Attack of the Clones and other stories

Japan is truly a fascinating country, with many extremes. One of them being on the hand the non-existing insulation in buildings, and thus perpetual cold but on the other hand, boy do they know how to build heaters when then need to! This is what I call a heater, or perhaps more properly a portable furnace.

Pretty sure you could melt the one ring with this.

The population of Japan is approximately 127 million, and it's falling steadily since the death rate exceeds the birth rate since 2008 while the average age increases. Currently more than 26% of the population is over 65, by 2060 estimates are that the population will have decreased to 86 million, and over 40% of the population will be over 65. The details in the figures varies from source to source, but the trends are clear. The population is aging, and decreasing.

Easily fixed you think, just like all other industrialized nations have with similar issues, by immigration. Here's the problem, the net immigration to Japan is zero, 0, nil, zilch. There's no increase in sight due to popular and political perceptions of Japan as "one nation, one civilization, one language, one culture and one race". Yup, you read that right. One race. 

In fact it's easily seen as a visitor. In all western industrialized countries I've visited, including Sweden, there's a large number of immigrants doing various kinds of works. Here in Japan, everyone is Japanese. The bosses, the drivers, the cooks, the cleaners, the doctors, everyone.

I don't know what will happen, but one thing is for sure. Something will have change, either to keep other things as they are, or because of inevitability. In fact, the next decade might be the last chance to see the Japan that was.

It's kind of interesting to see how they work with large groups. Everyone gets kitted with essentially identical gear, including skis and clothes. Then, each one wears a bib with a number on it and as far as I can tell they with few exceptions ride the lifts in numerical order! Talk about organized.

Hotel gears up to equip a legion of clones.

I've seen one really terrible incident where a snowboarder rammed another one from behind at very, very high speed and stopped to help as best as I could. Not sure what happened with the guy being hit, I think he was pretty badly injured and most likely suffered a severe whiplash.

Yesterday, I missed the actual accident, but I was waved down by another bystander to help out with a Japanese snowboarder who probably had broken his hand. I put up my skis (my bindings and tails are not really made to put them in a cross easily, but I think I've got this figured out for next time), took off his snowboard, covered him up in my goose down jacket to keep him warm while waiting for the ski patrol. They arrived pretty quickly actually, although I'm not sure how they intended to get him down. He was in real pain, and I don't think sitting on a snowmobile would work. Anyway, the ski patrol took over and I left, as he appeared to be taken care of.

The snow patrol in action!

Today was another almost rest day, as there was essentially a hail thunderstorm during morning, and continued strong wind. I did get up one lift, but everything else was closed. On the good side any snow at this time is good snow, and I did get to ski-in to the hotel!

Ski-in and ski-out today!

The language is often a strong communication barrier, but some business owners know how to get down to the bare essentials needed. Cow, bird, pig, beer, stairs, open. That's all that you need to know!

One sign says it all.

Random Thoughts

Still trying to catch up with the blogging, but despite or perhaps because of, the fact that the snow conditions are not with us there's a lot happening and there surprisingly not that much time write stuff down.

Also, maybe the miserable state of Internet service at the hotels and the absolutely freezing temperatures in common areas where there's sometimes a wee bit of WiFi available has something do to with it. And the lack of chairs and tables. Oh well, I'll just have to learn to work the computer without Internet, in triple fleece, long johns, mittens and a beanie sitting on the floor. Working on it.

I did get a bit of me-time by chance the other day when the Active Ski-guests were off on adventures of their own.

Some time with me in the sun!

Another day we did a trip to the Nozawa Fire Festival, which features a huge pyre built during the fall, where the villagers 42 year olds sit singing defiant songs, while the villages 25 year olds defend them against the rest of the villagers who are trying really hard to set the whole thing on fire. For real.

First some fireworks.

It's really of course only men who are part of the action, although a few women were active as drummers at the start.

You could feel the drums in your entire body!

Did I mention that they all where totally wasted on Sake? When I say wasted, I really, really mean it. But they still held it together, although I fear quite a few of the guys have some more or less minor wounds here and there and are pretty sore the day after.

Trying really hard to burn the guys sitting on top.

