Tell me about Japan..

RealMan

Going to have a chance to go to Japan for a few days, and obviously am trying to decide if its worth taking a bike, and if so, which one.

Not sure where abouts in Japan I will be in yet (I know..) and it will probably be December ish.

So what's it going to be? MTB? Road bike? BMX?

supersonic

Motorbike!

RealMan

Don't think it would fit in a bike box, unfortunately.

Thermo1

There was an interview with a Japanese dude (worked for Trek) in a local MTB mag who came to NZ to ride his MTB. He said the mountain biking in Japan wasn't particularly good and most MTBers had migrated towards road bikes.

joshtp

been a few articles on japan in MBUK, including one about a bike park that was suposet to be very good, so take the mtb, and do some reaserch, i would.

RealMan

Yeah, my research so far has found this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QArKoMgdZrE

Worth a watch. Definitely.

Kid Cragg

pack the trails bike then! haha that ish was awesome!

BigStu2

Its winter in December in Japan so a bike that can be ridden indoors is the go whether its an indoor MTB park or a velodrome it'll be fun, do your homework before you go or it'll stay in the box, ski's are another option if your near the mountains.

Splasher

If you don't mind me asking, why are you going to Japan and have you been before?

canada16

If I was going to japan only for a few days I would be buying tons of stuff for my bike.

I heard its a lot cheaper for that stuff over there, hitting bike shops ect.

Then getting some proper sushi and have a look at there 1000mb broadband :shock:

VWsurfbum

gadgets lots of gadgets, a credit card ready to take a damm good hit for all the cheap carbon goodies you can buy there!

I really want to go and the wife does too but we have to wait a while for little one to be old enough.

albino

In December you'll be much better off taking skis/board unless you're down near Okinawa or that end of the country. I lived in Japan for 3 years and there are some amazing areas for wintersports, particularly Nagano (Japan Alps), Niigata and Hokaiido. And of course, where you find big mountains you generally find decent biking too. I didn't bike while I was out there but I've still a few mates out there who are into it and could point you in the right direction if you wanted.

RealMan

Why am I going to Japan? Because I've been given the opportunity, so why not?. And no, I've never been before.

And I will be in and around Tokyo mostly.

I've never really liked skiing much, so if it is really snowing and such, I just have to decide between two things.



or..

albino

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHABOwD_fes

Takes a few minutes to get into it but looks like fun. Wish I'd biked when i was out there.

This vids taken in early December...don't tend to get serious snowfall lower down until later in the month. Takes about 1.5 hrs on the shinkansen to Nagano city. Obviously longer + car to get to decent mountains.

snotty badger

I went to Japan lsat November with work. I don't know about the biking side of things but-

1- The food is terrible, ended up eating way too many KFC/McDs
2- If you can find somewhere that sells a pint of beer you're lucky- most places come in small glasses, the Japenese cannot drink to save themselves
3- I might of been unlucky but the Yen was very strong and a pint of Carlsberg cost over £6!! And it was cheaper buy an Ipod at back here!
4- Expect lots of strangers to come up and practise English with you
5- We had women waving and giggling all the time, they seem to like western/English men

albino

snotty badger wrote:

I went to Japan lsat November with work. I don't know about the biking side of things but-

1- The food is terrible, ended up eating way too many KFC/McDs
2- If you can find somewhere that sells a pint of beer you're lucky- most places come in small glasses, the Japenese cannot drink to save themselves
3- I might of been unlucky but the Yen was very strong and a pint of Carlsberg cost over £6!! And it was cheaper buy an Ipod at back here!
4- Expect lots of strangers to come up and practise English with you
5- We had women waving and giggling all the time, they seem to like western/English men

Yeah, the sooner they get rid of all that shi*t food and start selling decent stuff like Mcd's everywhere then it will really improve the place. And as for not selling pints of beer, it's just a joke that any discerning Englishman should have to put up with that. Hell, they can't can't drink for toffee either...!!!!!

I think the OP should save himself the hassle and find somewhere to bike where he can eat burgers, drink pints and where the locals gorge themselves on pints of ale. Sounds familiar but I just can't think of that place.

Still, I suppose if he were up for opening his mind to the potential joys of experiencing a totally different culture he might have a slightly different experience.

snotty badger

Is that a dig? :?

