New Shinkansen [はやぶさ] Hayabusa

Don't know what it is exactly about Japan's extensive railway network that I love the most, but one thing's for sure, I love its trains, especially the new shinkansen called the Hayabusa. It's got to be the the nose! I love its sleekness and the perfectly engineered bogies that slide along the outside; or maybe it's the pantographs that run along the top of the entire body of the whole train..... Actually, let me reiterate, it's the nose.

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(" Jukojo [ripe mature Japanese women] and shinkansen have always shared a common affinity with each other. Refined aesthetically, smooth as silk, highly intuitive, sensitive, powerful, purposed and focused in motion").

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Bullet trains, shinkansen, were designed with perfect aerodynamic contours that allow it to seemingly glide across the rails at very high speeds. The faster it goes the sexier it looks, unlike its rival in France. That train looks like junk on wheels, honestly the French really need to give it up with trains and stick with things they know best, and stop trying to out class the Japanese on beauty and refinement.

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The Hayabusa is the product of decades of labor intensive engineering, and countless man hours. Years of learning how to develop better metals and plastics; years of marrying hard monomers and soft polymers and aesthetically different elements into one whole operating unit and then learning how to blend all of that so that the human subject could experience absolutely the highest level of comfort at top speeds on land, enabling passengers to take in majestic views of Japan's vast and expansive countryside in the middle of winter from the warmness and comfort of a luxurious recliner.

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I have ridden on the Kodama, Max Yamabiko, Hayate, and the Max Toki, so you know what's next. In March she debuts and tickets have already sold out! I love Japan.

Hypoxia Phenomenon Kills off King Crabs!

I called up one of my favorite seafood distributors in Hokkaido in an attempt to order a 2 kg steamed Taraba Gani, Japanese king crab, when the lady on the other end of the phone said " dead!" "Dead what?" I retorted. Apparently, most all king crabs died this season due to unusually warm summer waters of 2010, which raised hypoxia deaths; crabs, shells, and other exotic sea life have all succumbed to lack of oxygen. Warmer waters mean less oxygen, which make it almost impossible for crabs live, let alone lay eggs.

I used to think this was a problem only in North America like with the waters off Oregon's coast which have been experiencing low-oxygen conditions for the seventh consecutive year since 2004, but I was wrong. Japan's most prized winter delicacy has been severely effected. Crabs are now being harvested half way between dead and alive and are being boiled right there on the fishing boat before it reaches market. No more live steamed crabs this year! Luckily for me, I was able to get my money refunded back to me.

No more succulent juicy tender loving picks of this majestic and beautiful crab. What a pity! I guess I can focus on more sea urchin this time.

五十路妻

Been going back and forth with a distributor over a magazine showcasing a specialized genre of porn called I-so-ji and Mu-so-ji, 五十路妻、六十路妻. The last kanji indicates housewife. Isoji represents Jukujo in their 50s, and musoji represents Jukujo housewives in their 60s.

This magazine was purchased at a convenience store chain called Lawsons in near Higashi Kanagawa.

Often times, whenever I go there I just skim through the scantily clad women on the magazine cover then leave, but this one caught my eye! After getting home I searched for distributors all over Tokyo and found two and am in negotiations with one for all the back copies of this series, which are all beautiful, by the way.

In the picture above is Mrs. Takahata Yuri, and she's 60! Often times when we associate women in this age bracket we think unattractive, sickly, and saggy. Like in the case of the Kanreki... This is hardly the case.

Mrs. Takahata has been in the adult entertainment industry for years, she's a married housewife, she's beautiful and still orgasms. The reason for posting this article is because of the emerging elderly porn industry taking shape in Japan. In fact, many adult video stores are devoting whole sections to this new genre. What is the appeal? And why are people showing an interest in this genre?

Not to speak for everyone, but I do believe that every man has a desire to be nurtured. Even the most manly of men have this yearning. When looking at young women they tend to lack eagerness and drive, even in porn nowadays. They are attractive because they are dumb and they love playing up to broken egos and men with huge inferiority complexes. In fact many Japanese men thrive on young women for this fact alone because if a young Japanese lady was bold, confident and assertive, and knew what she wanted out of life the Japanese man would simply cower away.

