A DREAM Trip to Japan, part 1

BY MATTHEW KAPLOWITZ

Here is a preview of Part 1 of my story in the current issue of MMA Worldwide (issue #12 with Rashad Evans on the cover), entitled “A DREAM Trip.” You can check out a ton of pics that were not used from the events I went to in the photo gallery section.

Arrival and “The Ginza”

My flight landed at around 12 in the afternoon a day later than I started. Narita Airport is one of the cleanest airports I have seen, giving me little fear to use their bathrooms.

Once I went through customs and got my luggage, I headed to the Japanese Travel Bureau office. Before I left, I reserved a “Japan Rail East Pass” from the JTB, which has offices nationwide. This pass worked for the JR Line in and surrounding areas near Tokyo, and for only $300 for a 10-day pass is a huge timesaver and bargain. They also will get you seats on the Narita Express train to and from the airport.
The Narita Express is a great way to see parts of the country and more rural areas, as they quickly become residential and then city areas once you get to Tokyo. I came in on a balmy and foggy day, but that only made the Japanese countryside even more mystical. An hour later, I arrived at Shinigawa Station, where I met my friend Diana near the Kounan exit. Thankfully, she spoke Japanese and knew what things were, making me seem slightly less touristy (even though I was the only white person for miles with a huge suitcase).

After getting settled in, we headed to The Ginza, shopping capital of Tokyo, to check out the noise. Compared to Fifth Avenue in New York City, is home to many chic Japanese, European and American department stores, as well as traditional restaurants, coffee bars, and boutiques. Keeping in mind I was there on a Monday, the streets were absolutely packed with people. The famous Mikimoto Pearl store is located here, as well as a huge Mitsukoshi department store and many corporate headquarters.

Hakuhinkan Toy Park holds four levels of toys, stuffed animals, dolls and kid things. Catering to a more touristy audience of clientele, this toy store is a fun place to get some interesting gifts for your friends. Halloween had recently made its way into Japanese culture, although no one trick or treats there. You can still, however, buy Halloween costumes for parties, decorations and candy. While you are there, check out the floor of cute (and sometimes creepy) stuffed animals and the boy’s section, complete with models of giant robots, PokÈmon cards, and Ultraman and Godzilla figures.

If you are a fan of cars, the Nissan Gallery has a show room of modern cars on display for tourists. Bic Camera was my favorite store to check out, with eight floors of electronics to browse, you will find many items that you will probably not find in America for a few months, and competitively priced.

Bookstores are also plentiful. Most convenience stores have a heavily stocked book section, and actual bookstores will blow you away. Some of the bigger ones in Japan are Kinokuniya, Yasukuni Dori, and Ohya Shobo. I went to Maruzen, located across the street from Tokyo station. It is Japan’s oldest bookstore, and recently moved to a new building to fit its massive inventory. You can find books on any topic, as well as an imposing magazine selection, including back issues, and a variety of English things on the fourth floor. I purchased a production art book on a Miyazaki movie and some MMA and Pro Wrestling magazines and moved on before I spent all my money there.

You will notice when shopping in Japan there is no tax. Tax is already included in the price so if you do feel like buying electronics or anything, I would recommend it, just make sure that the product can meet your power requirements at home.
Dinner that night was at a curry restaurant in the neighboring building where I enjoyed Curry Udon, long thick noodles in a golden curry broth, with lightly fried Shrimp Tempura. Curry, and any other foods with spicy connotations, is usually not very spicy at all. At best, there will be some heat in the background of the food, but generally it is more about the taste of the spice than the hotness of it. Beer is an important part of dining in Japan so don’t forget to order a nice tall one to wash your meal down. The best part of eating at any restaurant in Japan is no tipping!

After a long day that was technically two days, I headed back to my friends place in Shinigawa to get a well-deserved rest before the sun rose, heralding a new day in a new country. Tomorrow I would live one of my biggest dreams; seeing a Japanese MMA event.

Asakusa and Dream 6

Sleep was short that night. My plan on not sleeping did work and I was not lagged. I did not plan, however, to be in a room facing the sun rise with thin curtains. I was awake by seven in the morning. A blessing in disguise, this early rising helped me roll out to the train station faster, but not before catching a liquid breakfast.

