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does anyone here skateboard ?

 

is it worth bringing a skateboard to japan ?

 

is there good terrain and good skateparks ?

 

what about longboarding ?

 

thanks

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Hi barok

 

Sorry I don't know the answers to your questions, but....... have you ever actually been to Japan at all?

 

Just curious

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barok, I don't board, indeed, I can't even stand up on a skateboard. But I offer the following for what it's worth...

 

Judging by the fact that I've never seen a skatepark and also the fact that kids often gather to ride in certain very limited areas of cities with steps and rails, I'd say that was No to the 3rd question. There may be a few isolated skateparks around, and I have seen very rough ramps built next to board shops.

 

But there are a lot of shops around with short and long boards, although I've never seen anybody even looking at them (seriously, not once!). Last summer there were lots of mountainboards in shops discounted from 80-100,000 to 10-20,000 yen, but these have all completely disappeared this year.

 

You could always check it out and then buy one here if you think it's worth it, that is, if the phad hasn't passed and they're gone from the shops.

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I have spent a grand total of six hours in Tokyo this year, but in that time I managed to chance upon a small skatepark in Nishi Shinjuku. It wasn't far from a Haitian restaurant (mainly what Japanese folk call "dry curry") that had loads of golden-era Augustus Pablo on. Some BMX kids were in the park too.

 

I think they use the word in English now relating to manga and anime freaks, but in Japan there are "otaku", hardcore enthusiasts (mainly blokes) that are insanely into whatever their chosen hobby happens to be. Almost any hobby or pursuit you can think of has otaku, with skating being no exception. A lot of places in the city stop kids grinding their ledges and rails, so the community is not as big or as visible as in N. America, so your best bet is to ask about parks at a shop, go there, hook up with some otaku (communicate with them by reeling off the names of tricks, riders and videos - should be enough), and then hang out with them whereever they go.

 

Last summer, I went to a skate/BMX/inline session out near Matsumoto airport that was really cool. True to the otaku spirit, a lot of the top guys had come from other parts of Japan, but all the more respect to them. A couple of BMX pros did a demostration that was amazing.

 

I don't know about Japanese skateboarders, but I saw the inline X games (US) on TV a couple of months back and some of the best kids were Japanese. Top three finishes in both the men's and women's, showing that the kids that take it seriously do take it seriously. Any kansaijin wishing to learn inline can take lessons at the sports center just north of JR Amagasaki. They have roller hockey leagues there too if that's your thing.

 

Dunno whether there's "good terrain" in Japan, but there sure is lots of concrete! eek.gif Even if it's all pretty lame, you're going to have a harder time settling in Japan if you don't pursue your hobbies methinks. Most people get bored of temples pretty quick....

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thanks all.

and to cal, no i've never been to japan,

but i am moving to japan in september with

snowboarding as the main focus. that's why

i follow this board so heavily. i think it's lame to go anywhere with tons of pre-

conceived ideas of what it's going to be

like, but i want to learn as much as i can

about the riding options. don't want to

show up without a clue on where to go, etc.

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I asked about skateparks in my local snow/skate shop today and they said there's going to be a new skatepark opening up in Chino, Nagano. They don't know of any other parks around anywhere they said. You prolly wouldn't want to go and live in Chino just for the skatepark though, as it's a long ways from any really good winter resorts...

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