Young porn is out, older women in porn is in vogue now. The airhead days of sounding like a baby when somebody blows on her clitoris is over, along with the cute bambi eyed blank stares from that overly made up christmas cake doll face, has played out. Thank heavens.

The Jukujo is for the man who thrives on substance. We like thickness and fully developed bodies and women who can accept being who they are. They have self confidence in who they are and what they can do both in and out of bed, even if it's just making dinner. They love simple pleasures and care very little about things with no substantive value. Good food, nihonshu, and sex are perhaps the three things that make the most sense. And then some...

I think people are led a stray by popular trends too easily. They associate young with beautiful, thin with beautiful, old men with young women, and that somehow this is the normal way. And then your ignorant prudes add their two cents to it and further spread more ignorances as a result.

Beauty is dynamic and has many interpretations and from a variety of different mental perceptions. I associate age with beauty; refinement with beauty; thick legs and heavy bust with beauty. Mrs. Takahata has amazingly thick legs! Even in her 60s her skin is still beautiful and almost glowing.

I think people in the blogosphere have associated me as the de facto momma's boy genre king. I've been a Jukujo hobbyist since my high school days and never lost any steam.

The Jukujo is completely in line with this blog's theme: timeless beauty; natural preserves of the rich - hotspring; history, culture, passion, peace of mind, nationalism, wabi-sabi.

Uni Murakami

Tune for this post: First Dream Called Ocean by Helios

Restaurants that serve up specialty dishes are really nice to come by when out on the road. One of the appealing aspects of living in Japan is that there're so many niche restaurants that offer up regional delicacies. In this post I will be introducing one such rare place called Uni Murakami, a restaurant that prides itself on serving the best sea urchin or uni in Japanese, in Japan. Below is a video of me enjoying this dish.

First off, what do most contemporary Japanese regard as good taste? What is uni? And where the hell is Uni Murakami? I think if cuisine can bring out the most original flavors then this would be what Japanese regard as good taste. In Tokyo, or any other major city, more eclecticism is emphasized in cuisine. Chefs want to experiment and compete with other culinary specialist, they want to test the bounds of sensible taste. Why? Because it's Tokyo and it's the capital and here is where you get to explore those boundaries of sensible taste. However, some boundaries aren't meant to be crossed. Take for example Mr. Hirokazu Handa of Kobe who is a stubborn Japanese purest through and through, a man who has devoted his entire life to cooking and refining his culinary skills. This is a man who has never veered from the course of tradition. A man who believes that the foundation of all Japanese cuisine is a grain called rice, and that this prized commodity at no given time should ever be compromised or minimized in level of importance due to changing trends and attitudes towards taste. Rice is the foundation of Japanese cuisine

What "uni" or sea urchin is to the Japanese is what sole meuniere is to the French; fish cooked in a butter sauce with a little bit of flour and lemon juice. Sea urchin is a spiny little ball of deliciousness. It's expensive and can be purchased almost anywhere in Japan, but in order to experience the best tasting sea urchin you most go to northern Japan where the waters are icy cold and mineral rich. Sea urchin just taste better up north; it's sweeter and creamier. For us folk from California sea urchin, or purple sea urchin is not so popular. Most Californians have never heard of such a dish as ugly and as spiny as a sea urchin. American's are visual eaters. We love chili-cheese fries, and greasy cheeseburgers. The only uses for sea urchin is for medical research. Researchers are now discovering that this black spiny invertebrate shares hundreds of the same identical genes as the human eye, and that some day, science will crack the mystery on why this is so, and maybe shed some light on future medicine!

in the top picture is a baked in its shell sea urchin, in other words a sea urchin gratin? Lovely. Where do you eat this stuff? Sea urchin can be enjoyed anywhere in Japan, but up north is the best. There's a city located in Hokkaido called Hakodate, which is famed for having an amazing fish market selling every kind of fish known to man. There's a restaurant called Uni Murakami that not only catches the sea urchin, but also farms it. They also have a restaurant that serves sea urchin in every way imaginable. The branch I went to is located in Sapporo and was only a 15 minute walk from the Sapporo Station. Excellent staff, timely service. Amazing.

