" posting... In late August, I went to Tokyo for the afternoon and toured around the Ueno Park area. A beautiful park and one of those "I want to come back here" places. That list is filling quicker than I expected. Ueno Park is in the northeast part of the city and is a beautiful (and large) inner-city park amongst the high-density office and residential towers of Tokyo. Also, much like the National Mall in DC, it is home to many of the national museums - Tokyo National Museum, National Science Museum, Tokyo Museum of Art, Tokyo Zoo, etc. I only had time to visit the Tokyo National Museum - and then only the ground floor of that one. They had a great exhibit of Buddhist artifacts and showed how historians and anthropologist were able to use these artifacts to trace Buddhism's spread from India through China and Korea and ultimately to Japan. Ueno Park was also an 'oasis' for residents of Tokyo during the Great Fire of 1927 (? - don't quote me on the year) and also a tent city during the bombings of WWII. Since nearly all buildings at that time were wood structures, fire swept through the homes and businesses quickly due to the high density - and the only open space in which to retreat was the park where people lived for months, if not years.

Wow... I've really been slacking on the bloggity blog...

Okay, hot off the presses... I'll be following up with some new and exciting postings about my exciting life (not really). Just finally got around to uploading photos that have been on my camera for a month or more. Stay tuned...

The Big 4-0!

Saturday, I hit the fourth decade mark of life on this here Planet Earth. To celebrate this momentous occasion, J. had arranged a big Mexican fiesta at El Torito restaurant in Yokohama. Yes - there is Mexican food in Japan. Not much, but like a drug addict, if you REALLY need it, you can find it with a little effort.

So, we went up late Saturday afternoon and met a group of friends for tasty tacos, quesadillas, flautas and some mighty fine "Cadillac Margaritas"... El Torito is located on the 28th floor of the Yokohama Sky building so there are fantastic views of the Yokohama and Tokyo skylines while enjoying some good chips and salsa.

After dinner, we stumbled into Cafe Marceau, a small bar, for a post-dinner drink. About 9PM, the lights went down and it felt as if we'd be transported to the set of the Tom Cruise movie, "Cocktail," because the bartenders began to sling bottles around, twirl them upside down and pour drinks from behind their ears. Cheesy, but entertaining. Photos below.

Monkeys are funny... A monkey in Shibuya Station in Central Tokyo - MUCH FUNNIER!

And yes, he got away - despite being pursued by the entire Tokyo Police Department, it appears.  Not good TV. GREAT TV!

As of last reports, the monkey is still on the lam.  

Local news coverage below:

(Shibuya is a very busy area - and very busy train station - in central Tokyo.  "Lost in Translation" was filmed in this area...)

I'll keep you posted on the latest simian sightings - and his alleged ties to Al Qaeda.

The dance (or exercise) craze that's sweeping Japan...

Its called Yakitori Jisan... This exercise/dance has become something of a cult sensation here thanks to the internet (at least that's what I could make out from the story on the local news tonight).  And the same woman in the pink top is always leading groups in the dance...  Beware: the song will be burned in your brain if you listen to it too often!  Check it out here:

Or here:

Or here (told you - its everywhere!):

Yakitori...Yakitori...Jisan...

Samurai Swords and a Roaming Elephant...

Konnichiwa! O-genki desu ka?

(As you can see, I'm trying to learn a little of the native language now - been taking a class... Mayu, don't make fun if I said that incorrectly... But that's "Hello/Good afternoon. How are you?" I think...)

Thursday, I took off for a little afternoon sightseeing at Odawara Castle, about an hour from our little castle. I know I sound repititive, but there is nothing better than living in a place where you can jump on a train and then jump off said train and you are steps from where you want to be. The US could learn a thing or two about "transportation" over here if they'd just give it a try. It sure as heck beats driving all the time. I digress...

Back to the topic at hand - Odawara Castle... or "The OC" as I like to call it. I would try to explain its history but would totally screw that up, so here's a short take I found online...