Vending machines pop up like weeds in Japan, which has the highest number of vending machines in the world, with one machine for every 23 people. You can find anything from drinks, food, cigarettes and books in these machines. They are also an ideal place to use all those coins you will pile up, so do not waste your bills on these machines. I grabbed a few bottles of water and “Pocari Sweat,” a clear Gatorade type drink. I also recommend “JAL Sky Time,” a citrus flavored Uzu drink, or try some Sparkling Apple Juice if you see it. There are also many coffee flavored beverages and the usual American sodas, just nothing of the “Diet” persuasion.
I was heading to Asakusa to start the day, to check out the Sensoji Temple, founded in 628 AD. The day I was there was a national holiday in Japan, the Autumn Festival, so a shrine was definitely the place to be to absorb some culture and Asakusa is a more traditional part of Old Tokyo, so I could leave behind a good deal of the tourists there. It is also a great place for travelers on a budget to stay.
The streets were filled with vendors, rickshaw drivers and many small restaurants. I entered the temple through the Kaminarimon, or Thunder Gate, which was a haven for shoppers (and a great place to take care of tons of gifts). You can find traditional gifts like chopsticks, kimonos, and fans, or souvenirs like toys, mini ninja stars, and cat related nonsense, or pins with your name in Japanese characters. This is also an excellent place to try some unique snack foods. You can try takoyaki, fried balls of diced octopus, or for more carbs try some Osenbei, rice crackers. For something sweet, taiyaki, a fish shaped cake with red bean paste inside can be bought freshly made from the stands to eat on the spot or take home.

After traversing through the crowded shopping strip, I burst free and passed through the Hozomon, or main gate, to enter the temple itself. A five-tiered pagoda was to my left. I caught some locals covering themselves in smoke from a sacred firepit of some sort, inhaling the fumes and praying, a form of cleansing before entering the temple. The biggest travel tip in general is “When in Rome, do as the Romans,” so I followed suit before I entered the temple.

The temple, sitting atop a flight of stone stairs, was full of pilgrims of all ages, standing before the altar. They would toss a coin as an offering into a metal pit in front of a Buddha Statue and would silently pray. On the side were omikuji stalls, where for a small fee you write down a question and then shake a metal cylinder until a scrolled up fortune falls out from a thin hole on the bottom with the answer to your query.

We decided to wander away from the madness and towards the roads less traveled by tourists, and found a quiet Udon shop to catch some lunch. Udon was fast becoming my favorite meal here, and also helped keep my wallet from thinning out too fast. There are many traditional places you can find that will give you a lunch or dinner from $8-20 that will fill you up and give you many exciting tastes to experience.

After taking in my first temple, we headed over by train to the Saitama Super Arena in Chou for Dream 6, which presented its middleweight tournament at this event. Opened in 2001, this modern arena has a maximum capacity of 37,000, houses a permanent John Lennon museum, and is the only Japanese arena that can hold an American football event. It was also the location where Pride FC held their final event, which made it fitting that as I exited the train, I heard the Pride theme blasting from a kiosk.

Fans, male and female, paraded around with shirts of their favorite fighters or teams. No “Tapout” or “Affliction” shirts here! I was an hour early to make sure I got a good spot in the press section, but there were already a few thousand fans buying merchandise at the outdoor shop or waiting to greet fighters and guests. The fans lucked out big time as “Kid” Yamamoto and Fedor Emelianenko made surprise appearances on “the red carpet.”

The arena interior was the cleanest one I had ever seen. The strangest thing about it would have been the smoking centers. Spots along one side of the arena hallway were taped off for smokers to suck ash and deposit their stubs in buckets. Viewers are allowed to bring food and drinks from the outside, but you can also buy comestibles in the venue, including “American Hot Dogs”, which are frankfurters on a stick with biased indents on them, served with ketchup, and corn dogs.
The venue filled up quickly as time ticked down to the last few minutes before showtime. And then the lights dimmed and the show began with the fighter’s parade. It was at that moment that I finally realized I was actually in Japan, living a dream I had since I was a teenager. This was the authentic vibe I never thought I would feel, the excitement of seeing all the fighters march out and present themselves. And there I was, on the opposite side of the world from my home, seeing it for the first time ever in person.

I won’t give full results for the show, and I will not call it the best show I ever saw, but it was one of the most meaningful shows I think I will ever see. The fighter’s parade, the enormous ramp with the huge stage, and world-class fighters; what more did I need? I got to see Sakuraba cut one of his infamous masked promos, Melvin Manhoef powerbomb “Jacare”, and a war between Atsushi Yamamoto and Hideo Tokoro. Seeing Crocop throw a high kick in person is an amazing site, but seeing it in Japan is almost magical.

Six hours later, we left the show and headed back to Shinigawa to grab a late dinner at an Izakaya, which is like a pub where diners go to drink and eat finger foods. It is one of the most popular restaurant choices of native Japanese people. I enjoyed a type of rice soup with a tea broth and small flat squares of raw fish, cooking with the steam from the liquid, as well as bacon wrapped scallions, teriyaki chicken wings, and Tsukune, chicken meatballs on a stick.
Another excellent and cheap dinner under my belt (literally), it was off to sleep for another night…