UPDATE!!

Well I'm back in the US..... a sad sad day. My time in Japan has been the best thing I have ever done. Everyday was a new adventure, with an endless list of sites to see, people to meet, and activities to enjoy. So much to keep up with on a day to day basis, it's hard to explain on a blog. Especially when hitchhiking and camping are the norm.

Now I'm back home, with no job, and a million stories to tell about this trip. This is the in depth stories of a once in a lifetime trip to the far east. The pictures are going to be the "best of " Japan from over 9 gigabytes.

I'll also keep up with the random facts, so we can all learn something new. However stupid or useless they may be, it's just good fun.

I also want to thank all the people that not only followed my blog, but also sent messages and comments. It really meant a lot, especially when you've been walking Japan for 5 days, and you can't remember the last English word you read. Thanks !!!!

Now a random fact for you

1) The 57 on Heinz ketchup bottles represents the number of varieties of pickles the company once had.

And Now The Weird pt.2

This is the second installment of "the Weird." Here we go!!

You might thiking this is just a regular guy, what's weird about him? Well for starters he picked me up hitchhiking going in the opposite direction. Then he drove me about 45 miles to my destination, payed for me to get in, and bought me a coffee. If that wasn't enough he then drove me to the train station and proceeded to try and buy my train ticket. This was just a random guy in Japan. Thank you Masahiko Ishigaki for a great experience.

These are wild monkeys just chilling in the forest of Kamikochi. No fences, no cages, just hanging out in the open. There were about 200 I guess in the forest. Usually they were no more than a couple of feet in front of you. Weird.

This is real bamboo, not the fake stuff that grows behind my house. It's weird to see how big this stuff actually gets, I've only seen the bamboo that grows about an inch across. This stuff (as you can see) is about 6 inches across!! Now that's weird.

Anime sells everything here in Japan, and I do mean everything. From cars to homes and apples to socks. This is an Astro Boy statue in front of the Kyoto train/bus station.
Now weird facts
1) It's illegal to drink beer out of a bucket while you're sitting on a curb in St. Louis!
2) The sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog." uses every letter of the alphabet!
Cheers
Derek

And Now The Weird pt.1

So I've probably seen some things you can only see here in Japan. It's what I call the weird, Or at least it's weird through my western eyes. So I'll post some pics and tell you a little about them, and why I think there weird. Here we go....

The cigarette machine, maybe not so weird until you come to Japan and find one on every other block. Not just in bars or clubs but out in the middle of the street.

The beer/liquor machine is again the middle of the street. It's not monitored in any way, and it's actually really cheap.

Small door frames, I know on average the Japanese are a little smaller than Americans, but this is ridiculous. (this is not photoshoped)

The toilet is also kinda weird. I will really miss the heated seat, it's nice even on warm days. This particular one would open the lid and turn on a built in nightlight as you enter the bathroom. The buttons on the side are for the bidet (I found this out after the fact.)

So there you go, part 1 of the weird now for some facts
1) Every day 20 banks are robbed. The average take is $2,500!
2) One car out of every 230 made was stolen last year!
Cheers
Derek

I'm Back From The Forest

So I made it back in one piece, what a great time. Although the view of Mt. Fuji was minimal, The forest view was spectacular. I spent the last 4 days camping in the forest, which was hard in itself. The whole area is old lava flow from Fuji, so you only get about 2 inches to put in ground stakes. Not to mention the last 30 hours were spent in my tent because of rain. There were no bodies or ghosts, at least that I saw. The giant Japanese hornets are a bit on the scary side, these things are like 3 inches long. Not to mention they sound like a hurricane when they approach.

After that it was off to Fuji. The weather couldn't have been nicer, at least at base camp. There was about a 20 degree difference from base to 5th station. I was able to get up to the 8th station, but not to the summit. You really need climbing gear (ice pick, crampons) if you want to summit in the off season. So that gives me something to shot for on the next trip.

Now how about some pictures.


Facts
1) The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as substitute for blood plasma.
2) A Boeing 747s wingspan is longer than the Wright brother's first flight.