In the top picture is a huge bowl of sea urchin over hot Japanese rice. And "oh" how it went so well with the cold nihonshu I was having.

All - in - all the experience was epic! I especially loved the owner - a gorgeous Jukujo who spoke English. The wait staff was excellent. Great sake recommendations too. I was drinking local jizake(sake) the whole time I was eating. I must've drank five koboyashi brewed sake that night and all of them were exceptional, one of the oldest breweries in Hokkaido I think. I sampled every sea urchin dish on the menu.

A great place to stop by if ever up this way.

This article is features in Show Me Japan

Kamikawa Subprefecture

On this last trip up to Hokkaido I spent a couple of days traveling around Kami-Furano, Biei, and a few other towns all located in the Kamikawa Subprefecture. There are 14 subprefectures in Hokkaido and Kamikawa is arguably the best in terms of popularity amongst tourist, that doesn't mean it's touristy, just popular. This part of Japan still retains its Japanese charm, unlike Niseko. The photo in the first picture was taken in Biei, a town famous for its wide open fields and picturesque landscapes. Many movies were shot using Biei as a backdrop. The best times to come up this way is in July and August, or even in September, winter if you've got balls of steel and can handle unmarked icy roads with almost zero visibility through your windshield due to sporadic snowstorms. The second picture was taken at a place called Kamihoro カミホロ荘 with its beautiful open air bath snowscapes.

For those of you who are not familiar with the term subprefecture or (shicho) in japanese, is an area made up of over a dozens towns and cities in remotely located areas. These subprefectures work as branch offices that administer public services of the prefectural government. Without a doubt most townsfolk would rather have municipality status than to be subjugated to prefectural administration. This way they can write their own ordinances and establish their own local laws without having to be influenced or controlled by Shicho. Smaller government governs best plus better services. Unfortunately, the population has a lot to do with whether a town or a city can achieve municipality status.

When I had finally arrived in Biei I was relieved to see other human beings for a change and snow plows. I almost came unglued and freaked out at all the snow during my whole 2 hour solo drive. But I made it and I did it all for this dish. No just kidding, but this Biei curry is one of the hallmarks of this area and it was absolutely the best curry dish I have ever eaten. Thick and sweet curry soup for dipping my thick noodles in, and a nice ice cold glass of Biei's own premium milk. Just perfect in my opinion. I even bought a liter for the road just to savor the taste one more time. I had no time to talk to the locals because I had a schedule, but wish I did. For the second or third time I saw a local lady with light hazel brown eyes! It goes without saying that Hokkaido has some of the most beautiful women on planet earth. I say that with confidence. Farm fed, fair skinned, snow kissed, hulking bovine beauties is all I can say, and with hazel eyes that softly pierce through their half opened eyelids like the morning sun through a sliding akarishouji door

On my drive out of Biei Town I grabbed a vanilla ice cream that tasted amazing. As I was driving down the main road I said to myself that there was no way I could live through this winter. Everyday waking up and shoveling snow and ice and then having to go to work an hour later tired and sweaty.

And waiting on buses to come, sometimes 20 or 30 minutes. Hokkaido's brutal winters can be unforgiving at times.

Snowplows moving up and down the street. This guy was wearing a tie and a light jacket....

Trudging through snow. City folk like myself cannot even begin to imagine what it's like to spend 6 months in snow like this. Generally speaking it snows about 6 months out of the year up here. Long bitter cold winters. Waking up and marching through snow everyday would drive me crazy maybe, but if this lady can do it then so can I. No cute mini-skirts were seen at all, finally a bit of common sense up here. I dare any Japanese girl to come marching around in snow like this in a hiked up mini. I would be impressed.

The weather this morning was minus 12. I filled up my tank one last time before heading to the interchange. All I wanted to do was leave this all behind.

When you're visiting it's different. I enjoyed the fantastic onsen and the food. The hospitality was warm and beer was great. Maybe someday I can return in the summer.

