I was driving home from running errands listening to CJSW, the college radio station here in Calgary, and on comes this tune. It starts off instrumental and builds slowly, guitars and piano getting louder and receding, back and forth. A few minutes in and I’m completely engulfed. I stop in a parking lot and just sit there listening for almost the full 9 minutes and 16 seconds.

After some research I find out the band is a local one from Calgary called The Neighbourhood Council, none of the members being over the age of 20. I searched at three different record stores before finally snatching the second last copy at Melodya Records. Well worth the five dollar investment… wow! Anyway I could yammer on but how about I just go post the song eh?

The Neighbourhood Council - Liver and Tan [alternate location]

Pictures are up from the Tsumago/Magome trip.  Check em out.

I’ve got a luggage crisis on my hands.  Leaving Nagoya on the 20th!

I took Friday afternoon off to take a trip to the towns of Tsumago and Magome in Nagano prefecture. This time I packed the absolute minimum: the clothes on my back, a toothbrush, and two cameras. Woke up in time to catch the highway bus from Nagoya station at 10:00am, which deposited me at some random highway rest-stop just outside of Magome (a 20 minute walk away). Magome is a pleasant little town set on a hill, with shops and restaurants lining the main street. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and I wished I hadn’t worn a black shirt. After a brief stop to eat some cold zaru-soba to cool off, I head towards the trail that will take me the 7.7km to Tsumago.

The hike wasn’t so hike-ish, if you’re used to calling the Rockies your backyard. The first 2km or so skirts along roads and little towns. Not to say that it isn’t nice, just don’t expect anything too secluded! The next portion consists of a real hiking trail (smelly leaves, mud puddles and the like), through great bamboo forests. Stopped at a creek to eat my Snickers bar (see: best hiking chocolate bar ever) and snap a few photos before continuing on my way. Eventually I’m back on paved road that ushers me through two towns and then finally, Tsumago.

This place is quite awesome. The town preserves the old architecture, even restricting anyone from selling their properties. They’ve also disallowed any TV antennae or power lines in the town that might mar the historic image (although I counted two or three antennae from the main street… I wonder how much truth there is in that claim). I meandered around town in typical tourist fashion, taking pictures and eating over-priced food.

A few hours later and it was time to find my minshuku. I had to call the place for directions and backtrack to a little village outside Tsumago, but it was only a twenty minute walk. The lady scolds me for not picking up a map at the tourist office like she told me to… but that’s the way I roll. The interior is spectacular: it dates back 130 years to the Meiji era, and all of the intricate woodwork is still standing. I’m the only one staying on that particular night, and after changing out of my clothes I’m treated to the best meal I’ve had in Japan so far. The woman explains that everything is fresh. The fish have been caught in the nearby river (there’s a small fish trap attached to the house), the rice was grown in a field behind the house, the vegetables were picked up the mountain. You could survive quite comfortably being a vegetarian here; if you can eat fish too, then you’re set (miso soup DOES contain fish stock). Chatted with the woman while I ate dinner, and she explained the house and the town and didn’t stop talking until I’d finished eating. I played with the cute puppies for an hour after dinner and then spent the rest of the evening soaking in the bath.

Next morning I was up by 6:45am to shower, because I was told that breakfast wouldn’t be served after 7:30. The lady gave me an umbrella (as it was raining out), and a cool little carved toothpick holder. I think I reminded her of her sons and so she decided to give me gifts and send me on my way. Some of the most interesting people I’ve met so far are old Japanese women (obasans)… Made the long wet walk to Nagiso station, 3.5 windy and hilly kilometers through people’s backyards and through forests.

Sorry to cut it off short, but I have a tattoo appointment that I must get to soon! I will post pictures soon enough.

I took Friday afternoon off to take a trip to the towns of Tsumago and Magome in Nagano prefecture. This time I packed the absolute minimum: the clothes on my back, a toothbrush, and two cameras. Woke up in time to catch the highway bus from Nagoya station at 10:00am, which deposited me at some random highway rest-stop just outside of Magome (a 20 minute walk away). Magome is a pleasant little town set on a hill, with shops and restaurants lining the main street. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and I wished I hadn’t worn a black shirt. After a brief stop to eat some cold zaru-soba to cool off, I head towards the trail that will take me the 7.7km to Tsumago.

