NEWS FLASH: On September 22nd I’m leaving Japan aboard the Peace Boat.

‘On the what…?’ I hear you splurt from your office desk over your morning Nescafe. ‘Some kind of Hippy Tug boat?’

The Peace Boat, my friends, is a Japanese NGO with a goal to spread a global message of peace, cooperation and to take concrete steps to build a better world. After a competitive application process I am lucky enough to be chosen as a volunteer for the 59th voyage. I’ll be teaching Global English on board, which means English with a focus on global issues. I’m currently training in Tokyo with a great bunch of people with whom I’ll be cruising around the world for 110 days. Needless to say, Tanoshii mi! Friends in NZ note that I’ll be pulling in just before Christmas so there’s every chance of meeting up and sharing a slice of Christmas cheer together. I’ll be blogging it all, so check back for updates. (more…)

Gifu Crows, Champions!

There was no way I was going to miss the Awaji Soccer Tournament on my last weekend in Japan. Things started badly when traffic delayed us and we had to default our first game. But we then put together 2 solid wins, before being mercilessly dealt to by the favourites, Real Osaka. After the first days play that left us midway in the standings and able to reflect over some cacophonic karaoke.

By this stage we were fortunate to have suffered no injuries having only been able to scrape together 11 players. But the next day we were boosted by Ben who had come down on a night bus. I had no problem putting the last nights beers behind me and tucked away a hat-trick to help us to a 4-2 quarter final win. That somehow left us facing Real Osaka again in the semis. Capitano Marcel decided to sure up the midfield with a 4-5-1 and planted myself in the heart of defence to rough them up a bit. Those tactics worked as we repelled waves of attacks to hold them to a 0-0 draw. In the shootout Ben, Pepe and I converted our 3 penalties and Steve pulled off a cracking save to send Gifu through to our first ever final.

We stuck with the same tactics and when Flo found the net at the close of the first half it was all the motivation we needed. Running on empty, we battled out the second for a proud victory to the mighty mighty Gifu Crows!

At the Summit with the crater behind me

A month ago our expedition was thawted by a typhoon that rolled through Japan. This time nothing was going to stop us from conquering the highest peak in Japan - Fuji-san. Most people who want to say they’ve stood on the roof of Japan start from the half way mark at the 5th Station; Zurui! Not us. The real way to climb a Mt Fuji is from the bottom.

And so we set off from the Fuji Yoshida Sengen Jinga, which gave us a special feeling of ritual before our ascent. We collected some Dragon Water from the honourable dragon at the foot of the shrine, which no doubt would boost our strength and stamina to super human levels.
(more…)

Gujo Bon Odori, Dancing

Its a hot one in Gifu, ‘a stinka’, we’d say in Nyuu Jiirando. Since the rainy season petered out some weeks ago the needle has nudged 40 degrees on a few occassions. I’m reliably told that Gifu is the hottest place to be in Japan in summer. The hills trap all that heat in, and there isn’t a breeze around to let it out. There’s only one thing for it - jump in the river.

I’ve been doing just that every other day. Sometimes we mix it up and have a BBQ down on the shore and stay till dusk when the Ukai boats drift down. And just as last year, 2 monster fireworks festivals lit up Gifu, a different fire festival (like Techikara) sparked up, and we broke up work for an Obon holiday.

Sean with Mikoshi Boys who had carried their Mikoshi under the hot sparks

The Obon highlight is the Bon Odori; old skool japanese dancing. I donned my Yukatta and headed up to Gujo Hachiman again as I did last year, half fell in a rice paddy field, and then met up with friends. The Odori is celebrated as a reminder of the gratefulness one should feel toward one’s ancestors. In the true spirit of the night, Sean and I danced till dawn. See kids, you don’t need alcohol to have a good time!

