Outdoor Japan Traveler - Issue 55 - Spring 2015

ISSUE 55 | SPRING 2015 | FREE

IS PASTRANA' V A S TR

FLYING CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN 街にサーカスがやってきた！

Wrecked in the Marianas

マリアナの沈没船

Sachi Amma’s Fight or Flight

インタビュー：安間 佐千

Spring Music, Skiing & Whitewater

Perfectly Norway 完璧にノルウェー

ADVENTURE

■

PEOPLE

■

C U LT U R E

■

TRAVEL

SPRING 2015

3

I N S I D E I S S U E 5 5 ■ S P R I N G 2 015

20 F E AT U R E :

THE CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN 街にサーカスがやってきた！

13

28

36

38

46

F E AT U R E S

20

The Circus Comes to Town

INSIDE

38

Perfectly Norway 完璧にノルウェー

街にサーカスがやってきた！

28

Wrecked in the Marianas

Q&A Sachi Amma

マリアナの沈没船

インタビュー：安間 佐千

36

Preserving the Tradition of Tate in Historic Fuchu

4

46

T R AV E L E R

06

From the Editor

08

Japan Angler Market Watch

編集後記

Beer Buzz

10

ビアー・バズ

11

ローカル 醸造

The Local Brew

13

Spring Music Festivals

14

Spring Ski Spotlights

18

Spring White Water

54

Travel & Adventure Directory

トラベル & アドベンチャー ディレクトリー

SPRING 2015

5

■ FROM THE EDITOR Gardner Robinson, Editor-in-Chief gardner@outdoorjapan.com

O

ver the years we’ve had the pleasure to meet some amazing people, from winter sports athletes such as Shaun White and Jeremy Jones to alpinists and climbers such as Steve House, Peter Hillary, Leo Houlding and Yuji Hirayama.

We’ve interviewed industry icons Jake Burton and Montbell’s Isamu Tatsuno and filmed with mountain bike star Sam Pilgrim in Japan.

In this issue we catch up with Japan “rock star” Sachi Amma as he transitions from chasing World Cup titles to climbing purely to grow and see just how high he can go. We also welcome some of action sports' most famous athletes to Japan.

Travis Pastrana, the legendary freestyle motor cross (FMX) rider, recently brought his high octane Nitro Circus Live shows to Japan, and Outdoor Japan helped produce their reality TV show shot between shows.

We spent nearly two weeks with Travis and his merry

Nitro Circus family, most of whom were visiting Japan for the first time. The energy and passion they have for motor sports, action sports and their tour was genuine and inspiring.

The highlight of the tour for me was bringing Travis, pro skier and BASE jumper Erik Roner, FMX star Jolene Van Vugt and Nitro athletes Josh “Sheeny” Sheehan and Chris Haffey to our base in Nagano. After shooting with them in Osaka and Kyoto, we knew they were itching to get into the mountains and out of the city.

As you can imagine, Travis has had more than his share of spills over the years, and it was painful to watch him make turns on skis with his knee bent in an unnatural angle. His father had reportedly pulled off a back flip his first time skiing, and he was determined

to equal the feat.

We were building a couple big kickers out the back of the resort when Erik turned to me and half-jokingly said, “If Travis hurts himself doing this before the Tokyo shows, we are all going to get fired.” The show airs on NBC this fall, so tune in and see what happens.

Their four shows in Japan attracted nearly 80,000 frenzied spectators; the decibel level at their final show in the Tokyo Dome was through the roof. At the after party, they and their partners at Fuji Television vowed to have the Circus back in town soon.

In this issue we also welcome back road warriors Janick and Pierre on their latest cycling adventure, following like-minded gypsies in the land of fjords and Vikings. We jump back in the water with Tim Rock, as he gets wrecked in Micronesia and much more. We hope our latest issue inspires you to get out there and travel, have an adventure and enjoy this beautiful season.

こ

を見ているのはつらいものがあった。彼の父は最初のス

ジョーンズなど、ウィンタースポーツを代表するアス

キーでバックフリップをメイクしたそうで、彼もそうするつ

リートや、スティーブ・ハウス、ピーター・ヒラリー、レオ・

もりだったようだ。 「東京のショーの前にトラビスがこれ

の数年で、私たちは、ショーン・ホワイトやジェレミー

ホールディング、平山ユージなどのアルピニストやクライ

でケガしたら、ぼくら全員クビになるな」とエリックが言っ

マーといった人々と出会うことができた。ジェイク・バート

たので、リゾートの裏に大きなキッカーをいくつか作って

ン、やモンベルの辰野勇など業界の中心人物とのインタ

ごすことができた。モータースポーツやアクションスポー

やることにした。この模様はNBCにて放送予定なのでお

ビューや、マウンテンバイクのスター、サム・ピルグリムと

ツ、そしてツアーに彼らが注ぐ情熱とエネルギーはあまり

楽しみに。

は日本での撮影もおこなうことができた。

にも純粋で、私たちにとっても大きなインスピレーションと

日本での4公演は約8万人の観客を集めた。東京ドー

なった。わたしにとって、このツアーのハイライトだったの

ムでの最終公演では、観客の声援のデシベルレベルは

今号では日本の「ロックスター」安間佐千をフィー チャーしている。彼は今ワールドカップを狙うことより、ど

は、 トラビス、プロスキーヤーでベースジャンパーのエリッ

屋根まで届くほどだったはずだ。打ち上げで、彼らはフジ

れだけ高く登れるかを試すために、アウトドアクライミング

ク・ローナー、FMXスターのジョリーン・ヴァン・ヴュット、

テレビのパートナーと、また必ずやろうと誓っていた。

に集中している。ナイトロ・サーカスを日本での開催を成

ナイトロアスリートのジョッシュ “シーニー” シーナンとクリ

功させた、フリースタイルモータークロス（FMX）の伝説の

ス・ハフィーらを、私たちの基地がある長野へ招待でき

似たもの同士のジプシーたちを追いかけてフィヨルドやバ

ライダーのトラビス・パストラナは、日本滞在中のテレビ

たことだ。大阪と京都で撮影が終了すると、だれもが山

イキングの地へむかった。ティム・ロックからはミクロネシ

番組のプロデュースを私たちに依頼してくれた。

へ行きたくてウズウズしていた。

アの沈船の話も届いている。最新号を読んで、この最

私たちは、 トラビス、そして日本は初めてというメンバー

トラビスはここ数年、必要以上にケガをしており、ス

がほとんどだったナイトロファミリーと約2週間をともに過

キーのターンでひざを不自然に曲げなければならないの

今号ではサイクリング戦士、ジャニックとピエールは、

高に気持ちのよい季節をアウトドアで楽しんでもらえれば 最高だ。

OUTDOOR JAPAN TRAVELER Published Seasonally Publisher Outdoor Japan Media

Media Coordinator Rie Miyoshi

Tim Rock, Robert Self, Justin Stein, Craig Yamashita

Editor-in-Chief Gardner Robinson

Contributing Editors Wayne Graczyk, Shigeo Morishita

Editor Bill Ross

Contributors Joan Bailey, Lee Dobson, Eddie Gianelloni, Bryan Harrell, Neil Hartmann, Abdel Ibrahim, Pauline Kitamura, Takashi Niwa, Tomoko Okazaki,

Translators Kumiko Kurosaki, Yoshine Lee, Eri Nishikami, Takeshi Sato, Lana Sofer

Art Director Yuki Masuko

Sales & Marketing media@outdoorjapan.com

©2015 OUTDOOR JAPAN INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. VIEWS EXPRESSED HEREIN ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF OUTDOOR JAPAN INC. PRINTED IN JAPAN.

