Alrighty guys, here's your eagerly-awaited Jen-in-Japan update (although my lack of posting has led you some of you to FINALLY start making comments... it's nice to know that I'm not typing into empty cyber space) . Last Thursday marked my first real venture out of the never-ending urban sprawl that is Tokyo (Chichibu and Takosanguchi don't really count as they are both still listed on my Greater Tokyo train map) as I ventured to Nagano. As most of you are painfully aware, I'm a bit of a rabid figure skating fan and as such I've been eagerly anticipating the Japanese leg of the fall Grand Prix series in Nagano since I arrived in Japan. Anticipating, but not so much planning. After briefly toying with the idea of staying for all four days of the competition, I eventually concluded that I would only go for the first day, which featured the compulsory dance and pairs' short program. Finally, as of Thursday morning, I'd managed to book a hotel room for the night, although I still hadn't bothered to buy a bus ticket or tickets to the actual event. So I struck out bright and early to Shinjuku without much of a plan on where to go from there. Fortunately, my ability to think on my feet has been improving since I've been in Japan, and within half an hour I'd found the bus station, bought my ticket and boarded my ride to Nagano.
Since being in Japan, I've travelled almost exclusively by train, so taking a trip on an actual paved road was a bit of a treat. After the expected early morning congestion of Tokyo, we were soon winding our way through the passes and tunnels of the Japanese Alps. While not excessively tall, the tree covered mountains were impressive nonetheless, as the end of November is the prime season for viewing Autumn leaves in Japan (which happens to be a very popular activity among housewives, particularly those whom I teach).
After a little more than three hours I'd arrived in Nagano. The city itself is relatively small and reminded me much more of Kitchener than Tokyo in its layout. While the town centre was charming and bustling, the outer edges were lined with subdivisions and strip malls. Nagano also emitted a strong feeling of being stuck in perpetual letdown; its international glory as an Olympic host city is relegated to the past. The medals plaza has been converted into a parking lot. While the stage remains, it's streaked with rust, and the number 3 has falled off the bronze-medal place on the podium.
After checking into my hotel (it was my first time staying in a hotel by myself- I felt quite luxurious!) and exploring the downtown a bit, I caught a shuttle bus to Big Hat arena and waited outside in the cold for an hour to buy my ticket. Not fun. I probably should have done that in advance. Anyhoo, we were finally let in and I got ready to enjoy my first live skating competition outside of Canada. The first thing that struck me was how small the venue was- it couldn't have held more than 4000 people. As the skaters performed their routines I was also a little surprised by the comparatively quiet applause. There was nary a cheer to be heard. Except from me. I screamed especially for my favourites, Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon in ice dance and Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao in pairs. Happily, both were in the lead in their respective disciplines by the end of the night.
Arena food being universally crap, after the event I headed to some vaguely Italian late night restaurant for dinner before heading back to my hotel and taking a nice long bath in my Japanese (very deep) bath-tub and then sprawling in my queen-size bed. Luxurious indeed.
The next morning I was planning to do some more sight-seeing before heading back to Tokyo in the afternoon. With the Olympics having come and gone, the Zenkoji Temple has regained its former position as Nagano's greatest tourist attraction. The temple sits prominently at the top of a hill in the very centre of town. Happily, as I headed out on the 2km walk from my hotel to the temple, the sun was shining overhead, the sky was a brilliant blue, and there was a slight chill in the air. Perfect weather for exploring. I stopped on my way for my morning coffee in a local, side-street coffee shop, where the owner was incredibly friendly (she made me sit at the table closest to the heater) but the coffee was exorbitantly expensive (400 yen!?!?!?). Properly caffeinated, I continued my trek uphill and into the temple compound. While the Olympic venues in Nagano feel a little worn and faded, the ancient temple was teeming with life and energy. Pilgrims and tourists alike hunched over maps and snapped pictures. Shop stalls lined the street selling snacks, chopsticks, kitschy souvenirs and Nagano's famous soba (buckwheat noodles- quite tasty!). Plumes of incense shot up and filled the air. Statues, smaller buildings and gardens surrounded the temple itself, a massive, black and gold painted wooden building, which is said to hold one of the holiest images in Japan, although no one is allowed to see it (in fact, visitors can only see a
copy of the image once every 7 years). Japan is so full of shrines and temples that many of them start to look the same after a while, but Zenkoji certainly stands out from the rest. Definitely one of the most impressive and beautiful things I've seen so far in Japan.
After thoroughly enjoying my morning as a tourist, it was time to head back onto the bus and back into my Tokyo life. Nagano was a great time; I'm happy to have ever so slightly widened the radius of my Japanese experience beyond the routine of teaching and the insanity of the Big City.
