15 Questions, 1 Answer:

Go Hitchhiking!

1. Trains are so comfortable, not to mention punctual. Why should I hitchhike?

Hitchhiking is more than a just means of transportation. It’s a conversation. It’s a story. Every trip is unique. In Japan in particular, you are likely to find yourself in crazy/amusing/interesting situations with surprising frequency. During my trip, I was invited to a hockey party, climbed a mountain, attended festivals, taught at a school for a day, earned my keep at a ryokan, and met a ton of incredible people. At first I thought I was just lucky, but the adventures kept on coming!

Hitchhiking is a thrilling breath of fresh air from the typical tourist routes and agendas. The fact that it’s much cheaper is an added bonus. In my books, there’s no better way to travel in Japan.

2.  The Japanese generally have strong boundaries against people “outside” their social network.  In spite of this cultural trait, you managed to get people to not only pay attention to you, but let you hitchhike with them.  Why do you think that is?

I think that, to some degree at least, stereotypes don’t apply for hitchhikers. It’s true that the Japanese can be more closed off to strangers, but my drivers were generally open and outgoing. This is no doubt because of the very biased sample I had; even if only one in fifty drivers would dare to invite a stranger into their car, that one in fifty is exactly who would stop and cheerfully offer me a lift. There’s also a very strong culture of hospitality in Japan, such that once you are in the car, you are on the “inside,” so to speak.

As for specific motivations, I was curious about this as well, and asked some of the drivers why they chose to stop. I wrote about their answers in a blog post I wrote here.

3.  Japan is known for its regional identities.  Do you think that hitchhiking worked particularly well in an area like Hokkaido, or do you think it would work equally well in Kanto or Kansai?

While Hokkaidans certainly have a reputation for being friendly and laid back, I’ve read accounts of successful hitchhiking in many other parts of Japan as well. In general, rural areas are better for good, frequent rides. I’d like to try hitchhiking in Shikoku and Kyūshū next.

4.  Hitchhiking has kind of a bad rap in the US because of its negative and scary image in the media. What do Japanese people generally think of hitchhikers?

I’m not sure how hitchhikers in general are viewed, but a lot of people I met were afraid for my safety. “I can’t believe you just hop in the car with so many strangers!” Hitchhiking is quite rare in Japan and is something that most people there would never consider doing.

That said, I think people generally overestimate the danger involved. I know this sounds a bit morbid, but I think, statistically, I was far more likely to be hurt in a car accident than at the hand of a maniacal, chainsaw-wielding madman.

Still, I always look for clues to expose potentially dangerous drivers. If you can see a bloody knife under the seat, hastily covered by an extremist anti-establishment magazine, perhaps you should think twice. 危ない, でしょう…

5.  What kinds of people usually picked you up?  Did you notice any patterns?  Who should future hitchhikers wave wildly at for their best bet as a ride?

Actually, there were almost no patterns in the types of people who picked me up. I got rides with students, retirees, businesspeople, cooks, farmers, a hairdresser, a professional cyclist, and even a CEO. I wouldn’t give up on any car unless the seats were full (or if that bloody knife were visible of course).

I’m a fan of statistics, so I collected some information about each ride and driver during the trip. I’ll be posting more details on my blog in future.

6.  Did you speak Japanese a lot while riding with your hitchhiking hosts or were they more interested in getting free roadside English lessons?

I spent a lot of time speaking Japanese on the trip, which was great for me. It really took me out of the “English bubble” I’d been living in, and my Japanese improved a lot as a result. Kids in particular were great to chat with, and never shy about asking questions.

Regarding people looking for English lessons, this woman was the only one. Overall though, not many of the drivers who picked me up could (or dared to) speak English.

I’d say that understanding some Japanese is fairly important to having a good time hitchhiking there. A basic vocabulary should be fine, and you can get from A to B even without that, but they will be quiet rides if you’ve got nothing to work with. Some hitchhikers even hold a sign saying “日本語できる” to help their chances of a ride, but I found it not to be necessary. (Even destination signs are generally not needed except in special circumstances, and can often work against the hitchhiker.)

6.  What was the worst situation you found yourself in while hitchhiking, and how did you manage to get out of it?

Luckily, I was never in truly dire circumstances. It helped that I had lots of good advice via The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Japan, by Will Ferguson.

