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Return to Kamakura

6/28/2017

On Wednesday, June 28, 2017, Jody and I returned to Kamakura. The trip was designed primarily to visit with Jody's brother-in-law, Jeff Horner, who was visiting his son, daughter-in-law, and family. However, it also included a meaningful reunion for Jody with her long-time college friend, Sachiyo Tahira, who she had not seen in 20 years when Jody was last visiting in Japan where Sachiyo lives. In addition, we also got to visit the seaside town of Enoshima.

Downtown Kamakura and the Tori Gate directly across from the train station where we're to meet Jeff.

Jeff's son, Thomas, Jeff, and me.

The teeming streets of Kamakura.

The first of many Hydrangeas that were in full bloom.

We all started out by walking about a mile to the local Bamboo Forest site

Along with us were Jeff's son's wife, Nance and their daughter, Morgan. Here we are at the gate leading to the Bamboo Forest.

There are always girls and women in kimonos around getting their picture taken.

Daddy's Little Girl.

Upon our return to downtown Kamakura, we walked across a scenic bridge and discovered a beautiful lake strewn with lillly ponds.

And, but of course, another shrine.

What a fun day and a great opportunity to visit with Jeff and his family in Japan.

My Nash The Slash coincidence in Hachioji. Perhaps the biggest coincidence.

6/27/2017

Ok. Some of you who have been following me on Facebook have probably been wondering, just who IS that "Invisible Man"-like masked figure dressed in a white suit, top hat, and playing a violin that now stands in as my Facebook Profile Picture? Well, it's time to chronicle once again yet another amazing coincidence that has occurred to me during this truly awesome trip to Japan that just keeps linking back to favorite events in my past. The man is the famous, NASH THE SLASH, a lone, rocking Canadian musician and songwriter who I briefly eulogized on Facebook. Here is the link to the eulogy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nash_the_Slash. Everything you need to know about Nash is in this Wiki link. Feel free to watch and listen to Nash perform on numerous YouTube videos. As background, my Maryland friend and long-time co-worker at AACDSS (Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services), Debbie Couzantino, turned me on to Nash back in the early '80's. It was my good fortune to see Nash perform live in Baltimore on a number of occasions when he toured the East Coast, most notably, for you Baltamorons, at the famous hipster hangout, the Marble Bar: http://www.baltimoreorless.com/…/retro-baltimore-the-2016-…/. Anyway, the Japanese connection - I had earlier commented in a Facebook post that during our first week here in Japan back in April it was our good fortune to meet Marc Sebastion-Jones, a transplanted British English professor at Hachioji's Sherlock Holmes Pub. It was a great meeting as I was already desperate to have someone to talk to who speaks English and Marc and I were immediately sympatico. Marc has lived in Japan for over twenty years and is married to Yusimi, a beautiful Japanese woman. He teaches at a local university (not Soka U where Jody is teaching). One day Marc took me to Disc Union, a chain of internationally famous used-record stores in Japan. I was in pig-heaven. The store was fabulous. For some reason, Nash came into my mind and I said to Marc who speaks Japanese, "Could you ask the clerks if they have any Nash the Slash LPs or CDs? You probably don't know Nash, do you?" Marc just looked at me, stunned that I knew Nash, and said, "Know Him? I helped him with one of his videos and even performed in one of them." Now it was my turn to be stunned. What were the chances that I would link up with someone thousands of miles from home, and in Japan of all places, who personally knew one of my music icons from over 37 years ago and even performed in one of his videos? Marc had met Nash at the bar after one of Nash's performances back in 1980 when Nash was touring England. Marc wondered to this normal looking man at the bar who was this man behind the bandages and Nash, who was now in his civies, said, "that man is me." Nash asked Marc if he would like to help him with some of his videos and Marc immediately agreed. Later, Marc sent me the link to Nash's cover video of the Jan and Dean song, DEAD MAN'S TURN, and told me that he was the man off-camera who was shaking the car up and down while Nash was driving: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m229hY3Onak. He also told me that he appeared in Nash's cover video of the Rolling Stones, 19TH NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, (here is the YouTube link):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqUddvgOsJU&list=LLDFVzoJlvvp6Lm8OavxmfKw& Marc is the first man you see seated wearing a fedora and sporting black lips. This video dates back to 1981. It was great to see Marc as a young man 36 years ago alongside Nash. I don't know why I'm having so many remarkable coincidences here in Japan. This has never happened to me before in any of my other trips abroad. Life is strange.

And here is Marc below in the video wearing his fedora.

Jody Speaks to Students at Soka University

6/21/2017

On June 21, 2017, I had the opportunity to see Jody give one of three talks on the need to support refugee resettlement policies. This talk was before an SRO room of Soka University students, Hachioji, Japan. What a great group of Japanese young people who lined up out to the door to speak with Jody afterwards.