I enjoyed the culture, well what I seen of it. And everything I wrote was meant in a light hearted fashion.

No one I know that has visited Japan has enjoyed the food, quite the opposite. Also they have plenty McDs so you don't have to worry there pal :P

On a more serious note, seeing as I can't be light hearted, what i seen of Sapporo was awesome, most of the locals are very freindly, some bars won't let you in- only thing you get is "No English"- tad racist maybes?

And it was fairly cold in November- but we were on the northen most island.

I would definatly like to go back one day.


Happy albino
:P :P

albino

snotty badger wrote:

Is that a dig? :?

I enjoyed the culture, well what I seen of it. And everything I wrote was meant in a light hearted fashion.

l:

So were mine really - just heard too many people who are happy to form opinions on first impresions before taking the time to peel back the layers and find out a bit more.

I didn't particularly like a lot of Japanese food when I first tasted it, but then again I didn't really like beer when I first tasted it.

Inverted8

snotty badger wrote:

I went to Japan lsat November with work. I don't know about the biking side of things but-

1- The food is terrible, ended up eating way too many KFC/McDs
2- If you can find somewhere that sells a pint of beer you're lucky- most places come in small glasses, the Japenese cannot drink to save themselves
3- I might of been unlucky but the Yen was very strong and a pint of Carlsberg cost over £6!! And it was cheaper buy an Ipod at back here!
4- Expect lots of strangers to come up and practise English with you
5- We had women waving and giggling all the time, they seem to like western/English men

The food is some of the best in the world! There are more Michelin star restuarants in Tokyo than anywhere in the world. You probably don't know good food if it slapped you in the face! I much prefer Kirin or Asahi than UK brewed pi**! like Carlsberg, Fosters and Carling. I don't MTBiking is very big over there due to the fact that land is at a premium and what is not developed is inaccessable or protected. BTW I'm not Japanese.

RealMan

Yeah I've heard the food is mostly fish, but I'm fine with that as long as I can get some noodles or something as well. Close enough to pasta for me.

Cheers for the video, looks alright.

And I think some of you have misunderstood me - I'm not going to Japan to mountain bike, I'm going to Japan, and thought I might as well take my bike and try to get a bit in.

albino

You'll be alright....in Tokyo it's easier to find Ramen noodle stalls/restaurants than sushi/fish places. Hell of a lot cheaper too and delicious! (Plenty of Italian places too if you really get the need for pasta).

jrduquemin

No bikes, just rent a Nissan GTR and go ragging round in that :-)

P-Jay

I was only there a few days myself back-in-the-day. Piss funny place.

The people all seemed very friendly, but not exactly touchy-feely ha ha. Took me while to realise you have to put money onto a little antispectic soaked mat thing and expect chain the same way. MIght have been my skuzzy looks though.

I was coming of the back of a 12 months back backing and arrvied there with about £24's worth of Yeh, 15c Oz and an £10 note. So I was eating in the hotel everyday (Airline were paying for changing my flight TF) The food there was OK, but so alien to me. The Gals that worked in the buffet type this didn't speak English and my Japanesse extends to "Thanks" "thank you" and "Thank you very much" by deleting words based on how thankful I was.

My Mate stayed at the same place as me about 6 weeks later, first thing we said to each other after probably 4 months "Did you have the Hotdog for brekfast??"

The Breakfast board had 8 pictures on it, 7 were clearly food of some sort but like nothing I've seen before or since. But number 4 looked like a big american style hotdog, only the dog was white, it had lettuice in the bun and it had sweetcorn on it. Had it three days in a row.

Anyway, it's all changed now I guess, but back then I spent the entire £24 on some smokes, a can of coke, a Magnum and a 30 second call home to ask to be picked up from heathrow. Given the state of the pound I guess it's even worse now...

I walked around Tokyo for hours and hours and never got bored. It's as amazing as you can possible imagine, few thigns that struck me:

They're not all sexual deviants, there aren't machines selling used knickers on every corner and such. In fact I was disapointed that there wasn't vending machines selling Pets/Snow/Chips/Hippos etc - just lots of flashy shops.