I ended up lost for several hours in Tomakomai, at the mercy of convenience store employees’ directional abilities. Of course getting lost is part of traveling, and I was eventually helped out by a friendly surfer named Osamu.

7.  Japanese people can be OVERLY accommodating sometimes.  What was the most over the top gesture of hospitality that you encountered?

Would you call a marriage proposal over the top? She explained that she had no husband and said, “You’re good looking and I’m rich — kekkon shimashou ka?”

Another time, a man offered to drive me to the nearest city, but only if I stayed at his house for three days. I politely declined that one.

In general though, the gestures of hospitality were wonderful. I can’t overstate the kindness I was shown.

8.  Where did you usually stay once your ride for the day finished?

Because I had a tent, I was able to stay almost anywhere. I pitched it in parks, near beaches, and campgrounds where possible. Youth hostels were also nice for a break from camping.

To get a complete picture of where I stayed, I have prepared the following pie chart.

9.  Did you use any online resources to help you find housing, rides, etc like couchsurfing.org?

I did use couchsurfing, but only once. One of the great things about my trip was its lack of planning — on a given day I could go as far as I wanted or not go anywhere at all, which made arrangements with hosts tough to make. The one time I did use it was excellent, though. I highly recommend joining the couchsurfing community.

10.  Should girls feel equally safe hitchhiking in Japan as guys?  What is your advice for the hitchhiking ladies of Japan?

Japan is one of the safest countries in the world, but it’s ultimately up to the girl to decide whether it’s safe enough. Girls who are hesitant could try hitchhiking with a friend. Or with me :P

11.  What was the wonkiest car you ever rode in while hitchhiking?

I felt pretty cool sitting in Kawaii-san’s SK-139. I wrote about the ride here.

12.  What season is best to hitchhike in?

I’d avoid the rainy season and the winter months if you’re camping.

13.  What happens when no one picks you up?

Wait longer!

The “hitchhiker’s mantra” can be very comforting during the longer stretches of waiting. Eventually, someone will stop.

On average, I waited about 20 minutes per ride. The longest I ever waited was 1.5 hours. I received 59 rides during my trip though, and with that many rides you’re bound to have one or two tough waits.

14.  Did you ever get caught in a storm?  What did you do?

Usually, when it rained I was lucky enough to have shelter. コンビニ are great for this*.

There were times when I tried to hitchhike in heavy rain, but I rarely had success. Rain works against the hitchhiker. One might think you’d benefit from drivers’ sympathy in the rain, but bad weather has the even stronger effect of making everyone look a little more sinister. Picture dark gray clouds, blankets of rain, and Mother Teresa standing on a street corner. Is she concealing a knife? Possibly. Never trust a wet nun.

*I took an informal poll of my drivers and discovered that their preferred convenience store was split 50/50 between 7-11 and Seikomart. No love for Lawson, sadly.

15.  In your experience, what should future hitchhikers avoid doing so as to maximize the good times and limit the bad?

May I offer a top ten?

1. Read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Japan. It’s full of useful information and even possible routes to take. The list below is good, but it’s no replacement.
2. Try to stay in rural areas (urban hitchhiking is possible, but it’s harder and less rewarding)
3. Bring a good map, a camera, and a journal.
4. Be as outgoing, talkative, and generous as possible with your drivers. They will generally act likewise.
5. If possible, bring small, inexpensive gifts for your drivers and hosts. You will want to show your gratitude, if only with a small token.
6. Bring a tent to save money (also, like turtles, you’re never truly stranded when your home is on your back).
7. Be clear that you need not reach your destination in one ride. When asked where you’re going, phrases like “西のほう” or “[name-of-town]のほう” work well).
8. Understand that some people will offer to help you only because they feel obligated. Try to recognize these situations and politely decline.
9. When possible, wait on the edge of town to avoid local traffic.
10. Stop hesitating and do it! Get out there, hold out your thumb, and smile. Adventure awaits.

This post was a collaboration between Nick W. and David Martindale, which was started through a call for travel stories to feature in the Tofugu blog post series called Japan [Off the Beaten Track].  If you have interesting travel stories, suggestions for a featured location, or anything else you would like to share about traveling in Japan, please contact Nick W. at nick@tofugu.com.

David Martindale recently returned from Japan, where he taught English for a year at an amazing school in Kawasaki. After teaching, he embarked on a month-long hitchhiking trip, about which you can read more on his blog called Hitching Without A Hitch.