The hike wasn’t so hike-ish, if you’re used to calling the Rockies your backyard. The first 2km or so skirts along roads and little towns. Not to say that it isn’t nice, just don’t expect anything too secluded! The next portion consists of a real hiking trail (smelly leaves, mud puddles and the like), through great bamboo forests. Stopped at a creek to eat my Snickers bar (see: best hiking chocolate bar ever) and snap a few photos before continuing on my way. Eventually I’m back on paved road that ushers me through two towns and then finally, Tsumago.

This place is quite awesome. The town preserves the old architecture, even restricting anyone from selling their properties. They’ve also disallowed any TV antennae or power lines in the town that might mar the historic image (although I counted two or three antennae from the main street… I wonder how much truth there is in that claim). I meandered around town in typical tourist fashion, taking pictures and eating over-priced food.

A few hours later and it was time to find my minshuku. I had to call the place for directions and backtrack to a little village outside Tsumago, but it was only a twenty minute walk. The lady scolds me for not picking up a map at the tourist office like she told me to… but that’s the way I roll. The interior is spectacular: it dates back 130 years to the Meiji era, and all of the intricate woodwork is still standing. I’m the only one staying on that particular night, and after changing out of my clothes I’m treated to the best meal I’ve had in Japan so far. The woman explains that everything is fresh. The fish have been caught in the nearby river (there’s a small fish trap attached to the house), the rice was grown in a field behind the house, the vegetables were picked up the mountain. You could survive quite comfortably being a vegetarian here; if you can eat fish too, then you’re set (miso soup DOES contain fish stock). Chatted with the woman while I ate dinner, and she explained the house and the town and didn’t stop talking until I’d finished eating. I played with the cute puppies for an hour after dinner and then spent the rest of the evening soaking in the bath.

Next morning I was up by 6:45am to shower, because I was told that breakfast wouldn’t be served after 7:30. The lady gave me an umbrella (as it was raining out), and a cool little carved toothpick holder. I think I reminded her of her sons and so she decided to give me gifts and send me on my way. Some of the most interesting people I’ve met so far are old Japanese women (obasans)… Made the long wet walk to Nagiso station, 3.5 windy and hilly kilometers through people’s backyards and through forests.

Sorry to cut it off short, but I have a tattoo appointment that I must get to soon! I will post pictures soon enough.

Myself and two guys from work left Nagoya around 10am on Saturday for Kyoto, opting to take a car rather than the bullet train. The drive was nice and relaxing…. except for the damn J-pop playing the ENTIRE two hour car ride; it tested my gag reflex repeatedly.

The first stop was Kiyo-Mizu Temple, because it’s supposed to be beautiful when the cherry blossoms come out. We fought through the throngs of people, but as predicted there were no flowers to be seen save one tree at the front of the gate. Had lunch in below the temple at a little restaurant and then drove around Kyoto to look for our hotel. Turns out they screwed up our reservation, so they booked us into a nearby ryokan. A tiny middle aged lady from the other place comes by on her bike to lead the way, but surprises us by grabbing the keys and hopping in the front seat of our car! She assures us she’s an amazing driver, despite the fact she couldn’t figure out the emergency break for the life of her. After a white-knuckled ride through narrow streets and stories from the lady about how you just have to “show a little” if you get caught by the police, we arrive at our ryokan. I was near tears laughing.

You know what? I’m already bored of telling this silly story! The trip ends with us driving home Sunday night listening to the same J-pop mix, getting lost in the outskirts of Kyoto, and eating a meal at every highway rest-stop along the way. Pictures are up!

Terrible music and great food,

Nothing really new to report here. I’m planning a trip to Nagano for next weekend, as my last excurtion in Japan before heading off to the Kawaguchi drinki….err party. I’m wondering if I should attempt one of the 1000m vertical hikes they have listed in the guide book. Chances are it’s covered in snow and will be a stupid idea unless I found hiking boots, but we’ll see how adventurous I feel when I get there. Probably head to a smaller village nearby for Saturday night, and find an onsen to bathe in… maybe I should just hop in with those hot spring monkeys.

Saturday I’m heading off to Kyoto with Kenji and Furuichi-san (forget his first name!) to celebrate the cherry blossom season. Ironically the cherry blossoms haven’t quite “blossomed” yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t drink sake and pretend. The last few days have been a cooooold 8 degrees, but it should be warming up into the high teens for the weekend.

Alright, that’s all I got. I’ll post again tomorrow sometime.

Just got back from a four day excursion to Tokyo. All in all it was a good time and I’ll write about it when I get a chance. I’ve got laundry to do though so I’ll leave you with just a tidbit.

