There's Metal in Them There Hills

Tuesday 22nd September 2009

AM

Least: Just after 10:30am, I patted my pockets to discover that I had left a notebook containing cruicial navigational data on the Shinkansen. Luckily, as I scoured the frightening map of JR East train lines, I saw a familiar station or two and, after sweating for a few minutes, worked out which four trains we had to catch. Although I was mildly confident of reaching Okutama, every change of train brought with it a nagging horror and complete disorientation. It was a relief to actually make it three hours later.

Most: At exactly 8:17am, the N700 Shinkansen on which we were travelling departed Shin-Osaka station. Although it was not my first ride on the crazy machine, it was interesting to see Japan fly by at at 300km/h. It was amazing to see the relentless industrial suburbia that stretched from Osaka to Shin-Yokohama interrupted only by scattered rice paddies. At one point I saw a lone man playing a saxophone in a deserted carpark, I hope our speeding bullet didn't disrupt him too much.

PM

Least: Not long after 1:20pm, we walked into Okutama, and after decoding the timetable, came to the stunning realisation that the number 12 bus that would take us to Tamagawa wasn't leaving until 2:45pm. After strolling around the sleepy town for ten minutes, eating a large fish on a stick (see food note), and buying needless snack to break an ichiman, Okutama left us in bored agony. We and already travelled for five hours, yet still we had to wait. A stone cold soba meal eased the pain, but the sight of the bus just sitting there was excruciating. Rosie reported that the toilets in the train station were appalling.

Most: By 5:20pm, we were watching Palm in full flight, playing before a backdrop of incredibly green and steep mountains. The camp was a carbon copy of the American summer camps as seen in horror movies, with an overuse use of logs for construction. The camp was beside an amazingly clear river (the Tamagawa) that revealed the no-doubt delicious trout waiting to be caught. Although the festival was not well attended, the atmosphere was great, with people barbecuing, drinking beer and listening to blistering grindcore. The musical highlights were Birushanah and Palm, although most of the bands were awesome. Thankfully Sano, from Hokage, organised a bungalow for the night and although uncomfortable, was far better than sleeping in the dust like some people did. A cracking night.

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Food Note: In Okutama, I bought a large trout that had been salted then roasted on a stick. The old codgers who were selling them probably caught them in the river and made a killing as people waited hours for buses. The fish was delicious in its simplicity and probably a bargain given that we were virual captives in that town.

Saying No to Thorpedo and Yes to Outro '6

AM

Least: At about 11:05am, I finally had breakfast. Having had nothing substantial since lunch yesterday, I could've eaten a horse. Instead I opted for an onigiri internally rife with salty cured red salmon. It was delicious, yet somehow only served to remind me of the breakfast the could've been. Bacon, eggs, tomato and coffee in a cafe is essentially unavailable in any edible form here. At the Beekman Sports Palace down the road, it is possible to buy mile-thick bread smeared with jam (only just sweeter than the bread) but it could only barely be called a breakfast. It might just be more interesting to launch a search party for the best cafe breakfast in Osaka.

Most: By 9:30am, I was once again barrelling towards Wakayama. The only point of interest I could extract from the journey was the sighting of the Thorpedo softdrink at Hineno station. Because of its association with Yakult, I declined the voice telling me to buy it - yoghurty soft drinks are pretty far from refreshing. According to the website, there are several versions of the drink - I wonder why it has never taken off in Australia. In addition, the Thorpedo is perhaps the only Australian sportsman to make a blip on the Japanese fame-dar. Interesting - sort of.

PM

Least: Between exactly 12:15pm and 12:55pm, I battled through an English lesson with a student who was both out of depth and was infested with a dreadful cold. Every ten seconds or so he would either sneeze of sniff up mucous into his blocked nose. I swear I could feel the swarms of flu virus's impaling my every cell. The next few days will be telling. If I'm sick next Saturday, I might just blow my nose on the guy's shirtsleeve.

Most: At about 9:15pm, Rosie and I walked in the gates of the Freestyle Outro '6 festival down near the docks in Osaka. The primary reason for attending was to see Palm and Edge of Spirit but we gather far more than this. The performances were crushing and we spoke to some guys from Palm, and a wild Japanese woman from California. As a cultural spectacle it was amazing. A sea of non-typical Japanese metal, hardcore and hip hop fans were drinking hard and enjoying the music, graffiti and skateboarding Far from the norms of Japan's staid appearances, most people had serious tatts and were larking about in a very relaxed manner. It was so refreshing to see a non-temple/manga/salary man side of Japan. One of the best nights here so far.