There's a zillion things to say about the fire festival, about the why and the how etc. However the most lasting memory this year was the fact that they actually failed to set the thing on fire by 2200 which was when the bus back to Myoko left. We never got to see the climax of the whole thing!

The day after, the guests at least found some snow though, so that was nice!

It may not be epic Japow, but still pretty good!

Seki Onsen

Time for another excursion to the nearby village of Seki Onsen. The Onsen suffix means that it's a hot spring, just like with Akakura Onsen in Myoko. We didn't go bathing though, although we perhaps should have as it's probably a great experience in such a place. Since our hotel in Myoko has it's own Onsen, it did not feel like a priority. Also, as it happens, we're here to ski apparently.

Just because I wrote about yesterday that everything just works, this time the taxi arrangement actually did not work quite perfectly, so a few persons arrived a little later. No worries though, it all worked out and all arrived well in Seki Onsen.

It seems worker safety is not quite the thing it is back home in Sweden. This guy is working a roof at least 8 meters above ground, full of snow, and with no equipment except a shovel and a ladder.

It was actually scary to watch him go up there.

Seki has one of the famous single-person lifts that is just a simple flat seat, with no further security. I guess safety overall is just not the concern. Actually it felt quite safe once you got used to it, but I've been told that if a lift *really* stops, the laws of physics dictate that there's actually quite a bit of forward momentum to kill. Not sure if everyone really would stay seated in such a situation.

At least the backpack is not in the way!

Seki is a small ski area, with lots of powder hounds. Actually about 100% I'd say, so it gets cut up quite quickly when there's been a fresh snowfall. After a couple of runs in the ungroomed piste, and then in the woods we did a short tour to an adjacent abandoned piste.

It's hard to believe at times, that there's actually not enough snow here.

This is still not enough. See the bamboo...

After a nice day, while waiting for the taxis to arrive some of us went to the local bar, which is housed in a container, sitting atop another container. Inside it was decidedly off the main stream of Japanese bars I've seen, with some customers imbibing quite heavily but probably not keeping up with the barkeep which I think was taking one drink for each guest drink. That can't be healthy in the long run.

Barkeep probably just breathes on the rats to keep the promise.

City and Mountain Touring

Although we're getting some snow, it's not enough to keep us away from some immersion into Japanese culture. One of the things missing in Myoko is actually some decent Sushi. After visiting the temple in Nagano, we had some great sushi to get some variation into our diet.

This just half the portion...

So the next day, inspired by touring the city of Nagano, I took some Active Ski guests touring up to the intermediate peak Mt. Mael at just below 2000 m. All were warned about the so-so conditions of the climb and the descent, and it all turned out really great.

The climb was full of bushes and bamboo, but on the descent we did get some great turns that were doubly well-earned!

Touring uphill is almost as fun as skiing down!

Then we finally did reach the peak after perhaps 90 minutes of walking. Unfortunately the view was not great due to bad visibility, but everyone is always happy when reaching a peak. Even if the peak is below the tree line at almost 2000 m!

High life at the top!

Picking up the thread from a few posts about things about Japan can can become annoying for a while:

• What's wrong with providing napkins and paper or towels to wipe your hands? Japan has two kinds of utility paper, small napkins that simply do not absorb liquid and kleenex. These are used for all thinkable purposes, when they are at all available which is rather rare. I thought they did not have trees, but from where I'm looking they have zillions of them!
• Japanese people are very quiet and polite. So why do they have the most sound polluted country I have ever visited? It's like it's never quiet.

Since I'm getting over the worst of my culture shock, I'm not really that annoyed anymore and things are returning to normal where I also start to see some of the advantages. For example, everyone is always very polite and helpful. Arrangements with buses and stuff like that just works (for those of you reading my posts from last year from Italy, that's a difference from there and then...). Everything is always on time and running according to schedule. How about that, Italy!

Each country has it's own idiosyncrasies and Japan is no exception, but I certainly think I could learn to really enjoy life here.

Skiing and Eating

Although conditions are not at all what they usually are (a local guide writes that he has not seen anything like this in the 20 years he's been here), we're still getting some skiing done and finding some snow.

The epic japow with waist deep snow in open meadows with perfect gradient is still hard to find though, but we're managing.

Snow is so nice!

The thing is, if this had been on my "home mountain", Kittelfjäll, we'd probably described the conditions as fabulous. Here, we want more.

