Koshien, it’s actually not in Osaka

Correction time!

Javi from Motomachicake pointed that Koshien, the baseball stadium of the Hanshin Tigers, is not really in Osaka, but actually in Hyogo prefecture. Kobe is the major city in Hyogo, and Motomachi (where it seems Javi hails from) is in Kobe as well.

Well… (checks map) True. Koshien is in Hyogo.

But why would I make such a mistake? Aside from the fact that I have a terrible sense of direction (方向音痴),  I have another, more culturally interesting excuse.  So for now, forget all cartographical and geographical truths and let me indulge you for a bit.

The Hanshin Tigers. What is “Hanshin”?

The characters for Hanshin are 「阪神」which includes the “saka” character in Osaka 「大阪」and the “kou” character in Kobe 「神戸」. The Hanshin train line runs from Osaka to Kobe, and Koshien happens to be accessible from that line. So, the name Hanshin Tigers gives its love to both Osaka and Kobe residents!

Also, there are a lot of Hanshin Tigers fans in Osaka. There are also a lot of fans in Hyogo. Apparently, the Amagasaki area has an especially energetic bunch of Hanshin fans. My wife said those fans are almost a little bit 「危ない」, or “dangerous”, they’re so enthusiastic. Note, “dangerous” in Japanese doesn’t mean that they’re likely to harm you really… They’re just a little rowdy.

Another weak excuse for my misconception, is that after the Hanshin Tigers win it all, where do the fans go? They go to Doutonbori bridge in Osaka to celebrate!

[Not North Korea]

[Not Disneyland]

So, even though physically Koshien stadium is in Hyogo and actually not in Osaka, spiritually Hanshin Tigers love knows no boundaries! When the Hanshin Tigers win the pendant, let fans from Kobe and Osaka unite! They’ll ride the Hanshin train line from Koshien down to Doutonbori to celebrate as one!

Go Hanshin!!!  (wipes tear from  eye)

- Harvey

Hiking in Kansai: Abandoned Fukuchiyama Railway

Hiking in Kansai! Gotta love it. Get away from the city. Get some air. Listen to a river, look at some GREEN… Sweat a lot.

The hiking trail we went on this time was interesting in that it followed an old abandoned train route (廃線). The course was interesting, and other than the heat, not a laborious hike at all. It goes along an unused JR Train line (fukuchiyama-sen 旧福知山線) for about 5 kilometers to JR Takedao Station. The trail goes right on top of the old train tracks, through tunnels, and follows a river the entire way.

Hiking Course Starting Location：JR Namaze Station (生瀬駅)
Course Finish: JR Takedao Station (武田尾駅)
Total Distance: 5-7 km? Something like that.

JR Namaze Station is about 30 minutes by train from Osaka/Umeda going out towards Amagasaki.

There are a few hot springs in the Takedao area, a great way to end the hike!

You can see the old tracks in the picture above. In this shot the track is pretty buried in the earth, but in other areas of the path they are still sticking out in full view.

Crossing the bridge was great. You cannot walk on the tracks across the middle, but there is a foot bridge attached to the side. A little creepy, but not so bad as it wasn’t that high up.

If you look closely you can see the tracks in this picture as well. The sides of the path are totally overgrown.

Also, at the end of the trail there is a great cafe by the river called Sakuraya. They serve giant kakigouri (crushed ice with flavoring and red beans and stuff…) that really hits the spot after the sweaty trek. If you start your hike from Namaze and go all the way to the end, you simply cannot miss this cafe, it’s pretty much the first commercial building you will see after getting off the path.

Good times. Wake up early one day and give it a try! You might want to bring a flashlight for the tunnels. It’s really pitch black inside, and the trail goes through about 6 tunnels if I remember correctly. Some are quite long… We ended up tagging along with some well-prepared old lady hikers one time!

Here are are a few Japanese blogs that have reviewed the same hiking course.

あろーい日記

プチ美々屋

There are also some Japan hiking books in English available that look like they might be the guides to have for anyone serious about hiking in Japan

Hiking in Japan: An Adventurer’s Guide to the Mountain Trails

Hiking in Japan (Lonely Planet Walking Guides)

Note, the hike that I just did here is -not- serious. More like a casual slacker hike. These books though, have entire day trips, and multi-day hikes. If you’re serious about hiking, you might want to check them out.

Good times!

- Harvey

Voice Play in Kobe 7th and 8th

Anyone in Kobe looking for something to do on the 7th or 8th, listen up!

The Voice, a play group in Kobe is doing their annual summer gig on the 7th, and 8th. Ticket are only 2000 yen for an adult and the money goes to charity.

I went to their act a few years ago during my first Osaka stint, and had a lot of fun. The plays are all in English, and the actors are a mix of super-gaijin and super-nihonjin.

You won’t feel energy like this on the commuter trains that’s for sure!

Details on their website, but here is the skinny!  I am not an actor.

THE VOICE

presents “Murders and Mysteries”, a set of six one-act plays with a murder mystery musical between acts, featuring the music of “Queen” July 7 (Sat.) 7:00 pm, July 8 (Sun.) 1:00 pm & 5:30 pm.

at Theater Pochette, Kitano-cho, Kobe (see website for map)

Admission 2000 yen (adults), 1500 yen (students) Proceeds donated to charity.

- Harvey

Flaming Blowfish Sake

I have been in Japan for quite some time now…
Yet I still have first-time experiences quite frequently.

A while back I had “blow fish sake” at a blow fish specialty shop in Kobe. The meal consisted of blow fish sashimi, followed by blow fish nabe (a type of hot pot), and after our first beers we had this blow fish sake to top it off… And knock us out.

It comes in an innocent looking cup.

But when it is served, the waitress will reach inside, pull up a chunk of blow fish which has been floating inside and set it on fire!

Burn blow fish burn.

The alcohol content of this felt very strong, though I don’t think it was any stronger than regular sake. The fact that it is extremely hot, and also has a very almost bitter and sour taste to it because of the blow fish make it go down rough.

Give it a try!

I was a little out of it the next day…

- Harvey

Kobe Chinatown - Chinese Burger

Back to Kobe Chinatown!

Though the Chinatown in Yokohama is much larger than Kobe’s Chinatown, Kobe has it’s own nice neat feel to it.

Of course, the reason anyone goes to Chinatown in Japan is to eat…

Below is what the Japanese call a “Chinese Burger”… What is the Chinese name for this? Does anyone know? I think it might be a “Baozi” but I’m not sure.

The shop below has great Chinese Burgers. If you’re in Kobe Chinatown try to hunt this place down! You won’t be disappointed.

- Harvey