Yuki's Passion

Ryukyu Underground has some really cool traditional Okinawan music with a dance/drum n bass/ dj type beat. Its got some cool songs. Hanazono by Kyoto Jazz Massive doesnt really have too much of a Japanese flavor to it but I like it just because I love Hanazono 3 under the lift!! Epic run!

Goemon, Seeds n stems mate? Thats pretty rough - Ive got some very *Kind* friends Forgot my three wishes: 1) Be able to speak 28 languages 2) Win the lottery - about 27 million would do 3) Have an endless winter and travel the world looking for the best snow Im sure that my wishes would change but off the top of my head that sounds pretty epic!

woywoy, Mate, I recommend you read why women cant read maps and men dont stop and ask for directions!!! Maybe then youll understand... LOL

Most videos by TGR are sick... Ive got Further, The Game, The Realm, Los Alamos, older but still cool are Uprising and Harvest. I had Ruew but lost it. If youre looking for mainly Japanese landscape and mostly back country then Ruew and Ruew 2 are pretty cool. Mixture of skiing, telemarking, and maybe some boarding but cant remember. TGR soundtracks are pretty sweet too. Anybody seen any other different Japanese productions???

Shimba No, dont know. Is it from a poem, book, or another song by a different artist?

talisker, You alive mate? I guess your pretty happy you dont have to put up with the rainy season anymore, eh?? Soaked today - bloody soaked

AET, Me too mate, 27 friggin years old and got more shiraga than me pops. That sucks.

Geeze O11 over 4000 posts?! U cant be doing too much work eh?! u should be getting ready for that move - I think anybody who is living in West Japan should be invited to your place for a BBQ and some tubin!!! Being american I guess you could say I like US bands but since living abroad there are many quality bands out there that just dont make it into the US market... go figure. I really like so called "jam bands" like DMB, Bela Fleck, Phish, Panic, Allman Bros etc. Havent really heard too many nonUS bands that have that style. There are a few in Japan but I cant remember the

[QB] ..for tomorrow we die?? thats a bit grim, isnt the original ..for tomorriw we MAY die? Its a quote from a DMB song. Grim you say? On the contrary I think its positive - live each day like its your last. Have a good time, enjoy yourself, and live life with no regrets. Peace.

Thats cool that you got a job Jared. There are many people who came over to Niseko and worked at places like NOASC or NAC or a few pensions who didnt speak any Japanese (besides greetings). I just said that those are hard to come by and for the most part theyre filled by Fall. The places that are still looking in December I guess it would help to get there as early as possible? Ill have to finish this later.

O11, I love Shikoku - what a beautiful island!! Youll have a good chance to get into some surfing down there around Kochi as its one of the better places in Japan. Let me know when you plan on tubing the Shimantogawa!! Ill drive over and meet you!! I got a few mates who live there too and theyve gone to the resorts there and have said its similar to Geihoku in Hiroshima like Sharon said. The resorts here are decent when theres real snow. Hit a storm and theyre good. But, the boarders here in Hiroshima (about 90% boarders in this region) are punters. You cant ski/board bec

I heard that in Niseko the Alpen, Kogen, and Hanazono resort areas are splitting up and selling passes seperately next season. Hope thats not the case b/c that will just mean it will become more expensive! Like 87,000 wasnt enough?

AD, I had the chance to work in Niseko last winter! It was an epic season but I can guarantee that I only had the chance because Im fairly fluent in Japanese. If you have language ability you will have to basically either have a connection, which is best here in Japan, or go banging on every pension/challet in the area that you would like to work. I can say there were about 1-2 dozen gaijin who came to my hotel asking for jobs but theyre already decided by around Sept/Oct time frame. Youll have to take a chance and fly out here to look. But, you probably wont have a Visa to wo

Danz, They were planning on doing a Japan/Australia tour but ended up canceling it. I saw on their web site last year they had tentitive dates set up so I contacted them and got back several emails from them. Ended up getting all the venue information in Japan I could get and sent it to them. They were really stoked but Victor was doing a side project or something that got pushed back or something and they just blew it off but will still probably come some time in the future. Guess they have a decent following here. So why cant DMB come, eh??? Ill see Bela and DMB when i go ho

kamo, That must have been a helluva day!

Aint that some shit?? Theyve been cracking down on foreigners around here - most of my mates have been pulled over (for doing nothing other than being a GAIJIN) and harrassed. Good thing the car wasnt hotboxed

Mika, Im planning on being there the whole winter again! Anytime in Jan/Feb was epic last year and will hopefully be the same this upcoming season

ILTS, Its like having a driving license or something back home that has all your information on it - and up until the last few years, they even have/had your fingerprint on it. Mine still does. Geeze, feel like a criminal all ready? That you should keep on you as much as possible just in case.... But, there are exceptions - Chise house might be an example

There is something where foreigners are suppose to carry their registration card with them at all times - I read it many years ago when I first got here. Never been stopped out running and if I was that cop would have to catch me before I stopped. Damn, theyre not all fat@$$es like in America but Im sure they all smoke cigs. Feel for ya

What is up with Japan having a "beach season?" or any type of season for that matter. I understand that the man-o-wars/jellyfish come out around Obon, they sting and it hurts like hell but come on! Its not like, doh, its September first, beach is closed honey. The water temperature is too cold now - eventhough we just were there yesterday. Give me a break. Same with air conditioners. Itll be like October something and 34 degrees outside and no air... This should be a song for "Nade Daro?" Wake ga wakaranke

Im more shocked that you found this picture/house for sale than the actual place!! Were ya looking to buy it or something?

Miteyak, Come on, ya think the Jack in the Box police are gonna care about EnKo (Enjo Kosai) How often do you see young young hs girls with old men? On any arcade in Japan or big cities theyre hanging all over those ossan with their hs uniforms on. Theyre all over the telephone booths or at Tele clubs. Compared with other countries, I dont think we have the same mentality/morals as Japanese hs girls and old men. For a two hour shag they can get, what, 2-10 man?! That will buy them a nice Gucci bag, eh?

This is a topic that me and my mates often go off about. Damn, its expensive as hell in this country to get a haircut. And, like everything else here, its just appearances. They act the part but most of em cant cut hair for peanuts. I did pay about 3500 yen but realized that for the same amount I could go and buy a pair of clippers and do it myself. Bouzu is the only way! Namu myoho renge kyo

Im heading home for a few weeks in September. Havent been home in 3 years!!! Cant wait to go clothes shopping and buy some new gear, too. Clothes here just arent designed for my strong muscular body

Kintaro and Danz, Was at Fuji Rock last year and saw Janes Addiction. I thought they were pretty good. Wouldnt say it was the best show Ive seen but it was good. Chili Peppers seem to have calmed down quite a bit from the last time I saw em but they still rocked. Concerts Ill see this year: Dave Matthews - September 7th row center Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - September dont know the seats yet. Maybe Fuji Rock again. That was a good time and this years set list looks better to me than last years!!