Shreddin' Powder in Echigo Yuzawa

Clearly this trip has served many purposes, but as I've explored more of Tokyo, and Japan, and immersed myself in the culture, I've been excited to see everything that the country has to offer. And you can't do that without snow.

While a lot of my classmates have made plans to travel to various parts of Asia, I've decided to see as much of Japan as possible...and you can't do that without snow. Japan is host to the largest number of ski resorts in any single country. And for good reason. While Tokyo gets almost no snow, other parts of the country (especially the northern island of Hokkaido) get dumped on what becomes an extended ski season.

In every part of the world where snowsports are possible, each offers slightly different conditions. Just like making a trip to Central Europe is different from skiing the Andes, and just like the Catskills are different from the Rockies, visiting north-central and northern Japan offers a unique experience...namely snow. And lots of it. Japan does not have the largest mountains, but it is ranked as the best skiing country in the world. It has an excellent mix of tree runs, varying levels of slope difficulty, and, of course, world famous amounts of snow.

So there was no way I was going to spend 4 months (during the winter) in Japan and not see what all the hype was about.

Of course, before you go, you have to visit Jimbocho in Tokyo to check out all the latest gear. It's home to scores of department stores dedicated solely to snow and ski and outdoor activities. The entire district is about as big as downtown Kansas City, and it's amazing to me that enough people shop for this kind of stuff year-round to keep these places in business...

What made it even better was that this was my first ski trip. Because I'm cooler than most people, I elected to snowboard...risking certain death. A group of 6 of us booked a long weekend to the city of Echigo Yuzawa (about a 2 hour bullet-train ride north from Tokyo).

We stayed a pretty nice Ryokan (I'm not even going to try to describe how to pronounce that), that treated us to full breakfasts and dinners (although they could have been interchangeable since essentially the same food was served at both). That's right...imagine waking up to a huge spread of raw fish, salad, tofu, and other things that I would never voluntarily substitute my pancakes for.

They also had indoor and outdoor onsens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen), basically hot springs that are the Japanese equivilent of a hot-tub. These were key because after a long day of snowboarding (or picking myself up off the ground), I needed it.

...Which brings me to the snow...and the snowboarding. We visited two mountains, Karuga and Hakkaisan, both famous within Japan. Honestly, no matter how blown away or amazed I seem by any one thing this entire trip, nothing will compare to seeing that kind of snow. I'm talking drifts that are taller than cars, busses, homes, and businesses. I'm talking about so much snow that overnight a clear sidewalk is covered in knee-high snow. I'm talking about so much that if you get off track on the slopes and venture into the powder that you literally get buried. Long story, short: there was a lot of snow.

These cars were clean the night before...

And Mike is 6'2", with an umbrella over his head...

To keep the streets driveable, there is a network of sprinklers that run 24/7...built into the roads to melt the snow...

This, my more experienced friends told me, was good for me...because it meant that I probably wouldn't seriously hurt myself. I was still pretty sure if I fell off the ski lift from 60 feet in the air I might, but I had to give it a shot.

...and I'm glad I did. I picked up snowboarding after about 6 runs down the mountain, and I'm hooked. If anyone wants to plan a trip next winter, let me know. Sure, my neck hurt for like 4 days after we got back because of some of the epic wrecks I had...but it was totally worth it.




One famous fall occured on my first run down Karuga. I hadn't figured out the idea of staying on an edge to keep my speed down and my control up, so I was just coasting down the mountain on the middle of my board. Turns out, that turns you into a missle, and I found myself blowing past people at what I figured was about 80mph. Knowing I was out of control (and bound to run into someone, most likely a family teaching their kids how to ski), I decided to try and bail out. But I did it all wrong, hit my frontside edge, and launched myself into the air about 20 yards, cartwheeling to a halt. Fortunately for my pride, there is no footage of this wreck. But after that it was all downhill...so to speak.





And, if nothing else, I can say that I boarded some of the world's most well-known mountains....and managed to look like Snake Eyes from G.I. Joe in the process. Because everyone knows that if you can't do something well, you may as well look good doing it poorly...

Rage Against the Machine at Makuhari Messe - 2/10/08

So as a condition precedent to this trip (seriously, that's the only legal term I'll use the entire blog), I told myself that I would limit my activities to those things I can't do at home in the States.

Of course, when I saw the concert line-up for the semester, it was impossible to resist. Now I know, concerts happen all the time in every city in America. And I know, American bands play them. But this is different. I rationalized that seeing a concert in Tokyo would be a great and new experience. It was really an excuse to see a legendary band that I will probably never get to see live again, and one of my favorite bands of all time. Turns out, the first concert was worth every penny...and not because of the band.

I bought tickets for Rage Against the Machine (on 2/10) and Foo Fighters (on 4/13) just because I wanted to see them. Who knows how long Rage will stay together touring, and if there is one place in the entire world you should see the Foo Fighters play, it's in Tokyo - where they have a HUGE following.