Hokkaido’s Food

MMMmmm, scary, hairy, and delicious.  For Japanese and foreign travelers alike, a main draw for coming to Hokkaido is the seafood.  The cold, pure waters surrounding Hokkaido provide superb locations for harvesting seafood of all varieties.  Above is the Horse Hair Crab 毛蟹『kegani』, which is one of many kinds of crab that can be enjoyed in Hokkaido.  Other dishes famous to Hokkaido are sushi made from 海胆『uni』sea urchin, and ホタテ『hotate』scallop, which are best eaten absolutely as fresh as possible.  Both sea urchin and scallops are typically difficult for foreign visitors to eat raw, but when served in Hokkaido, the often off putting smell is lessened because of the superb freshness.  One of the best cities to eat seafood in is Hakodate because of its location on surrounded by water on the southern peninsula of Hokkaido, so you can jump off the train as soon as you arrive and eat some delicious sea food.  Be sure to bring your wallet!  It’s worth it!

For those of you rugged travelers who do not have money to throw down for expensive seafood cuisine, or for those who just do not like seafood, there is always one amazing alternative…..

RAMEN!!!!!!!

This is Sapporo Ramen.  The REAL Sapporo Ramen, not to be confused with the crappy instant ramen brand found in most Costcos.  If you read my Shikoku article, then you know my strong feelings for Ramen already.  It is truly the friend of the traveler and must be utilized, especially in Hokkaido where many agree that it is the best you can find in Japan.  The ramen in Sapporo is typically a sweet miso ramen designed to fill and warm you up on a wickedly cold night.  There are different variations of what goes inside, but generally seafood, meat, egg, and corn are the most common.  If you become a ramen fanatic like I am, you MUST have some if you visit Hokkaido.

Ainu Language

In all likelihood you will never be in a situation where you will only be able to use the Ainu language.  Please PROVE ME WRONG AND TELL ME WHERE YOU WENT!!!

In a quick history overview, the Ainu are an indigenous group of people in Japan with rather mysterious origins.  While they initially inhabited a large part of northern Japan, they were gradually pushed north by the Japanese, eventually limited exclusively to Hokkaido.  After the Meiji Restoration (1867), Hokkaido was annexed by the Japanese and the Ainu were forcefully assimilated and their language and culture was largely destroyed.  Only very recently, beginning in the early 1990s, have the remaining descendants of the Ainu gained significant ground in the revival of their language and culture.  Here is a great resource for learning more about the Ainu language.  If you want first hand experience learning the language, a good place to start are Ainu villages called “Kotan.”  Most are more like tourist destinations rather than places where people actually live a traditional lifestyle, but if you go to either and show interest in the language, I’m sure you’ll get on the right track.

Music = Language

One of the best ways to understand how the Ainu language sounds is to listen to the music because music is one of the main methods that has been used to preserve this language as well as other similar “lost languages.”  The following are a couple of samples of Ainu music, one traditional and one modern.

First is a very traditional piece that show cases how music might have actually sounded before the Japanese assimilation:

Iuta Upopo (Husking Song)

The piece is a functional work song for husking, as the name implies.  Originally, Ainu songs were not performance pieces, but served specific purposes in everyday life.  The key when listening to the language is to notice how different the pronunciation is from Japanese.

Second is a great duo who did a great deal to popularize the Ainu cultural revival through modern interpretation of traditional Ainu music – Oki Kano, and the late Umeko Ando:

Battaki

The stringed instrument played by Oki Kano is called a “Tonkori” and while it is a traditional Ainu instrument, it is being played with a modern pop music flair.  The chanting by Umeko Ando, is very similar to traditional Ainu music, and the drummer is playing rhythms from modern popular music.  This music is a fantastic way to become introduced to how beautiful the Ainu language sounds!

Hokkaido’s Festivals

Ainu Festivals

Speaking of Ainu, some of the best festivals in Hokkaido are ones that display Ainu language and culture like the Ainu Music Festival in Sapporo.  Look at the picture above with Oki Kano rocking out on amplified Ainu tonkori.  EPIC! Other Ainu festivals can be found in Sapporo as well as Ainu villages (kotan) throughout Hokkaido, so go check some out!