My English buddy, Chris, came down to Gifu in August, on his DJ world domination tour. One little trip we made was to Ibukeyama for a dance party on the side of a mountain. We had a twisted good time, although had we known Israeli Goan Trance was on the bill we might have looked for a different mountain. Worst. Music. Ever.

Chris and Party Kids at Ibukeyama

Still, I won’t ever forget the pixies and manga characters some Japanese clubber kids transformed into. The trippy manga/neon look was contrasted by hoards of the petitest girls wearing outfits and heals that I may never again see on the side of a mountain. But, all in all, good times and good company.

—–

Otherwise, I’ve been hard at work redesigning this site. Feedback is welcomed, for example contact me if something doesnt work, text is too small, whatever…or to say it’s good

And lastly (Ill post more soon) Ill be leaving Japan in a few weeks on what promises to be an amazing voyage around the world… stay tuned!

Looking down on Saturday’s Mikoshi

The Sanja Matsuri in Tokyo’s Asakusa is the big one, one of the famous Matsuri’s of Japan. Naomichan and I followed her friend Rie through the crowds and back alleys to vantage point of a restaurant overlooking the throngs below. This was the Saturday, the day when all the mikoshi from neighbouring communities are welcome in with their shines, more than 50 in all.

But Sunday was the main event. There are only three Mikoshi on this day representing the three resident deities of Asakusa Shrine. Its a scrum, madness and not for the light-hearted. To touch that shrine is an honour most people can only dream of. (more…)

Gifu Crows Nagano 07

So, I’ve gotten back into playing the beautiful game recently. Every Sunday the Gifu boys get together for a kick, and a few times a year we play in tournaments throughout Japan.

We went into the recent Nagano comp full of confidence after winning a small Nagoya tournament a few months ago, where I picked up the golden boot for the tournament with 5 goals. (more…)

I’ve been there countless times. Its a laid back retreat near Gifu Park, plays drifting house music, and has an interior that rustically fuses Asian styles. Downstairs are pottery classes and once in a while there’s live Jazz. Gifu’s best kept secret cafe. They do a great Pad Thai. Iwao lives there.

So I was at an Izakaya with some of the Matsuri team a short while back. The usual unusual assortment of dishes were scattered around the table. This one’s new, I thought, as I picked up the raw fish in my chopsticks and ate the mincey flesh. Not bad, what is it Naomi?

‘Whale’

???!!!

So you’ve had a laugh at engrish.com . Here are a few of my own entries I spotted in a store. Guess the meanings

SKY KEEPER the game which missed is nothing

MAKE UP ONES MIND determining is courage. The way things stand, when that is not arranged or the time of determining comes

…or this scary one (If I see someone wearing it should I tell them?)

US MARINES 74-81 | JAPAN TOUR, GODS HELL HOLE | NEVER AGAIN

Now, go on, have a laugh on me. As my Japanese is becoming more conversational I’ve been learning about context… Yaru and Suru are both verbs meaning ‘to do’. I thought they could be used quite interchangeably, though Yaru was maybe less formal. Conjugate verbs by adding ‘tai’ and you can express ‘verb + want to’. I was on the street with Naomi mixing Japanese and English when I blurted out ‘YARITAI’. Naomi froze, stunned. I’d just tripped over the slang for ‘wanna f*ck?’

Or this one for gold. In a previous post I was describing ‘anko’ the red bean paste in Ichigo daifuku. I always get this confused. For those of you who didn’t pick it up, my blog read for a few days that I like eating ‘unko’. SHIT.

Lol.

Drinking from the big box outside City Hall

Another Matsuri? This time we donned our happe coats for our hometown festival. The revelry all began at City Hall. Barrels of sake were ladled into square bowls. 2 by 2 Matsuri team leaders were invited to kind of jump down a line and skull Sake in front of the crowd. Surprisingly we Gaijin (foreigners) were invited too, twice for kicks. More Sake flowed… where else in the world would hundreds of people be freely licensed to get blitzed in from of City Hall? (more…)