The history of Odawara-jo actually began in the Kamakura Period with a palace built by Dohi Sanehira. Hojo Soun conquered the area and stole the mansion in 1495. He built his castle on the site of the former palace and his family reigned over Odawara-jo until it was conquered by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590. The final step in Hideyoshi's reunification of Japan was his victory at Odawara.

Basically, this castle was first conquered by the Hojo clan and then ruled by them for five generations - known as the Five Hojo. The Hojo clan built an ever-expanding empire in the region and was the final holdout in Hideyoshi effort to reunify the country. The Hojo actually signed a "Non-aggression Pact" with Hideyoshi - and then one of the Hojo lieutenants went off solo with some warriors and picked a fight with Hideyoshi's army. Hideyoshi took this as a betrayal of the Hojo's word and well, the rest is history... Hideyoshi finally defeated the Hojo in 1590. Very soap opera-like, those clans...

After that, the castle was occupied by the ruling class until the mid-1800's (the end of the Edo Period) when the Meiji dynasty dismantled all of the remaining palaces as a sign of their vanquishing the samurai culture.

In 1960, Odawara painstakingly rebuilt the castle on the same spot, as a museum displaying items from the Edo Period and Shogun culture. Extremely fascinating to see the artifacts, weaponry, armor, etc. The samurai were not only great warriors (and badasses in general), but very innovative in developing everyday tools, like my favorite - a "travel kit" that included a pocket-size abacus, writing instruments and 'component tools' that could be "snapped" together from several pieces - all in a small travel case.

Sorry for the rambling Japanese history lesson. Back to the sightseeing.

I was walking the grounds, trying to find two things at every opportunity - shade and water. Its beastly hot and humid here these days. But I traverse the long set of steps up to the main castle grounds and what do I encounter? An elephant. Yep, big ole pachyderm just chilling and getting hosed down right there in the middle of the castle courtyard. I'm not sure if that was part of the Hojo's fleet of armored personnel carriers or what but elephant + heat = you want to keep moving. Oh yeah, and some monkeys were in a cage running around too. Anyway, I made my way past the elephant and toured the castle/museum, grounds and such.

Every time I find something like this, I want to learn more about Japanese history. The few little morsels I've learned are so interesting and I feel like I never learned a thing about Asia in school. We always studied European history to death - the Tudors and Stuarts and Henry VIII and such, but never a thing about Japan, China, etc. Not sure why. But on the flip side, you look back at the histories of Japan or Persia or Africa or Scotland and they're not that different. A lot of 'clans' or 'tribes' fighting each other for more territory, more control over resources or someone betraying their word to someone else and all that - and you know, when you boil it down, its not that different today in some corners of the world (and some corporate offices too!).

I've rambled far more than I should, so below is some photos I took at "The OC" - and one I took outside the KFC on the way back to the train station (statue of Col. Sanders donning his yukata/summer kimono...). Enjoy!

Hey! Let's climb Mt. Fuji at Night! Sounds like a great idea?!?!?

I've done some questionable things in my life, but this past Saturday night (July 12), around 1AM, I was really wondering if I'd lost my damn mind...

You see, J. and I, on the spur of the moment more or less, agreed to go on a little adventure with some of her co-workers. We agreed - and then jumped in the car and actually went along - on an "overnight" hike to the top of Mt. Fuji. Fuji-san is considered a national treasure here, as it should be. It is perhaps the most spectacular natural wonder I've ever laid eyes on. On a clear day, it can be seen from virtually anywhere in this part of the country. It rises boldly into the clouds with its snow-capped peak. Not a chain of mountains, per se, just one. Just one beautiful monument to remind us all that the natural world is bigger, more beautiful and more complex than anything man hath created - no matter how hard he tries.

As such, Mt. Fuji is only open to hikers in July and August due to the weather conditions in the upper altitudes and general safety reasons. So, climbing Mt. Fuji is something of a rite of passage to the people here and the window for accomplishing it is narrow.

