Well not so Dirty, actually not Dirty at all unfortunately, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend away from Tokyo. Kamogawa was the location we were headed for, a city in Chiba, Japan. All up, 10 of us headed up to a Friends house to celebrate their recent wedding and celebrate we did.
The weekend began at Shinjuku station around 11:30 then on to Tokyo station to meet the others, usual story, grab plenty of grog and a little food for the journey. This weekend was no different to any other, i knew i`d be out of control until i walked back through the door at home, by out of control i mean, not in charge of how my time was spent … and of course a little inhebriated at times. Both turned out to be correct, i was led from pillar to post over the 36 or so hours i spent in Kamogawa, never really knowing what was next, but all the while doing it with a beer in hand.
Once we arrived in Kamogawa we were driven straight to the first Onsen, the Kamogawa Grand right on the water front. This was my first trip back to an Onsen since i had that nasty accident back in February, don`t remember? Here`s a little reminder.
There’s not much where i get off but there’s more than just one good thing about the end of the train line that gets me to work each day and that’s Hakone.
Hakone is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, less than 100 kilometers from Tokyo. Famous for hot springs, outdoor activities, natural beauty and the view of nearby Mt. Fuji, Hakone is one of the most popular destinations among Japanese and international tourists looking for a break from Tokyo.
I can’t say i’ve ventured down that far yet but i can safely say i will over this coming winter, especially when i read more about places like the Hakone Kowakien Yunessun.
Weekends away like this involve very few things, a train ride from home to the Onsen, Beer, Sake, Lots of hot baths, some karaoke and maybe a little sleep if you’re lucky, my kind of weekend.
This particular Onsen has a uniqueness about it i’m sure will see many people make the 70 minute trip from Shinjuku this winter and that’s the “Themed Baths”.
Having a cold beer after a hot bath is a nightly ritual for many Japanese, and now the country has found a way to further indulge — soaking in the cold suds themselves.
In this mountainous hot spring resort there’s a bathtub, shaped like a beer mug, filled with heated amber water and white foam with the aroma of hops and barley. It raises several questions for me, the kids in the spa being the first … ?!
Today marked 12 months since i landed in Japan ready to embark on a new life. I`d been here twice before, once in 2002 and once in 2003, so i knew what to expect. This time was different though, it wasn`t a work junket for a week, to drink and eat all you can then head home, this time it was for good.
My meager possessions in Melbourne were sold or given away and after at least a dozen `last drinks` with Friends i was finally on board QF XXX and bound for Tokyo. This being the 3rd big move i`d made the feelings weren`t new to me, the difference this time was it isn`t so easy getting back home for the weekend. One thing that was the same, was when i got out at the other end there was no-one waiting for me, it was down to the baggage carousel and on the train to Tokyo.
Lucky for me i began my life in Japan on what could loosely be called an expat package, so lots of the bills were accounted for meaning more money in my pocket and hence reducing the stress to a manageable level. I also had the luxury of having a buddy here, who is hooked up with a local girl, so there was a level of security similar to the previous moves i`d made to Brisbane and Melbourne having at least 1 familiar face offering assistance.
