14-15 December 2018 - Raleigh to Tokyo
Work prevented me from getting into Raleigh until almost midnight. I desperately looked forward to doing laundry and getting some sleep at the hotel but neither would happen as the hotel underwent reservations and my 0550 flight meant an early wake-up. The United bag drop line was awful but I always appreciate the speed of TSA Precheck to makeup wasted time. I had a three-hour layover in Newark before a 15-hour flight to Tokyo. Narita Airport is outside of Tokyo but extremely efficient in both customs and transportation via express train to the city. After checking into the Space Hostel, I grabbed some dinner and finally did my laundry before calling it an early night.
16 December 2018 - Old Tokyo
I began my first day's aggressive schedule at the Sensō-ji Temple in Asakusa. It was pretty crowded, even for a Sunday morning, but that is expected at one of the most popular tourist spots in a city of 10 million.
At the temple, peopled wafted incense over their bodies, cleansed their hands or mouths with fountain water, and prayed in an orderly fashion despite the throngs of tourists surrounding them.
These symbols mark Buddhist temples but look a little different to a western eye...
Off to the Tokyo Skytree!
Another neat mode of transport for a future coffee table book...
Walking to the Tokyo Skytree, I saw the infamous Asahi Beer Hall which has interesting artwork on its roof. While meant to symbolize a frothy head coming off of the "burning heart" of Asahi, it clearly looks like a golden turd. A Frenchman designed the statue and it's probably the funniest thing to come from that country.
Skytree was crowded as well but there's a cut through in the line for international visitors for only a few hundred Yen more (a few dollars). The view was okay but not good enough to see Mt. Fuji which is possible in clear conditions.
You can't go anywhere without seeing German Christmas.
The Edo Museum shares the history of Tokyo during the Shogunate rule from the early 1600s to late 1800s. Everything seemed to be fine until Commodore Perry and the Americans showed up demanding Japan open for trade. Floods (1910) and fire (1923) plagued Tokyo and almost 70k died in the great fire because the wooden homes were built too close together. Construction methods and city plans changed dramatically after that. More recently, Allied air raids during WWII pretty much flattened Tokyo.
.50 caliber machine gun from one of the Allied bombers
They even had a little Subaru for Lauren
While there were no sumo wrestling events, there was an international robot sumo tournament and best of all it was free! These nerds took it pretty seriously and one of Japan's highest ministers was in attendance to catch the action.
The Imperial Palace is rather strange. It says that tours are available, but I was there on a mid-afternoon and the place was locked up. Regardless, from what I can tell, the best pictures are from the areas accessible to the public so I grabbed those and moved on. The juxtaposition of the palace to the surrounding skyscrapers is representative of the city's past and future.
Everything about Tokyo Dome is out of control. There's lots of shopping, entertainment, and even an amusement park you can walk through and just buy tickets for the rides. It was a little cold for rollercoasters so I abstained.
I wanted to check out the stadium but there was a boy band concert that night so thousands of teenage girls prevented that from happening.
Beautiful ginkgo trees lined many of the streets
Tokyo Tower reminds me of a smaller, more colorful Eiffel Tower. Tours to the top come with what I think is a compulsory smartphone with headphones that talks to you. While a little cheesy and strange, it did give me the instructions I needed to follow the rules.
The Japanese never miss an opportunity to show off robot skills
Views from the top were pretty good
I enjoyed a nightcap (or two) at the Sky Lounge Stellar Garden which has a beautiful view of the Tokyo Tower. After such a long day, I eagerly returned to the hostel and jumped into bed.
The hotel housing the bar had an interesting foyer
17 December 2018 - New Tokyo
I waited until the rain quit before heading out later in the morning. I don't know why, but I decided to check out the aquarium, probably because I haven't been to one since I was a kid. This one was on top of a skyscraper in the Sunshine City neighborhood which felt like walking through a giant arcade. Not sure if it was more sad or creepy that I was there alone but I enjoyed it and the highlights were the penguins, giant crabs, and the sea lions. I think those sea lions had more tricks in their arsenal than my bud Hilo!
Penguins swimming in rooftop aquarium
I think they swim much better than they walk
I was easily the most uncomfortable being the only adult without an accompanying child to watch the seal show. Nonetheless, I secretly enjoyed it. So many tricks!