To add a further wrinkle, many, like us, climb the Fuji-san at night in order to catch sunrise from the top of the mountain. We arrived and loaded our packs, hitting the trail just after 9:30PM Saturday night. Since Mt. Fuji is a dormant volcano (last erupted in 1707), much of the terrain, and thus, much of the trail, is soft volcanic ash/sand with a number of old lava boulders here and there. Therefore, our hike felt as if we were trying to climb a massive sand dune over...and over...and over. Around 3AM, exhausted and very cold (it was around 30 degrees with 30 mph winds), we stopped just above 10,000 feet. At that point on the trail, 2-3 trails came together and there were people wall-to-wall and we were told it would take another 2-3 hours to get to the top. We decided to sit tight and catch the sunrise where we were.

Right on cue, at 4:30AM, the sun began to peek over the horizon and was a beautiful site to behold. Worth the trip! But I have to say, it was great to do once, but not sure I'll be going back to tackle it again anytime soon...

Hello Tokyo!

After a rousing, good ole American-style July 4 full of BBQ and fireworks, J. and I took off to Tokyo the following day to explore Asakusa Kannon and the surrounding neighborhood, before hopping across town to Roppongi. That is like going from the 7th Century to the 23rd Century in a 15 minute subway trip!

Asakusa Kannon is the oldest Buddhist Temple in Tokyo. Built in the 7th Century (643 AD I read somewhere), it is a popular tourist destination, but also popular with the local populi as well. Each year on New Years Day, hundreds of thousands of Japanese citizens come to the temple to pray, meditate and ask for blessings for the new year. It is a fascinating place as the immediate area has been preserved as it stood during the Edo Period. There is an enormous open-air market with stalls selling everything from handmade paper to artwork to tortoise shell jewelry to parasols. Truly a step back in time.

We ventured over to Roppongi after the tranquility of the temple. It was as if we'd stepped into the land of the Jetsons with trains whistling by overhead, bright neon signs and futuristic glass and steel skyscrapers everywhere. Roppongi is a popular shopping, restaurant and nightspot - as well as home to many of the foreign embassies and ex-pats. You see the Western influences right before your eyes.

J. and I laughed because we stopped on this blisteringly hot day for a rest and drink at a coffee shop next to a 3-level Banana Republic store when we'd been in a 7th century Buddhist temple minutes before. From 7th C. Buddha to Banana Republic in minutes. That's Tokyo for you!

After a rest, we headed for Tokyo Tower and spent an hour in the observation deck looking out over the city - and it seems to go on without end. Yes, its touristy, but not a bad way to spend an hour if you have the time and are in the neighborhood.

Yokohama: Queso found? Almost...

Once again, I'm playing catch-up from past events here in the Land of the Rising Sun...

About 2 weeks ago (June 28 to be exact), I was mildly bored and without a plan. What to do? What to do??? Hmmm... So, on the spur of the moment on Saturday afternoon, I took off to Yokohama to catch the Yokohama F. Marinos soccer/football match at Nissan Stadium. Back in DC, this time of year could be counted on for 2 things - 1. A pre-game meal of great chips and queso, tacos and beer/margaritas at La Plaza on Capitol Hill. and 2. DC United soccer at Estadio RFK.

Well, the Yokohama trip wasn't quite the same (I didn't see any rats around Nissan Stadium like the ones at RFK...), but it did work. Before the soccer, I circled and doubled-back and read information kiosk until I found it! Yes, the search was over - for I'd FINALLY located the Yokohama branch of El Torito. Its on the 28th floor of the Sky Plaza Building in downtown Yokohama with spectacular views of the city -and even the Tokyo skyline looks like its only blocks to the north.