AIRLINE PARTNERS

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T R AV E L E R

Outdoor Japan Media

6-6-55 Higashi Kaigan Minami Chigasaki-shi, Kanagawa 253-0054 〒253-0054 神奈川県茅ヶ崎市東海岸南 6-6-55 Tel: (0467) 81-3212 Fax: (0467) 81-3213 EDITORIAL: editor@outdoorjapan.com ADVERTISING: ads@outdoorjapan.com SUBSCRIPTIONS: subscribe@outdoorjapan.com

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Cover Photo Courtesy of Nitro Circus

SPRING 2015

7

Maruta Spring Fling

S

hort and sweet is the best way to describe a recent casting session in which I participated with friends Aki and Shinobu.

We made an early morning trip to the Komae City area in western Tokyo to fish a shallow stretch of the Tama River where an intercoastal species called Pacific redfin (maruta) typically gather to spawn in the early spring.

This fish has no commercial value and is most often viewed as an unwanted bi-catch among anglers looking to land sea bass in the river mouths and flats along the coast of Tokyo Bay. However, when targeted using light tackle, redfin are surprisingly good fun as they gather in large numbers and strike readily at

lures presented in front of them.

My buddies and I casted inline spinners and 5-cm. minnows on six-pound mono line upstream and speedily retrieved cross current in a subtle arc. A few dozen redfin were visible on the edges of the current, which made it possible for us to easily sight cast our lures a few feet in front of their noses and get bit.

The fish were preoccupied with spawning behavior, aggressively splashing and chasing each other around and then converging in a big group to release their eggs and sperm. I noticed my lure only got chased when I casted and presented it just as each frenzy kicked off.

There didn’t appear to be any kind of smaller

By Joan Bailey

MARKET WATCH

J

ust over an hour south of Tokyo is Kamakura.

Like Kyoto and Nara, this former capital is full to the brim with temples, shrines and the extra bounty of countless surf shops on its winding streets. Nestled in a cozy bay with beaches and even a giant Buddha, it's a city that invites multiple visits.

Those seeking a farmers market well-stocked with traditional vegetables, passionate growers ready to share recipes and chat about their wares, along with some nifty prepared foods to rejuvenate themselves after a long day of historical sites or perfecting their longboard skills, surely won't be disappointed.

Begun more than 90 years ago, the Kamakura Farmers Market or Kamakurasui Nyogyou Rensokubaijo, runs seven days a week. A 10-minute walk due east from the station, it is located in what at first glance looks to be a rundown warehouse where a slightly senile sign

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T R AV E L E R

collector resides.

Having a neighbor such as Patagonia on one side only further enhances its eccentric qualities, but those interested in good food, fresh produce and delightful baked bread should not be deterred.

The market is an outlet for Kamakura Brand, a trademark of traditional vegetables and goods separate from Japan Agriculture (JA), and highly regarded for its quality. It is also well-stocked with farmers. Four groups come to the market on a rotating schedule. (If you find someone you like, ask when they will return.)

Friendly growers and reasonable prices make it easy to try new vegetables such as

baitfish on which the redfin could potentially prey, so I reckoned they were just making territorial reaction feeds.

Redfin obviously get their name from the big reddish orange streak going down the length of their bodies and seem to average around 30-40 cm. in length as full-grown adults.

The spawning frenzy bite is good only during the first hour or two after sunrise, so we were done with our session by 7:30 a.m. but thoroughly satisfied, having each caught and released a good four or five fish.

It was certainly a great way to start the day.

mekabbetsu (Brussels sprouts), Laciento kale, beets and Swiss chard, as well as traditional varieties of daikon and kabu.

Yoshiaki Ishio, one of the many growers on hand and one of a small handful working his fields organically, said his grandfather had been selling at this market since the local cooperative first opened its doors. Tan and wiry from long days in the field, Ishio stood at a table heavy with seasonal bounty.

His enthusiasm for his work is clear as he discusses the differences between the three kinds of kabu he sells or explains how to turn a hefty bag of pre-sliced vegetables into asazuke (morning pickles).

“Big supermarkets have no face. This vegetable is my face,” he says.

Locals as well as tourists peruse a variety of nukazuke (pickles made in rice bran), dried beans and rice or refuel with strong coffee and a fresh-from-the-oven pastry at the cafe inside.

There’s a little something for everyone at the Kamakura Market with recipes to match. Come to surf with the Buddha; stay for the good food.

Kamakura Farmers Market Open daily 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. * For the best selection go early, as growers leave once they sell out.

SPRING 2015

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BEER BUZZ

By Justin Stein

Fresh Spring Brews

A

h, spring! That too-brief, blissful season in which every week seemingly brings new colors to Japan’s cit y streets and mountain meadows as bot h gardens and wildflowers come to brilliant life.

I n beer s, too, spr i ng can be a season of fresh f lavors as drinkers emerge from their appetite for heavy winter beers (think of the rich malts and high alcohol barley wines, big Belgian abbey beers, and imperial stouts) and seek more delicate brews with floral aromas and relatively lighter bodies.

One traditional spring style is the strong, somewhat hoppy golden lager the Germans call Maibock or Helles Bock. “Bock” literally means “billy goat,” probably due to these lagers’ strength, and most bocks range from copper to dark brown in color with sweet toasted and caramelized malts dominating the palate.

However, the Maibock is specifically brewed for this season when drinkers crave something more refreshing, but still with sufficient strength to warm up on a chilly spring evening.

M a i b o c k ’s a mple pi l s ner malts and lager fermentation g ive a clean, yet still rich, bready foundation to the spicy, crisp bitterness of noble hops from central Europe. In Japan, Baird Beer’s Four Sisters Spring Bock is probably the best-distributed example of the style, but Chateau Kamiya’s Maibock and Nasu Kogen’s Ai no Hana Heller Bock are also tasty (if you can find them).

An especially Japanese take on the floral spring beer comes from Kanagawa’s Sankt Gallen, which makes the perfect brew to bring to a hanami party: Sakura Beer. The brewers put 60 kilograms of sakura petals and leaves into each 20-barrel batch, giving this golden, 5% ABV beer a delightful, unique flavor.

This year, they also made use of the delectable Nelson Sauvin hop from New Zealand, which lends a distinct, fruity flavor and clean bitterness to the beer as well.

You should be able to find bottles of this at your finer bottle shops and department store basements around Japan while sup-

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T R AV E L E R

plies last.

Another limited release beer to look for this spring is a collaboration between U.S. brewers Coronado Brewing Company from San Diego, C a l i f o r n i a , a n d D e v i l ’s Backbone Brewing Company in Virginia.

Each was named “midsized brewery of the year” at the 2014 World Beer Cup and Great A mer ican Beer Festival, respectively, and their successes inspired them to work together to make Devils Tale.

