11 Great Moments in Japan

Top Moments of Japan

This is a compilation of some of the top moments of Japan until now. I have tried to be as specific as possible. It would be lame to simply write general things like: Tokyo, Hiking, Food, etc. These are specific events that occurred between March 2nd and April 9th. There are more that could probably beat the ones on this list, but it was hard enough to try and compose a list.

#11 The Boar Showdown

One of the major differences between the forests of Japan and Utah is the abundance of wildlife in Utah. Trekking through the Japanese forest and mountains I expected to see much more. As these thoughts rumbled around I came face to face with a wild boar. Now I had been warned of the ferocious and badger-like personalities the boars have. Immediately my heart raced. That boar saw me and immediately started shifting back and forth. It was certainly not scared of me. It looked more anxious than anything else. I backed away and quickly moved around it since it was on my path. In hindsight I wish I would have taken more time to get some pictures and film of the little sucker, but I was waiting for it to run me down. However visions of Princess Mononoke haunted me and instead it won the contest.

#10 The Nakatsugawa Rainstorm

My hostel in Nakatsugawa was far from the actual town. It was up in the hills among some farms. After hiking through the posttowns I made my way back to Nakatsugawa for amazing Yakisoba. The rain was torrential by the time I finished eating. There is not bus back to the hostel. It is about a mile and half, with the last half mile a steep uphill climb. I sat on a bench under a canopy for a good hour and a half waiting for the rain. The end never came. So I decided at that time to screw it. You have to live in the moment and hiking through a rainstorm in a small Japanese town is a memory. So I went for it. I’m sure the cars and buses that passed felt a certain amount of pity, but it turned out to be fun. I was absolutely drenched, obviously, when I arrived at the hostel. This particular hostel had an onsen bath, so I quickly stripped down (sorry, no picture) and relaxed in the boiling hot onsen bath. Turned out nice.

#9 Fukuoka Chocolate Croissants

The Japanese are ingenious at taking something and making it a little bit better. They can take all sorts of baked goods and make them a touch more delightful. There are chocolate croissants in the Fukuoka train terminal that are amazing. They are incredibly cheap too. There was always a line stretching down the hallway. They are so simple too. I’m excited to come home and try out a few ideas.

#8 Lava Sand Bath

You’ve read about this already. Being buried in the hot sand for 15-20 minutes was a unique and wonderfully relaxing experience. Loved it.

#7 Diachoji to Iwayaji

I believe this is also something you have read about. I joined with a few pilgrims to make the journey from the Diachoji temple to the Iwayaji temple in the mountains of Shikoku. The path takes you over mountains and even across a mountain ridge for the last 1.5 kilometers. That last part of the hike was incredible. The mountains are so steep making the ridge you walk along a pencil stripe across the top of the mountain range. You have incredible views on both sides. It is worth the other 7 kilometers it takes to get there.

#6 Rounders

Well, the Matt Damon comparison has happened three times during my trip to Japan. My favorite however was at the Texas Hold’em Tournament I participated in. I found a seedy dark billiard and poker hall in the backways of Tokyo. Once a month they recruit foreigners to join in a poker tournament. I quickly was identified as Matt Damon from Rounders and so they were all intimidated of me. In fact it was obvious they were gunning for me from the get-go. I actually did really well and was an early stack leader. They started with four tables and I survived down to two tables, but two hands in a row took me out.

#5 Kochi Sunday Socializing

I arrived in Kochi on a Sunday morning and locked my bags up in a locker. I walked to the church and waited patiently in the meeting room (I arrived 30 minutes early). It quickly started being whispered through the hallways that an American was sitting in the room. It became a large event as everyone had to come introduce themself. When the missionaries arrived you would have thought they hadn’t seen a white american for years. They huddled around me for fifteen minutes and couldn’t stop talking. They ended up having a big luncheon after church and pleaded for me to stay for it. Of course I did as it was free delicious food and good socializing. I do have to say that whenever you walk into a church it sure feels like home.

#4 Four way crossing in Takamatsu

I’ve written about this extensively in my blog, Field of Dreams. Coming to the four way stop after getting away from it all was spiritual for me.

#3 Hakata Ramen

You are aware of how much I adore Ramen. I eat it every other day. There are also many different types of Ramen. Hakata Ramen is famous for being both delicious and stinky. It has a very strong odor that the Japanese think smell bad. I actually don’t mind the smell. It is strong, but delicious. The broth is creamier and delicious than the regular pork broth used for the standard ramen you find around Tokyo. Hakata Ramen is mainly made on Kyushu.