The most famous (or infamous) Ainu festival is called the Iomante Festival, but I have a feeling most of you won’t want to go.  It is a religious ceremony where a bear is sacrificed to the bear god in order to encourage more bears to come to the earth.  The festival is very rare, mostly because the practice of slowly killing a bear is seen by many as inhumane to animals.  The practice looks very similar to bull fighting, except the young bear is tied to a rope nailed to a peg in the ground, so it’s even more unfair.  This festival is an opportunity to see Ainu culture in a way that most people never can, but it is not for the faint of heart.

Ice Festivals

The real big attraction to Hokkaido, as many of you know, are the ice festivals most famously the Sapporo Ice Festival, pictured above.  The festival attracts over 2 million people and is one of the best ice festivals in the world with huge structures that push the boundaries of the human imagination.  That being said, there will be crowds, so here’s one of many other Ice Festival options for those of you wanting to get further off the beaten track.

Sounkyo Ice Festival

The Sounkyo Ice Festival is located in the beautiful Sounkyo Gorge, southeast of Asahikawa.  The region itself is worth going to any time of year to appreciate nature, get away from tourist traps, and to get in on the many opportunities to have adventures in any of the four seasons.  The festival takes place from January-March and is illuminated by beautiful colored lights covering the many ice sculptures, caves, and pathways, which cover an extensive area for walking around for viewing it all under a large weekly fireworks display.  You won’t see quite the same level of massive structures like at the Sapporo Ice Festival, but the Sounkyo Ice Festival makes up for it in spades with a great location, beautiful illumination, and smaller crowds.

There are many ice festivals in the Asahikawa area, some with other cool features like hot air ballooning, so please find one that suits you, bring some warm clothes, and have a good time!  Here’s a link for the Asahikawa Tourism website to get you started!

Hokkaido’s Adventures

For adventures in nature, Hokkaido is hard to beat.  It is filled with world class national parks, pristine hiking trails, light powder snow for winter sports, and spectacular view points of waterfalls, mountains, and rivers.  Heck, you can even go dog sledding! Hokkaido is such a large island that you really could write a whole book about exploring what it has to offer.  I hope I can provide you with material to start your first chapter!

Daisetsuzan National Park 大雪山国立公園 is a great place to get started exploring Hokkaido because it offers so much opportunity for great hiking, skiing, onsens, scenery, and meeting interesting people.  Above is Asahidake 旭岳, the tallest mountain in Hokkaido at 2291 meters and one of the centerpieces for the national park.  The climb to the summit in the summer is filled with stunning 360 degree scenery, smoldering geysers, and uneasy footing on the path up the side of the mountain due to deposits of volcanic rock. Thanks to a gondola, however, getting as far as where this picture was taken is only a short ride away, and in the winter skiing or boarding down is highly encouraged to experience Hokkaido POW.  The types of people who choose to continue the journey to the very top are surprisingly diverse from professional level climbers who spend all summer carrying packs nearly twice their size to camp and hike around the region, to elderly couples and their toddler grandchildren.  The origins of the visitors are spread out as well from salary men from Tokyo and Osaka seeking to get away from the fast paced stress of their work to tour groups from Western Europe and the United States as well as Japanese families on vacation.

The start of the gondola is located in a very small mountain town with the same name as the mountain, Asahidake.  There, you can find a youth hostel just a short walk away from the gondola with pretty reasonable prices for rooms that include breakfast, and even a small lunch if you pay a little bit extra.  There is a wonderful complimentary outdoor onsen 露天風呂 「rotenburo」included in the price, with water flowing from the natural hot spring creek that runs right past the hostel.  From there, it is easy to access the many nature trails and the hike from the hostel to the nearby Tenninkyo Onsen 天人峡温泉 requires a little bushwhacking but provides great vistas of gorges and waterfalls (below).

The great thing about Hokkaido is that this is just one of the countless locations where you can get off the beaten track, experience beautiful scenery, and interact with interesting people from Japan and around the world who are on similar journeys for adventure.

Hokkaido’s Transportation

For being such a massive, rugged island, it really is not that hard to get around with public transportation.  The JR Hokkaido Railway Company crisscrosses the island pretty well to get you at least in the general vicinity of where you want to go.  From there, there are lots of buses available to get you to a specific destination that does not have a train station.

Most people fly to Sapporo and then take a bus or train, but if you are hardcore and happen to have a JR Pass (basically an all-you-can-ride pass for increments of 1-3 weeks if you’re on a tourist visa) you might try taking the train all the way up.  It’s a LONG ride, and not real comfortable if you aren’t in a sleeping car, so if you don’t have a JR pass, it’s just about the same price to fly so I would do that unless you have lots of time on your hands and want to see some of northern Honshu before getting into Hokkaido.

