Hanabi 2

On Saturday there was a BIG firework show (hanabi) on our neighborhood. Went there already at 13:30 to get good place. It was AMAZING. I love fireworks. One of the reasons I ended up to become a chemist... They shot 11 000 rockets this time and show was going on for an hour! Incredible! Magnificent! Normally in Finland I've got used to see fireworks only on new years eve and you can imagine (and most of probably know from their experience) that it is really really cold at that time...so your freezing while watching fireworks...normally. But not here! I prefer the Japanese hanabi. Temperature +30 degrees, sitting with your friends having a picnic, sipping some sake... And if you don't mind that it's a bit crowded it's perfect way to spent Saturday. Here you have few pictures from fireworks.



Like normally in Japan, if there is something special, you don't need to be alone.






































Tommi and me. As it's a tradition wearing yukata's that day.






Small lights down are buildings next to the place where shot the rockets. That may give some picture of the size of these fireworks.

Punk-rock party

Had tickets to the Offspring's concert for the last Tuesday. Killer combination for the body to put Fuji and this on the same week. But that's life. The party was GREEEEEEEEEEEAT!! Two warm up bands before the long waited band from my teenage years. First band's name forgot already but the second band, MXPX, really made everybody explode. How can anyone have any energy left for the evenings main star? Easily, this is a punk-rock party and the music makes rock until you drop (which wasn't far for this grandpa...)!!!! THE OFFSPRING made crowd so energetic that MXPX was really needed to drain some energy out, otherwise that place would have been way too small for all that amount of energy bursting out at the same time. These two bands really made the day.



The Offspring in Tokyo.


The crowd behind.


How to survive home when your ALL clothes are soaked wet... Freaking refrigerators on the tracks are killing cold even with dry clothes.


...well, have to make a stop at Shibuya to buy something dry to wear.


I don't know which one made local people smile more; topless gaijin or gaijin wearing this shirt....

Mt. Fuji II

Two weeks ago felt recovered physically...and mentally from first trip to Mt. Fuji, so it was time to go again. We took bus from Shinjuku to the 5th station (2400m) on the mountain. Started climbing around 10 pm. This time took the eastern side route (most famous route). Weather was perfect (especially compared to last time), clear sky and well...a bit chilly in my opinion, at the 5th station only +16. But you get warm during the climbing. Everything went well until the station located at 3250m. After that got stuck in the crowd. Temperature was too low for standing and started to feel the cold again! Once again, Mt. Fuji is the coldest place in whole island I have been able to find...

Didn't get to the top before sun rise but close enough. Luckily brought lots of extra clothes to keep me warm during the jam. After sun rise weather got much, much more comfortable. Sun rose at 4.40 am. On the top we slept for an hour before started to come down. Lost the right track and ended up 500 meters lower than the starting station. The way to this station was more steep so spent only 2.5 hours for coming down. Took a taxi with American couple to the nearest train station and headed home to sleep. Took bath first. ;P


Night view from the path. Seems like we are not the only ones going up...


My friend Vitalj, so far everything gone perfect.


Heard that two paths are connecting at previous station. Makes the rest of the path crowded.


Crowd is a good cover against shivering wind in these heights.


Finally someone wants to get up.


...


peaceful...


And finally The Sun is showing itself.


No need to be alone at this path.


No hurry everybody gets up...just be patient. Unbelievable, more crowded than Shibuya on Friday night.


The crater of the volcano.


Me ready to go down. Lots dust on the air on this warm day...


This steep parts it's better just to run or slide down. This part was the most fun of the whole trip!

Fuji pics updated

Fuji-san.

Now that I'm recovered from that trip it's time to make another one. Tomorrow heading to Fuji again and climbing the night between Sat-Sun. Hopefully this time it won't be raining... But just in case I'll take a plastic bag for my cellphone. Had to buy new phone this week 'cause old one got wet during last climbing... >_<

Oh, and here is a pic from last week's most challenging task:


First time in my life I opened a laptop...but machine is a machine for engineer (even for chemical engineer;)

Rain season is over

Finally updated some old posts which were waiting to be posted. They can be found by scrolling down or by clicking following links:

baseball

sumo

Now the weather is perfect. Rain season is finally over and temperature outside more than 30 Celsius. Today I'll get my cellphone back (it was broken and had to take it to the shop which sold it). Also fixed my laptop. Changed the hard drive by myself last week. You can't even imagine how much I sweat out of pure excitement...quite expensive machine to break. Everything went well. Souichiro-san was supervising the process.

