Wintry Weekend in January - Mt. Murayama & Shibuya Ekiden

I don't recall the weather being as chilly in Tokyo last winter. The end of January to mid-February are known to be the coldest days in Tokyo, which I can definitely attest to. But as Dr. Seus says, "On you will go though the weather may be foul...", we won't let it put a dent in our plans from exploring. Here is a compilation of photos of another eventful weekend beginning January 19.

Heavenly views of Mt. Murayama in Niigata Prefecture

Rodney has had much excitement on the slopes this winter. He's taking advantage of the prime snow conditions for honing his snowboarding skills by making side trips up north with some friends from Aoyama Honda Headquarters. Based on his photos, you can see that much of the views are spectacular.

A day trip to Mt. Murayama with some friends.

(L-R) Nagai-san, Yoko-san, Fujino-san, Travis and Rodney

Taking a break on the white blanket before heading down the slope

At the bottom of the hill, a crowd gathered around a group of men hard at work pounding down sticky rice to produce omochi (Japanese rice cakes). Making omochi is part of the New Year's traditions, though it is available to buy at any local supa throughout the year. Without the essential equipment such as a large wooden mortar, and wooden mallets, and a little elbow grease, it's virtually impossible to produce omochi the correct way.

Rodney taking a stab at omochi making

In the meantime, Markus and I stayed back in Tokyo. Aside from taking care of a few errands, and taking a trip to the bookstore, we chilled out at home. Sunday, the 20th was the day of the anticipated Shibuya Ekiden (relay race), so I wanted to be sure to get adequate rest the day before.

I left home very early the next morning to meet with my team members in Yoyogi Park for the event. All I could think of while riding to the station was how cold it was. I was surprised to see such a large turn-out of people. Yoyogi Park for one, is a huge park lined with many trees, bike paths and beaten tracks. For the relay race, 3.2 km of the area was blocked off with pile-ons and guarded by volunteers wearing orange coats so you could easily determine the running path. Moving through the crowd, I soon spotted the Nambanners grouped together stretching and trying to keep warm. We pinned our numbers and registered with the officials at the starters booth. The first runners lined up together (all divisions, both men and women). After the exciting shotgun start, you could hear the crowds cheering "Gambatte, gambatte!" I ran anchor position in my group, which meant that I had to wait for three other runners to pass off their sashes before my turn. It was a challenge enough to keep myself warm as I waited nervously. But once I got on the path, I felt good and soon started to feel my body warm up quickly. 3.2km seemed to go by quickly and I finished with a time of 15:07. Overall, the Namban Rengo team did fantastic as the men's masters and the women's A team placed first, as well as three other teams making it to the podium. All four ladies on my team had great runs. It was a very exciting and organized event. After the race, the Nambanners went to Raj Mahal Restaurant in Shibuya. I'm not very fond of spicy Indian food, however the food was delicious! Thanks to Juergen for organizing the luncheon and Mika for organizing the ladies' teams.

My team members (L-R): Yukari-san, Ayumi-san, Keiko-san and me.

Hanging out with Alice while waiting for our turn

1st Place Men's masters team receiving medals

Namban Rengo team

That Sunday evening, we finished the weekend off with Kenta Ebara's concert at Dress Tokyo in Akihabara. As I've mentioned before, Markus enjoys listening to Kenta's music so we thought we'd bring him along to the venue. He behaved very well as he listened and applauded just like the rest of the audience.

After the show with Kenta, Ryoko and Markus

2008 Tokyo Auto Salon

For the 'souped-up' car enthusiast, this would be the car show you wouldn't want to miss. This three-day event is known to be the world's largest exhibition of cars dressed with aftermarket parts. We attended the very crowded Tokyo Auto Salon on Saturday, January 12th, at the Makuhari Messe convention centre.

Greddy Nissan GTR

One of Markus' favourite animated movies is Disney's Pixar movie, Cars. When we explained to him we would see cars similar to characters, "DJ", "Boost" and "Wingo" at the show, it of course motivated him enough to want to go. Surely, there were plenty of cars, scooters and motorcycles to keep him interested throughout the day.

In this photo, Markus is trying to figure out if this 33-inch wheel would work with any of his toy cars at home.

Markus sizing-up tires for his new wheels!

Compared to the super flashy, decaled vehicles, there were many beautiful and clean cars that I would love to drive...this smooth looking M3 was one of my top picks.

One of the many drift cars

We discovered that the value of this dressed-up Bentley was well over $250,000 USD.