At 7.5 % A BV and 75 I BUs, this beer is serious business, but the huge fruit flavors and aromas (think citr us, mango and pineapple) are a friendly reminder the snows are melting and summer is around the corner.

BEER FESTIVAL CALENDAR April 3-12 Tokyo Beer Week April 4-5 BeerFes Okinawa April 18-19 Ji-biru Festa, Hiroshima April 23-May 6 Belgian Beer Weekend, Nagoya April 26 Asia Beer Cup, Tokyo May 8-17 Belgian Beer Weekend, Fukuoka May 9 Ji-biru Matsuri, Kyoto May 14-17, 21-24 Keyaki Hiroba Beer Matsuri, Saitama May 15-31 Osaka Oktoberfest May 21-24 Belgian Beer Weekend, Yokohama May 23-24 BeerFes Yokohama Spring May 30 CraftRock Festival, Tokyo June 3-7 Belgian Beer Weekend, Osaka June 6-7 BeerFes Tokyo

#1 American Craft Beer Importer

By Bryan Harrell

Swan Lake Beer Yoyogi Uehara, Tokyo スワンレイク・ビール 代々木上原

E

njoying a great glass of microbrew in Tokyo often involves crowds of people, loud music and a bright and flashy atmosphere. If you are looking for a quiet, relaxing place to quaff a fine brew, you often have to look far and wide. If you live on the west side of the center of the city, you are li kely to f ind it in Swan Lake Beer’s Café de Tete in Yoyogi Uehara.

Swan Lake is one of my favor ite m ic robrewer ies in Niigata Prefecture and is famous for brewing some great dark beers. Their Amber Ale and Porter are noted for their interplay of roasted malt flavors and fine craftsmanship. Here at the café, some nine varieties of Swan Lake Beer are served, ranging from Weizen to Golden Ale to Porter.

A ll Swan Lake beers are ¥980 per 500 ml. (halfway between a U.S. and a U.K. pint) and just ¥650 for a half at 250 ml. There are also several guest beers

from other craft breweries which range in price but tend to be more expensive. When I visited in March, selections included Minoh Beer (Osaka) Imperial Stout, Kure Beer (Hiroshima) Golden Gala x y Lager and Minami S h i n s hu B e er ( Nag a n o ) Apple Hop. The place is more of a café or bistro than a pub, with light breakfast items ser ved from 9 to 11 a.m. followed by lunch until 3 p.m. If it is beer you are after, there are never any worries; beer service begins at opening time.

The full-on pub menu served in the evening features a good variety of appetizers, salads, meats, pizza, rice, breads and more, with a remarkable range of desserts.

A l l i n a l l, Swan La ke i n Yoyog i Uehara is a relaxing west side spot to enjoy some very good beers. The café is a short walk from the west side of Yoyogi Uehara station on the Chiyoda and Odakyu lines.

San Diego, Calif.

saintarcherbrewery.com

AMERICAN CRAFT BEER bottle shop & tasting room

www.antenna-america.com

Antenna America

アメリカンクラフトビール日本全国冷蔵配送!

yokohama, Japan 045-315-5228

東

京でおいしい地ビールを楽 しむには、 うるさい音楽とチカ

チカする照明に人ごみは避けられない もので、静かにリラックスしながら楽しみたいと

650円だ。ほかのクラフトビール・ブ ランドも扱っているが、値段はやや高 めになる。私が3月に訪れたときには大 阪の箕面ビールのインペリアルスタウト、広島

きはちょっと足をのばさなければならない。 しかし、東京の

呉ビールのゴールデンギャラクシーラガー、長野信州ビー

西部に住んでいるなら代々木上原にスワンレイク・ビー

ルのアップルホップがあった。

ルが経営する “カフェド・テテ” がおすすめだ。

パブというより、 カフェやビストロの雰囲気ただよう店内

スワンレイクはダークビールの醸造で有名

は9時から11時までが朝食、 ランチは3時までだ

な新潟のマイクロブリュワリーで、私の お気に入りのひとつだ。アンバー エールとポーターは焙 煎したモル

が、 ビールは開店時間からあるので、 ビー ル目的なら問題はない。夕食時には サラダ、肉料理、 ピザ、 ライス、パン

トの風味と職人技が融合した

にさまざまなデザートなど、 パブ・メ

すばらしいビールだ。こちらのカ

ニューが取り揃えられている。

フェでは、 ヴァイツェン、 ゴール

おいしいビールをくつろぎなが

デンエール、 ポーターなど9種類

ら楽しみたいなら代々木上原の

のスワンレイクのビールを楽しむ ことができる。 スワンレイクのビールはどれも

500mlで980円。250ｍｌならたった の

Swan Lake Café de Tete

スワンレイク カフェドテテ

46-9 Oyama-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0065 〒151-0065 東京都渋谷区大山町46-9 Phone: (03) 5738-7347 Open Weekdays 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Closed Tuesdays Weekends and Holidays 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. 月∼金：9:00 ∼23:00（火曜定休） 土・日・祝日：9:00 ∼22:30 Web (Brewery): www.swanlake.co.jp Web (Café): http://r.gnavi.co.jp/9szhgp2j0000/

5 Min From JR KANNAI ST.

HOME DELIVERY ★ COLD & FRESH

スワンレイクは本当におススメだ。 千代田線、小田急の代々木上原

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

STYLE：American Pale Ale / ABV：5.6% / IBU：38

駅の西側、駅から徒歩数分の場所 にある。

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA STYLE：American IPA / ABV： 7.2% / IBU： 65

ED! BREWERY APPROVLANDED! S

SIERRA NEVADA HA

SPRING 2015

11

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T R AV E L E R

Go Out Jamboree

Celebrate the end of winter at some exciting spring outdoor music festivals.

Warm days and cool evenings are perfect for camping, outdoor fun and family-friendly activities at some of these great events.

Go Out Jamboree

Greenroom Festival ‘15

Enjoy an eclectic variety of rock, reggae, soul and indie music by top artists while bouldering, tree rope climbing and slacklining at Fumotoppara Campsite in Shizuoka. Get an even greater view of Mt. Fuji from a hot air balloon, then end the day with karaoke, a glow-in-the-dark Frisbee tournament or a relaxing candlelight yoga session. The grounds open on Friday afternoon, April 10, with the festivities going on through Sunday, April 12.

Web: www.gooutcamp.jp/goj2015/

The annual Greenroom Festival returns to Yokohama’s Red Brick Warehouse May 23-24. The popular surf art, film, music and lifestyle festival has grown each year and this year has a top lineup that includes The Wailers, Ozomatli, Lotus and Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. Enjoy some great music and a chilled vibe while checking out new surf films and some great artists.

Web: www.greenroom.jp

Natural High! Earth Day Camp

Mammoth Pow-Wow

Although previously held in Tokyo, this year Rainbow Disco Club will move its party to Izu Peninsula for an epic weekend of dance music and digital art. DJ artists The Modern Deep Left Quartet, Tim Sweeney, Ata, Antal, San Proper, Young Marco, Session Victim and Sisi will be flying in to provide tunes May 2-4 at Higashi-Izu Cross Country Course in Shizuoka.