One of the highlights of the trip was going to the top of Tokyo tower and being able to see the entire city lit up at night. Look in any direction and the lights will literally extend beyond the horizon. With all the street noise and the speeding of cars and people it really did feel like the city was a living, breathing organism. And while I was up there I couldn’t help but think that for each little speck of light there was probably a person going about their daily life, completely enveloped in their own world. Behind that window over there might be a family just arriving home from the hospital with their newborn, or maybe it’s a man doing his bills wondering how he’ll scrape enough money to pay his next months rent. I know it’s a cliche observation, but it’s an easy one to forget in the everyday hustle and bustle. It’s one of those things that’ll either make you believe in humanity or completely despise it. Me? I took a picture so I can think about some other day when I’m feeling contemplative. (Perhaps the title of this post will give you a hint to my current sentiments)

I’m really considering getting a part time job this summer. If I can’t score a sweet research assistant job again like last term, I think I’ll send off a resume to the Turnkey desk. Serving coffee to drunk students as they leave the Bomber is probably less attractive than it seems, but at least I’ll be able to get a little homework done.

Boysofsummer.ca invitational bocce tournament… who’s down?

I’m machining at work today and something goes awry, so I go to hit the “drain fluid” button to see what the problem is. You see I know the Japanese character for fluid but I failed to distinguish “drain fluid” from “fluid on”. The result? A burst of water arches across the machine room floor, drenching anything (including me) within a 3m radius. I’m standing in a pool of water, barely able to see because my glasses are soaked, and I can’t help but crack into laughter. Whoops! It was good no one was around to see it.

Friday after work I take off to Tokyo. I’ve emailed one of the guys I met at the Kyoto youth hostel, so I plan on heading out that night with him and his friends to the Roppongi district. I think I’ll leave my bags in a train station locker, and then spend the night at an internet cafe. $16CDN gets you a private booth for 8 hours with a computer, TV, and recliner chair… plus free coffee and soft drinks! There are some cafes that even have showers, so I’ll keep my eyes peeled for one of those. I then have to make my way to the Asakusa station by 9am to meet my uncle where we catch a train to Nikko, a town north of Tokyo filled with shrines and temples.

At some point I have to find that store in Tokyo that will unlock my phone for use in Canada, so I will probably do that on Sunday or Monday.

I’ll be gone ’till tuesday night, so you can get ahold of me on my cell -> robotkenshi (insert the at mark) c.vodafone.ne.jp

Saturday was a wonderful day. I get woken up at 9:00am by a call from my uncle in Tokyo, wondering what I want to see when I come and visit. You see I’ve taken next Monday off so I could link up a 4-day weekend with the national holiday on the 21st. I’m still debating if I should cram Tokyo into 2 days and go visit Izu for some hotspring relaxation, or save that for another weekend. I also want to check out the Tokyo nightlife for a few nights because I hear it’s surreal to say the least. Ahh I cant decide! I fall asleep and get woken up AGAIN. This time it’s Adam Overing calling from Waterloo. It’s 9:30pm and he’s just got home from work, which is typical of Toyota it seems. Good to hear from him, despite the 5 second delay due to poor connections.

It’s 20 degrees on the celcius scale outside… the first t-shirt day of the year. Head out for ramen with a workmate, and then head to the local bookstore for a few hours to plan a trip to Fuji or Kyoto for the cherry blossom season. This usually means less cherry blossoms and more sake, but hopefully I’ll be able to snap a few rolls of photos and scan em for the website. It’ll probably 3 or 4 of us from my old department, and we’ll take a car so we can drop by the ninja museum on the way back. Apparently you can dress up in ninja outfits and chuck throwing stars. Ohhhh man, best museum ever!!

Dropped by the supermarket on the way home ’cause I was craving bagels and creamcheese, but the bagels were stale, blueberry, and $1.50 each. I bought beer instead.

I got home with just enough time to eat dinner, and then hopped onto my bicycle to go see the Woelv/Mount Eerie show. I got there too late and only caught Woelv’s last song. Then came the two Japanese bands that were really quite good… Moooles, and another Japanese girl with an amazing voice. Kind of sounded like Mirah/Joanna Newsom. Mount Eerie had it’s good moments, but were cut short by an A.D.D. keyboardist who kept adding lame effects. Phil Elvrum played with a bunch of members from the opening band, plus a few other locals… It was a markedly loose affair which could have used some tightening up. The first song was plagued with feedback, and Phil kept moving all the microphones around and was getting quite annoyed that the noise would not go away. He eventually cut it short and found out that it was the keyboardist intentionally adding high pitched noises. At one point of the set he flat out asked the keyboardist to stop making those sounds, and muttered under his breath “Who is this guy?”… Pretty hilarious, actually.

