New Year Snow

A bit of rain at 6:45pm. Not really an issue, as my motorcycle can get me to my lessons in about 20 minutes. Waterproof riding gear is a given in this country. But as I edged out, the CB1000's headlight went off. The 20 year old wiring is on the outs. I debate what to do, choose to cancel my lessons (the train would take about an hour), and put on a Chinese rom-com to celebrate the New Year.

Turns out the bike is psychic. I would have been caught in this mess, though the nutters on facebook all rode around in it.

With a dry weight of something like 250kg, I'm not interested in a spontaneous drifting lesson. Maybe I should upgrade to something a little lighter . . .

These shots are all around my apartment in Shinjuku. After about 30 minutes the novelty wore off.

On a random note, I was thinking how carefreely I cancelled a couple evening classes. I don't do this often, but I never feel strange when something comes up (usually a bike issue, as I never get sick). But, being freelance, I essentially just tossed away a hundred bucks. More with the current exchange rate. Casual, like in all the hip hop videos that are hot right now.

But if I frivolously spend a hundred bucks on something, I feel really bad about it. There is a little sushi shop near my place, and for 5000 yen you get one of the best meals in town. But that shit is for special occasions.

Reverse the logic, and sitting in my underwear listening to podcasts counts as a special occasion. Correct?

Seasonal Work in a Fishcake Factory

The bus was 12 hours, but at least I could sleep for about 6 of those. The other half were spent between watching Mr. Plinket reviews, facebook, and studying Kanji. Compared with the 4-across seating of the only other night bus I had had the misfortune to ride in Japan, the 3-across of the Setouchi Pirate Express (not sure) was bliss.

Upon arrival in the port town of Imabari (seems like every town is a port town out here) I noticed 2 things. No MacDonald and everyone talks like pirates. So I guess that explains the name of the bus. Seriously, the local dialect sounds like drunk Yakuza. I'm told later that it is a mix of Hiroshima and Osaka.

Skipping the only breakfast that I really enjoy in Japan (200 yen for a sausage muffin and coffee at Mac), I went with some shitty karaage from Lawsons convenience store. A brisk ferry ride later and I am at my friend's fishcake factory.

The place is in full swing. The New Year holiday in Japan is spent eating. Eating, eating, eating. Traditional foods take center stage, and kamaboko (蒲鉾) is one of those. So you can imagine that a kamaboko factory would hit their yearly high at this time.

My cross-country, overnight trek counts for shit, and I'm handed some rubber boots, a rubber apron, and a hairnet. Seconds later, I'm elbow deep in a pink batter of minced fishmeat, flour, and a secret blend of 11 herbs and spices. Could just be salt though.

The mixing bowl looks like it could take my arm off. I inquire about some sort of... oh... training? A rundown on safety? A pamphlet perhaps? I mean, there is steam shooting out of pipes, an automated butcher knife, and a spinning wheel that is covered in nails. To name a few.

"Just don't get hurt. Don't touch the sharp things."

Safety training... done.

A question I've asked of myself a lot this trip was why? Why spend a priceless 10-day vacation doing manual labor? Why, when there are ramen shops to visit, booze to drink at the annual bonenkais, and the latest season of Breaking Bad waiting for me in Tokyo.

Maybe it was because I didn't want to deal with the mayhem of another Tokyo New Year. A little time in the countryside would be good. Right? Why?

There were a few assumptions I made about what would go down:

• Work would start early, which means finishing early. Or at least early-ish. Lots of free time to explore the islands.
• Stuff to do on said islands.
• I would have internet access (I brought my portable WiFi device)

Let's debunk! First off my EMobile Pocket WiFi was, as Murphy would predict, out of range.

There was nothing on this island of 8000 people. The drive to the nearest 7-11 was over 10 minutes.

And the work. As predicted, it started early. But an 8 hour day of work is unheard of here. Some days were 10, some were closer to 13. Not exactly challenging work, but 13 hours of carrying trays of fishcake from A-refrigerator to B-refrigerator, power-washing industrial mixing bowls, and affixing labels on packages takes a toll. On my brain.

Needless to say, each day ended with beer and sleep.