With that, good luck in Hokkaido!  Go out and try to get lost!  Make sure to wear bells on your backpack to ward off bears and have a good time!

いろいろな地域を探検してみてください！(iroirona chiikiwo tanken shitemite kudasai) “GO EXPLORE!”

P.S.  If you have a place in Japan you love that’s off the beaten track and want to share it on Tofugu.com, send a short summary of your experience to nick@tofugu.com.

Not to be confused with Dasai-tama…

Some people in the Tokyo area claim that their slightly more rural neighbor is super lame by calling it 「ダ埼玉」 “Dasaitama,” (dasai「ださい」= lame) but I am here to tell you that Saitama Prefecture「埼玉県(さいたまけん)」kicks butt and if you need a break from being smashed into subway cars with a million Japanese salary men, go to Saitama, have an adventure, and get Off the Beaten Track.  Traveling in Shikoku might be a little TOO rural for some, but Saitama Prefecture has a great mix of rural, urban, and special local adventures to be had.  I’ll be covering a few of the basic necessities to have a good time in Saitama: local foods, dialects, festivals, and most importantly adventures!

Saitama’s Food and Drink

There is a pretty little historical city in Saitama called Kawagoe City 「川越市(かわごえし)」, and in that city they seriously love sweet potatoes, especially the kintoki「金時」variety .  If you visit the historic district of the city, called Koedo「小江戸」meaning “Little Edo”, you can eat and drink various sweet potato themed delights.

The first kind of strange delight should come at no surprise: sweet potato ice cream.  Downtown, it is dished up on a big waffle cone soft-serve style.  On a hot day, that purple glob of cream, sugar, and sweet potato hits the spot for sure.  When it cools down during fall and winter, there’s usually carts rolling around with people selling “yakiimo”「焼き芋 」which is like a grilled sweet potato, so if you need something hot and savory that can be arranged.

Now for something truly bizarre:  SWEET POTATO BEER!!!

Sweet potato beer, the bottle in the foreground of the picture, is pretty disgusting BUT as a true adventurist you MUST try it and say “…what the #%*$?!”  If you had yakiimo in one hand and a nice cold beer in the other, it would taste great, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they should be combined in one bottle.  If you are a beer lover, after being in Japan for a while with nothing but light beer that for the most part tastes pretty similar, you might appreciate the effort at a little diversity.  Or you might hate it.  On that note, if you do love beer and need a micro-brew fix, something horribly uncommon in Japan, the Coedo brand of beers is actually pretty phenomenal outside their sweet potato experiment.  By all means, check out the Coedo Beer website, especially if you are in Japan and craving decent beer.  It’s really well done and has great descriptions and pictures of their products and brewing techniques.

Saitama’s Dialects (Saitama-ben)

Saitama is a pretty safe place to go if you are not interested in getting really lost by conversations in parts of Japan where the dialects are very far away from what you learned in your Japanese Textbook.  Saitama is close enough to Tokyo that the dialects really don’t change THAT much.  If you are interested in learning different dialects, Saitama is host to a few varieties that you might come in contact with.  Here are a few sample phrases you might hear. Saitama-ben is on the left.

いあんばいです。(ianbaidesu.)　＝　こんにちは。(konnichiha.) “Hello.”

こすいねぇ！(kosuinee!)　＝　ずるいね！(zuruine!) “That’s sneaky!”

えんちょくらっせ。(enchokurasse.)　＝　座ってください。(suwattekudasai.) “Sit down please.”

Chances are you’ll be able to understand most everyone while you’re in Saitama, but you might run into a few neat phrases.  Try to pick them up as you go and really catch locals off guard when you can nail some of their own dialect.  Even if you butcher it, trying it out is a good conversation starter and people will generally be excited that you’re interested in their local way of speaking.  There’s different variations around the prefecture so go out there, make friends who will teach you their way of speaking, and post some cool phrases in the comments section!

Saitama’s Festivals

This is the part you should be getting really pumped about.  Japan in general knows how to party, but the festivals in Saitama definitely showcase this prefecture’s dedication to having a blast.  They’re full of outdoor food stands, “dashi” 「山車」traditional Japanese parade floats, locally made alcohol, traditional costumes, puppet shows, lantern filled streets, and over a million excited people crammed into one small area.