Web: www.rainbowdiscoclub.com/tokyo/

If you have kids, the annual Mammoth PowWow at PICA Fuji Saiko is the place to go. Held right after Golden Week, this music and camp festival organized by Mammoth School for kids features live music performances and sponsored workshops such as The North Face's kids-only camp, canoeing with Helly Hansen, disc golf with KEEN, wood-burning pencil art with Coleman, bag-weaving with Patagonia and more.

Enjoy performances by NHK kids' entertainer Eric Jacobsen, DJs HIFANA, Misoshiru and musicians Taro & Jon Glik. Lots of fun for the whole family while making new friends outdoors.

Web: www.mammothschool.com/mammoth-pow-wow

Japan Jam Beach

The Star Festival

Rainbow Disco Club

Ra i n bow Disco Clu b isn’t t he on ly fest iva l changing its venue this year. Rockin’ On magazine’s Japan Jam Beach will be moving outdoors May 3-5 at Makuhari Seaside Park. A lineup of more than 40 local punk, pop and rock artists will be performing to get us pumped for the summer months ahead.

Web: www.japanjam.jp

If surf culture isn’t your thing, escape to the mountains with family or friends at Natural High! Earth Day Camp held May 23-24 at Doshi no Mori Campsite. The annual event features folk rock and acoustic artists and aims to create a fresh, laid-back environment for its campers, with the entire event running on clean energy and providing healthy, delicious meals.

Web: http://naturalhigh.jp/2015/

Taico Club ’15

If you’re into the dance scene, head up to the mountains of Nagano for one of Japan’s hottest dance parties. Artists attending this year’s event include Autechre, cero, Cro-Magnon, Ego-Wrappin’, Marcel Dettmann and Nine Inch Nails’ Josh Eustis, plus DJs Marcel Dettmann, Radio Slave, Takkyu Ishino and more. The 2015 festival takes place at Kodama no Mori May 30-31.

Web: www.taicoclub.com/15/

Bringing in DJs Squarepusher, Koze, Zip, Lawrence and Axel Boman and Tokyo artist Fumiya Tanaka, The Star Festival is arguably the Kansai Region’s top dance and house music festival.

This year the festival will be held at Kyoto’s green Stihl no Mori Campsite May 15-17 and will feature a food market for the first time.

Web: www.thestarfestival.com

Taico Club

For music fanatics wanting to discover who is up -and- com ing in t he ind ie rock scene, Arabaki Rock Fest is the festival to hit. This rock fest attracts more than 90 local bands including Acidman, Overground Acoustic Underg round, Grapev ine and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas at Michinoku Park Campsite April 25-26.

Web: www.arabaki.com

Go Out Jamboree

Arabaki Rock Fest

SPRING 2015

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S P R I N G S K I I N G S P OT L I G H T S

Poetry in Motion:

Spring Skiing on Moon Mountain How many columns of clouds Had risen and crumbled, I wonder Before the silent moon rose Over Mount Gassan -- Matsuo Basho

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T R AV E L E R

L

ong before winter sports enthusiasts were feeling the gravitational pull of Gassan (Moon Mountain), yamabushi (mountain priests) from the Shugendo Buddhist sect) climbed Gassan, Mt. Yudono and Mt. Haguro, the triad of holy mountains in Yamagata Prefecture that constitute “Dewa Sanzan.”

At Yudono-san, pilgrims leave money as a sign of their willingness to forsake worldly possessions for the sanctity of their faith. As a result, coins are strewn along the path leading to the mountaintop shrine.

Matsuo Basho, Japan’s greatest haiku poet, was drawn to the area too, as is well documented in his masterpiece, Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North). Basho spent a lot of time in Yamagata during his five-month journey in the Tohoku region. The area is full of interesting cultural attractions.

Near Haguro-san is Zuishin-mon, a temple gage that leads down to a bridge over an icy stream where pilgrims bathe to purify themselves. A short walk through 1,000-year-old cedar trees brings you to a beautiful centuries-old five-story pagoda.

Ambitious travelers can then climb the 2,446 stone steps to Gosaiden Shrine at the top.

Photos courtesy of Gassan Asahi Tourism Organization

Forbidden to betray The holy secrets of Mount Yudono, I drenched my sleeves In a flood of reticent tears.

-- Matsuo Basho

If you are interested in experiencing the life of the yamabushi firsthand, you can arrange a three-day, two-night stay at one of the temples at Yudono-san by contacting the Asahi Town Office.

But be sure to make reservations one month in advance.

However, for those devoted to the art of sliding down frozen mountains, Gassan is the holiest mountain of this triumvirate. When most ski resorts are closing for the green season, Gassan is just getting started.

The resort opens for its “winter” season in April and typically stays open until July. This unusual season attracts hardcore skiers and boarders who need their fix, and backcountry enthusiasts climb further afield from the lift to bomb powder in the trees well after the last cherry blossom has bloomed in Tokyo.

There are plenty of hot springs nearby to choose from after some spring and summer sliding.

Katakuri Onsen, known locally as “Ponpo,” is just off the Shonai Asahi I.C. upon the Shonai Heya (plain). The area is famous for the production of sasanishiki rice and traditional farmhouses.

Closer to Tsuruoka, Yamabushi Onsen (commonly called U-po-ka) is a modern facility with an outdoor bath.

If you are looking for some local knowledge and backcountry tour guides, duck into Tsutaya Ryokan, just down the road form the ski resort.

The traditional family-run ryokan can arrange tours and shuttle service to the resort (for guests) and also run the Gassan Resort Inn, a more basic lodge near the lifts. Beer lovers can swing by the Gassan Meisuikan in neighboring Nishikawa and fill up on their quality microbrews, and Gassan mineral water is bottled nearby.

—G.R. Gassan Meisuikan: www.gassan-shop.com Tsutaya Ryokan: www.gassan-tsutaya.co.jp Gassan Resort: www.gassankanko.jp

SPRING 2015

15

GUIDE LINES

S

Grandeco

Family-Friendly Fun in Style at Grandeco

Grandeco

Grandeco

escapes for parents. There are also plenty of fun activities for the whole family, such as volleyball tournaments and sleigh ride competitions for children in April and May. In late April to early May, visitors can also catch the sakura blooming along the Kannonji River and enjoy some hanami (cherry blossom viewing) festivities with friends and family before or after a day on the mountain.

The Bandai Asahi National Park is a great destination in every season. During the warmer months, travelers enjoy playing in and around Lake Inawashiro. Grab a stand-up paddleboard or get some air wakeboarding across the clear waters of Japan’s fourth largest lake.

The gondola at Grandeco continues to run during the green season and takes hikers to the start of a six-kilometer mountain trail that takes you to scenic Lake Hibara. Experience a constant change of scenery during this twoand-a-half-hour hike such as the Dekodaira Marshlands, Hyakkan Shimizu hot springs and Nuno-taki waterfalls.

Nature tours are also available with a friendly English-speaking staff. If hiking isn’t really your style, there is a cruise that takes you around Lake Hibara and offers stunning views of Mt. Bandai.