Talked to Genevieve from Woelv after the show because she was singing in French, and I wanted to know where she was from. She said she’s from Quebec, and lived in Victoria for a while. I asked her if she knew Run Chico Run and it turns out she lived with Thomas and Matt, and actually dated one of ‘em. Small world. Anyway we chatted about Stephen Harper, Canadian Politics, the CBC, etc. for 20 minutes or so, and then I was on my way. I snapped a photo of her and Phil Elvrum in front of a Japanese wrestling sign. It’s up on the Flickr site.

I should be off… got lots of trip planning to do.

I decided to haul my luggage to work on Friday morning so I could leave for Takayama at the end of the day. I wouldn’t recommend doing this by the way; the trains are packed enough as it is. Anyway, five o’clock rolls around and I quickly get changed out of my uniform and dash to the train station. It’s tight: if I catch the next train to the main terminal, I have about ten minutes to buy my ticket and get to the right platform. I managed to squeeze in a stop to buy snacks and climb on to the train as the doors closed behind me. I sent a few emails from my phone and dozed off for the remainder of the trip.

Two hours and 200km later, I arrive in Takayama at around 8pm. If it wasn’t for the Japanese signs I would have sworn I was in interiour BC. The only sound that could be heard was the hushed conversations of the occasional couple as they walked through the streets. I found my Minshuku (Japanese style hotel), dumped my stuff off and headed straight for the bath house. Next stop was the Mexican restaurant, Chaplas, recommended in Lonely Planet. I sit down at the counter and immediatley the middle aged (and noticeably inhibriated) man beside me starts up conversation. With the bartenders help I was able to figure out is slurring. A half hour later, a lady in her thirties sits down on the other side of him and he starts feeding us both Nihon-Shu (some sort of Japanese rice wine). At one in the A.M. I’m about ready to crash, and the man INSISTS that he’ll pay my bill. I refuse, but he hands the bartender his money and tells him to ring in my bill as well. I try and pay the bartender discretely but he refuses as well. That was enough contesting to clear my conscience, so I thank them both and head home for the night.Saturday I awake at quarter past eleven to bright blue skies and balmy weather. Made my way down to the morning market to see if there was anything interesting but it was mostly just overpriced crafts. After stopping to eat tempura soba, I grab a bike from the Minshuku and head off to my first destination.

1. 

   Sukyo Mahikari Shrine: Towering above the small town of Takayama is the headquarters for this crazy doomsday cult. The main congregation area is nothing short of eerie. At the front there is a huge display which looks like the backdrop for the “wolf exhibit” at a nature museum, if you know what I mean. Just below and spanning the entire back wall is a turqouise fish tank filled with carp. I’d say the place could hold a good 2000-3000 people.

2. Hida no Sato Folk Village: This place is just great. I killed about three rolls of film here, which will probably all turn out like crap. They took apart and reconstructed all these buildings and houses from around the area in order to preserve them. It’s a pleasant visit even in the winter time and I’m sure it’d be equally good in the summer.
3. Yoshijima-Ke - Apparently this house is studied in architecture literature for it’s open-style framing. Inside you can see all the support beams that are beautifully carved from single pieces of wood (from what I can tell). I was especially impressed with the joint-work and how much detail went into it. I’ve got a few pictures up on the Flickr site.
4. Random temple: I stumbled upon this place while looking for a cafe to rest. You walk through the gates and it feels like you’re in another world because the trees completely shut out the rest of the town. I wanted to take more pictures of the priests as I think they would have made excellent shots. It’s near the Takayama Yataikaikan if you ever end up here.

That night I ate dinner and went to Red Hill pub for a pint, and ended up being dragged to an all night house/electro dance party. Met some locals and a few people from Miami/New York teaching English. There was this one local who kept on telling how he’d lost his glasses… so I told him the story of how I lost a contact above the COP half-pipe and how I found them after A SECOND RUN (It’s true, ask Stewart). I don’t think it gave him any hope though. 5:00am found me teaching those that weren’t already passed out on the couches how to juggle.

Sunday was cold, rainy, and miserable… so it I spent it drinking coffee, reading a physics book, and waiting for the bus to take me back to Nagoya. I just got the pictures developed and a lot of them turned out mediocre… I swear I had a UV filter on this thing but most of my bright blue skies turned into a faded white. At least my Kyoto ones turned out nice. Is it a UV filter I need or a polarizing filter… anyone know? Sigh, another investment.