zwelgen 0 Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 Just a heads up. Theres a crazy insane fire festival in Nozawa Onsen on the 15th Jan. This date used to be a public holiday but has changed recently so this year it falls on a Wed. So the villagers build this MASSIVE structure drink obscence amounts of sake and pour it down everyone elses throats too. To cut a long story short a bit of a fire battle ensues and then they burn the big structure anyway. Flames and cinders going up... Snow coming down... Heaving crowd... Everyone wasted from the firemen to the visitors.. This is possibly one of the most insane things I have ever seen and I cant believe that they are allowed to still do this thing. So if youre in the area or nearish by its worth the trip. Link to post Share on other sites
enderzero 0 Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 Wow! I may have to check that out. Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted January 5, 2003 Author Share Posted January 5, 2003 just want to stress that if you will be anywhere near nozawa-- go! go! go! went last year it was so much fun- drank so much sake i like it now. have friends visiting specifically to go to this festival. and to add a bit of drama- heard a rumour that a person dies every year from the snow-sake-fire combo... Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted January 5, 2003 Author Share Posted January 5, 2003 just want to stress that if you will be anywhere near nozawa-- go! go! go! went last year it was so much fun- drank so much sake i like it now. have friends visiting specifically to go to this festival. and to add a bit of drama- heard a rumour that a person dies every year from the snow-sake-fire combo... Link to post Share on other sites
barok 0 Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 I`ll be coming for sure zwelly-belly, just save me and my friends some tatami, or recommend a good spot for winter camping. Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted January 6, 2003 Author Share Posted January 6, 2003 I didnt post the 2nd one!?! Maybe Nekobi wrote that while I was sleeping - weird... Barok and Ender theres tatami for all. Link to post Share on other sites
nekobi 0 Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 sorry zwelgy-- didnt mean to impersonate you, but you were logged in on my comp and i didnt realize it! Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 Sounds intriguing Link to post Share on other sites
enderzero 0 Posted January 11, 2003 Share Posted January 11, 2003 Heh, funny you should have that problem. When I sat down at the PC at the Nagano Pref. Office yesterday I went to post a message and noticed it was logged in as Barok. Though about causing a little trouble but decided against it. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted January 14, 2003 Share Posted January 14, 2003 Zwelgen/everyone Me and my wife fancy a bit of "crazy insane" If anyone is sliding at Nozawa tomorrow or going to the festival wants to meet up, click on the envelope above to send me a message. Hangovers permitting, we'll be out again in that area (Nozawa/Kiji) on the 16th. Sounds like they're due a foot or so overnight Wet snow has been coming down here in Hakuba, but the temperature is dropping and the snow's gradually getting better.... See you later alligators Link to post Share on other sites
enderzero 0 Posted January 14, 2003 Share Posted January 14, 2003 Word up on Thursday the 16th at Nozawa. We will all be there with some killer headaches I imagine. NoFakie - if you are going to the fire fest get a hold of Zwelgen so we can meet up there. I know our crew is gonna be at least 10 or so. Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted January 15, 2003 Author Share Posted January 15, 2003 Nofakie couldnt send you a message for some reason. Blocked or something. So send me one and let me know your cell number. Just a word of warning dont wear your good ski jacket as the cinders can burn little holes in things. A manky fleece overtop or whatever should be fine. Will be hitting Nozawa with a fair posse of people Thurs. Link to post Share on other sites
nekobi 0 Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 finally fire festival time!! get ready to drink takusan sake and see lots of scary drunk japanese guys playing with fire. be careful when they spin around with the large bundles of straw on fire-- sometimes they lose balance! Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Yo Zwelgen and crew Dunno what's the prob with the messaging but thanks for the effort anyway. We were there yesterday and today. It was our first time in Nozawa but we had a great time. Yesterday the snow was fantastic! It was snowing and extremely windy on the hill, but the lifts kept going at normal speed. I doubt Happo or 47 would stay open in those conditions. Going across the flat course 2/3 way up left side into the wind was really painful, like having a splitting headache. We stayed on the Yu-road side and mainly did laps on and under the Challenge lift. Fast lift, no people, and the steepest bit we could find for the pow. It really got the blood pumping! The festival was mad! We bumped into a load of people we know, including a number of the Hakuba crew, and I got totally legless on free booze. I felt well rough this morning, but we managed to make it onto the hill and explore the remaining advanced runs. The snow was good again today, and the weather was beautiful. In the early afternoon, we spotted a posse of four gaijin doing laps on the mellow pow course under the second top lift. If that was your lot, I hope you had a good day. Those are the most ignored ropes I've ever seen! Haus St. Anton was full, so we stayed in a very traditional ryokan near Ooyu. It was expensive, but the room was lovely, the service was first class, and the food was great. In the end, we were pleased we stayed at a Japanese-style place since it was in keeping with the festival and the ambience of the town in general. Nozawa is lovely and the ski resort is a lot of fun when there's pow like these past two days. Link to post Share on other sites
enderzero 0 Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Yeah that sounds like it was our posse. We did laps on that sheeit for hours. SOOOOOOO good. Probably the best conditions I have ever rode in my life! The fire festival was pretty dope. (What I remeber). Nice slice of Japanese traditional culture. Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted January 18, 2003 Author Share Posted January 18, 2003 Yeah we looked out for you Nofakie and were trying to decide what you might look like. You might be pleased to know we dismissed one guy because he didnt look cool enough! Yeah was probably our posse under the lift at the end. Was KNACKERED after all that pow and that lift just dumps you at the top so good to finish the day on. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted January 18, 2003 Share Posted January 18, 2003 Yo Zwelgen That sounds just like me! Not half as cool as I should be, and even worse when I start the day by puking three times. Needless to say, I was also in no mood for the fine breakfast of grilled fish on offer where we stayed... If you don't get your hopes up, you'll never be disappointed. If headed this way, send me an e at [kidcreole@japan.com] Don't take away my coconuts! Link to post Share on other sites
barok 0 Posted January 19, 2003 Share Posted January 19, 2003 good stuff at the festival - sorry we didn`t meet you noFakie, maybe next time - I love Nozawa, sooo good. Link to post Share on other sites
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