—R.M.

un, snow and the great outdoors are plentiful at Grandeco Resort. The familyfriendly Tohoku resort, located in Fukushima Prefecture, is just three hours from Tokyo Station and offers a nice balance of creature comforts at its luxury hotel and outdoor activities at the many lakes and forest trails that surround this resort in the Bandai Highlands.

The snow season at Grandeco is long compared to other resorts in the area, starting from late November until Golden Week in early May. In spring (April and May), lift tickets are discounted to ¥4,100 for adults, ¥3,600 for seniors and ¥3,100 for children.

The highest peak at the resort is 1,590 meters and offers a long, cruisy 3,500-meter run for children and beginner riders, with more challenging courses for the more experienced skiers and snowboarders. There are also great views and trails for snowshoe and crosscountry skiing tours. The resort boasts four covered high-speed quad lifts, so you can do as many spring laps as your legs will allow.

After all that snow fun, you can relax in the hotel’s indoor and outdoor hot springs or even take a swim in the indoor pool (the outdoor pool is open from July to September).

The 103-room hotel also has five restaurants and bars great for family dinners or late night

Spring Snow in the Majestic Japan Alps

Hakuba Valley Tourism Organization

H

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T R AV E L E R

akuba’s 3,000-meter peaks are at their most formidable and majestic during the winter and early spring months, when snow lovers come to enjoy the world-class resorts that hosted the skiing events during the 1998 Winter Olympics.

However, the mountains really come alive in the green season when alpine nature, traditional Japanese views and relaxing hot springs attract hikers, trekkers and nature lovers. Ski lifts at some resorts run all year long, making it easy for visitors to access the peaks and alpine hot springs.

Yet, because the Hakuba Valley, located in the Northern Japan Alps in Nagano Prefecture, boasts one of Japan’s highest snowfalls (10 to 14 meters annually) and many of the highest peaks, it is a great place for spring skiing. Ski season generally runs from early December to late April, with a few exceptions continuing on to Golden Week in May. If you’re lucky, you can also catch the fleeting sakura season during the end of April to beginning of May during your ski trip.

Most resorts are closed at the end of March, but Hakuba Goryu, Hakuba 47, Happo-One and Tsugaike run through Golden Week, making Hakuba an ideal spring ski destination.

Outside of skiing, Hakuba is an interesting

tourist destination as well. There are local cultural experiences, beautiful landmarks rich in history and a bustling nightlife. Visitors can enjoy a traditional tea ceremony while dressed in kimono, or even try their hand at origami paper folding.

Many of Nagano’s popular sightseeing spots, including the five-storied Matsumoto Castle and the snow monkeys lounging in the natural hot springs at Jigokudani Yaen Koen, and Zenkoji in Nagano City, are a one-to-two-hour drive away, with day tours easily available.

Hakuba is also home to some excellent hot springs. After a day on the slopes, soak in Hakuba’s natural alkaline waters. The Hakuba Happo hot springs, located at the base of Hakuba Happo Ski Resort, has several pools with certain ones allowing visitors to enter in swimwear. One of these hot springs is the newly renovated Happo Onsen, one of the valley’s biggest onsen (¥800 for adults and ¥400 for children).

Whether you’re in the mood for western or Asian, there’s a great food selection at Hakuba, including Tex-Mex at Uncle Steven’s, traditional sushi at Shara, and classic Japanese cuisine at Manyo Restaurant. Be sure to call ahead, as it might be crowded or closed during the green season.

—R.M.

G N I I K S

G N I R P S S E T O N

& S W E N

It may be spring, but snow season isn’t over just yet. You might not find deep powder, but April and early May is a good time to get in that last bit of skiing or snowboarding, find cheaper deals, no peak season crowds and some fun sunny riding with friends.

The following ski resorts will be open at least until Golden Week (through May 6) for some great spring break deals.

HELI-SKIING AT TSUGAIKE KOGEN (NAGANO) Fly up to 2,200 meters on the mountain by helicopter and enjoy a 14-kilometer downhill ski or snowboard run while surrounded by untouched nature and views of Hakuba you might not be able to experience otherwise.

Available on April 5, 11, 12, 18, 19 and April 25 to May 6 for ¥14,000 for adults and ¥12,500 for children. The ski resort will be open until May 6, and lift tickets will go for ¥3,000 for adults and ¥1,700 for children.

SEPARATE SNOWBOARDING AT HAKUBA 47 (NAGANO) Maker NICO’s “Separate Snowboarding,” created a buzz this past season. You can try for yourself at Hakuba 47 on April 25-26.

A fusion of snowboarding and skiing, this sport requires riders to attach short boards on each foot. Test rides will be free of charge and the resort will be open until May. Lift tickets will be discounted to ¥4,000.

GRANDECO TREASURE HUNT (TOHOKU) It’s been dumping in Fukushima this season, so Grandeco will be continuing the winter fun throughout April and May, starting with a volleyball tournament in the snow on April 12, a Grandeco treasure hunt for all ages on April 19, and a season final lottery tournament on May 6. April also marks the renewal of Park 1390, a snow and sled park made especially for kids at 1,390 meters up the mountain. Lift tickets will be discounted at ¥4,100 for adults, ¥3,600 for seniors and ¥3,100 for children. If you have your Traveler magazine with you, show the Grandeco ad in the directory and get a discounted one-day pass with a ¥900 meal coupon for ¥4,400 for adults, ¥3,900 for seniors and ¥3,400 for children.

TAKASU SPRING FESTIVAL AT TAKASU SNOW PARK (GIFU) Kick off the spring season at the Takasu Spring Festival, where riders are invited to show up in crazy outfits and ride through an obstacle course. Participants who manage to miss the “slopestyle ikepocha” – a pool at the end of the race – are winners. Also, lift tickets will be discounted to ¥3,100 for adults and ¥1,000 for children. Parking is free.

SLEDDING AT NASPA NEW OTANI (NIIGATA) Your kids will have a blast spring sledding.

From May 2-6, NASPA Garden will have a sledding section for children (¥200 per round).

There will also be an air gun shooting game area open just for Golden Week. Lift tickets are discounted at ¥1,500 (full-day) and ¥1,000 (half-day) for adults and ¥1,000 (full-day) and ¥500 (half-day) for children, including access to the Kids’ Garden.

LEARN FROM THE PROS AT KIRORO (HOKKAIDO) Professional skiers and snowboarders will be on hand to teach lessons in April and early May at Kiroro. Private or group lessons for children and beginners to intermediate riders are available. Additionally, from April 6 to May 6, tickets for adults will be discounted to ¥3,300, middle to high school students at ¥3,000, and children at ¥2,000. Half-day and four-hour tickets are also available.

TEST RIDE AT TAMBARA (GUNMA) Test ride next season’s snowboards by Arbor, Salomon, Drake, Yonex and more at the Heaven Store event on April 12. A pool will be set up mid-piste for a Water Splash on April 25-26 and during Golden Week for some epic hydroplaning.

The resort is also renting out Panasonic wearable action cameras for free every day. Lift tickets will be discounted to ¥3,600 for adults, ¥3,100 for seniors, and ¥2,600 for children. The ski resort will be open until May 10.

