The Fuji Countdown

I write to you about 6 and a half hours before I'm due to wake up to make my way to the Fuji Rock Festival.

I've got lots and lots to say but there are a few observations that have been on my mind a while so I'll eject them first.

It was a moment of realisation about how far I had come with Japanese when I worked out a pun in the title of a movie that's coming out here. The movie's called 'Hana yori Danshi', the movie version of the apparently hit TV drama 'Hana yori Dango'. Hana yori dango is a Japanese proverb/saying meaning 'dumplings before flowers' or 'substance over style' where as 'hana yori danshi' means a rather less profound 'boys before flowers'. BUT the word play does not stop with a simple change of 'dango' to 'danshi' BECAUSE the 'shi' in 'danshi' can also be read as 'go' as in 'tamgo' as in 'egg'. So yeah, that's what an A level in Japanese lets you do.

Speakers on the platform at Toyama train station play midi versions of Disney hits such as 'Winnie the Pooh' and 'I can Show you the World'. I thought you should know.

On people: Last blog I had a little rant at my fellow travellers. I still maintain that a lot of travellers, especially to Japan where the geek appeal is so high, are noobs. However, not all of them are, and I thought it would be worth talking a really nice aspect of travelling which is that it forces to talk to people and socialise. In the context of people meeting at a hostel, bumping into each other on the way out the door, deciding to spend the day sightseeing together and going out for drinks later, where the others in the bar assume you're old friends, is really pretty standard affair. It's like socialising done in TURBO MODE but surprisingly the friendships which start up very quickly and end just as abruptly when one or the other leaves don't feel forced, it's something about the situation, and all being in the same situation that makes these mini relationships feel natural. Again, Aussies are the best though.

And onto substance. I've spent the last few days on a blitzkrieg tour of Takayama and Kanazawa, the first a small mountain town with pretty Edo-period streets, the second a small coastal city with pretty Edo-period streets. It was the first time in the trip that I've felt really rushed, especially in Kanazawa where I only stayed one night , but actually it was the prefect end to my travels, a really relaxing and moving few days. The experience people go to Kyoto for, beautiful architecture, peaceful reflection, historic vibe, does not really exist in Kyoto, which has wonderful temples and shrines surrounded by a sprawling, ugly city, and packed with dozens of tourists. However, in Takayama, two hours off the beaten Shinkansen path, that experience fills the streets.

Takayama's historic district, filled with beautiful town houses that contain cheesy tourist shops:


The open air folk village museum, with artisans working inside the authentic old buildings:




But my favourite part of my Takayama trip was my visit to one of the ancient onsen (hot spring) villages nearby, which requires an hours bus ride up the mountains and results in truly breathtaking views:

I realised that it was the first time since my first trip to Japan where I had really been deep into Japanese nature, it might not be something I imiediatly think of when I'm thinking of things I would like to do, but it's a part of Japan that I miss whether I realise it or not.

A quick postscript, screw you Lonely Planet, do you not realise that when you tell tourists that a place is worth visiting because it is quiet and lacks tourists, that you will make it noisy and full of tourists? Yeah? Yeah? It's alright now, but talking to other guests at the temple I stayed at, it's clear Takayama will be heaving and dead before too long.

Also:


As it is getting late I think I will rapidfire post you some Kanazawa pictures and let you figure our what's going on based on knowing that it has a big pretty park, a traditional old part of town, and it famous for it's gold leaf production.









Actually! I can't leave before this anecdote: speaking of the far right wing Japanese nationalists last post, I had whiskey with one last night! I went to this bar run by this really cool Japanese man who's a big fan of all things Scottish (he's been to every single distillery in Scotland) and had some really amazing whiskey. We were chatting about all things British, I had some surprisingly good Fish and Chips, the queen comes up in conversation, I give her the thumbs up and ask whether most Japanese people respect the emperor. He gives a wry smile and asks knowingly "does anyone here respect the emperor?" One man enthusiastically raises his hand. The conversation evolves and it turns out that he drives a truck for the right wing nationalists, he invited me for a ride one day! He left before we could exchange details, I have to say that a part of me thinks it would be at the very least an absolutely educational and unique experience. Its funny, he quite casually admitted his adherence to an absolutely reprehensible political viewpoint, but one could certainly tell nothing of the sort from his manner, his conversation or anything. Oh, and the Scottish fan bar man later told me that this man was a low ranking Yakuza member. Only in a Scottish bar in Japan.

See you after a Fuji fantastic weekend!
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