So, once I was settled into my seat at El Torito, I began to inhale chips and salsa like... well, like a man who hasn't had them in over 2 months. And the best part, I was able to wash it down with a Budweiser (only Y750 for the beer = $7.00... but worth every penny...). Food was great and then it was off to the stadium for the big match with Jubilo Inwata.

Made it to the stadium just as kickoff was taking place and sat in General Admission about 5 rows from the field. I have to say, the F. Marino fans and Jubilo fans can match any European supporters cheer for cheer and song for song. Great atmosphere. However, the field is surrounded by a track and seems to be a mile away. Plus, the stadium is huge so there are lots of empty seats further dampening some of the enthusiasm, but good time regardless. Jubilo ended up winning 1-0.

Interesting culturalism witnessed: At the end of the match, I start gathering my things and preparing to head for the exit. I notice everyone is sticking around and walking down to the rail. A minute later, all of the Yokohama players come to rail and bow to the crowd (who cheer), then, they make their way to the next corner of the stadium and bow, making their way to each corner of the stadium to bow to the fans as a gesture of "thanks" to the fans. Pretty nice scene to witness.

http://www.f-marinos.com/

Lazy Guns Brisky - my new favorite Japanese all-girl rock band!

Now that I've been in Japan for a couple of months, I've finally started to "figure out" a few of those little things in life that we don't realize we need, but are needed to keep one sane. For instance, I've found this great English language weekend guide/pop culture magazine called Tokyo Metropolis.  It may not sound like much, but I feel as if I've discovered the Rosetta Stone!  It lists restaurants, concerts, museum exhibits, sporting events and anything else you can imagine going on in Yokohama and Tokyo - along with a healthy dose of news and information for the ex-pat crowd here.  Until I begin my Japanese language class this week, I still need these kinds of things to lead me around and tell me what is what.

Another small achievement is finding a decent radio station - InterFM (76.1 on your FM dial...).  Again, I wouldn't die without it, but as one who appreciates a good tune, its nice to hop in the car and have a listen to something interesting.  (Sidebar:  Today, as I was driving around Yokosuka, I heard an updated version of "Kung Fu Fighting" - made me laugh to think I was driving around Japan with that as my soundtrack...)  Anyway, where was I?  Oh yes, back to the point of the title of this entry.  

Tonight, as I was driving home, I heard a great Japanese all-female band called Lazy Guns Brisky.  Love them!  I even sat in the car for a few minutes just so I could hear some more of their music.  They were being "featured" on InterFM to coincide with their CD release party in Tokyo tonight.

Here's the only thing I could find on YouTube - their song, "Michigan":

"Forgetting Sarah Marshall" - see it!

This has nothing to do with Japan really (though we did see the movie within the borders of Japan) and I know the movie has probably already gone to video in the US...

But, last night, J. and I saw "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and we both gave it a BIG 'thumbs up.' Since I'm no Roger Ebert, I won't try to tell you anything about the plot or the movie's subtext or the cinematography... Just see the movie. Its VERY VERY funny. British comedian/actor Russell Brand is worth the price of admission, no doubt. Good stuff!

Canyoning: NOT Canoeing...

A few weekends ago, J. and I took off on a little adventure that was... exciting...to say the least.  As an aside, I'd just read, the day before, how the Japanese have a higher than normal suicide rate.

J. and I went "canyoning" in Minakami, a beautiful area about 3-4 hours from here full of green (and some snow topped) mountains, deep canyons and crystal clear rivers.  J. thought she was signing us up for a "canoeing trip" until about 5 days ago when I looked at the flier and said, "Uh, J.... this doesn't say canoeing, this says canyoning..."  Of course, neither of us had a clue what "canyoning" was - well, except for the one photo I found on the flier of some insane person jumping off a waterfall!  Anyway, we went ahead with the trip since we'd already paid for it and such (ignorance is bliss...).  

