The end

The good thing about staying in an airport hotel is that it feels as if the holiday is over, making it easy to leave.  The gaudy light display in the grounds and the earth tremour as we were packing reinforced the message. Happy Australia Day.

Guest post by Tony - the elegance of sumo

Brother Mark and I have settled into a daily ritual of watching a major sumo tournament (known as a Basho) on TV at around 5pm most days.  Every January the Basho is held in Tokyo, which is perfectly timed for our January skiing trips. It is also a wonderful way to start the recovery process from either skiing or exploring the sites. Of course, the viewing is enhanced by sampling a wide range of Japanese beers, which we highly recommend (especially Asahi and Kirin).  
At first glance sumo can appear an odd sport to follow, however we have realised that it is a highly elegant martial art full of balance, poise and nuance developed over centuries of tradition.  The elegance is also shown in how each competitor takes advantage of subtle changes in their opponent's stance, centre of gravity, failing stamina and/or will.  It is even shown in the contempt for opponents, such as aggressive salt throwing, thigh slapping and back arching.
It is unpredictable who will win.  A  simple step to the side can make all the difference between victory and loss.  
We have embraced sumo and we encourage you all to do the same. Sumo embodies much of what we love about Japan and its people.

Same same but different

I've only seen a few glimpses of the Kyoto I remember: the river bank where Michelle & I spent a memorable night in the midst of a crowded party celebrating cherry blossom season, with the pink blooms luminous above us in the moonlight; a familiar temple; Shakey's Pizza. Many of the iconic sites we have visited on this trip are new to me, leading to Imo's question, What did you do here for 6 months? The answer is that I lived and worked here, spent hours in Pub Africa, and largley ignored the touristy areas. We scavenged gomi (hard rubbish) items, including bicycles, and at local festivals ate the Japanese version of a sausage in bread - barbecued eel on a stick. I also learnt Japanese, studying each night and practising each day, and could get myself around pretty well in the local lingo. While my Japanese vocabulary is now limited, every word and phrase I can scrape up has been useful. The taxi drivers have certainly appreciated my attempts at conversation, with two giving me small presents. When I first came to Kyoto 25 years ago after 6 weeks deep in the Japanese countryside working as a golf caddy, I was amazed at the amount of English around - on menus, street signs and train stations. This time around, I'm amazed that the amount of English does not seem to have increased at all, despite its popularity with foreign tourists. Way to go, Kyoto.

Kyoto revisited

The advantage of visiting iconic Kyoto sites in Winter is the lack of crowds. When Tony and I went to the Ryoanji zen rock garden 25 years ago, we had to wait in a queue for a small space on the smooth wooden verandah to gaze at the 14 (or 15, for the enlightened ones) rocks and raked gravel. This time we virtually had the place to ourselves, and I can confirm that the rocks have not changed in the last quarter century.  We revisited Kinkakuji, the golden temple, and I was overwhelmed when I glanced it through the trees - it is a stunning sight. It was a greyish mid-winter day, but Kinkakuji makes it own light. We also visited a temple in the mountains, with a beautiful ancient garden and bamboo path (photos below).

Board & lodging

We've met up with friends here, and yesterday the teens swapped their skis for snow boards. Totally different skills are needed to stay upright, but everyone could by the afternoon. Tony, Imo & I were back on skis for the last time today, and thanks to clear weather traversed the mountain and the next one over, riding between the two on the Dragondola (it really is called that). The view was spectacular, and a few furry animals could be seen from above - we decided they were snow monkeys.

We are staying in a family run boutique hotel, a fusion of Japanese and western styles. The owner, Kinta-San, speaks English and is an excellent cook and host. Breakfast consists of a yummy savoury dish (omelette, risotto) and delicious home-baked bread and pasties, plus the best black tea I've had on this trip. This is a very good thing, as lunch options are limited. The ski fields are dominated by a huge hotel complex called the Prince, which is like a cruise ship in the snow. It contains many cafes and restaurants, but all are overpriced and underwhelming. 

We ate in last night, a four course feast with wine, and ended the evening in a conversation pit (I think they were called in the 70s) in front of a pot-bellied stove. 

Ichi, ni, san, shi . . .

The runs are wide and the snow firm on Mt Naeba, making it easy to dodge the groups of school kids in matching gear tentatively snaking their way down. The sun tried to shine through the clouds in the morning, but by lunchtime had given up and the mountain was blanketed in fog and steadily increasing snow. Imo created a bit of excitement by dropping a ski off the chair lift after lunch. While the kind lift guys invited her to wait in their shelter (with the aid of google translate), Tony and I skied down to find it. We were about to plunge into waist deep powder near pole 9, where we mistakenly believed the ski to be, when a couple on the lift above worked out what we were looking for and called out "go ban". I then knew to look near pole 5, so those Japanese lessons have paid off! Ski and owner were soon reunited. 

Travel

We needed 2 trains and a bus to get to Mt Naeba. It felt like 'real Japan', as there was very little English around and few concessions to westerners. We drank hot coffee out of a can and ate bento boxes for lunch. Arrived at Mt Naeba on schedule - it's a strange place, built around the ski fields, not traditional. Our accomodation is cosy with a view of the ski slopes. It does not need a fridge, as drinks and ice cream can be put in the snow on the balcony (see photo below). At 5 flood lights came on, and people kept skiing. Even colder and snowier than Myoko, which I wouldn't have thought possible!