Kawagoe Matsuri 「川越祭り」”Kawagoe Festival”:

Traditional “Dashi”

The Kawagoe Matsuri, one of the three largest festivals in the Kanto area, is especially rad because they put giant intense looking dolls on top of all of their floats.  There are 29 floats and each is uniquely designed to represent a certain region of the city and then they have FIGHTS between them in the street to see which one is better!!  It’s seriously like a big shouting match done with loud singing, flutes, acting out traditional stories, and spinning around on somewhat unstable looking vehicles with giant action figures on the top.  This is all done just inches from you as the force from the volume of the crowd of people pushes everyone, men, women, children, and you dangerously closer to the action.  The festival is in mid-October (for 2010 it’s Oct. 16-17), and should make it immediately to your list of amazing stuff to see before you die.

Chichibu Yomatsuri 「秩父夜祭り」”Chichibu Night Festival” :

Chichibu Yomatsuri 秩父夜祭り

This festival is the most fun you’ll have all winter!  It is one of the three most beautiful festivals and one of the three biggest with “dashi” in Japan「日本三大美祭及び日本三大曳山祭（にほんさんだいびさい、および、にほんさんだいひきやまさい）」It gets pretty freaking cold out there because Chichibu City「秩父市」 is right at the foothills of the Chichibu Mountains「奥秩父山塊(おくちちぶさんかい)」, so you’ll have to prepare warm clothes and a fist full of cash to buy belly warming libations.  Even if you are chilly, the buzz and the action around the festival is so powerful that you’ll soon forget the cold while looking at beautifully illuminated “dashi,” watching a stunning 2.5 hour long fireworks show (a rare thing in Japan during winter), snuggling up against millions of Japanese party goers, and most importantly drinking some AMAZING SAKE.  The sake served in this region is some of the best in Japan, and many of the tastiest bottles can be found sold on the side of the street.  You can buy everything from a small cup of warm sake to a big bottle to swig around while you’re taking in the sights.  Probably better to take it easy on the alcohol if you’re planning on making mochi though:

Kowai! 「怖い！」 “SCARY!”

Saitama’s Adventures

If you haven’t found your own wild adventures in Saitama after too much sweet potato beer, delicious sake, or getting a brain freeze after eating sweet potato ice cream too quickly then you probably aren’t trying hard enough.  Here’s a couple more ideas to get you towards the goal of having wicked cool adventures.

Urawa Reds:

Urawa Red Diamonds soccer games are the Japanese equivalent of to going to see Manchester United in the UK.  The fans are NUTS (a little less violent than their European counterparts), well coordinated, and consider themselves the rowdy 12th member of the team as per the following clips:

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FoGEHugOrA']

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM6f-zyKIqw']

The “Urawa Reds” have a pretty great story of redemption in that they used to be terrible, but with the help of their fans, they climbed back on top.  Like most soccer clubs, it just isn’t the same without hated rivals.  Get ready for some wild games at the Saitama Stadium (2002 World Cup location) if they are playing Omiya Ardija, Osaka Gamba, or whenever they are playing a team that is highly ranked in the J-league.  Try to go with some Japanese friends that know the team songs, slogans, etc. so that you can get the full experience.

Chichibu-Tama National Park:

It is amazing how quickly you can get out into nature from Tokyo by just hopping on a train!  Other than the Chichibu Night Festival, the area has a lot to offer all year round.  For example, if you like hiking there are lots of beautiful views, waterfalls, and in the spring there is a great wildflower festival, with beautiful flowers covering huge hills in an event called the Chichibu Hitsujiyama Kouen Shibazakura no Oka 「秩父羊山公園芝桜の丘（ちちぶひつじやまこうえんしばざくらのおか）」which basically means “the hill of phlox subulata at Chichibu’s Hitsujiyama Park.”  In 2010, the festival runs from April 3th – May 5th so you still have time to catch some of the scenic and beautiful flower covered hillsides as featured in the two pictures below:

Once you get to Chichibu, there’s lots of opportunity to figure out other neat adventures.  When you ride the train, or visit their website, the tourist centers have done a good job of advertising and explaining the different activities, foods, onsen (hotsprings), and sights available in Chichibu through readily available maps and guides to visiting during all four seasons.  The catch is that you might need to figure some of it out in Japanese only, but chances are you can find someone at least during the day who will willing to assist in your adventures in the country side.