Hokkaido

St. Valentine, who ?

How ever which way the story of St. Valentine's is told doesn't matter, as long as you receive some chocolates. Every year I get quite a few of these, but this year I got a double whammy; a surprise visit from my (wink) 100% super special Japanese daughter - for those that read my blog know what I mean by the wink. I also had a hot date tonight with a new 45 year old Japanese mother of three. I think I did well...She was beautiful and I don't write fiction.

When I walk I keep my eyes to the ground because it's impolite to look people in the eyes when there's no official business being conducted. This is also the mommas-boy way, and unless you deal in this type of specialty fetish play you'll never understand it. Anyway, I arrived exactly on time. She was there and spotted me before I spotted her. Tall for a Japanese, long clean heart shaped face, not one blemish, alto voice. Long fine black hair. Excellent proportions; good leg thickness and torso dimensions. Just delectable in every sinister way imaginable.

I motioned to her to follow me towards the escalator. For those of you who live in Yokohama should know that on this day it was snowing. The snow fell softly, too. I had no umbrella - on purpose of course. She opened up her umbrella - a huge purple and black traditional Japanese style umbrella. We rode the escalator up, of course I take the low position because she's the oldest and I'm the younger.

Reaching the top she insisted she carry the umbrella over our heads and not me. She was trying to keep me warm and dry by getting up close to me as we walked. Finally arriving at the coffee shop she removed her coat. She was wearing a cute low cut V-neck sweater. Grey. She had no huge talisman wrapped around her neck. No tattoos, no pink passion lipstick and nail art. No healing stones wrapped around her wrist. No god awful fancy French perfumes poured over her clothes and skin, no caked on make-up either. I was thoroughly impressed at how clean and modest she had looked. This is how I love my woman to look. That's just like the "rose" analogy. Modern aesthetics would suggest we adorn the rose with spangles and plastic wrappers. And that we should dress it up and make it more beautiful. This is clearly the wrong approach because a naked rose is already at the height of its natural beauty. Adorning it would only make it look cheap and unnatural. And lastly, she had the type of eyes a mother would have. What that means exactly I'm not entirely sure, but her pupils were fully dilated and she was well focused on my eyes.

Our whole conversation was in Japanese since she spoke zero English. She handed me two huge bags of cakes and cookies, all hand-made. There were some onlookers and passersby's wondering what the hell was going on. We stayed and talked until closing.

Walking out from the coffee shop the snow really started to fall hard. She kept brushing the snow from my neck and shoulders. Another of the great features of the Jukujo is the attention to detail to everything that's out of place. I was cared for in such a nurturing way. No better love than the Jukujo, so thoughtful and considerate. This was a good Valentines Day.

The rest....well....I don't write fiction.

Sumo Under Attack!

I'm mortified. I will not be able to purchase tickets for the 2011 March Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka. It has been cancelled. If you've been following news in Japan then you may have already heard that recent scandals in the sumo world have surfaced. Match fixing, hazing, and drug allegations, just to name a few, have crept in to this sacred sport once revered by the Japanese and their gods has now lost its sacredness and has been defiled by over zealous media outlets.

How could a sport such as sumo, one of the oldest and most venerated sports in Japanese history allow itself to come under attack like this? It's called the media. Without a doubt, in any country, match fixing and hazing has been part and parcel in any sporting event. People gamble and bribe officials. People fake getting knocked out. Performance enhancing drugs have been used. I understand that these actions violate the rules of good sportsmanship, and are outright illegal, but should their dirty laundry be aired and held up for the whole world to see? This is an internal problem.

The media has no boundaries anymore, no dignity. They go everywhere and shit on everybody. They have no regard for common decency and public safety. Ever since the Julian Assange sensation took center stage in how low a person could go in order to discredit a business, or a person, other media outlets have been following suit. It's a real pity to see Japanese news media outlets become just as trashy.

Japanese do not handle dishonesty very well, but I suspect that most Japanese know that there are some shady practices that take place in the sumo world. There is a shared sense of disgust from some Japanese I have talked with. Some are angry at both the media and the sumo association, others are angry at the sumo association only. It's because many had believed that matches were won in honesty, and that there were no back door deals taking place.