It was scary as hell at times, but a lot of fun.  Basically, you put on wet suits and helments and then proceed much like a human pinball while 'body surfing' down a raging river, over waterfalls and through whitewater rapids.  Due to all the rain we've had (its currently typhoon season here), coupled with the still-melting snow up in the mountains where we were, the water was HIGH and it was FAST!  For much of these canyons, the riverbed is only about 3-5 feet wide so the water was just powering thru - and I felt like I was trapped in a washing machine at various points.  

In the morning, they teased us with the fun stuff in an area called Nosehair Canyon - sliding, quite fast, down the river on our backs/stomachs/butts on natural water chutes.  Piece of cake compared to what was coming later.  In the afternoon, they took us to Fox Canyon where we proceeded to be swung out on a pulley, holding a tiny bar, about 60 feet in the air - and then had to jump because they wouldn't bring you back...  After that, we body surfed down the river to a 20 meter (that's about 66 feet if my calculations are accurate) waterfall that we slid/hurtled down.  Of course, I did pretty graceful cartwheels all the way down said waterfall and almost killed myself...

And did I mention the water was about 40 degrees?  Oh yes, there were large snow drifts sitting next to the river's banks in a couple of places.  Good stuff.  Here are a couple of videos on the outfitter's website to give you a taste of what "canyoning" is.  Its insanity is what it is.

http://www.canyons.jp/video_cany_hard.asx

http://www.canyons.jp/video_cany_soft.asx

Great, great trip!  I'm ready to go back and do it again, no doubt - and we're happy to take other naive visitors too!

Hope all is well in your corner(s) of the world.

Citizens of Japan: BEWARE!

So, quite an exciting accomplishment for me yesterday...  I'm now a legal driver in Japan!  I passed my written exam and driving test with flying colors (okay... not flying colors, but I PASSED okay?!?!?).  If you know people who live, visit or are thinking about living or visiting Japan, tell them to stay off the roads and to walk on the inside edge of the sidewalks.  For, I cannot be responsible for my driving when they are demanding I drive on the LEFT side of the road, sit in a driver's seat on the LEFT side and navigate roundabouts by going LEFT.  I really should get some more insurance.

Japanese fun fact:  In order to get a driver's license as a Japanese citizen, you must attend a driving school - which can cost anywhere from $3,000 - $6,000 and the course lasts from 3 - 6 months.  They don't play around here.

Shimizu

I met J. in Shimizu on May 31 after a circuitous trip via train.

Shimizu is a nice little city with a small downtown area and big port.  We toured around the business district, then grabbed some lunch at a ramen noodle house.  I had smoked eel and buckwheat noodles that were fantastic!  The eel was so good.  Later, we met some folks and went hunting for a place to grab a drink.  We ended up down some little alley in a TINY place - honestly, and I'm not exaggerating when I say this - the place was MAYBE 3 feet wide and 5 feet long.  It had a bar with 4 bar stools and one Japanese "sitting table" in the corner.  We sat in there and drank a couple of Sapporo beers and watched the Japan v Italy volleyball match (which was very exciting actually) while trying to carry on a conversation with the owner/bartender.  That was like...well, like an American who doesn't know any Japanese talking with a Japanese person who doesn't speak English.  I have now become quite proficient at charades.

Sunday morning, we caught the bus to the ship about 6:15AM.  The ship took off about 8:30AM and the weather could not have been better.  It was cool and very windy, but blue skies and calm seas.  As we pulled out of port, you could see Mt. Fuji lurking above the clouds.  I'll have to say that is one of the most stunning and beautiful things I've ever seen.  You understand why the Japanese revere it so - it looks like its not of this world.  We had a great afternoon being entertained by a jazz band playing on the deck and a "steel beach" cookout with burgers, hot dogs and BBQ chicken on the deck as well.  It was a really good time - and it was fascinating watching them bring the ship into port here.  They "back" the ship into the dock using tug boats - quite a site to watch.

SUMO!

I'm back-tracking and trying to catch up on getting info on here...  Anyway, on to the good stuff.