Saitama’s Transportation:

Whether it’s urban or rural fun you seek, it is pretty easy to get around Saitama by train.  As a warning for those who are buying Japan Rail Passes (basically a one-three week pass to ride anywhere you want on JR Trains), many of the train lines you will need to ride will not be with JR.  The best way to get to Chichibu from Tokyo is by riding the Seibu Chichibu Railroad 「西武秩父鉄道（せいぶちちぶてつどう）」from Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo.  If you want to hit both sites in one day, you can do it by taking the Chichibu Line 「秩父線(ちちぶせん)」 from Chichibu to Yorii and then transferring to the Tobu-Tojo Line 「東武東上線（とうぶとうじょうせん）」 back towards Kawagoe and Ikebururo.  You can use this handy resource to plan out your trip by train.  If all goes well, you’ll get lost and be forced into having misadventures and speaking Japanese!

いろいろな地域を探検してみてください！(iroirona chiikiwo tanken shitemite kudasai) “GO EXPLORE!”

This post was written by Nick W., who has traveled throughout many regions of Japan in search of unique cultural gems.  He is currently earning his MBA and has researched topics like folk music in WWII Japan and Ainu cultural revival through music.  His favorite Japanese musician is the late Nujabes.

This article is all about Shikoku (四国: Four Countries/Prefectures), the smallest of the four main islands of Japan.  If you want to get off the beaten track, this should definitely be one of your top priorities.  Most Japanese people associate this place as the ultimate inaka (田舎: rural) destination.  In the Tokyo area, it is highly unlikely that you will ever experience total silence or darkness, but Shikoku is one place in Japan you’ll find it.  In order for you to get the full experience in Shikoku, I’ll be covering the best local foods, dialects, festivals, and finally some AMAZING adventures you can take.

Shikoku’s Food

Repeat after me:

“I LOVE RAMEN I LOVE RAMEN I LOVE RAMEN I LOVE RAMEN I LOVE RAMEN I LOVE RAMEN!!!”

While you’re in Shikoku, you’re going to be crying tears of joy for having tasted this intense bowl of flavor and weeping big wet tears of sorrow when you get back to the states and find out that you probably wont find it ANYWHERE.  It truly is the heroin of Japanese cuisine.  If you don’t know anything about Japanese ramen, much less ramen in Shikoku, you’re probably thinking “Psh!  If I’m going to go have adventures, why would I want to fuel up with Top Ramen?!”  The answer is, because it is absolutely nothing like anything you will ever find in a Costco.  Here is why:

For those of you who are on top of your TextFugu lessons, you’ll notice on the back of this bowl is written:

“徳島ラーメンが一番 (Tokushima ramenga ichiban)” meaning “TOKUSHIMA RAMEN IS THE BEST!!!”

Tokushima ramen is the pride and joy of Tokushima prefecture in Shikoku.  One of the ramen shops in Tokushima City actually opened a museum in 1999 dedicated to the awesomeness that is Tokushima ramen.  The things that make this ramen so magical are the soup, made from a pork and soy sauce base that is thicker than most other types, the thicker noodles, and a raw egg on top to add to that thick delicious texture and flavor.  You may need a nap after eating this baby rather than jumping right into adventuring!

While ramen should be your primary source of sustenance while in Shikoku, the Udon there is arguably preferred among locals.  Sanuki-udon, found in Kagawa Prefecture, is the most famous for the texture and shape of the noodles and also was supposedly the first region in Japan to adopt the dish from China.

Shikoku Dialects

Japanese = a language mostly limited to the islands of Japan.  Tokushima-ben = a Japanese dialect limited to one prefecture in Shikoku, the rural island in Japan.  You + Tokushima-ben = not being understood by hardly ANYONE ON EARTH.