40TH ANNIVERSARY AT MARUNUMA KOGEN (GUNMA) Marunuma Kogen, which celebrates its 40th anniversary on May 6 with a resortwide event, is offering one-day lift tickets at ¥4,200 for adults, ¥3,700 for seniors, ¥3,000 for middle to high school students and ¥2,000 for children. Mondays and Fridays are Ladies and Seniors Day, where one-day lift tickets go for ¥3,000 including a meal voucher.

SUPER SPRING SPECIALS Sapporo Teine Resort has discounted spring tickets, which have been in effect since mid-March and are even cheaper through May 6. The ski resort will be only open on weekends and public holidays during this time, and lift tickets are ¥3,100 for adults, ¥2,100 for middle to high school students and ¥1,100 for children.

Neighboring Sapporo Kokusai Resort also has a special spring ticket discount. One-day passes are ¥3,200 for adults, ¥2,700 for seniors over 65, ¥2,100 for middle to high school students and ¥1,000 for children. If you have kids in pre-school or younger, they get in free.

The newly re-opened Kandatsu Ski Resort will be accessible until May 6, with lift tickets for one-day, all-nighter, and midnight passes.

One-day passes are ¥3,200 for adults, ¥2,500 for children and ¥2,800 for seniors.

Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort’s slopes will be accessible until May 6, with lift tickets discounted at ¥3,700 for adults, ¥1,700 for children and ¥2,900 for seniors.

Yamagata Zao Resort will have lift ticket discounts available for ¥3,000 through May 6 (end of season).

Through Golden Week, Niseko Grand Hirafu will have lift tickets available for ¥2,900.

SPRING 2015

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18

T R AV E L E R

Canyons

Happy Raft

Spring White Rafting A

fter a heavy powder season, the snowpacked mountains have fed Japan’s rivers with fast-flowing rapids for some great whitewater rafting action. Whitewater is classified into grades from 1 (nearly flat water) to 6 (so rough it is considered too dangerous to navigate). Grade 3 rivers or higher require participants to be 12 years old or older.

There are plenty of mellow areas in Japan for first-timers to test the waters and bond with old and new friends on the raft. With organizations such as the International Rafting Federation and River Guide Association of Japan maintaining high guiding levels and safety standards, whitewater rafting is becoming increasingly popular and accessible for riders of all ages.

Canyons

Natural Action

Tone River The Tone River is Japan’s second longest river and is famous for high water in late spring, starting from May to June. The source of the river is near Minakami Onsen, making it the perfect place for an adventurous rafting session during the snow melt period with almost 30 kilometers of whitewater.

“There are rumors the Tone River’s Grade 4 and 5 sections will open, which would make the mighty Tone the highest grade river to have commercial whitewater rafting in Japan,” hints Mike Harris of Canyons Japan.

During the summer, the Tone River decreases to an easy Grade 2, and Minakami is a very family-friendly town with plenty of other activities on and off the river. Although most visitors opt for full-day or half-day tours, outdoor operators such as Canyons have begun offering five-day excursions from Minakami to Tokyo for serious rafters.

Also with single-person “pack rafting” entering the scene, there will be more opportunities to explore waters difficult to access with a multi-seat raft. Keen whitewater enthusiasts can join the Minakami Extreme, a professional whitewater race held in the second week of May, while Riverbend is great for amateur rafters.

Nature Navigator

Fuji River Raft down the waters of the 128-km. long Fuji River in Shizuoka Prefecture with iconic Mt. Fuji in clear view.

Although the Fujikawa is noted to be one of the three fastest flowing rivers in the country, this winding river that stays within Grade 2 and 3 isn’t too extreme.

The views are stunning and feature waterfalls, arches and cliffs off which you can dive. Rafters tend to flock to this river in late July to early autumn, when the whitewater is strongest, but operators such as Natural Action offer professional guided tours, making rafting leisurely even for those who may not necessarily be super “outdoorsy.”

Tama River Okutama’s lush forests and deep valleys make it hard to believe that you’re still in Tokyo. Just a little over an hour away from central Tokyo, the Tama flows through Okutama’s mountains at a constant Grade 2 year-round.

Starting this spring, Canyons Okutama will be holding pack rafting tours down Tamagawa and will be the only tour operator offering pack rafting in the region. The section for rafting starts in front of Mitake Station, a popular bouldering area. Okutama makes a great quick escape from Tokyo.

Arakawa River Another easy day trip from Tokyo is the upstream section of the Arakawa River in Saitama Prefecture. The river has a relatively stable whitewater flow throughout summer, staying at a Grade 1.5 to 2 with its peak season being in August.

Appearing in the Michelin Green Guide Japan, the Nagatoro area is famous for its mirror-like azure streams, beautiful valleys lined with cliffs, and iwadatami (literally translated as rock tatami mats) that are naturally formed rock layers. After a day of working out your arms in the boat, soak in a hot spring bath. MOC and Nagatoro Nature Navigator offer tours in the area.

Yoshino River Further south, Shikoku offers some exciting spring and summer rafting. The season starts earlier than in most areas in Honshu, so rafting enthusiasts can start rafting as early as March. During typhoon season in late August to early September, the Yoshino River has arguably the most thrilling rapids in Japan. The World Rafting Championships are expected to be held there in 2017.

“The Japanese men’s and women’s teams have been very competitive in recent years, so it’s a very exciting time,” says Mark Treston of Happy Raft. He recommends the Yoshino River’s Koboke section as Japan’s prime whitewater run, not just for the size and scale of the river, but also its clear emerald warm water and stunning canyons.

SPRING 2015

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C R I C E TH O T S E M O C

20

T R AV E L E R

S U C N W TO 街にサーカスが やってきた！

i

By Rie Miyosh

SPRING 2015

21

A

fter years of planning, Travis Pastrana’s Nitro Circus Live came to Japan for the first time wowing tens of thousands of action sports enthusiasts in Osaka and Tokyo. Featuring a good number of the world’s best FMX and BMX riders, the two-hour-long show entertained the crowd with gravity defying stunts, most of which have never been performed outside Nitro Circus.

The tour featured several world firsts: Josh “Sheeny” Sheehan, the only FMX rider in the world, doing double backflips on a dirt bike; Jolene Van Vugt, who holds two Guinness World Records for being the first woman to backflip a dirt bike and performing the longest female backflip; Aaron “Wheels” Fotheringham, the first person to successfully front flip, back flip and double back flip in a wheelchair and, of course, the pioneer of it all—motorsports competitor and extreme sports superstar Travis Pastrana.

Pastrana grew up in a close-knit family in rural Maryland; everyone living on the same road. His father and four uncles worked in a family-owned construction company, so he grew up surrounded by tracks of land and dirt piles—the perfect learning ground for an aspiring dirt bike racer.

“As long as I was happy and not playing video games or watching TV, they were fine. If they saw me on the couch, they’d yell at me, but if I was digging up the yard, then yeah!”

Pastrana laughs, remembering his folks being pleased to see him outdoors.

While most 13-year-olds were playing video games or watching TV, he was already performing stunts during motocross racing and, at 16, he won the X Games’ first-ever MotoX Freestyle event, consecutively placing first place in the following two competitions.

