Smiles Of Japan

日本の今を伝え続けたトラベルボランティア


>> P.20

20|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTFOOD&DRINKNAGANOWEHADHALFANIDEAABOUTNAGANOBEFOREARRIVINGINJAPAN.THEMONKEYS,THELEGENDARYSNOW,THEWORLDCLASSSKI-RUNS-NONEOFTHATWASASURPRISE.HOWEVER,THEUNBELIEVABLEAUTUMNCOLOURSWEREABONUS;ASWASTHEHOSPITALITYOFTHEPEOPLEWEMETALONGTHEWAY.PEOPLELIKETALENTEDSNOW-FANATICYASUOFTHETABITABILODGEINHAKUBA.HEHASMADETHISLITTLETOWNHISHOMEANDNOWONDER:ITISONEOFJAPAN’STOPSKI-DESTINATIONSSWITHSEVENDIFFERENTRESORTS,INCLUDINGTHESTEEPESTSLOPESINTHECOUNTRY.WHENTHEWINTEROLYMPICSCAMEHERE,HAKUBAWASUSEDFORSEVERALOFTHETOPDOWNHILLCOMPETITIONS,ASWELLASBEINGSITEOFTHESKI-JUMPINGSTADIUM.SADLY,ATTHEMOMENTONLYTHEVERYTOPSOFTHEPEAKSHEREHAVERECEIVEDTHEIRFIRSTDUSTINGOFTHESEASON,SOWEADMIREDITALLFROMAFARANDGOTONATRAINTOMATSUMOTO.AGAIN,THECHARMSHEREWERENOSECRET:THEENORMOUSCASTLEATTHECENTREOFTOWNISJAPAN’SOLDESTANDUNSURPRISINGLY,ANATIONALTREASURE.MATSUMOTOISALSOTHEHOMEOFARTISTANDPOLKA-DOTBOTHERER YAYOIKUSAMA,SEVERALOFWHOSEWORKSCANBEFOUNDATAPERMANENTEXHIBITIONATTHEEXCELLENTMUSEUMOFART(CURRENTLYBEINGMADEMOREEXCELLENTBYAVISITINGSTUDIOGHIBLIEXHIBITION).BUTSTILL,PLEASANTASALLTHISWAS,NONEOFITWASASURPRISE–NORWASTHENEWSTHATNAGANOISTHELATESTPREFECTURETOCLAIMTOMAKETHEBESTSOBAINTHECOUNTRY.IT’SWORTHINVESTIGATINGTHESETHINGS,THOUGH,SOWEHEADEDINTOASMALLNOODLESHOPWITHOURHIGHLYAFFABLEGUIDEHITOMIHIRASAWA.THAT’SWHENTHESURPRISESSTARTEDBECAUSE,ASHITOMIEXPLAINED,ONEOFTHEOTHERCULINARYTREATSHEREISHORSEMEAT.RAW.THEREHAVEBEENSEVERALTIMESINMYLIFEWHENI’VEWISHEDFORTHEVIOLENTDEMISEOFHORSES(MOSTLYATRACECOURSESWHENMYGOODMONEYWASDISAPPEARINGAFTERTHEIRBADPERFORMANCES)BUTTHEYWERENOTHINGMORETHANBRIEF,APOPLECTICFANTASIES.NOTBEINGTHESORTSTOSHYAWAYFROMANEWEXPERIENCES,THOUGH,ANDWITHNEITHEROFUSHAVINGANYPARTICULARAFFECTIONFORHORSES,WEDECIDEDTOORDERAPLATE.AFEWMINUTESLATER,THEREHEWAS,MRED,DEAD.ISMEAREDALITTLEGINGERONTHEFLESH,DIPPEDITINRAWTEMPTATION


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