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On Friday, May 23, I went to Tokyo for the afternoon to catch the Sumo Tournament and it was a blast.  Once I learned the basic rules and standings, I really got into the matches!  Some good drama involved.  Basically, the tournament last 15 days and everyone wrestles every day.  In order to avoid demotion to the next division below, a sumo must win 8 matches in the tournament.  Yesterday was Day 13 so there were a lot of guys on the precipice between 8 wins or 8 losses.

The current leader in the standings for this tournament is a guy named Kotooshu.  He's Bulgarian and enormous (not fat, just huge - about 6'4" and built like an NFL tackle).  This would be his first title - and the first title ever for a European-born sumo.  Apparently, he's quickly become a huge star in Japan and the ladies love him (and is credited with bringing young people back to the sport).  He's called "the Sumo Beckham" I learned from a Japanese woman seated near to me...

I happened to have a seat next to three people from Austin, Texas...  We all proceeded to drink a lot of Asahi "tall boy" cans, eat some dumplings and really get into the matches (I'm sure the alcohol had NOTHING to do with it!  ha!).  Good times!

I will definitely be going back and will be happy to take any of you if you should come to visit.  Hope all is well!  Tournaments in Tokyo are held in Jan., May and September...  hint...hint...

Here's the link to some photos I took - nothing great I can assure you (there are also a few off the back deck here in Yokosuka that I included so you could see our view into the hills)...

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8IbsXLVuycsJq

Singapore - Very Impressive!

Below is a recap from our great time in Singapore in early May...  I'm slowly trying to move things over.  I'll add some Singapore photos when J. returns (the photos are on her camera)...

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I flew into Tokyo on May 4 and was here about a day, then flew to Singapore to meet J. for 5 days while she was there.  We had a blast.  If you ever get the opportunity, I'd recommend a visit to that city/state/country/island(?)...  I'm sure "island fever" may get the best of you after awhile though - its a small place.

But its quite interesting.  The first thing you notice when you arrive is the diversity of people.  Its a former British colony (until 1959, so I read on a sign there), so its interesting to see the European influence mixed with the Asian, Indian and Polynesian/Indonesian cultures of that part of the world.  You could be walking down the street and there would be an old British colonial-style office building (now luxury condos or artists flats or a Starbucks or an Indian Curry House) next to an Asian-style Buddhist temple next to a storefront Mosque and a block away is the 84 story Bank of China skyscraper.  Talk about cosmopolitan...  Of course, that meant one thing - GREAT food choices.  J. and I ate our way thru Chinatown, Indiatown, Bugis Street (big open air market area) and the Financial District it seemed.  Only negative was it was freakin' hot and humid!  I felt like I was in Mississippi in August...

One night, we met some of J.'s work friends and spouses for drinks and dinner.  We started at The Long Bar in the historic Raffles Hotel (most expensive/oldest hotel in the city - again, just what I was told...).  The Long Bar is the birthplace of the famous Singapore Sling, so, when in Rome...  I must say they weren't the greatest thing (very sweet) but good to say I've been there, tried one - okay, two!  The Long Bar, while I'm sure its now nothing but tourists, is still a very cool looking bar.  It looks like you've been whisked onto the set of some 1950's classic movie and, any minute, Humphrey Bogart is going to waltz through the door in his white dinner jacket taking a long pull off a cigarette.

After drinks, Steve, one of J.'s work and college friends, had made us dinner reservations at the Shang-ri-la Hotel's restaurant.  Some day I can tell you the whole story about the cab ride from The Long Bar to the Shang-ri-la Hotel.  Probably the funniest 20 minutes of my life.  Our cab driver was silent for the first 15 minutes or so.  Did. Not. Say. A. Word.  