Japanese Suicide Forest

That's right I'm going deep into the haunted forest. It's called Aokighara or the sea of trees, and it's known for two things, 1) a breathtaking view of Mt. Fuji and 2) that's right suicides. Not me of course but a lot of desperate Japanese have taken there lives there. In 2002 there were 78 bodies found. Should be a exciting trip, so I'll post pictures when I get back.
Talk to ya' later
Cheers
Derek
Fact - A kangaroo can't jump unless its tail is touching the ground.

The Deadliest Fish In The Sea?!?

While spending some time in Tokyo, you always come across things that you may not see anywhere else in the world. Or at least in the United States, Hence my last couple of posts. Well here is another for the list, the deadly fugu fish.
There were only 3 of us at the hostel brave enough for this endeavor. So we set out with a couple of choices into the Tokyo night. Most restaurants that serve fugu have them on display, or they have a plastic one hanging over the entrance to the shop. We opted for the first one as we could choose our dinner for the night. After taking a look at our chefs special license to be able to serve fugu we say...... Why not.
It's a bit more chewy than I thought, but it did have a good taste. We had two types of fugu, one was raw sashimi style and the other was deep fried. Both were really really good.
So I took down the worlds most deadly fish... now what? Only time will tell.


Facts - 1) In Tokyo, a bicycle is faster than a car for most trips of less than 50 minutes!
2) The king of hearts is the only king without a mustache on a standard playing card!
Cheers
Derek

SUMO Time

Yea so I went to see a sumo match the other day. Which was really cool, and also very long. The matches start at 8:00 am and go on until about 6:30 pm. They say that sumo is dyeing out here in Japan, that it's not as popular with the young crowd. Come to think of it, there were a lot of old people there. Some of those guys are just big fat guys, but most are 90% muscle and about 10% fat. Really scary.

Tokyo is not really not that hard to navigate. If you can figure out the subway system then you should be able to get anywhere you need to go in about 30 minutes. All the subways are color coded which make it easy to get around. I thought it would be really scary, but I got it in about 2 days. So I feel like I'm almost a local. Now for some pictures and facts.



1) The first coast-to-coast telephone line was established in 1914.
2) The world's largest amphibian is the giant salamander. It can grow up to 5 ft. in length.
Cheers
Derek

I LOVE FOOD!!!!!!!

Japan is the mecca for good Asian food, you want it you got it. If I were to live here I would probably be about 300 pounds. But then again I could be a sumo wrestler, but more on that later. If you know me then you know I love sushi, but Japan takes it to the next level. Not only is the sushi the best I've ever had it's also cheaper than back home. Then there's the weird stuff! Like raw Hida beef and basashi (raw horse meat.) Both of which taste like heaven, and simply fall apart in your mouth.

There's about a million little snacks here as well. Crazy stuff like 30 flavors of kit-kat, weird bean filled cakes and jelly's, and melon soda. My buddy Brian would go into shock from sugar overload. There is a little candy shop about every 15 feet, in almost every city.

I also got to see a sumo match today. It lasts about 9 hours and it's really intense. I'll post pictures in the next blog., and I'll go into a little bit more detail as well.




Facts -
1) Mario, from Super Mario, was originally named “Jumpman”, although his name was later changed to honor Nintendo of America’s landlord, Mario Segali
2) There are 10 parts of the human body that can be spelled with just 3 letters

Cheers
Derek

Now On Facebook

That's right I'm now on facebook. I've meet soooo many travelers on this trip and common denominator with all these new friends is facebook. So here I am, probably the last in the world to get facebook.

My time in the forest was just what I needed. 5 days of camping and hiking is good to cure the soul. The trip was to Kamikochi in Japan's Alps. This area of the world is beautiful in a way I can't explain. I hope these pictures will do it some justice.