As you can see, the men scope out more than just cars; a typical site at auto shows in Japan. I highly doubt this hefty crowd marvelled at the purple car at this exhibit.

The new Honda Goldwing is a beast of a motorcycle. I swear the ultra comfortable passenger seat felt like I was sitting in a Lazyboy. The driver's seat was just as nice. Honda debuted the 2006 Goldwing as the first motorcycle to be equipped with front airbag. Shortly after release, Rodney said there were reports of the system having a huge impact on reducing rider injuries. One of his co-workers here in Tokyo was part of team that developed this system.

This Recaro racing-style seat nearly swallowed Markus up, yet he thought it was pretty funny.

Check out the dual super-chargers in this tuned SC400 Lexus.

As always, PEACE!

Heading toward the exit, we heard some loud banging sounds coming from outside of the convention centre. Beyond the crowd we could see cars drifting on a short track. We didn't have the greatest view from where we were standing, though we could still hear the loud engines popping and see the action from a distance. Very cool to witness live! It was cold and rainy that day and the road was very slick. I'm sure these professionals had a blast wooing the crowd as they drifted just inches apart from each other. Rodney is planning an upcoming weekend at the track to watch an all Japan drifting competition. Tanoshimi!

Dezomeshiki (Firefighter Festival)

One of the largest New Year's festivals in Tokyo is the Dezomeshiki. We attended the event on Sunday, January 6th, at the Tokyo Big Sight convention centre.

The firefighter festival and parade commemorates the workers who helped banished the fires at each of the Kaga feudal lord's estates during the Edo Period (1603-1868), when Tokyo was known as the City of Fires. In short, when the fires were successfully extinguished, the men employed earned fame and were invited to exhibit their skills in fire fighting in Kanazawa. Back then, they used manual fire engines, fire hooks and ladders and performed on New Year's Day. Since then, it has become a well respected annual matsuri (festival) in Tokyo.

During the outdoor presentation, over 5,000 professionals paraded through the area in uniform.

Rescue vehicles of Tokyo come in all forms

One of the highlights of the event were the men dressed in Edo period attire showcasing bamboo ladders and traditional firefighting equipment. Before a crowded audience, firefighters performed acrobatic stunts at the highest point of the ladder while the men below held the ladder vertically balanced using hooks on sticks at every angle.

Below, is a close-up photo of the men holding the ladder still.

Later, a motorcade of fire trucks of all sizes, including Hazmat vehicles and ambulances circled the area, while four rescue choppers hovered pass the crowd.

Throughout the Dezomeshiki, the Tokyo Fire Department takes the opportunity to showcase their latest equipment and firefighting techniques using dramatization. One scene was comprised of a narrow four-story makeshift building, which was set ablaze while firefighters worked to extinguish the fires. It added excitement to see the rescue teams scale the walls from the roof, while paramedics, police and Hazmat teams surrounded the scene. They also acted out emergency scenarios caused by earthquakes. Over the speakers, a narrator described the scenes while informing audience of safety procedures.

After touring the indoor exhibits, and trying on some heavy protective firefighting gear, masks and helmets, we decided to walk the short distance to Palette Town in Odaiba. It was a beautiful day for a walk along the waterside. Buildings are scarce and less crowded than in Tokyo.

In Odaiba, we rode the main attraction at Palette Town, the Giant Sky Wheel, boasting a range of colours resembling a large palette. Markus happens to be thrilled by Ferris wheels. He's enjoyed it ever since his first ride on the Big O at the Tokyo Dome Amusement Park in December. The 16-minute ride on the Giant Sky Wheel takes you up 115 metres high, offering the greatest views of Tokyo including the Tokyo Tower, the Rainbow Bridge, and all the way to the skyscraper districts of Shinjuku.

We were able to watch airplanes minutes apart taking off and landing at the nearby Haneda Airport...that was a bit nerving to see for Rodney and I, but Markus LOVED it! Palette Town is also known to be a hot spot for shopping. We were able to get in on some year-end bargains at some of my favourite shops at the Sun Walk Shopping Mall. Sales are always a good thing!

Our little guy was easily captivated by the views.

In this photo, Markus is pointing out to an airplane taking off from Haneda Airport.

Our 800 yen souvenir snapshot from the Giant Sky Wheel.

Rodney's capture of Tokyo Tower and the endless skyline of skyscrapers, beyond the Rainbow Bridge.

A rather interesting close up shot of Fuji TV Building, taken from the monorail. Fuji TV is one of Japan's private nationwide TV stations.