Two week's ago we went to hanabi (firework) festival or something. Every weekend is full of fetivals around Tokyo these days and they do many times BIG fireworks. This one was in Asakusa and they shot totally 22 000 fireworks to the sky. Heheh, unfortunately no pictures of fireworks but I think everybody can imagine that amount of fireworks on the sky, magnificent! Instead few pictures of happy people having fun that night. Last night that Timo and Outi (Aho;) were here.


Mölkky is an excellent game for waiting the commming dark and fireworks...


A bit crowded. These happenings are popular around here.


Happy festival people.


Ulkosuomalaiset Tommi ja meikä...oops, did I wrote Finnish...


And like most of parties in Japan, this also ended up in Karaoke.

What else...next Saturday climbing again on Mt Fuji. From this point 5 weeks time to finish my thesis and also should find an apartment before September. Most importantly finally back to judo training schedule (at least 2 times a week) and it feels damn good. Stress level is considerably lower and staying like that...no matter what. I'll have my summer holidays at the end of the September (totally 10 days including weekends and one public holiday).

Movies are coming here much later than Europe and US. Last weekend we got finally the Transformers!!!! The makers of that movie are genius!

Fuji-san

The top of the Mt. Fuji is the coldest place in the whole country! Ok, we had quite bad luck with the weather and were soaked when we reached the top. Last Saturday Outi, Timo, Tommi and me started from 2400 m and climbed all the way to the 3700 m. Climbing during the night is challenge itself but didn't we get refreshing rain with mild wind to acompany us till the top. Outi and Timo were the hardest fighters ever showing real Finnish spirit! They had normal sneakers and 100 yen raincoats (which are like those coats sold in amusement parks next to the water amusements). Eventually we were able to see what we came for, the famous sun rise in the land of the rising sun!

Pictures and more stories from that adventure comming later. This is the last week for hard working with the thesis (and no, it wont be ready after this week but working hours will change more human and I'll get back to the Judo gym). Next Saturday Finnish style drinking party and BIIIIIG firework show.

Next week time to start looking for a new appartment.

...And finally the picture of the Fuji adventure:


They don't know yet what is waiting ahead.


Starting point.


Half way to up.


How much still to go?


700 m more and we'll be on the top...


He-hey! We did it. Though it's windy, raining and freaking cold...no way we are going to spent any more time on the top.


Studying the map how to get down to the right city...


Suddenly weather started to change. The rain was gone.


Hehee, on the top you don't have to be alone...


The moment is comming.


Last preparations before starting to go down. Still freeking cold. This place is like a market square on the top of Mt. Fuji.


Last moment, everybody is holding their breath. Single "wows" could be heard from the crowd.


The precious Sun!


And once more.


The way down. Looks a bit easier route compared to that we took up. Weather turned warm immediately when sun got above the clouds surrounding us. This raised our low spirits to totally new levels!


Can it be? First glimpse of green land...we are closing to the end station.


A protection against rolling stones.... ;)


Tommi protected against the Sun. But still you burned?


Few more steps (read: couple kilometers).


Finish.


Few vending machines for thirsty climbers. :D

Still alive

Just quick posting to tell everybody that I'm still alive and kicking. Writing takes now all my time. Can't even do judo. I could take 2 h for judo easily but now time to rest. So no judo for last 2 weeks. Soon I have get back there...for the sake of small organ located between the ears. ;P

Hard drive from my silver apple broke last weekend and lost most of pictures taken this spring...no time worry about that for a one month on...eee, what else? Oh, many friends right now here. Tommi is now back in Japan for 3 months and Timo&Outi are travelling here right now for 3 weeks. After 2 weeks(?) we'll be climbing together to the top of Mt. Fuji.