They really can't drink for toffee. I saw a TV show with that bager looking doctor, who said it was down to poor water supplies in Western Europe hunderds of years ago we can tolerate it much more. Doesn't stop them trying though! We went out one night, The Japanesse only have one day of a week as far as I can tell and the place was rammed with bloke in suits getting blitzed.

It's expensive!! I wasn't really looking at electronics, but I'm told that the idea that somehow stuff over there is 2-3 years ahead of the stuff we've got here and half price is a myth.

It has biblical weather.

RealMan

P-Jay wrote:

my Japanesse extends to "Thanks" "thank you" and "Thank you very much" by deleting words based on how thankful I was.

Made me laugh. Rest was useful, cheers.

albino wrote:

Plenty of Italian places too if you really get the need for pasta.

Thank god.

snotty badger

albino wrote:

snotty badger wrote:

Is that a dig? :?

I enjoyed the culture, well what I seen of it. And everything I wrote was meant in a light hearted fashion.

l:

So were mine really - just heard too many people who are happy to form opinions on first impresions before taking the time to peel back the layers and find out a bit more.

I didn't particularly like a lot of Japanese food when I first tasted it, but then again I didn't really like beer when I first tasted it.

Fair do's- I really didn't get on with the food, guess my Western tastes were lost on it- not that broiled cows internal organs sounded very appertising!

Inverted8 wrote:

The food is some of the best in the world! There are more Michelin star restuarants in Tokyo than anywhere in the world. You probably don't know good food if it slapped you in the face! I much prefer Kirin or Asahi than UK brewed pi**! like Carlsberg, Fosters and Carling. I don't MTBiking is very big over there due to the fact that land is at a premium and what is not developed is inaccessable or protected. BTW I'm not Japanese.

Jeez, the food I had was far from the best in the world, but then I was hardly in top notch restaurants too- my day money barely bought me a pizza and a beer! Hardly worth insulting me is it??? Don't take everything too seriously.

I just didn't get on with the taste of Japanese food- neither did anyone else on the team, or anyone that had visited before hand. No doubt if I tried a few more dishes I might of found something a bit more to my Western taste buds.

Strange really, the Japanese restaurant on holiday was quite enjoyable

And I'm not a fan of Fosters, Carling or Carlberg either- paying £6.xxp for Carlsberg broke my heart

snotty badger

I just looked to see what "broiled" meant- a kind of grilling- sounds better than broiled! :oops:

albino

snotty badger wrote:

I just looked to see what "broiled" meant- a kind of grilling- sounds better than broiled! :oops:

Yeah...guess it's like grilled liver or kidneys. Not particularly appetising in any country!

You do eat some weird stuff out there, cows rectum!, raw fish eyes, natto (fermented bean curd) and bees larvae. (TBH the rectum was the best of the lot - never thought i'd say that).
When I first went out with my Japanese work colleagues it was to a "yaki-niku" restaurant where you order marinated raw meat and cook it yourself on a build in grill. I ordered what looked like a 1/4 chicken in the picture but it ended up being whole pigs trotters (still kind of hairy too). Don't think anyone was particularly enamoured with them but I still ate, (chewed on) them and pretended that I knew what they were all along.

If you want to drink on the cheap in Tokyo look for bars that do Nomihoudai. Basically for a set fee, usually about £10-20, you can drink as much as you like for an hour and a half-2 hours. Can be continued if you need.

snotty badger

Unfortunatly I was no where near Tokyo- are those the bars were you have some female company too?

Its a great country really, very clean. The bus driver at the airport wipes it down the inside once you get off... maybe thats coz we're dirty westerners though lol

Surprised that they stil allow smoking in bars and resturants though :?

If I get to go back next year I'll PM you, you seem to know your beans- or rectums as it may be when it comes to Japan

welshkev

ride guide did a show about japan. check this out:

http://www.rideguide.ca/NewsGallery_bik ... ws_id=214##

missmarple

You're one lucky bugger, I've been wanting to go to Japan for years. Aiming to do some flying out there when I get the chance.

If you can find somewhere that sells a pint of beer you're lucky- most places come in small glasses, the Japenese cannot drink to save themselves

Isn't the OP underage? :oops:

snotty badger

lol :oops:

I don't know if they have White Ligthening in Japan or not!