Now I want to go scuba diving again
Leopard ray
Pinchin'
Posin'
Creepin'
I then went to Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo's version of Time Square and the self-proclaimed busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. There's a free observation deck on the rooftop of an adjacent shopping mall to take pictures. From there, I spotted a Hooters and went there for lunch. The food and beers were terrible. Some things don't export from America very well. I bailed on playing with hedgehogs because the shop looked a little weird.
Tokyo taxis nearly all look fancy like this with mirrors placed on the hood.
I took a monorail across the river to Odaiba, which offers a great view of Rainbow Bridge complete with a replica of the Statue of Liberty. It reminded me so much of sitting on the banks of the East River watching the sunset over the Brooklyn Bridge and lower Manhattan.
I guess they just let transformers roam around off-leash
While Tokyo is a relatively quiet city (in my opinion) I searched for a little nightlife just to grab a few drinks. I went to the Shinjuku neighborhood which is Tokyo's Picadilly Circus. While there was a lot going on, I did not find any bars that looked appealing. The place had more flashing lights and sounds and while it had a hint of anime/hentai/red light district, it was not too seedy...just strange. I grabbed a beer at a British-themed pub that had a membership like Neville's in Southern Pines before calling it a night. While mostly filled with young Japanese, there was an American guy that talked dancing with his Japanese mentee the entire time I was there. It was unbearable.
18 December 2018 - Tokyo to Rusutsu
I didn't have much of an agenda for my last day in Tokyo but I knew I wanted to ride go-karts. There are probably half a dozen places you can rent some and I was able to do so without an international drivers permit. There's a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the US and Japan that creates a slightly different set of rules for US military personnel. The license requirement is one of those rules that directly benefited me on this day. I swung by the Mari Car Akihabara and the staff recommended I bring my luggage there so I could go directly to the airport after the tour which worked out perfectly.
I had two hours to kill and chose to see one more site instead of grabbing lunch. I hurriedly took the subway back to the Tokyo Tower to see the Zozoji Temple that sits adjacent to the tower and was not well lit when I visited the site at night a few days ago. Because of the self-imposed time crunch, I quickly walked up, snapped a few pictures, and left without even going in the temple. I was able to take the subway back to the hostel, grab my bags, and make it to the karting shop on time but the whole experience was not enjoyable and I should have just relaxed and had lunch instead. I'm always trying to accomplish more than is appropriate with the time available.
Costumes are included in the kart rental but they no longer have any Nintendo or Mario Kart characters because of a recent lawsuit from the game company. I chose a teddy bear outfit and suited up for what I knew would be a cold ride.
I was surprised that the karts had 50cc two-stroke motors that provided more power than expected. We zoomed through Asakusa, Sumida, Ryogoku, Chiyoda, and Ginza neighborhoods with dozens of people excited to see us drive by. The karts are not a great way to sightsee, but they are a helluva lot of fun despite the constant choking on exhaust fumes (from the karts, not the cars).
After the tour, I hurried to the subway and luckily find myself on an express train that skipped many of the stops on the way to Haneda Airport in southern Tokyo. This train wasn't included in my 900 yen unlimited ride pass but only cost an additional 500 yen and was well worth it. Checking in and security at the airport might have been some of the easiest experiences I've ever had and to top it off, you could walk around the terminal with alcohol while you waited for your plane.
The Japanese can be a little questionable in their marketing of western items...
I met the crew of Mary, Coop, Colm, and Ally at the bus meeting point and everyone was excited for what lay ahead. We had a 90-minute bus ride through the snow and I struggled to sleep because I genuinely dislike bus rides. I miss the trains in Tokyo already. We arrived at the lodge which was a cluster of little cabins surrounding a small main building that has a restaurant. Everyone except me had just flown from the U.S. and were exhausted so we settled into our cabin and passed out.
19 December 2018 - Rusutsu
Cool coffee contraption provided by the lodge
Lodges had an alpine feel to them
This place must have had Wifi
Plenty of overnight powder
The resort is very strange and has a Casa Bonita vibe to it. Daniel and the Dixie Diggers seemed a little out of place in a ski resort in northern Japan.
Regardless, there were some nice moments filled with holiday spirit.