I was invited by a friend I met in Tokyo. He spends a few weeks here and there selling this stuff at fancy department store food courts across Japan. He is also the owner of the fishcake factory. He asked, I went. That's the how of it all. In the end, it's a pretty simple story. If you want details about the making of fishcakes, here you go. A big machine shoots out fish paste, then you cook it in another big machine. I guess that's how most things are made these days. With machines and robots.

I did have a couple free days in the New Year. More food and drink. Here are some photos of Matsuyama Castle. Then I went back to Tokyo. Happy New Year!

December 2011

Strange month.

I'm allowed one overblown HDR photo a month, right?

More to come...

Takaragawa and Ikaho Onsens

Gunma is famous for a bunch of stuff, of which onsens is high up. I checked out a couple with some friends. 宝川 and 伊香保 to be exact. But first, no morning train ride to some far off place is complete without ekiben, those lunch boxes that are only available at the train stations.

I nerded out with a daruma theme. Yes, it was the most expensive one, at 1500 yen, but it came in a ceramic bowl that you can keep. Awesome!

I once got a ceramic chicken as a gag gift at a Christmas party. Instead of throwing it away, I started collecting ceramic chickens. You'd be surprised, it's a thing. Anyways, I have a problem with collecting what can be described as junk. Just thought I'd share.

Inside was some local Gunma grub, like a big bean and some chicken.

My buddy got the C6120 themed set. For those not hip to the scene, the C6120 is an old steam locomotive that was recently revived along a short stretch in northern Gunma.

Looks like the renkon was burnt to a crisp. Neat.

OK, on to the onsen.

Nothing like being greeted by some haikyo at the station. Minakami ain't the greatest, but it's where the bus picks you up. Shitty ramen was eaten. Not enough time to explore the ruined hotels. Sorry Mickey.

Takaragawa is one of the most famous mixed-sex hot springs in the Kanto area. It's been on TV, used in print advertising, and even gained a good reputation with foreigners because some guidebooks or websites or something recommended it. Apparently, soon after the white people started coming, a bunch of creepy Japanese dudes starting going, hoping to see some titties or something. Rad!

The place is fantastic, located in the middle of nowhere along a massive river.

Sorry, but apparently you aren't supposed to make videos of naked people enjoying their bath. Who knew?

When we were shown our room, the old worker pointed across the river to some cages. Two words. 熊, 旨い. Bears, delicious. Yeah, there is a mini bear zoo at the place.

What did he mean with the delicious comment?

Oh...

Yeah, that's local bear soup. It is said to be very healthy because the bears store nutrients for hibernation. Bon apetit.

Onsen hotels go all out with the food.

It's always local fare. River fish, barbecue, miso stew, pickled, mountain vegetables, tempura, sashimi. Super bomb.

The next day we went an hour south to famous Ikaho onsen. I'd been here ages ago, and remember it was cool. There is this massive stairway in the middle of the town, and in the evening it fills with people. People who have just finished drinking a ton of booze, eating a ton of good food, and enjoying some hot springs. The summertime vibe was chill.

Maybe it was the winter chill, but it was dead this time around.

Also, the town itself suffers from a common onsen city problem in Japan... it's falling apart on the outside. Most mega-famous resort towns in Japan are like this. Atami and Beppu come to mind. What's the deal? The hotels are outdated, and though the rooms are maintained, the exteriors are depressing. And the view of the rest of the town, from up on a hill or on the 10th floor as you consider jumping, is worse. Unused shacks litter the place. Just plain ugly.

But the natural spring water here, which is an unusual brown color, is legit. Drink some local sake and get in.

How about the dinner?

That's a lot of food!

A lot of cold food!

This was definitely a case of quantity over quality. Stale, cold tempura is unacceptable.

This particular hotel seemed to cater to company drinking parties, evident by the off-key karaoke singing that permeated every floor. Drunk people wanna eat. And I suppose this massive pile would be satisfying had I drank a lot more beforehand.

Breakfast the next day was alright.

Good luck!

By the way, Ikaho was ranked #10 in Japan by a recent survey. So I guess I'm wrong when I say that you should go somewhere else.