If you’ve been studying Japanese already, chances are you are probably learning the Tokyo dialect.  Going to Shikoku is about as different as going from New York City to Birmingham, Alabama.  The real famous alternative dialect in Japan is of course Kansai-ben, found in Osaka and Kyoto, and Tokushima-ben is really not that different since it’s only a super long bridge away.  If you get to talking to some local people though, there will absolutely be times when you’re like 『徳島弁が全く分からないからゆっくり話してください。』 Meaning “I really don’t understand Tokushima-ben so please speak slowly.”  Here’s a sample conversation you might encounter:

A.  えっとぶりだ！(ettoburida!)　＝　久しぶりだ！(hisashiburida!)     “It’s been a while!”

A.  うちんくにいぬる？(uchinkuni inuru?)　＝　私の家に帰る？(watashino ieni modoru?)   “Do you want to go back to my house?”

B.  おまはんくそんなごついかえ…(omahannku sonnagotsuikae…)　＝　あなたの家はそんなにすごいでしょうか。”I wonder if your house is really that amazing…”

A.  こんまいけどきー！ (konnmaikedokii)　＝　小さいけど来てください！(chiisaikedo kitekudasai!) “It’s small but please come!”

As you can see, Tokushima-ben can get pretty ridiculous, but this is what you can expect if you head down to Shikoku.

Shikoku Festivals

The Awa-odori (阿波踊り:dance of Awa) is the place to be if you want to get your traditional Japanese groove on.  They’ve been partying like it’s 1999 every summer since 1585!  They may have about a 400 year head start, but that does not mean that you should not go party with them.  This harvest festival, a part of obon celebration (kind of like memorial day weekend), prides itself on two very important historical activities: drinking too much and dancing in silly clothes.  The basic moves of the dance are put your hands above your head, palms facing inward, and step forward to the beat moving left hand forward with the right foot and the opposite.  The dance is traditionally done in tightly bound kimonos and big straw hats in the sweltering heat so it the steps in the dance are very tiny.  No one goes very far very quickly, but it’s definitely not about the destination in this case.  The Awa-odori is truly a dance invented by the drunk, so if you go there and you can’t quite get the moves right, have a few more sips of sake, put your hands in the air, walk around a little, and you’ll fit right in! Here’s a video to motivate you to grab your dancing shoes:

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZW6kbdjlEE']

The main event in Tokushima City runs from August 12th to 15th and is the largest dance festival in Japan with around 1.3 million viewers, but people are dancing all over the island that time of year so there are plenty of chances for you to practice!  Remember the wise words of the Awa-odori song: 『 踊る阿呆に見る阿呆、同じ阿呆なら踊らな損々』(odoru ahoni miru aho, onaji ahonara odorana sonson) “It’s a fool who dances and a fool who watches.  So if we’re both fools, you might as well have fun dancing!”

Shikoku Adventure

One of the most hardcore things you can do while in Japan is to walk the 88 temples of Shikoku.  Legend has it that Kobo Daishi, a famous Buddhist monk and scholar, was the first to visit all of these temples.  They say his spirit will accompany you if you chose to accept this pilgrimage.  If you really do choose to walk the entire route at once, it will take you around 5 to 7 weeks.  Visiting beautiful old rural temples, befriending the ghost of a famous monk, and taking a really long trek through mountains in the rain and heat, while people will even stop sometimes to give you gifts of encouragement!  What more could you ask for?  Locals are usually a little more sensible and visit the 88 temples over the course of a few years via car, so if you too want to get the enriching spiritual experience without the agonizing blisters on your feet, see about renting a car or moped, or getting friends who will take you.  If you want to do it, though, this is how you’d go about it.

If you’re looking to REALLY get off the beaten track, the Iya Valley (祖谷渓谷), also in Tokushima prefecture, is one of the three hidden regions (三大秘境) in Japan.  It is so remote that defeated warriors retreated to the region to hide out.  You can still visit several vine bridges that were originally set up to ensnare pursuing enemies!  If you are in to outdoor adventuring, Iya valley is home to great hiking and there is world class rafting in the nearby Oboke valley (大歩危).

These are just a couple of adventure ideas, but Shikoku is full of places off the beaten track.  You just need to get out there and explore!  If you get tired of roughing it, stop into Matsuyama, Ehime to relax at the famous Dougo Onsen, the oldest hot spring bathhouse in Japan!

Transportation In Shikoku:

From personal experience, Shikoku is not an easy place to travel in as far as finding public transportation.  Unlike on Honshu, you probably won’t be able to get to EVERYTHING you want to see via train.  That’s part of the fun though!  They’ve definitely got enough rail to get you to the major cities, and there are public busses in a lot of towns, but better yet, go make friends to have adventures with!

いろいろな地域を探検してみてください！(iroirona chiikiwo tanken shitemite kudasai) “GO EXPLORE!”