One young lady told me she thought it was foreigners that ruined the sport, but then again, you had Rikidozan and others who helped shape the sport....And there is no doubt of Rikidozans involvement with seedy groups and organization. It's a real pity though, because the way I truly see it is that all of Japan's sacred institutions are under some form of duress. Some temples and other sacred sites have been vandalized. Yasukuni Shrine hasn't been visited by Showa Tenno in over forty years, Duty and martial spirit have all been relegated and re-interpreted by non-Japanese, even nihonshu is going through a reshaping by non-Japanese elements. The kimigayo isn't being sung. The youth have lost interest in old traditions because they think that they can spread or recreate another type of Japanese idealism in another country when they know nothing about it at home.

But, there is some flicker of hope from that candle stick near that foggy window. From that quivering light a voice reached out to me and whispered , the Japanese are a forgiving people, and they will forget those transgressions which besieged their sacred sport. Sumo shall be forgiven and the people will love sumo once again.

Nijo Fish Market: Sapporo

No visit to Sapporo, or any other prefecture in Japan, would be complete without stopping by a fish market in the morning. As the snow festival comes to a close and travelers start their long journey back to wherever they came from, Nijo Fish Market will still be here and it will still offer the freshest catches. My initial impression was quite different. With other fish markets I have been to, Nijo Market is the smallest and the cleanest. Other fish markets like here and here take hours to walk through, and seem to be too touristy. When you've got crab on the brain and need a little more perspective on what you'll probably be eating look down. I have to admit, I still get the creeps whenever i look at this thing, let alone grabbing one and pulling it out of its tank, yet I eat 10kg of this kind of crab a year! Here, here, and here are some write ups to salivate over.

Information on how to get there:


Address: South 3-jo East 1- to 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo
Hours: 7AM – 6PM (varies by shop)
Access: A 5- min. walk from Odori Subway Sta. (Namboku, Tozai, and Toho linea)
Or a 5- min. walk from Bus Center-mae Sta. (Tozai Line)
Parking: 6 affiliated parking lots are available (1 hour free).
Contact: 011-222-5308 (Nijo Fish Market Promotion Assoc.)

On another note, I know what it feels like to walk down aisle after aisle, and row after row in a fish market. I know the hunger pains when trying to search for where to eat, so look no further. The name of the place is called Donburi Chaya, and it's here where you can eat really fresh seafood.

This picture is a type of kegani crab which is known for having delicate flavor profiles. A favorite for many locals. For me, there simply isn't enough meat; the brain portions are exquisite though. And the beer! Yes! Cold Sapporo Classic and crab always go nicely together, but again, too much rice.

As you can see I wasted no time in trying to consume as much as I could. This is a donburi set with all the fixings: fish eggs, sea urchin, raw shrimp and salmon...and sea scallops. What an incredible feast. Menus are available in English, Korean, and Chinese. Staff speaks English. The link to the store is near the top under Donburi Chaya, they even have their own twitter under the same name.

Enjoy

More Pics:

Hokkaido

62nd Sapporo Snow Festival: Susukino!

These are fish frozen in an ice sculptor. Susukino is about three blocks from Odori Park, where the real yuki matsuri is taking place. Susukino is where all the adults play, and Odori Park is where all the kids play. Hanging out in both areas is definitely doable. I recommend not using the subway, just walk and save money.

Susukino can easily be seen in less than an hour whereas Odori Park takes a few hours because you need to explore the different venues and food stalls in order to really take in everything.

The real benefit for coming through Susukino would be the ramen stalls at night. Of course the light up go too, but Odori Park has best light up display. Susukino's illuminations stay on longer than Odori Park. I'm blogging this as if I am taking notes so forgive me for lack of narration.

Here's the busy intersection of Susukino. Again, a place where all the big kids play, so you can imagine what's down here.

Hokkaido

Sapporo Snow Festival: Snowfes62

Theme Music: The Toy Garden by Helios

The snow festival ends on the 13th, so I thought it would be timely since I just came back from up there to post up some snaps. Every year the city of Sapporo hosts the snow festival which draws over 2 million visitors from all over the world. This year was my first time and I loved all of it

To get things started off right I had to stop by the BMW ice bar to grab some hot liquids.

