Hi-Matsuri Half Marathon

Yo! So I just completed my 3rd half-marathon (20K) road race this year. This one was up in a town called Fujiyoshida, also near Mt. Fuji. This one was by far the most challenging yet. The hills were brutal! Part of the race goes along a path through the forest, with the first leg of the race going up a continuous uphill route. I thought it would never end. But then it lead to a downhill run on a highway, which sounds good, but it was actually too much of a good thing. I used a lot of leg muscles that I haven't been training very well. Nothing short of running up and down Mt. Fuji herself could really prepare you adequately for all the hills on this course. But I finished it, and in good time too. I haven't received my official time, but I saw 1 hour, 48 min on the clock as I passed the finish line. That's about 2 minutes better than my last run. Here's a few pre-run photos:





And here's a few finish line photos:





Yeah - it's always good to bring a set of dry clothes to change into at the end. The weather was ok, a few degrees cooler than Tokyo/Yokohama, especially in the shaded forest areas, but there were a couple parts where it was wide open dirt roads which were dry, dusty, and hot. "Hi-Matsuri", by the way, means "fire festival", an annual event in that town. Unfortunately, we left by 1pm, so no chance to see any of the revelry. We did however get to partake of some famous summer foods such as udon noodles and fresh cucumbers with miso paste from some of the vendors. Now I have the Kyoho-no-Oka Run (through the grape fields of Yamanashi) on 16 Sep and the Turtle Run (along the Arakawa riverbed in Tokyo) on 21 Oct to look forward to. Wish me luck!

Sing Your Life!

Well, well, well. It's bon-odori (street festival) season in Japan, and you essentially can't swing a HelloKitty without hitting one. Virtually every town has one. The one featured here is from a couple weeks ago in nearby Kanazawa-Bunko. Check out those ladies! They really know how to throw it down!





Following a quick stop at this bon-odori, Akemi and I did a little singing of our own at Big Echo, a chain of karaoke joints, in Kanazawa-Hakkei.





In that last photo, my singing was so awful I became transparent!

Nasu, Pt. 2

As promised, here's more pics from our trip to Nasu. These first three are from the great little wooden cottage we stayed at with my inlaws. It was like a mini ski chalet.




These last three are of the patio area of Tokyu Harvest, next to the cottage area. The Japanese have an amazing ability to combine elements of nature alongside industrial materials like glass, concrete, and metal in their architectural design. If I could design my own dreamhouse, it would look a little like this.





I'll post one more installment from Nasu, then I'll show you some pics from our recent trip to Aomori and Hakodate. Later suckas!

In The Rear With The Gear

Hey All! On Monday and Tuesday of this week I was up at Camp Fuji, a USMC base at the foot of Mt. Fuji taking a two-day 9mm pistol qualification course. It was a great time! The Marines kick ass! It was so much fun spending time with them. They have historically treated their dental folks really well, and this time was no exception. They really went out of their way to spend alot of time with us showing us all aspects of the weapons training, from handling and safety to effective target shooting. They were very patient and accomodating, especially for those of us that have never really handled a pistol before. I could definitely get into going to a gun range as a hobby after the military - it's pretty addictive. And to boot, I have never heard so much profanity in my whole life. It's contagious. I had to wash my mouth out with soap after I left there! Camp Fuji itself is nice, but absolutely isolated. Their is nothing around that whole area, save for a couple small villages at the foot of the mountain. One staff sergeant told me that's by design that they keep the Marines isolated from the rest of civilization! No wonder they're all in Roppongi (Tokyo) every weekend tearing it up! Anyway, enjoy the pics...

Be Back Soon...

Sorry I haven't posted anything new in a few days. We've been out of town for a few days; travelled up north to Aomori and Hakodate (Hokkaido). Relax - more posts are coming soon!