Since there's a new post I must have internet, and that means I'm in........ Tokyo. Wow what an expansive and expensive city. On the contrary you can buy ANYTHING here. I'll post some pictures of Tokyo soon, but for now just enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Going back to the Countryside

All these pictures are from Himeji in the south center of Japan

I've had enough of the city life in Japan. So it's back to the rural lands for me. This also means that I'll be without internet for some time. Japan is very expensive, and it's time to get back to mother nature. Camping in the Japanese Alps should be real real crazy.

I'm leaving Takayama and I'll be gone for as long as I can, probably for 10 days or so. We'll see after that where Japan takes me.
Facts:
1) Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people do.
2) Butterflies taste with their feet.

No Mt. Fuji ?!?

So I just found out that Mt. Fuji is closed due to the weather. What a bummer, so I might not get a chance to climb it. I'm having a lot of fun and meeting lots of travelers, and making some good contacts along the way.

I won't be able to last for 3 months as first planed. Not having a real plan has come back to bite me a couple of time already. Well that, coupled with the fact that it's hard to find a place to camp. So we'll see how long I can hold out. Now for some facts, and pictures.

1) A giraffe can go without water longer than a camel
2) In the United States, a pound of potato chips costs two hundred times more than a pound of potatoes

Random New Friends

You meet all kinds of people when you hitchhike. Just the other day I met up with a guy who came to a screeching halt only feet away from me. "Doko mate" he says, which translates to "where to?" I tell him the next town and he throws open the door. Happy, so very happy. Come to find out this 68 year old man speaks better Spanish than I do. He drops me off at the service station on the highway and scoots off.
About 30 minutes at the service station I get stopped by the police. He looks worried, I tell him in my broken Japanese that I'm hitchhiking and there is no problem. Except for the fact that I have no idea where I am. He must have made a call because about the time he leaves my next ride shows up. A man about my age, traveling in the opposite direction that I'm trying to go says he'll give me a lift. It's these little moments that turn out to be some of my best stories.
He speaks English really really well, and asks if I'm in a hurry to get to my destination? I tell him no and his face lights up. I'm in for a real treat now. Dai Kannon is where I'm headed,which is in Kamaishi, sitting on the hilltop looking over the town.

Random people, Random places, and some of the best pictures I could imagine.
and now random facts...
In the year 2000, Pope John Paul II was named an "Honorary Harlem Globetrotter"
Ernest Vincent Wright wrote a novel "Gadsby" which contains over 50,000 words...none of them with the letter E!
Cheers
Derek

.... I'm So Full

So one of the reasons I went to Morioka is because I've heard about a local dish called Wanko Soba. Morioka is in the Nanbu district of Japan in the far north just below Hokkaido. This is a vary harsh place to try to grow grains. The people of this area had to live off barnyard grasses or noodles. So you can imagine how good these noodles are. But you don't just sit down to eat, that would be to easy. There is a game you have to play, you versus the waitress. You put on a special apron before you eat and now your ready. They serve you one bowl at a time, which is about a mouthful. You have to continuously eat the soba and then throw away the soup in a big bucket. If the waitress puts some soba in you bowl before you can place the lid on it, you have to eat that portion, no matter how full you are. A respectable amount is about 50 bowls.... I ate 175. Now before you go thinking WOW that's a lot, let me tell you the record, which is 470 something. There is also heavy betting involved with the other customers. Come to find out I both won and lost. The guy who beat me was a Japanese business man, who ate somewhere around 250 bowls. I walked around a lot and took some pictures. It was cold and raining so not much else happened.

Hey Hey Hey I'm Still Alive

Sorry guys but I have been traveling up the east coast, not to many big towns in these parts, hence no internet access. I got to spend a night camping in Rikuzentakata, not by choice but because the hostel was closed. It was a wise idea, to wake up on the beach at sunrise was a real treat. The hitchhiking in Japan is about as easy as catching a taxi in NY. I haven't had to wait more than 30-45 minutes. No matter where I am. The people are much nicer than expected towards gaijin or foreigners. Meet up with a real ninja in Miyako who actually stopped me on the street!! Spent 3 nights in his dojo training and putting around the city by day, drinking way to much sake and as he puts it "girl hunting " at night. Right now I'm in Morioka, it's cold and raining. Actually it's been raining a lot here and has been pretty cold most of the trip. Tonight I'll be on board a overnight bus to Tokyo, and then onto the island of Shikoku. I have taken a bunch of pictures, but until I figure out how to post them on picasa's web album you'll just have to wait.