Double shot of Hot Baileys in my coffee really set the mood off right for this trip, especially since it was minus 12 in Sapporo.

Lots of fun was had and I met so many other travelers. From my hotel to the site was about 4 blocks. When I arrived I was greeted by a dazzling ice light show with music. The mammoth sized dinosaurs were beautiful.

The most you'll need to wear is some thermos and a light jacket with an extra liner to keep you warm. Waterproof boots and a face warmer and a hat and gloves will do just find. YOU do not need ski gear. Below is a picture of the TV tower.

Nivea sponsored these huge polar bears which was a hit with the Chinese tourist.

Nature sculptures were impressive.

The Lion King

Chinese historical landmark in Kyoto.

Suzuran(sp?) exhibit

The little snowmen are mascot for the snowfes.

The nightly revelry was nice. The smell of seafood and Sapporo Classic was in the air.

Kani miso, or the innards of the crab mixed together with crab meat and soy sauce with hot sake was amazing! I ate at least four or five of these. Actually, I could eat these everyday if I could.

I have tons more pictures I took of the snowboard jumps. These are just a small sample of the night photos. Again, the festival ends this Saturday the 12 or the 13th. I will make an effort to attend the snowfest every year if I can. Just simply an amazing event. I had an ice cold Sapporo Classic in my hand the whole time. I will post up some day shots a bit later.

Special shout out to Loneleeplanet for hosting this months matsuri

Hokkaido

Super Hakucho Express

Recognizer by Daft Punk theme music for this post

One of my goals this last trip was to ride through the Seikan Tunnel, a 33 mile long stretch of underground blackness that connects Honshu to Hokkaido - possible site for a new Shinkasen line. One of my young girlfriends turned me on to this tunnel. She had gone with her family a year ago and bought me back an easy to read manga about this tunnel, and ever since I have been wanting to go. And so here I was. The actual tunnel portion is in video form. When I say there's nothing, I mean it literally. It is just one massive beautifully engineered construction tunnel with no scenery. It takes almost a full 30 or 40 minutes to get through it, which for me is a little unnerving since the incline goes 14 miles down and 14 miles back up.... When the train emerges from the other end a blast of white light hits your eyes.

Now, a lot of people make a big deal of the night train called Cassiopeia. A night train that takes you from Ueno Station in Tokyo to Hakodate or Sapporo. A few editors from the paper have written about the experience, and none of them had convinced me then and now that paying 40,000 yen would be worth it; I highly don't recommend it. Reason being is because you see nothing from the window. For me, the train trip is best enjoyed with a nice big window seat, beer, sake, and obento. Although I have ridden on some trains like the Cassiopeia, but better, the Christmas train from Fukushima to Niigata is much better than the Cassiopeia!

The thing I liked about the Hakucho was how it gently worked itself around the countryside. You got nice full views of that vast expansive land called Hokkaido; all silky white. You even get ocean views of tiny little village towns. I think of all the train lines in Hokkaido, the Super Hakucho is at the top of the list of must rides, and I agree. You can really take in some nice views from this line. From Shin-Aomori Station the Hakucho connects you to Hakodate. The whole ride is about 3 or more hours, but definitely worth it. It's a bit long but worth it at least once.

In the picture this bento is called the Mikado, and it's a specialty lunch box only available in Hakodate. The signature food item is the fat round thing at the top; it's a stuffed squid marinated in squid juice. The stuffing is a sticky rice. It was actually quite good.

Again, some footage is in video form which will be posted on my youtube. There are some really nice ocean views I wish I had of captured in stills, but I was too absorbed in the moment. Lots of beer, sake, and delicious lunch boxes does it to me, and it kept me too busy to notice much on the technicals.

Recommended seats:

From Shin-Aomori to Hakodate - reserve your seat. When the train pulls up, you want to sit on the left side with chairs facing the opposite direction. At first you'll think it's awkward, but don't worry it's a switchback train( a train that changes directions). After the next stop the train will reverse its direction, this way you'll be facing all the action.... Then seats MAY already be in the proper direction anyway....