In 2006, he performed the first dirt bike double back flip in a competition and in 2010 set a new world record in a rampto-ramp car jump. Serious injuries from dirt biking have never stopped him. Instead, he expanded his skills to include BASE jumping and rally racing, and he is even credited for introducing the sport to the X Games.

In 2002, Nitro Circus was born. “It was more of an idea, just a group of friends having fun,” Pastrana said. He recalls his early projects featuring his team trying to land new tricks in his backyard’s foam pit.

After inviting more friends and athletes to join and compiling the best in the world of action sports, they filmed

22

T R AV E L E R

it all and put together a DVD. The first one had an almost cult-like following within action sports fanatics, and it soon enough caught the attention of the likes of Johnny Knoxville from “Jackass,” and was picked up on MTV. That eventually led to a live show with locations increasing each year.

“With action sports, it often becomes an image thing— videos and everyone trying to be cool. Nitro was never about that. Most of the guys were athletes and had jobs, so Nitro was a place to have fun and be yourself,” Pastrana said.

“Everyone here is really passionate—they’re here because they love to ride, and that passion helps everyone grow.

Our goal was to push ourselves and have fun. It was never really something we did for a living. Then all of a sudden Nitro Circus was born and we could travel the world. So many people wanted to see what we were doing and be a part of it.

Wherever we go, the crowd’s energy picks us up, and we hope ours does the same for them.”

With athletes tackling everything from trikes to rollerblades to bathtubs, Nitro Circus is definitely one of a kind.

“If you’re a kid in action sports, our goal is to provide a place to train, mentors to help you reach your potential and work on new sports that haven’t even been invented yet,” says Pastrana. “There was a guy on our first tour who brought a pogo stick. It wasn’t a sport, but from there, it led to the team figuring it out and helping each other make it work.”

Aaron “Crum” Sauvage, who is more than just the circus’ comedy relief, explains there are two ways to get into Nitro Circus: “You either have to do something no one else can, or something no one else wants to do. Guess which one I got stuck with.”

Every show, Crum slides down the mega-ramp on a custom-made lazy boy recliner and in a wheelbarrow which, needless to say, is nerve-wracking. As we peer over the almost-vertical drop from the peak of the 50-foot megaramp, he points out a bump where the ramp levels out.

“Sliding down isn’t the hard part, it’s the bump that’s scary,” he says. Regardless of the risks, he continues to figure out ways to land successfully. The latest, it seems, is to shift his weight to the front, so he dives nose heavy.

The troupe rehearses before every show, but sometimes the unexpected happens and it’s all about being flexible and creative while staying positive.

Backstage, during the halftime break, Pastrana is talking

THE

CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN

They’re here because they love to ride, and that passion helps everyone grow.

ライドすることが大好で、 その情熱が成長となるんだ 。

ト

ラビス・パストラナのナイトロサーカスが数年の準

ストラナは語る。彼は新しいトリックを開発するために、チー

備をへて大阪と東京で公演され、数万人のアク

ムとともに家の裏庭にあるフォームピット （クッション置き場）

ションスポーツ・ファンを熱狂させた。世界でベ

で技を練習したことを思いだした。

ストといえるFMXとBMXのライダーによる２時間の

彼は友人やアスリートたちをもっと誘い、アクションスポー

ショーは、重力を無視したかのような鮮やかな技がくり広げ

ツでは世界一の体制をつくるとDVDを製作した。その最初に

られ、観客を魅了した。ナイトロサーカスでしか観ることがで

完成した作品はアクションスポーツの熱狂者たちにカルトの

きないショーだった。

のジョニー・クノックスビルの目に ように支持され、”Jackass”

このツアーに参加している世界一のメンバーたちは、まず

とまり、MTVでも採用されることとなった。それがライブショー

世界でただひとりダブルバックフリップをFMXライダーとして、 をおこなうきっかけとなり、毎年の公演につながった。 ダートバイクで成功させたジョシュ” シーニイ” シーハン。ジョ

「アクションスポーツはイメージ優先で、クールに撮影され

リーン・バン・ビュットは女性で初めてダートバイクでバックフ

るのがしばしばだよね。ナイトロはそうじゃないんだ。選手は

リップと、その最長距離でギネスレコードを達成した。アーロ

みんなアスリートで、仕事を持っている。つまりナイトロは楽

ン” ウィールス” フォザーリンガムは車椅子で初めてフロントフ

しむ場であり、きみ自身もそのままでいいんだよ」とパストラ

リップ、バックフリップ、ダブルバックフリップを成功させた。

ナは言う。 「ここにいる全員が熱中している。だってライドす

そしてあらゆるモータースポーツのコンペティターでエキスト

ることが大好きなんだから。その情熱が成長となるんだ。ぼ

リームスポーツのスーパースター、かつ先駆者でもあるトラ

くらのめざすところはひたむきさと楽しむこと。食うためにやっ

ビス・パストラナももちろんメンバーのひとりだ。

たことは一度もないよ。その結果、ナイトロサーカスが誕生

パストラナはメリーランドの田舎で強い絆で結ばれた家族

し、世界を旅することになった。それだから、人々はぼくらを

のなかで育った。彼の父と４人の叔父たちは家族経営の建

求めて何が起こるかそれを確かめたい。そして同化するん

設会社に従事していた。そのため彼は、多くのトラックや未

だ。観客のエネルギーがぼくらをアップさせ、彼らが望むよう

舗装の大地に囲まれて育ったため、ダートバイクレーサーに

な結果を残したいと燃えるんだ。アスリートたちは、ローラー

なるための最高の環境で育った。 「ぼくも家族もビデオゲー

ブレードやバスタブのトリックにも取り組んでいる。ナイトロ

ムやTVを観るのが好きじゃなかったから幸せだったよ。それ

サーカスは唯一の存在だよ。もしきみがアクションスポーツ

に家族の連中ときたら、もしぼくがカウチに寝そべっていた

に加わった子供だとしたら、ここはまさにトレーニングの場だ

ら怒鳴っていたからね “広場に行ってこい！” ってさ」と、パス

ね、先生はきみの能力を引きだして、未知のスポーツを生み

トラナは子供のころを思いだして笑う。

だそうとするんだ」とパストラナ。 「最初のツアーのとき、ポゴ

普通の13歳ならばビデオゲームやTVに耽っている年頃だ

ステック （ホッピング） を持ってきたやつがいた。それはスポー

ろうが、彼はすでにモトクロスレースでスタントをしていて、X

ツとはいえなかったけど、チームは助けあいながらそれに取り

ゲームのMotoX Freestyle Eventにて16歳で優勝。つづくふた

かかってモノにした」

つの試合でも勝ったのである。

アーロン” クルム” サウベージは、サーカス上演中のコメ

2006年にパストラナは、試合中に初めてダートバイクでダ

ディを担当しているが、役割は大きい。 「ナイトロサーカスで

ブルバックフリップを決めた。2010年にはランプ・トウー・ラ

生き抜く方法はふたつ。まだだれにもできないものをやりと

ンプの世界新記録を達成。また重傷を負っても彼はとまら

げるか、だれもやりたがらないことをするか、そのどちらかな

なかった。彼はその才能をBASEジャンピングやラリーレーシ

んだ。さて、ぼくはどっちだと思う？」

ングで発揮し、それをXゲームに取りいれる橋渡しする役割

ショーでいつもクルムはメガランプをカスタムメイドのリクラ

も果たした。

イニングソファ付きの手押し車で滑り降りた。もちろん観客

「友人たちのグループ ナイトロサーカスは2002年に誕生。

は度肝を抜かれるだろう。

で楽しむだけじゃなくて、もっとアイデアがあったんだよ」とパ

50フィートの高さはあるメガランプから真っ逆さまにスライド SPRING 2015

23

to pro extreme skier and BASE jumper Erik Roner and says, “When we were mid-air, I turned to my left to high-five Matty McFerran, not realizing they’d all switched positions back at the starting point.