Fortunately enough, most of the Active Ski-guests are equipped with skins, so we can extend the ski-area quite a bit. Although, once again, most of the skiing is severely limited due to undergrowth not being covered with snow we can still find some good runs with rather simple touring.

We're not above touring up an old abandoned piste.

If the snow has been a bit of a disappointment, the food has not. Everyone is really happy with the food, it's very tasty and rather cheap. Typical prices range from 800 - 1200 yen, which is less than a standard lunch back home in Sweden.

No worries, they were well-done when we ate them!

Dinner this day was at Japanese BBQ. I'm fairly sure that the gas stoves would not pass safety inspection back home in Sweden, nor would the ventilation pass requirements for working environments, but what the ...? Everyone enjoyed good-tasting food with great company!

Believe it or not, but this is a typical restaurant.

Restaurants here in Myoko appear to have quite a bit of history, and that history remains in the room... There is just so much, how shall I put it politely? Junk. Yes, that's it, there's so much accumulated junk. One other place we visited had actually stopped using a guest table for guests, because it was full of just, well, stuff. Junk. Interesting junk sometimes, but still...

Culture Shock - Now

I'm not sure what the official definition of culture shock is, and for once I've not Googled it. My own definition is when the new culture starts annoying me in various degrees. When traveling to a new country or area with differences in culture, my first reaction is typically wonder, amusement, interest and simply enjoying the discover of different ways of doing common things, or entirely new things.

My first 10 days in Japan were generally like this, but now I've apparently entered the next phase, which I call culture shock. This is going to sound like I'm whining and that I'm really uncomfortable here, but that's not really the case. I'm intellectually aware of the process my mind is going through, but in the short term it comes out as irritation and annoyances.

Also, in a short while the feelings of annoyance will be replaced by a feeling of normalcy.

As it turns out, there are certainly some things that can annoy my Western and Swedish mind. Here's a short list of current grievances:

• Taking your shoes off even when the shoes are sandals made for indoor use only.
• The perception that naked fluorescent light fixtures are cosy.
• That smoking is something do be done indoors in restaurants and hotel rooms, or at entrances to buildings. 
• Building houses out of board and single-pane glass in a country with real winter. Insulation, anyone?
• Sitting on top of thermally active ground, and the best thing to do with limitless supply of hot water is apparently to let it run in the streets, while keeping all public areas in building and restaurants at subjective sub-zero temperatures. Heat pumps, anyone?
• Taking your job seriously working in the lift is good, but after 10 days seeing me (and not that many others) in the lift many times a day, he still requires me to take out my ski pass every time.

Oh, well, this too shall pass. In the meantime, we've done some skiing but also some transceiver search training with the Active Ski-guests.

The other guide instructs in near-search.

One effect of the idea that pouring hot water out on the streets is a brilliant idea is that Myoko is probably the most humid and cold place I've ever visited. The cold literally seeps into your body, regardless of how many layers of clothing you have. But it's good for creating a nice foggy night-time ambience.

Sometimes it's even a bit creepy.

Still No Snow

An advantage with skiing in Japan is that when we can't ski there are still really cool things to do. Close to Myoko where we are, there are famous temples and castles. So, we took a day off skiing and went sightseeing.

We visited a Buddhist Temple

After the temple and a lunch with really great sushi in Nagano, the trip continued to Matsumoto Castle, a 400 year old 6 story castle built in wood. Pretty amazing actually.

Impressive even now, built in the 1590:s

The day after the sightseeing, we're still waiting for the snow to fall. My plan was to do some easy skiing, and then dig a snow pit and do a full profile. It did not start too well, I lost my season pass in the first lift up. Sigh. After a couple of hours of lost-in-translation talking with various Japanese via Google Translate, and some fruitless searching under the lift, it actually resurfaced! Yeay!

This took some time, so I essentially went for lunch, and then dug my snow pit.

Me and 40 non-westerners had lunch.

Lots of undervegetation caused some problems digging, but it was still interesting.

Shearer Shelf and thermo in the shade.

It turns out there's a layer of depth hoar at the bottom! Really weak too, it collapsed when I was isolating a compression test column even before I had the chance to actually load it. We need to be careful, that's for sure.