#2 Karaoke Machine

I have always wanted to try Karaoke but no matter how much I visualized it in my head I still was not ready for it. I was nervous, of course, going in and had told the other people that. They all smiled and admitted they were nervous too. Bull crap. They weren’t nervous. Its amazing a reserved, shy, and quiet people like the Japanese can transform in front of your very eyes in a Karaoke room. The rooms are decked out with the latest Karaoke machines that make anything you’ve seen in the USA look like a child’s playtoy. The complex system has so many settings for stage lighting, sound, and songs… its incredible. The rooms are furnished in a metro style flashy scene. Food and drink are available and you rent the room for as long as you want. You take turns singing song after song. The best part is that no one cares at all whether you are good or bad. You are cheered on and congratulated. I tried to delay by looking for a song I could sing and before I could think about it I had punched up, “Don’t Forget About Me” by Simple Minds. The rest of the evening I also sang: Get Lucky (Daft Punk), Hungry Like The Wolf (Duran Duran), The Time of My Life (Duet from Dirty Dancing), and I Will Survive (Cake version). It was a blast.

#1 High On The Mountain Top

This is a bit anti-climactic for number one. I’ve not only written a bit about it but I can’t really share anything more. When I was hiking near the volcano Aso-san, I climbed a peak in the fog. I couldn’t see more than five yards in any direction. I was climbing through alien terrain unaware of what lay about me. When I reached the top the fog was still as thick as ever. I knew I was very high up and that the view would be spectacular so I refused to go down. I called my mom and dad to kill time and after that I ended up waiting another hour and a half for the fog to dissipate. During that hour and a half I had some spiritual time to myself high on a mountain peak much akin to tales of old. And when I refused to go down, finally through wind gusts and patience the fog fizzled out. I set out at 8:00 that morning and could finally see forever at about 12:15pm. The view was as expected. I think the wait was the best part.

Walk in the Woods

Titled after my favorite book by Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods, the book is a commentary on Bill’s trek along the Appalachian Trail. One of the few books to cause me to laugh out loud while reading in the break room of Kinko’s some 15 years ago. I remember his remarks on bears really incited my laughter.

This blog is dedicated to that memory. Nakatsugawa is a small town tucked on the southern end of the Japanese Alps. The still snow-capped mountains are beautiful, and the town itself is a wonderful tribute to small town living bridgining the gap between the valleys below the mountains and the mountains themselves. The Nakasendo Trail is an ancient road from the Edo period that stretched from Tokyo to Kyoto. It was a very popular highway (walking path), through the mountains, which caused many small towns to spring up alongside with inn for travelers to eat and rest. A portion of that trail has been preserved in some areas because of the government, but delightfully in several areas because the village owners have made a common agreement among them to not sell their property. The result are several towns which look as if they come from several centuries ago and provide an atmosphere that cannot be duplicated. Furthermore, Nakatsugawa to a small town Tsumago is the most beautiful hike through the moutains you can find along the Nasurendo Trail.

Despite visiting Japan the first time with Nathan, I had felt any nostalgia going at it alone. This, until, I came to Nakatsugawa. This town is an area Nathan served on his mission. Together we visited his old ward and stayed with members. He has a deep love for the place, which was apparent as we walked the streets and he showed me where daily and special events took place. Coming back to his walking ground was difficult. I felt like I was violating his turf. I immediately had to call him to feel better about it. Regardless, I wish we both would have known about the Nasurendo Trailhead being at Nakatsugawa the first time we came. I ended up staying in a youth hostel up in the hills, far away from everything else. It was a trek to get there, but worth it when I arrived. Although the owner is awkward socially, the stay was excellent because of the incredible views and I stayed in this cabin like hostel all by myself for both nights.

Waking up early I made my way to the Nasurendo and began the ascent toward Magome post-town. I’ve already been trekking through town and mountain alike, as you know, but this was different because it’s a different area of Japan. No longer was I walking through thick forests you can barely see through. This resembled something much closer to the mountains of home. The cobblestone path follows a river and in several places the original cobblestone path is used as the trail.

Magome is a small town near the top of the mountains. Its main street looks something out of an old city alleyway. The buildings, cheek to cheek, are made of dark wood and ornate carvings. Watermills are seen in several places as well. It was a grey day that promised rain. I’m glad I started early because I could capture many photos without people in the street and with the shops closed. While the towns have been able to maintain their culture on their own, they have adapted to tourists by opening their doors as arts and crafts stores and local cuisine stops.