I didn't think he spoke English he was so quiet.  Meanwhile Steve, J. and I are in this cab together (the other 3 in our group are in another cab) and we're just talking about what we've done and what we plan to do the next day.  J. tells Steve (who is on the front seat with the cab driver) that we may go to the Zoo's Night Safari the next night.  It had been highly recommended by a friend in DC - you ride thru this open range next to the zoo and the animals are just out there or something - like in a safari setting... (We ended up not doing it, unfortunately, due to lack of time).  Well, our cabbie suddenly pipes up during this topic and yells, "YES!"  We all jump.  He says, "YES!" again...we all look at each other.  Again, he says, "Yes!  Go to night safari!...  You see animals make love!  Very impressive!  Elephant...has one hanging on ground and then mounts woman elephant... Very impressive!" and proceeds to go into graphic detail about the size of the elephants "man unit"...  We are all rolling!  Then, he jumps to the topic of his own virility and how "...I take-a the Vi...Veee... Veeee-ah-gra now... My wife VERY happy!  We make love 4..5..times a day... Very impressive!"  Steve asks, "Four or five times a week?" and he says, "NO!  No..no...no... four...five times A DAY!  Yes, very impressive!"  Needless to say, Steve and I start to egg him on at this point and by the time we pull up to this posh hotel, we're falling out of the cab delirious with laughter and getting stares from the hotel staff because we look like we're high or drunk...  Anyway.  Where was I???

The restaurant was quite a place - I quickly learned Steve is quite the food and wine connieseur.  We go in and its one of those Japanese style places with the cooking surface in front of you and they prepare everything right there.  Well, we don't really pay attention as Steve is ordering for all of us and talking with the cook - because we're all talking, ordering cocktails and such.  Anyway, I do hear him order lobster and steak and a few other things.  Meal is splendid - the food was excellent and a really fun dinner.  But the bill comes...  it was around $600 per couple!!!!  J. and I almost shat!  ha!  I think I've now had the most expensive dinner of my life on that small island.  Of course, J. and I just laughed about it afterwards (what else could we do?) and said we'd know to be prepared next time we went out with Steve.  And I believe we hit the Indian bargain buffet the following night to try and get back on budget.

The last day we were there, looking to do something outside the downtown area (where it was so hot), we went to the zoo and, you know, it was a lot of fun.  I'll say I'm not the biggest zoo fan normally, but I can sit in front of the TV and watch a Discovery documentary on baboons for HOURS!!!  And I always enjoyed, back in the day living in Woodley Park in DC, visiting with the silver back gorillas at National Zoo pretty often - they are completely fascinating to me!  So, maybe I do like zoos more than I realize.  Sorry, I digress.  

This was probably the nicest, best designed zoo I've ever been to.  Due to great design, there were no cages anywhere.  It seemed like the animals were right THERE!  Very interesting because they have a lot of animals from that part of the world that we normally don't get to see - like white tigers and monkeys galore and orang utans that literally swing on vines all over the park.  After our afternoon of education, we returned to the city and went walking through some of the old colonial neighborhoods before finding the great - and cheap - Indian food to devour before J. headed out and I packed for the return to Japan.

Anyway, I returned to Japan to a torrential downpour and high winds.  Apparently there was a typhoon somewhere off the coast about 250 miles and its had things nutty with our weather.  Quite a difference to the heat of Singapore.  Very impressive!

Longtime Listener, First Time Blogger

Greetings and Konnichiwa from Japan!

I'm dipping my toe into the internets and blog-o-world, finally.  Because, well, frankly, I've already grown tired of emailing...  Not true totally.  But since I arrived in Japan, I've tried to keep everyone updated the old-fashioned way with emails, group emails and cutting-and-pasting from emails to one person to someone else.

My brain is wired with a healthy dose of A.D.D. at this point and I can never remember what I've sent to whom.  So, I'm going to try to post various things here from time to time if you want to check it out.

Please remember, I'm a guy who in no way thinks his life is interesting enough for anyone to care.  But here you go... 

I'll try to play "catch-up" to bring a few things over here that I'd emailed out previously.  Enjoy and domo arigato!