We met up with some of Coop's old friends for coffee before heading to the slopes. We mostly skied Mt. Isola and the powder was light and fluffy... Probably the best I've ever skied. It took a while to find the gondola--I mean gondora, but we managed.
Goin' up!
I had rice wrapped in an omelet for lunch with some kind of gravy on top that was similar to the loco mocos of Hawaii. We played Uno while waiting for dinner and while I hadn't played in a long time the rules are pretty easy to pick up. I won most of the hands but I don't think there crew appreciated my competitive spirit. The staff, many of whom are westerners, offered us some sake-prosecco mix that was really good. We learned how to politely ask for more by extending your left hand out straight with your right holding the cup. Also, the word for cheers is "kunpai." We ate dinner at a pirate-themed restaurant but everyone was exhausted so we called it an early night.
20 December 2018 - Rusutsu
We had tiny portions of smoked salmon and poached eggs for breakfast. Many meals here are a lot smaller, something I didn't really notice until I was eating with the group. We got a nice early start on the mountain just as it opened and there were clean lines of fresh powder everywhere. On one run through the trees, Coop, the other snowboarder and I, got stuck in thigh deep powder for a while before finally getting out. I decided to stick to the piste until the skiers checked out different routes to make sure they were steep enough for snowboarding.
After lunch, we met up with Tom and Jess, a Brit and Aussie, respectively, who work at Villa Rusutsu. They were both snowboarders and pretty good, which makes sense when you go as often as they do. They showed us some nice off-piste bowls we didn't know about that were awesome.
Colm kneeboarding through the Japow
Mary gettin' hers
Before dinner, we went to the onsen, a bathhouse that allows patrons to relax in what is essentially a fancy hot tub. The onsens are separated between men and women and there were three rooms to each. First, a room to remove your shoes, this is Japan after all. Next, you remove all of your clothes. Finally, you enter the main room (naked) where you take a full shower while sitting on a stool. Only then can you enter the bath with your new intimately close bros. We only stayed in there maybe 15 or 20 minutes and the girls violated the final onsen rule the whole time...to maintain tranquility.
We had dinner at Villa Rusutsu and the proprietor took a liking to me in my Uncle Sam "I want you to party" tank top. She gave us Japanese plum wine which was sweeter than any plum wine I've had. She said she was taking salsa lessons and I mentioned that I knew how to salsa a little. That was a mistake because she began playing salsa music giving me strong hints to dance with her. The only problem is I've only danced to salsa once and couldn't remember exactly how to do it. Before leaving to go back to our cabin I did dance with her for a few seconds and she seemed very delighted.
21 December 2018 - Rusutsu to Niseko
The conditions weren't as good today but it was still fun. We came back to Villa Rusutsu for a few last drinks before catching the van to Niseko. I was exhausted after a bad night of sleep so I slept through the ride. We had dinner at the restaurant attached to the Luckyfingers hostel and meet a nice Kiwi who wanted to ride with us later. We put on the movie Twelve Monkeys but I just researched how to finish my trip before heading to bed.
The best part of this hostel was that the shower also had an onsen!
...and a guard dog.
22 December 2018 - Annapuri
Conditions weren't as great here as Rusutsu. The snow was wet, the weather was warm, and visibility near zero. Luckily, I slept well and my back felt a lot better. I think the reason I hurt myself is that I borrowed a board from Coop and incorrectly placed my bindings too far apart. Every time I needed to lift my board I was pulling at an awkward angle through each joint and muscle. I adjusted the bindings and felt a lot better throughout the day.
We just skied the Annapuri side of the mountain and most of the piste became carved out pretty quick. There were some fun runs through the trees and many of them were closed but we snuck under the ropes. Later in the afternoon the sun finally came out and we finished the day with some fun jumps.
Mary about to bury me in powder
I suppose there is always time for cheesin'...
...and snacks!
I guess the Japanese military trains out here. Interesting binding choice.
After grabbing drinks at the hostel bar, we took the bus to Hirafu, the largest village in the area. We had drinks at Wild Bills and the Lava Lounge before shopping for souvenirs for white Christmas. Most places were booked for reservations but we finally found a spot to eat before taking the bus back to Annapuri.
How about them apples Niseko?
