Day V: Early Exists

With the fighting done all that remained was the closing ceremony. The trouble was that we had a train to catch to get to the onsen in Morioka leaving at 4 pm. What this meant was that we probably could not have picked a worse time to exit the venue. It was very quiet, everyone was lining up in their age categories, and you got the sense that there was about to be another protracted set of speeches acknowledging new relationships and New Zealand friends. We would have loved to have stayed -- Kiwi’s being great lovers of long ceremonies and all -- but we didn’t. Thanks Japanese Masters, see you again for good fight next year!



The train to Morioka was without incident. Then, after some innovative packing of luggage onto a very small bus, we were headed out of town to a traditional style inn with hot pool. We had a short soak and then settled in for a magnificent dinner. What a night – food, drink, good company, comedy, justice, and song.





When we had finished eating Pat and Graeme performed another rendition of Molly Malone. Yumiko and her friends performed too. I can’t remember the name of the song but the singing was sweet.





After dinner some retied and others headed out about “town” decked out in traditional Japanese attire. Having mastered “sliding” in wooden sandals we came to two bars (we were some distance out of the city – there were only two open). Some went to one, some to another. Those who went with Rick (who was moved to chose the karaoke bar on account of his distaste for certain brands of Japanese beer) ended up in a homely bar adorned with several Tanuki’s. It was small and the seating made it difficult to be “polite” and not point at other patrons while sitting commando in a Japanese gown.




At Sensei Rick's request the publican put on a series of Judo themed Karaoke music videos. While Dennis was being being courted by an elderly Japanese man who didn’t want to know that she could not speak Japanese, we enjoyed a few beers and watched the videos. One was about Yawara, the “fashionable judo girl” (who in later life grows to look something like how you'd imagine the love child of Captain James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock to look). The other music video was "about" a weak guy who: (a) gets bullied and beaten, (b) gets inspired to train hard in Judo (half to defend himself and half to impress a girl), and (c) gets bullied again and, as a function of his training, miraculously smashes his tormentor (which earns him adulation from the girl). Admittedly, the plot makes a lot more sense having just been in a small town on the edge of the South China Sea (merely one short boat ride away from the most populace nation on earth). But it was still bizarre -- since when was “skipping” merrily, with a comedy/evil-grin, in front of another Dojo a strong and aggressive challenge?
Next: The express for Takayama.