From Magome to Tsumago is magnificent. It runs about 7km over a mountain. Along the route you pass watermills, waterfalls, old huts, and beautiful mountain scenery. I laughed at the sign you see here in the picture. Every so often they have a bell with a sign that reads: Ring this bell to scare off bears. I just can’t imagine bears roaming the mountains of Japan. I’ve been through the mountains a lot and I’ve seen one warthog and most recently snow monkeys in Nagano, but that is all. I’ve read forums and no one has ever seen the bear. I think its more to spark interest for the tourists. Regardless, I didn’t ring the bell. I would have loved to have seen a bear.

The entire day, once again, is impossible to share in words or pictures. It was a fantastic walk in the woods from one old town to the next, crossing a mountain ridge and enjoying traditional relics of a Japan that is quickly disappearing.

Good Night Tokyo

Goodnight Tokyo. Since my last post I have been north to Hokkaido; Aomori, Asahikawa, Sapporo and Hakodate. I have returned to Tokyo and had two great weeks. All of this will go unblogged. My attention is solely on jotting down this final blog. While I know no one actually reads this, for myself I need to put a conclusion. It wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t.

I am sitting along the banks of the Sumida River. I came here my very first morning in Tokyo. I’ve reflected on what to write since I am incredibly closed and hold everything close to my chest. Why couldn’t this trip just be a vacation away from life? There isn’t anything wrong with that. Why make it into something dramatic and search for deeper meaning? That would make this blog very easy to write. Hey, I had a good time. Thanks for taking care of the dogs. Sorry I quit my job for this. I could write that. But it wouldn’t be true. This trip was created out of the unknown. The reason for coming on the trip was discovering why I came on the trip in the first place.

Four years ago I took a trip to China when I first became principal of Westridge. We had a layover in Japan. Its true before I landed in Japan that I had a mild fascination with Japan. There were a number of anime series and Ghibli movies that meant a lot to me. A good friend and I spoke of Japanese things fondly and the entire culture was interesting. However, it wasn’t until the plane was soaring over the wooded hills and houses on the east coast of Honshu that all of this began to take shape. In a matter of 60 seconds I had an incredibly spiritual moment. Few times in my life have I felt something pull me so strongly. At that moment there was no doubt that I had to come to Japan. The layover was short but if that trip did nothing else it sparked the first that would lead to some major life choices.

So why did I go to Japan in the first place? I went because I believe I was prompted to go to Japan. As a part of that I felt that I was prompted to move out of my home, move to Salt Lake City, and quit my job despite the monetary cost it would have on me. I’m not trying to profess to be some great follower of special promptings, but in this case its what propelled my decision making. One of my favorite, albeit cheesy, scenes from a movie is from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Indy has to pass three tests at the end of the movie one of which includes taking a leap from the Lion’s head. He stands before a giant ravine and must step into seemingly midair with no support. It looks like he will fall endlessly. However, he takes the step with faith and the path is suddenly clear. My trip served its purpose. I took the step and it paid off. I can’t tell you how hard it was. I didn’t board the plane to Japan and suddenly a bright light shone down on me enlightening my world. I have worked over the last 50 days. There have been some of the best moments of my life, and there have been other times that were dark and lonely. There have been moments of being stranded, hitchhiking, meltdowns, dating, tears, temptations, friendship, sickness and the list could go on. Underneath it all there has been the support of God. It all came together though, like a symphony coming to a magnificent climatic end.

I truly love the culture and people of Japan. If I had to live anywhere in the world other than my home of Utah, Japan would be the place. I could make it work here, but I do want to make mention of America. I was going to write a blog about this but thats not going to happen. In a nutshell I think its important to know how patriotic I feel about the United States of America. Japan is a wonderful place as you’ve heard me cite over and over again, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love my country. There are some ugly things behind any government, but ultimately I recognize the good and the blessings that have come from being born, raised, and living in the USA. America has always been and continues to be number one.

Life is interesting and in many ways ironic. Life also is very beautiful, despite the tragedies and hardships that unmistakably take us by surprise. I am grateful for it.

So there you have it. I’m ready to come back to Utah. This doesn’t mean my path is clear and I know everything I’m supposed to do. In fact, that is wide open. But I do understand why I came to Japan. I do know why it had to happen and why it will always be a special time of my life full of moments.