23 December 2018 - Moiwa
Moiwa was the smallest mountain we skied to this point and the warm weather without snowfall made the conditions wet and sloppy. While searching for powder in the side country I ended up way off course and had to hike through a creek bed back to the slopes.
I had no idea there were different helmets specifically designed for Asians
We went to another onsen that had two additional features: a cold bath and an outdoor section. It was so relaxing. For dinner, we went to a barbeque fondu place that had an all you can drink special. My favorite was the beef sirloin. At the hostel, we watched The Departed and I pulled my usual move by falling asleep on the couch. Colm is able to recite the entire movie verbatim...with accents.
24 December 2018 - Hirafu/Annapuri
I took the 45-minute bus ride into town to get some more money from the ATM and do some yoga. The 75-minute Haifa session at Powder Yoga was okay but I asked if they would let me take off my shirt and the girl said nobody ever does that which I find hard to believe. I just didn't want to sweat in one of my last shirts with laundry being a scarce commodity. The rest of the group went to the gym or spa but the snow was coming down and the sun was out so I wanted to get a little snowboarding in during the afternoon.
The bus took over an hour to get back to Annapuri and by the time it did the weather had significantly changed. While the snow was coming down, the wind was blowing so hard the gondola was closed. This made sense since I was on the other side of Yotei mountain where the weather was much different. I grabbed a quick bite and ended up getting three single lift tickets to save money. For the first time, there were lines at the chair lift. Fortunately, while the weather wasn't great the snow was much better and I still had some fun.
After enjoying an afternoon onsen, we exchanged white elephant gifts and I received a Smirnoff Ice among other things. This was surprising because I mentioned it to a few on the people on the first day and they seemed uninterested in icing unsuspecting friends...maybe I'm not considered one.
Alice and I trying out our new gifts.
We went to a Japanese cooking class and the lady was adorable as she ordered us to perform various jobs throughout the small kitchen. We made a couple different items that ended up into different soups. The food was good but the experience was better for its awkward moments. It felt like we were in someone's home (even though it was a small pension or guesthouse) and was the first time we stayed up until 2300 the whole trip. I spent all night shredding this damn giant radish and it seemed a little excessive.
I got nervous for Coop and his carrots but Mary seemed fine with it.
Our work of art
Then it was time for Mary to get her hands on some meat
Obrigado!
Our sweet teacher had this look on her face much of the time, while a little spacy, she was a lot of fun.
Kunpai!
25 December 2018 - Niseko Christmas
We got an early start up the Annapuri side of the mountain and crossed over through tons of powder to the Niseko side of the mountain. We spent most of the day skiing the trees beneath the main gondola which was the best skiing we had here but still not as good as Rusutsu. Nonetheless, it was a great way to finish up skiing in Japan and I'm really glad Mary invited me. The top lifts were closed so we were unable to make it all the way back to Annapuri so we took the bus back to the village for free with our all mountain ski passes. There was a lot of time spent weaving through the little bushes off the piste. Mary, Alice, and Coop navigating through the trees.
Japow wheelies!
I have clearly degraded in my abilities to hit rails/sliders/boxes or whatever they're called.
Final views of the mountains
I think Coop might have been tired as well
At the eleventh hour, I finally redeemed myself and iced Coop.
We headed back to Hirafu for dinner but we, unfortunately, booked dinner at what we thought was a steakhouse but turned out to be a nightclub with a cellar stocked with Don Perignon and Crystal. Not a Japanese steakhouse...
After bailing we grabbed some tapas and drinks before hitting the food truck and taking the last bus back to Annpuri. We had some drinks in Luckyfingers before rewatching The Departed and this time I actually finished it. I also was able to call back home and speak with the family which was nice.
As a bonus, we iced Mary too in the Christmas spirit
26 December 2018 - Annapuri to Tokyo
The hostel was kind enough to give me a two-minute ride to the bus stop. The bus back to the New Chitose Airport in Sapporo took a little more than three hours and I slept for most of it since I was up late the night before watching movies and calling home. At least they had good shops in the airport with all the latest fashions.
