JUMP!

Somewhere in Nagano...

Am I prancing?

No. I`m jumping for joy, slightly over-excited about stumbling upon these snow-covered, terraced rice fields, the perfect excuse to take a break from the narrow, winding road we called "The Intestines".


Rockin` the macket (macket = man jacket) with my broken wrists. Yes it is a man`s jacket, and yes we did actually see a man wearing the same one on our trip to Matsumoto. No, I am not a man.

Nijia style! Hi-ya!

Abbey prepares for lift off...

Autumn in Ena 恵那の秋

Fallen leaves
Come flying from elsewhere
Autumn is ending.

~Matsuo Basho

Along this road
Goes no one,
This autumn eve.

~Basho

The road to my beautiful mountain school.

The view from the Beautiful Mountain school (^-^)/

Mountains Make Me Happy...

And Ena has plenty of Mountains!

The beautiful view just up the road from my apartment. The impressive, snow covered peak of Ontake-san, rising 10,049 feet (3,063 m) over the borders of Gifu and neighboring Nagano, is the first thing I see every morning as I walk out my door. Ontake is an active volcano (erupting last in 1980) and one of Japan's holy mountains. The humid haze of summer makes the peak almost invisible. I know that when I stumble out of my door to be greeted by it's graceful, Fuji-esque slopes covered in snow, autumn has arrived.

Whiter than the rocks
Of Stone Mountain
Autumn wind
-Basho

The Southern Japanese Alps. Just a few of the many reasons I'm thankful to be in Ena (^-^)/

Japan Update: Kasagi Conquered!

All that remains of my former life as a cheerleader...
And Abbey Sensei's former life as a martial arts master. Good thing the pirates don't know about her Ninja-esque past!

Touge & The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

Tokyo-Style Touge 峠 Drifting to a Theatre Near You

Watch the the trailer for Tokyo Drift!

Ever heard of Touge (pronounced toh-gay)? Doubtful, but the chances are you've heard of drifting. If not, you're about to get a crash course a la Hollywood: Fast and furiously. Quickly catching on in the States and abroad, this new racing craze's roots run deep through the twisiting, turning, roads of Japan. Touge itself refers to the mountain passes that wind their way through the mountainous terrain of the Japanese archeapelago.

Drifting is the controlled loss of traction, causing a car to appear as though it is out of control. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. A good drifter is in control of his car at all times, easily taking on five or six opposing turns without traction, at speeds of over 80mph, cutting angles of 45 degrees or more. As if that isin't potentially dangerous enough, in tougue, this is all done with the loving embrace of a wall of rock to one side and the comfort of a sheer drop off a cliff on the other. In a battle, the lead car wins if the gap between the cars increases -- the following car wins if the gap stays the same from start to finish.

"How?" You ask? In the words of Keiichi Tsuchiya, the one and only Drift King, and inspirational model for the main character in the popular manga series, Initial D (Kashiramoji D):

"You brake and then turn the wheel, step on the clutch, and pull the e-brake. Release the e-brake, go into countersteer mode, then wait. Wait until you know the car is facing the corner exit direction. then you smile and slam on the gas as you exit the corner."

There you go. Easy as that!

Thus the mission to infiltrate the scene begins...

The Daily Commute

Snow-covered persimmons, dangling over the shivering surface of the Kiso River like tangerine tear drops of sunshine. This is the view from my beautiful mountain school, North Ena Junior High. (Click on the photo to see a larger version).

Nothing says "Saftey Driving" (as our Japanese friends say) as operating a motor vehicle on a slippery, winding road through the mountains with one hand out the window taking pictures! The ride to work, this morning was just too breath-taking. The pine covered slopes, frosted with a fresh cover of over-night snow, seemed to rise higher on every side as I headed towards my beautiful mountain school. The blue sky, the warm sun, and the way the sugar powdered mountains melded with the fluffy, frosty, clouds hanging low with heavy snow was like a dream...a winter fantasy. Before the snow started falling, I could have sworn I would be happy to skip winter all together, but i will never be able to forget the way the mountains look blanketed in snow, or seeing Ontake's pristine peak rise over the southern alps that embrace my town. Yay for winter!

Tono Crew Conquers Mount Ena

At 2190 meters, Mount Ena is listed as one of the top 100 hikes in Japan. (The view from near my apartment last spring).


Following the Nakatsugawa river back to its source...




The narrow trail winds its way through thick, green vegetation.


What trail, you ask?


Just follow the slippery, moss covered rocks uphill for, oh, let's say 2,189 meters!

Along the way, don't forget to stop and smell the fungi!







The view from the summit, after 3 and 1/2 hours of hardcore hiking. Somewhere, tucked beneath the folds of those mountains, is my home.


J looks remarkably excited about the prospect of sliding down Ena on his oshiri as he slips over the edge.

The tough kids who climbed Mount Ena, and lived to tell the tale.

Camping with the Tono Crew

The crystal clear waters of a river running thru the foothills of the
Southern Japan Alps, in a tiny mountain cleft called Sakashita.


The men of Tono lounging along the river (from left): Andrew from Alaska, Jason (Ohio!), Scottish, AKA David (sporting the Union Jack), Phil, and George.


Kanpai! 乾杯！


Andrew, Crab Walking World Champion (in both forward and reverse divisions), and Anthony.


Not to be outdone, Leslie was quick to stake her claim as Piggy Backer Extraordinare.


The lovely ladies of Tono, Leslie and Megan (East side Ohio, represent!)

The lovely men?

Our wonderful RPAs, the Canadian Martha Stewart, Alyson, and Phil.

竜神滝 : Dragon God Falls

Perched upon the rocky outcrop of Dragon God Falls, the bright blue swim shorts of a Tono Crew member prepare to take the plunge .

Enasan：恵那山

Mount Ena, veiled in freshly fallen snow and a few lonely clouds.