Anyway, for those of you who don't know, RATM was once the most relevant - and dangerous - rock band of the mid-late 1990's and early 2000's. Lead singer Zack de la Rocha has kept the band in the media by taking stands against corporate America, and oppression around the world. I can't say I agree with all of their views, or their methods...but I do respect them...and I do love their music.

Turns out, the Japanese do too. But I'll get to that in a second.

First, let's talk about this venue. Makuhari Messe integrates the International Exhibition Hall, International Conference Hall, and the Makuhari Event Hall on a sprawling 210,000 square meters of land to form one of the most well-known convention facilities in Japan. With an ideal location just between the heart of Tokyo and Narita International Airport, and a parking area with a capacity of 6,000 vehicles, getting to Makuhari is remarkably convenient.

The Hall set aside for this concert was 54,000 m2 and, like the show the night before, was sold out. I don't know the number of people in attendance, but that is a huge venue...and it was packed like a subway during rush hour.

But here's the part of the story where it differs from an American concert: order. Before we got there, I was telling the guys I went with about an article I read talking about the Japanese, and their behavior. In everyday life, they get no release. Their lives are so formal, quiet, and structured, that they essentially become, well...not Americans. But the article went on to say that when they are placed in a situation where it is socially acceptable to release, they do...and much moreso than anything we could relate to.

However, entering the convention center, going through the coat check, buying our souvenier t-shirts, and finding our place in the crowd we such painless...and quiet...processes, that no one really believed it. In fact, we almost thought it was going to be a dull show because of it.

When you enter the complex, you get a feel for how many people are going to be there...and how big this place is. In the first door, you enter on the 5th floor of what looks like a huge airplane hanger. They have dozens of shelves stocked with trash bags filled with peoples coats…we just entered the world’s largest coat check. But instead of people fighting for position, and employees hating every last one of them, there was a patient calm. Everything ran so smoothly it was scary.



… but not as scary as the line to buy merchandise. Imagine 6,000 concert-goers at a Rage Against the Machine show. Now imagine them waiting in a line that zig-zagged across a massive hanger like the world’s worst line for a ride at Disneyworld. In my mind, that’s a scenario for a riot to start. Here, it was like people were waiting in line to check out books from the public library. You had people (guys and girls) dressed in every kind of crazy outfit (from mechanic’s overalls and metal studs, to 80’s neon track suits…from leatherheads, to punks, to Goths, to hipsters…and everything in between) just waiting in line and moving forward. What’s even stranger than that (and the ridiculous level of quiet for that many people) was how fast the line moved. I was fully prepared to stand there for 3 hours…but it took less than half an hour. I still haven’t figured it out. Shirts were selling for Y4,000 and sweatshirts for Y9,000 (in addition to the Y9,000 ticket price – for your own information, Y1,000 is equal to about $10.00), and they were out of my size…so I passed and promised to pick one up at the Foo Fighters show.

Then, after that we head into the main auditorium…or the real “world’s largest airplane hanger”. They had two giant jumbtrons on either side of the stage, and about 14,000 speakers. Pretty much exactly what I expected from a Japanese concert. The place was big, but they separated the audience by section. It was all ground-level standing, but they had about 7 different “pens” set up with temporary barricades that kept everyone in their place. But since everyone was just standing, perfectly still, I didn’t think that would be a problem.

There was no opening act, so while the roadies finished setting up, we were treated with some NWA (sidenote: hardcore gangsta rap is the default music in Tokyo. It is played in restaurants, elevators, and anywhere else you’d usually expect to find Kenny G and Rod Stewart).

The lights went down, and for a second, the place erupted. It actually hurt my ears for the 3 seconds it lasted. But then, something really strange happened. All the stage lights turned red. And from the speakers came what sounded to me at the time like the music you would hear in a Soviet propaganda film (or like the kind played when Drago is introduced in Rocky IV). I didn’t get the connection Tokyoites at a RATM concert would have with the USSR, but I got chills when thousands of Japanese went dead silent and raised a single fist.

Turns out, here’s what was going on….

There is an underground segment of the population (sort of what I imagine the Black Panthers were like) that resents the current Westernized government for surrendering to the U.S. to end WWII. The music being played was the Imperial March of old-Japan. One of their biggest issues is that the U.S. forced Japan to restructure it’s written language (eliminating some ancient Meiji-era symbols that duplicated others). I don’t know if I’d call their current system (3 groups of letters: Kanji, Katakana, and Hiragana – numbering well over 3,000 characters) a restructuring, but it left a bad taste in a few mouths…among other things.

What’s even crazier is that, after hearing the background on this, I saw them the next day. This organization drives through the city in huge charter busses adorned with the ancient characters that read, loosely translated, “Get Out Foreigners”, while blaring the same Imperial March from PA systems on their roofs. It was the most disconcerted I’d been in over a month in Japan.

