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.
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