Hokkaido

2011 Winter Vacation pt.1: Shin-Aomori

Theme music for this post:For Years and Years by Helios

My whole trip turned out excellent. I learned a lot about myself and even more about Japan. I take nothing for granted. The level of convenience Japan offers is world-class, which is probably why so many tourist flocks here, especially during the winter. Japan's extensive rail networks, the excellent customer service, the delicious food, and the knowledgeable taxi drivers, the four star resort hotels are simply the best. For a nation so steeped in history and tradition, no other country on earth even comes close to Japan's scale of technological development on any of the above mentioned.

It all started out at Tokyo Station at 6a.m. I was waiting on the platform for the Tohoku Shinkansen to pull up. My middle was full of nervous anticipation for the long journey ahead. Most Tokyoites would never ride the Shinkansen to Shin-Aomori - 3h50m-on vacation. I'm sure most would rather fly than to enjoy a nice rail trip. I chose both. Ride the train up then fly back. Perfect.

The Tohoku Shinkansen pulled up exactly at 10 minutes before 6:28. The exterior was clean and fresh looking with its sleek aerodynamic design. When I boarded I was impressed at how spacious it was. Finding my seat was easy and I had plenty of leg room once I had sat down. The smell of the interior was like that of a brand new car- elegance and modern sophistication all combined.

The Shinkansen pulled out from the platform smoothly and at medium speed we cruised to Omiya, the first stop. Sitting back in my private seat I marveled at the technology and refinement of such a train. The Japanese have come such a long way in fusing the finest aspects of modern technology with the history and wisdom of their entire nation. A modern form of wabi-sabi if you ask me. Nothing was out of place. Everything was in order, and ordered exactly to the proper specification according to a well disciplined mind, heart, and soul.

The name of the Shinkansen is called the Hayate and it's the fastest bullet train of its kind which is soon to be replaced by the Hayabusa in March of 2011, which is supposed to cut the time in half by 20 minutes to Shin-Aomori.

For me, riding a train like this should best be enjoyed with lots of beer and sake, and of course bento after bento after bento. Each train lunch box is unique and different. You should enjoy as many as you can, not just one! Don't listen to people , enjoy yourself. I managed to chow down about five prefecture specific lunch boxes.

From my train window the views were excellent. I especially marveled at the beautiful snowscapes and rugged mountains of Iwate as we sped by and through mountain pass after mountain pass, through valley after valley, through rice paddies and snowcapped hamlets, blinking past a few herds and pastures. One Hinamaru waving in the breeze, and while all this was going on it was warm and luxurious in side the train's car. I have this scenery in video form which I need to edit and post on Youtube.

Finally arriving at Shin-Aomori Station we disembarked and snapped photos of the train signs. This phase of my journey finally ended and now it was time for me to change trains to the Super Hakucho Express. This line takes you through the Seikan Tunnel the longest underwater tunnel in the world. I think it's something like 33miles long and 14 miles deep. What a really dark experience .

To be continued......

Hokkaido

Ryounkaku Onsen

Getting to Ryounkaku was difficult. One option is by train, the other is by bus. The option I chose was by car, from Sapporo Station I rented a four wheel drive Toyota Vitz near the Sapporo Station at approximately 15:44. The car rental staff was kind enough to pick me up and take me to their office in order to process my paperwork for the car. I handed over my Japanese license and my Visa card and I was done and out on the road in less than 20 minutes! I had to cover 200 km before 9pm because the mountain pass gates close off at around this time for safety reasons; mainly related to ice and snow. I arrived in Furano at 8pm, all in 3rd gear! The configuration on the gearshift was unfamiliar to me, and I didn't realize it until after I had arrived. The car still sounds fine, though.