…So, after that ridiculous start, the lights got killed again, and Tom Morrello (or, as more than a few fans shouted, “Tom-me More-ey-leo”) laid into the intro. of the first song.

Never in my life have I seen a crowd turn on energy like a light switch. It went from dead silent one second, to a tidal wave of people pushing forward, screaming and cheering the next. Halfway through the first song, I didn’t know if I’d actually survive a 2-hour concert. It got to the point that it was so tightly packed, and there was such a push forward that when the crowd jumped, I didn’t have to. I was literally picked up off the ground in unison with everyone else. The temperature on the floor must have been at least 95 degrees…and everyone was dripping with sweat. They knew every word to every song…and didn’t quit the entire 1.5 hours that Rage, well, raged.

The band took a break halfway through to switch guitars for a track…and once they stopped, so did the crowd. All I could hear for the next 3 minutes were my ears ringing because everyone (tens of thousands) just stood there in silence, wondering if the show was over…

Zack came back to the mic and said, “Arrigatoo Gozaimas” (thank you), and “we’re not done yet…” to a huge ovation.

Then, like before, Tom laid into another ridiculous solo…and the crowd exploded again.

Here’s the set list:

1.Guerrilla Radio
2.People Of The Sun
3.Bombtrack
4.Testify
5.Vietnow
6.Bullet In The Head
7.Down Rodeo
8.Bulls On Parade
9.Tire Me
10.Know Your Enemy
11.Sleep Now In The Fire
12.War Within A Breath
-----------
13.Freedom
14.Killing In The Name

....and when the show ended, a voice recording played in Japanese asking everyone to leave...and they did. They flipped the switch off and went back to being Japanese. It was quiet, and everyone exited immediately, and orderly. Like they were at a movie, and it just ended.

I've still never seen anything like it, and it might just go down as my best memory...at least until the Foo Fighters come in April...

Nikko Day Trip - 2/9/08

Yeah, I took a day trip to Kamakura, but it isn't until you get out of Tokyo as far as Nikko (maybe the number 1 destination of people sightseeing outside the city). The reason being is because there is a saying that "living in Tokyo is not the same as living in Japan." Hence all the "Nikko is Nippon" posters that appear all over the city (Nippon - and Nihon for that matter - are other names for Japan).

And a perk to making that day trip is that when you're walking to Asakusa Station (Ah-Sock-oo-sa), you get to see the Asahi Brewing Company's corporate office (Notice how the building looks like a beer? Typical Japanese.).

Nikkō (literally sunlight) is a city located in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Located approximately 140 km north of Tokyo and approximately 35 km west of Utsunomiya, the capital of Tochigi, it is a popular destination for Japanese and international tourists, housing the mausoleum of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu (Nikkō Tōshō-gū) and that of his grandson Iemitsu (Iemitsu-byō Taiyū-in), as well as the Futarasan Shrine, which dates to the year 767. There are also many famous hot springs (onsen) in the area. The mountains west of the city are part of Nikkō National Park and contain some of the country's most spectacular waterfalls and scenic trails.

Here I am, fresh off the train, in front of the "city limits" sign.

As of May 1, 2006, the city has an estimated population of 93,568.

Shōdō Shōnin established the temple of Rinnō-ji in 782, followed by the temple of Chūzen-ji in 784. The village of Nikkō developed around these temples. The shrine of Nikkō Tōshō-gū was completed in 1617 and became a major draw of visitors to the area during the Edo period. A number of new roads were built during this time to provide easier access to Nikkō from surrounding regions. Nikkō Tōshō-gū, Futarasan Shrine and Rinnō-ji now form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

So the city itself is famous because it is home to the Toshugu Shrine Complex, the biggest collection of shrines in Japan.




It is also the site where the famous "Hear No, Speak No, See No Evil" monkeys originated. There are monkeys living in the nearby hillsides who will come down to interact with visitors in the Spring and Summer months.

The Japanese can't build a Torii Gate small enough that I can't fit under!

And, if you ever get lost, there are very helpful signs all over the Complex...

The sacred ring toss (I'm sure that's not its actual name). If you get one of 3 rings on the sacred pole (again, can't be the real name) you are supposed to have good luck for the year. I missed, but the girl in our group that made one slipped on the ice 5 minutes later...so I'm not buying it.

During the Meiji period Nikkō developed as a mountain resort, and became particularly popular among foreign visitors to Japan. The Japanese National Railways began service to Nikkō in 1890 with the Nikkō Line, followed by Tobu Railway in 1929 with its Nikkō Line.

After we got back, we rewarded ourselves on our successful journey with dinner at T.Y. Harbor (the foremost microbrewery in Tokyo).

I had the Australian sirloin...quite possibly the best steak I've ever had.

And for dessert, I had a slice of imported David's Cheesecake (from New York). It's supposed to be the world's best, and I agree.