Onsen, Sumo, Golf and too much Tokyo

[Noel Mugavin]

Time to get moving and get something to eat



Found an Ootoya and fortunately just beat the lunch rush





Later in the afternoon headed over to Odaiba




Down here to check out the Disaster Prevention Experience

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Display on the upper floors








View from the roof top garden

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Wandered around Odaiba

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Back to Shinjuku and the hotel, a long day ahead of me tomorrow

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Pre-sunrise start as I took the Chuo-Sobu line to Chiba Station.


Half an hour or so to get a bit of breakfast and a coffee before getting o the Sotobo line to Togane






Only a small station and relieved that there were plenty of taxis available






15 minute taxi ride and to my destination of Higashi Chiba Golf club. Into the club rooms to change into the golf gear, picked up my clubs, assigned my cart and then off to find the driving range to get a warm up in.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

About 15 minutes to tee off time as I walked back to the cart to drop off the clubs I took to the range. Problem. Couldn't remember the cart number, and as they were hire clubs, no idea what the bag looked like. Bit of wandering and peeking at carts for a few minutes, before heading to the gear hut with my tail between my legs to as for the cart number.
Eventually found the cart, and my 3 non-English speaking playing partners.
First tee, 0 degrees, ice still on the ground. Couple of groups behind us, starter, and my 3 golf mates.
Success, hit the middle of the fairway.

Parred the first. Parred the second.


2 greens on each hole, 1 for summer, 1 for winter. Astro turf winter greens were fast,
3rd hole, fairway.



Green in reg, easy game this Japanese golf.

Until I 4 putted for a double, and it all went downhill from there.
Very fun course, blind shots, lots of undulations


Impressive Par 3, for those of us in the west, similar to the 16th at Araluen. Hit the green and when got to it realized that the greens weren't astro turf, they were frozen. Bit of sun and they had started thawing out.



At the end of 9 with golf in Japan, it's the lunch break.
View from the restaurant

 

[Scarlett]

Zero degrees. I love the dedication!

 

[Noel Mugavin]

I went the shrimp


Through google translate and my basic Japanese, was able to have a bit of a discussion with my new friends.
Time to get back to the golf at our designated time.
The carts run automatically on a designated track and are in order of returning tee times






Back 9 was just as fun and interesting as the front 9 and I pretty much played steady, bogey golf. Also able to disrobe for a few holes as the sun came through. Didn't last long though, back to freezing as the sun went down.








End of the round bid my farewells to my new friends as I hit the club room onsen. Great way to finish a round.
Asked the front desk to call me a taxi. After 20 minutes waiting, concluded that something got lost in translation. Went back to the desk and sorted it out and 10 minutes later a taxi appeared. Photo of the clubhouse while I waited.




As the the cab pulled into the station a train pulled away, and unfortunately it was another 30 minutes until the next one. A long hour and a half back to Shunjuku, a late dinner at Yoshinoya before stumbling into the hotel at about 9 o'clock after a very long, but very enjoyable day.
Golf in Japan is a great experience and would certainly do it again. For the round with lunch, clubs, cart and the onsen included was $100. Had to book through an agent, which was a further $70, but all in all very good value.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Later start next morning as I headed back to the Shinjuku Station and the Chuo-Sobu line


Off at the Ryogoku Station






Late breakfast at Matsuya




Here for a day at the sumo

The Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena

 

[Noel Mugavin]

A little shopping/display area next to the stadium









Inside the stadium

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Bouts start about 11 o'clock, with the lower divisions comprising of the young blokes starting out, injured blokes coming back, old blokes moving out, or the blokes who are just not very good. Very few spectators in the arena at this time, most people start coming in when the top 2 divisions start alter in the afternoon. I'd been watching the sumo channel 'Sumo Food' for a while which follows wrestlers from 1 particular stable, so was quite keen to see as many of them as possible wrestle.
Bloke with the knee bandage is Nabatame. Was making his way through the2nd division until struck down with a knee injury. Firtst tournament back in the lower divisions. Way too god for his opponent.


Aonishiki, Ukranian wrestler, only been doing sumo for a short time and blasting his way through the top division. Won this tournament as well as the previous one,


Second division wrestlers going through the pre-bout rituals.

Big boys




Stepped outside for a breather




Hoshoryu, yokozuna, meaning horizontal rope, which he is wearing, and the top ranking in sumo, performing his ritual before the first division commences.

 

[Noah Count]

@Noel Mugavin are your photos from the first tournament in Tokyo Jan 26, only asking as I am currently planning with a mate to go to the May 27 Tokyo tournament.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

@Noel Mugavin are your photos from the first tournament in Tokyo Jan 26, only asking as I am currently planning with a mate to go to the May 27 Tokyo tournament.

Yep, this year's January basho

 

[Noel Mugavin]

There's a lot of pageantry and ancient tradition with sumo. This however, before every bout in the top division is just sponsor advertising









Big wad of envelopes to the bout winner, containing big wads of cash from the sponsors. Half to the rikishi straight away, half into a retirement fund and to cover tax requirements.

All over for another day




Slow walk and wait for the train


Dinner in Shinjuku, a wander, then bed

 

[Skyring]

Another half hour of trying to get a decent photo with the sun rising behind.
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I loved the shot but I thought, I'll bet I can tweak that a little in Lightroom. As it turned out, not so much, but Google Veo did a fabulous – and fake – job.

"There is some chunky banding in the sky that could be smoothed. More dramatic dawn lighting. Bring out the photographer on the right."

 

[Noel Mugavin]

I loved the shot but I thought, I'll bet I can tweak that a little in Lightroom. As it turned out, not so much, but Google Veo did a fabulous – and fake – job.

"There is some chunky banding in the sky that could be smoothed. More dramatic dawn lighting. Bring out the photographer on the right."

Looks so good, thank you very much.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Early start and down to Shibuya and the Don Quijote superstore to get rid of most of my cash.
Kabukicho branch on the way to the station





Early start, no lining up for a snap




Brought a heap of cough I didn't need, needed a coffee so stopped at the starbucks overlooking the crossing. Very sterile and quite uncomfortable in there, not to mention very ordinary coffee.
Time to get rid of the bags. Some work still going on at Shibuya Station



Eventually head out and down through Omotesando and to Henry's Burger


Was fine


Wandered, but gees the hordes were getting to me. Bit of work going on


Back streets to try and escape the hordes back to Harajuku Station

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Back on the main drag and fighting the crowds, then down to Shibuya




Wasn't long before I'd had enough of the shoulder to shoulder everywhere I went, and went scurrying back to the hotel





Headed out around dinner time and Gogo's it was


More wandering

 

[Noel Mugavin]

On planning this trip I purposely allowed myself a few days on Tokyo for a bit of exploration. My 6th time to Japan, and apart from the first visit 10 years ago had spent minimal time in Tokyo. Unfortunately, after today, I had no intention of spending my last day battling crowds in Tokyo, so back to the hotel to plan out my last day.