The Hokkaido Expressway felt like the German Autobahn because everybody was driving well over 140km/hr. After reaching my exit it was nightfall and then I continued up a long winding mountain road which lead me up to Shirogane Onsen area - wrong route! I do not recommend driving around iced over roads, especially on mountain passes at 8pm. It is the most dangerous type of road condition you can drive in. I even got lost a couple of times and the temps outside was minus 12 below zero with nobody insight. I stayed calm and called the hotel for directions in Japanese. They advised me to head down near Kami-Furano, forty minute drive, and then take a back route since all the mountain pass gates heading up from Shirogane were closed down for the night; there was just too much ice and snow on the road. The hotel where I was staying is the highest onsen point in all of Hokkaido, so that should give you a sense of how dangerous the road conditions were. I think it was somewhere like 1250meters above sea level....and pitch black outside. I knew that If I had gotten stuck no help would've found me that far up and that late, so I kept my eyes glued to the window.

The hotel staff were blown away when I walked in. How did they think I was going to look? I have spoken with them on at least five occasions before I left Honshu. So on the third and fourth calls, they recognized my voice. Then when they saw me unaccompanied they were happily confused and curious. Nevertheless, they treated me like royalty and even upgraded my room at no additional charge and allowed me to use the onsen all night. Breakfast the next morning was all-you-can-eat.

The Ryounnkaku is one of those hotsprings that people travel far and wide for. It's the kind of onsen that one must sit in in order to appreciate. It is truly a one of a kind onsen experience. Tonight marks the first night I spent sitting in an open air bath in the middle of a snowstorm! And I don't say that lightly nor do I say it with the least bit of exaggeration, but a fact. I was sitting in an open air hot spring in the middle of a night time snowstorm to the point that I had to wrap my face. No picture was possible at that time.

Compared to last night the morning was a lot nicer. The morning temps were around minus 12 - very cold for me. I wasn't able to spot any wolves, something this area is known for, and since there's a valley gorge that separates us from the backdrop, it was totally safe from wolves.

I had a liquid breakfast called Sapporo Classic. Normally I drink nihonshu, but since this beer was so good and there were no sake shops nearby I binged off of this delightfully refreshing and delicious brew.This high up in the Tokachidake Mountains was wonderful. So pristine, so quiet, so peaceful. So far up. Surrounded by snow clad pines and spruces. So far up and away. So high up. So surrounded by millions of years of history and evolution. So high up! So up and away from it all.

Hokkaido

Good Tripe in Japan

The name of the place is called Nagai in Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture.

No, I don't mean the kind of cheap coffee table house tripe associated with pseudo-intellectuals who talk about utter nonsense at the dinner table. I'm posting about tripe or offal; the first and second divisions of the stomach of an oxen, sheep, or goat, used as food. Basically the internal organs of a land animal.

There are some Americans who can appreciate this dish. Yes, for me, it was an acquired taste. I still haven't gotten used to the awful smell of it yet, but like with everything, you should try it at least once. I know of some French who also love offal and rarely have a chance to try delicious Japanese style offal. Not the stuff you find in back alley izekayas at yakiniku joints, but real places in the countryside.

Nagai, is perhaps the most famous offal shop in all of the Kanto. They even have their own theme song that's played on local radio. A lot of truckers stop through here, so word of its delicious offerings spread very quickly.

In the photo I was on my way back to Yokohama from Niigata with a sake buddy. We decided to detour a little to stop through here. What a treat!

Ishiuchi Yung Parunas

Track Theme Music for this post: Bless This Morning Year by Helios

If a picture could speak, what would this one say? This is a "yukimiburo" a snow bath that's steamy and hot! Do you need to thaw out those cold frozen bones in your fingers and toes? February is looking to be one of the coldest winters on record with snow falling in heaps all over northern Japan, so what better time of year to enjoy yourself than to soak in something like an outdoor bath during the coldest month of the year, in Japan.

Ishiuchi Yung Parunus is an onsen/business/restaurant style hotel with very basic amenities. The rooms are large, some even have their own hot spring tubs. The prices are reasonable and the onsen(hotspring) is 100% pure and excellent. I have visited this place a few times, and each time I am never disappointed at the quality of the hot-spring. The views are wintery, the water is a nice mix of sodium chloride and calcium. Truly lovely and truly the soul of Japan.

www.thesoulofjapan.blogspot.com