Prof. Jody lookin' good for her students.

Favorite Billboards in Hachioji

6/17/2017

My two favorite billboards in Hachioji. I would take any of these adorable kitties or doggies home.

Our Room at the Guest House on the Soka University Campus.

6/12/2017

My Hachioji Command Center - nothing better than the company of (from L to R) Sgt. Pepper, Bruce Lee, Procol Harum, and Darth Vader-San.

Shopping at Costco

6/12/2017

Shopping "Liberally" at Costco in Tamasakai, Japan. Yeah, Baby. Feel like I'm home.

But, I don't think I wanna go to McDonalds. Bigga Maca a big No! No!

A Green Rose

6/11/2017

Today I saw a lovely green rose in Hachioji Station and purchased it for Jody. She's never seen one available in the U.S.A.

Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale album - 1967 - Coincidence number (I've lost count)

6/10/2017

Yet again, the year 1967 rears its head. One of my all time favorite albums is, PROCOL HARUM, the group's first self-titled album released, of course, in 1967. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the group's first big hit, A WHITER SHADE OF PALE. I originally had this album, along with the included fabulous full-size poster. In later years I regretted no longer having the first release album and poster. I have no memory what I did with it. Maybe I got rid of it because I purchased the much better British mono release to replace the rather poor American electronically-reprocessed stereo release. Anyway, today I'm at Disc Union in Kachijoji, one of Japan's premiere used record and CD chains, and what should jump out at me from the "P" record bin but THIS same album WITH the original poster. The poster, album cover, and record were in excellent condition. I couldn't believe it. Finding this poster in ANY condition is amazing in and of itself. It took me thousands of miles of travel to once again find a missing piece of my youth-to-manhood year, 1967, in a strange land. I wonder what else is waiting to be found.

Bob Dylan's Blonde On Blonde album - 1966 - More coincidence

6/10/2017

Well, what's next didn't take long. It wasn't 1967, but it was 1966, the year Bob Dylan's famous double album set, BLONDE ON BLONDE, was released. I had an early pressing, but not early enough. On the very first pressing, Dylan included a picture of Claudia Cardinale. Very soon after, Dylan was forced to remove the picture due to copyright infringement. This first release was also notable because after it was released rumor has it that Dylan demanded one of the songs, Visions of Johanna, be remixed because the inspired guitar playing was uncomfortably (for Dylan at least) competing with Dylan's singing. To this day in all subsequent pressings the searing guitar can barely be heard on that particular song. I have searched in record bins for years in the U.S. for this release and there it was at Disc Union. Japan is being amazingly good to me.

Hike up Mt. Takao

6/6/2017

On June 6, 2017, Jody and I decided to visit Mt. Takao which was relatively close to Hachioji by train. Mount Takao is a mountain in the city of Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan. It is protected within Meiji no Mori Takao Quasi-National Park. Standing 599 metres (1,965 ft) tall and located within an hour of downtown Tokyo, it is a popular hiking spot, with eight hiking courses and more than 2.5 million annual visitors. The Tama Forest Science Garden is also located at the mountain's base. Mount Takao is closely associated with tengu, minor kami from Japanese folklore, and the daitengu Naigubu. A Buddhist temple, Takaosan Yakuōin Yūkiji, is located on the mountain. Visitors to Mount Takao can choose to start climbing from the base, or take a funicular or ropeway ride halfway up the mountain. That is what Jody and I chose to do and it was a VERY smart choice. We did walk down from the top and that was ardous by itself due to the steepness of the paved roadway and the number it did on our feet, particularly our toes. Walking up it looks incredibly difficult.

Mt. Takao is known for lots of flying squirrels, as this little sculptured "Rocky" who greeted us at the base.

We took the open roapway ride half-way up the mountain (notice no arm rails in front). It was quite a fun ride and VERY long.

Rubbing the octopus for "good luck."

A little child ringing the shrine's bell for "good luck."

One of the many sets of stairs we encountered in our climb to the top of Mt. Takao, not to mention the numerous shrines.

Japan is preparing BIG TIME for the 2020 Olympics by renovating their important shrines and temples.

Notice the dog-like creature running between his legs with the tail out the back and the head in the front.

We were just walking along going from temple to temple and I spied this little guy on a fence post. Well, naturally I had to take him home.

We made it!

Looks almost like Middle Earth.

Jody having fun with her camera.

And now we start our long trek down Mt. Takao.

What fun - a suspension bridge.

What a beautiful green forest.

Still pretty high up and a long way to go. Man, did our feet hurt when we hit bottom.