I flew with Jetstar which I guess is a low budget Australian airline and it was not a pleasant experience. The ticket initially costs 6400 yen, but I had to spend another 4000 yen to add a checked bag and an oversized item (my snowboard). Even then I was still happy until I arrived at the airport to find that while I prepaid for both bags, I did not have enough weight allowance and the oversize baggage fee does not account for weight. This annoyed me a little because I packed extremely light for this trip (less than 23kg/50lbs for everything including all my snowboard gear). Regardless, I paid an additional 6400 yen in fees which is more than I originally paid for the ticket. What helped me keep my cool was there was an Australian couple next to me in the same predicament (also a ski gear issue) but their bill was a couple hundred dollars. I slept through the flight and luckily remembered how to use the Skyliner train and metro to get into and around the city. The second hostel was much better than the last one I stayed at in Tokyo and has a cafe, restaurant, bar, and most importantly, laundry which is the first thing I did upon arrival and pretty much all I did before heading to bed. To top it off, they had an owl at the front desk to greet guests.
27 December 2018 - Tokyo
I slept in for once which was a little easier because the hostel beds are in little capsules like a Navy ship with privacy screens. When I finally arose from my slumber, I decided to rent a bicycle and ride around the city. The hostel arranged it for me and within an hour the bike appeared in front of the hostel. While I waited, I went to a cafe on a canal for breakfast. To my surprise, some paddleboarders passed by while I enjoyed my latte and croissant.
I found a couple routes on the bikemap app and downloaded the .kmz files so I could use them offline in the maps.me app. I rode to and around the Imperial Palace and realized you could tour the East Gardens for free. While not very impressive, it was still nice to walk around.
Ginkgo Tree
I am not sure I have ever seen a tree with fruit on it in the dead of winter with no leaves
Japanese Maple
I then went back to the Zozoji Temple since I blew through it last time. Unfortunately, there was some event going on that brought more people and made for worse pictures.
I headed to the Rainbow Bridge and tried to ride across but that is forbidden for some reason and they strap a little cart to the back wheel to prevent (discourage) riding. Any authority here has been so nice I don't even want to break the rules, so I decided to try the ferry instead. Luckily, I got there just as one was leaving and they even held it a few minutes for me. I love boats...even ferries.
Fuji TV headquarters looks like an evil villain's lair
While newer and with a fake feel to it, I liked the Obaida area, probably because it's surrounded by water.
I tried to find a viewpoint for the sunset but ultimately failed and took my time getting back to the hostel. Despite lots of traffic and people, riding a bicycle in Tokyo is great because you can ride on the street or sidewalk and both cars and people leave room for you.
My sweet whip
I had "onda" dinner at the restaurant attached to the hostel and then joined some people for card games in the lobby. Not that it matters, but we played a matching game that I won and got three free drinks for it. I ended up having some drinks with a Columbian, Canadian, and two guys from Colorado. We shared good conversations and I'm getting used to being the "old man" around hostel crowds. They went out for dinner but since I already ate I took it easy and went to bed.
The hostel bar lied and claimed that Zima was from Vietnam
28 December 2018 - Tokyo to Raleigh
I woke up early to catch the metro and Skyliner train to the airport. The Tokyo Airport lounge had one last robot surprise for me...and it was by far the coolest.
While I prepared to leave Japan, I wrote down some parting thoughts:
Japan has heated toilets which are incredible. I was reluctant to use them at first, but they are fantastic and have a dozen different controls to make it a more pleasant experience.
Heated vending machines are great in the winter. I loved getting hot coffees or these warm honey drinks whenever I wanted. I started each morning in Tokyo at lovely little bakeries which reminded me of Germany.
Those who work in customer service talk constantly, even if they know you don't speak Japanese. They're extremely polite. Heck, even machines (vending, laundry, etc) talk to you. The subway sounds are similar to Nintendo sounds.
All the money felt brand new. I did not see a Yen that is not crisp.
Streets were very quiet for such a large, crowded city.
People don't cross streets until the lights are green.
There weren't as many flu masks as I expected. Probably only about 10%.
Books were written vertically and nearly everything else (signage, smartphones) were written horizontally.
There was lots of western influence everywhere, particularly in Christmas music and decorations. Christmas markets attempted to mimic Germany and some are even named after German beers.
Japanese girls might be vainer than American girls which I did not know was possible.
Everything...and I mean everything, has a mall attached to it.
People in Tokyo are extremely fashionable. I know this because everyone dresses the same and therefore are always in fashion.