Sorry guys no pictures on this post and no random facts either, I'll be lucky to be able to post this quick lil blog. Random free internet connections in small towns don't usually work so well. I never thought I would say this but I actually miss Road Runner Cable.

I'll try to stay in a hostel in a big city and update the blog and also figure out how to post all my picture on my web album. till next time
Cheers
Derek

Konnichiwa From Sendai

I took an overnight bus from the airport into Sendai to start with. The weird thing is that as soon as I got off the bus it started to snow. The locals say that this time of year it's usually 60 and sunny. I didn't get to travel a lot today because of the weather, but I did get to snap a couple of pictures.



This is a picture of the old castle of Sendai and was created in 1601. It was later demolished in 1869. Only the castle walls remain.


This is the hostel were I'm staying for the night. It's on the outer edge of Sendai and is really quiet.
Time for random facts....
Microsoft made $16,005 in revenue in its first year of operation
Did you know the opposite sides of a dice cube always add up to seven
Cheers
D-Rock

Touchdown!!!

I just got to Japan. I would have posted sooner but there was no internet access on my travels in the big rig. Also there was no free internet at JFK. Now at the airport in Japan there is also no free internet. I bought a train ticket to Sendai on the East coast and will be there at 5:15 am on the 17th. Expect some pictures and a better blog when I have time, and free internet. It's good to see so many of you guys subscribe to my blog, thank you so much. I'll be in touch
sorry no fact for today my time is running out.
$1.00 for 10 minutes at the airport.
I'll make it up to you
cheers
Derek

6 Days 13 Hours 34 Minutes 18 Seconds and........

Still so much to do. Luckily I'm not going at it alone. My friend Knowledge is riding shotgun on this journey. Most of these books or hon in Japanese are coming with me on this trip. These little nuggets of joy make such a spectacle possible.



Thank you REI for my vessel, which is a Osprey atmos 65. A Marmot Aspe 40 degree sleeping bag should keep me warm. Thanks DSG. Put it all under a Big Agnes Seedhouse w/ footprint courtesy of Ebay. Voila, all you really need to travel.



Staying warm and dry are going to be really important. You are looking at the last 2 jackets you'll ever need..... period. The Columbia Glacier to Glad II, Thanks Kobb, and The Mountain Hardware Monkey Man. When I did my research on the monkey man, the first site I went to had 87 customer reviews. All 87 were 5 star reviews.... I should have bought 2.

Tomorrow I 'll post some more items that are accompanying me on my journey.
Random Fact Time _ The tongue is the only body muscle that is attached from one end only.
Cheers
Derek

Yea!!! Kinda Feels Like That

That's Right!! The last day of work. It's raining kinda hard right now hope that's not a bad omen. Man so much to do and so sooo little time to do it now. Down to the wire. Many more posts to come. Worked a 5 hour shift came home, had a beer, and thought to my self.... Wow I don't have a job.. LOL!!! Wow that's crazy talk. I've had a job since I was 15.

A 40 oz. of High Life will do ya good at 4:00 a.m when you realize you just quit your job...

Oh Well--- Tomorrow starts a new. Well actually I guess it's today.. starts a new. Whatever!?!
Check back later. Sleep now.

Ahh Yes random fact time. There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
Cheers
D-Rock

37 Day To Go

OH MY GOD AHHHHHHHHHHH So much to do before that date in time. Just wanted to get this up and running so you can follow my trip. I'll update randomly before departure date and whenever I get a chance during travel. Pictures with probably be on another site and linked to this one.
Oh yea I almost forgot each time I post a blog, you get a random fact. How cool is that?
Depends you say! on how cool the facts are .
OK well check this out... "Rhythm" is the longest English word without a vowel.
Cheers
D-Rock