“So I’m flying in the air, I turn to look and I’m like, ‘Who the hell is that?’ Matty’s not there, it was Taka Higashino coming up from behind me, so I had to reach back to high-five him while he stretched forward. I almost thought we weren’t going to make it…then BAM, high five. It was awesome.”

Back in 2007, the two had BASE-jumped dirt bikes into the Grand Canyon. It had been Roner’s first time on a dirt bike.

With 60 shows lined up this year, the athletes are required to travel for months at a time with a massive crew, but love for the sport keeps everyone close.

“We’re together, we’re a mold. Nitro started off as a small group, they tweaked who was right for the group, and it just grew from there. It’s kind of like a family really, and we stick together so well because it’s straight out passion,” says Jed Mildon from Taupo, New Zealand. In 2011, Mildon landed instant fame performing BMX’s biggest trick: a triple back flip.

Training almost 40 athletes for the performance is no easy task, as it requires each individual to think as a team and see the bigger picture. From an outsider’s perspective, it may seem like landing the boldest trick is the most difficult part, but Pastrana says otherwise.

“On the entry run, these guys are so passionate. They think, ‘I’m going to be the best,’ see the rest of the team as competition, and not think of the show. So you have to tell them we’re putting on a show, slow it down and do an easy trick, then build it up from there. So it’s the opposite of what you

ダウン、次に待っているのはバンプ （でこぼこ）だ。 「スライド ダウンはハードということもないんだけど、でもバンプは怖い ね」と彼はバンプを指さす。リスクを侵してまでも彼は着地で きる方法をつねに模索しつづけている。つい最近も、前方 に体重をかけ過ぎて頭から突っ込んでしまった。 本番前にはリハーサルはおこなうものの、柔軟でクリエイ ティブ、 そして積極果敢な演技中には予期しないことが起こる。 ハーフタイム中、バックステージではパストラナがエキスト リームプロスキーヤーとBASEジャンパーのエリック・ローナー に話をしていた。 「空中でぼくが左に飛んで、ハイファイブ をマティーと交わす予定だった。だが彼らがスタートポイント でポジションをスイッチすることを知らなかったんだ。だから 空中で飛びながら “どうしちゃったの？” 。すると東野タカが背 後から接近してきた。だからぼくは彼が通り過ぎるときにハ イファイブしたんだよ。無理かなって思ったけど “バン！” って、 ハイファイブできた。最高だったよ」 2007年、ふたりがグランドキャニオンでBASEジャンプダート バイクをおこなった。ローナーにとって初めてのダートバイク だった。今年は60回の公演が予定されている。アスリートた ちは数ヶ月の旅と、大勢のクルーたちと過ごさなければならな い。だがスポーツを愛する気持ちが全員を結びつけている。 「ぼくらはひとつに結束している。ナイトロは小さなグルー プからスタートした。グループにふさわしい人を吟味し、それ が成長していった。まるで家族のようにね。情熱で結ばれ ているんだ」とニュージーランドのタウポから来たジェド・ミル トリ ドンは言う。2011 年、ミルドンはBMXでの最難度の技、 プルバックフリップを完成させた。 40 人近いアスリートを訓練することは簡単なことではな い。個人的な思考からチームとして大きなイメージを共有し なくてはならないからだ。外部からみれば大胆な技からの着 地は難しいようにみえる。だがパストラナの考えは違う。 「ス タート走行では、選手は熱くなっている。 “ベストを尽くそう” と、ほかの選手と競いあうような気持ちになって、ショーのこ とはすっかり忘れている。だから、ショーだってことをもう一度 思いださせるんだ。スローダウンして簡単なトリックからはじめ

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T R AV E L E R

THE

CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN

We’re together, we’re a mold. It’s kind of like a family re ally, and we stick together so well be cause it’s straight out passion. ぼくらはひとつに結束してい る。 まるで家族のようにね。情 熱で結ばれているんだ

SPRING 2015

25

e , we want to b y a d e th f o d o, At the en ys what we d jo n e t a th re u n, with a cult re that passio a h s n a c e w where ば、 るところなら られる文化があ いる。 つまり受けいれ いたいと思って あ ち か 分 を 奮 興 どこでも訪れて

think, holding back is the hard part. Doing the gnarly stuff?

No problem.”

Nitro Circus received an incredible response in Japan, attracting 76,000 spectators over four shows. Their Tokyo show was their second biggest audience ever.

“I’d never been to Japan, and honestly, we didn’t know what to expect, but it’s exceeded our expectations. A lot of the guys were nervous about the food, but it was the best ever, everyone’s so nice, and it’s been one of the greatest experiences we’ve ever had touring,” Pastrana says while expressing hope of returning next year.

“As for future tours, I would like to go to Chile and Argentina; there’s a good market there. At the end of the day, we want to be with a culture that enjoys what we do, where we can share that passion,” he said.

Although Nitro Circus is a much larger production now than when it first began 13 years ago, the core spirit persists. “We’re in a different stage right now. We’re bigger, but (Travis’) goal is still the same, to change action sports until it’s so rad. He wants to do this because it’s fun, and he wants his friends to come along for the ride,” says producer and one of the Nitro Circus creators, Jeremy Rawle. ✤

What does the future hold for Nitro Circus? These passionate, innovative and downright crazy athletes are primed to push the limits of action sports. Nitro Circus Live will be touring Australia, the U.S. and Europe and featuring an all-new TV series, “Crazy Train,” which will air on NBC later this year. For more information and tour dates visit http://nitrocircus.com.

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T R AV E L E R

て、 難易度をあげていく。 がまんするほうが難しいからね。ナー リー （過激）な技を披露しちゃうって？ノープロブレムさ ！」 ナイトロサーカスは日本ですばらしい結 果を残した。

76,000名以上もの観客が訪れ、東京では過去二番目の観 客動員を記録した。 「日本での公演は初めてで、正直言ってちょっと不安だっ たよ。でも想像をはるかに超えたね。メンバーの多くは食べ るものにだって不安を感じていたし、でもすばらしかった。日 本の人たちは最高だったし、過去のツアーでベストのひとつ となった」とパストリアは来年の再来日を期待しながら、そん なことを語ってくれた。 「将来のツアーとしては、チリやアル ゼンチンにも行きたいと思っている。市場としても価値があ るんだ。つまり受けいれられる文化があるところならば、どこ でも訪れて興奮を分かちあいたいと思っている」 しかしながらナイトロサーカスは13年前にスタートしたころ より、比べられないほどの大きなプロダクションに成長した。 「私たちは新しいステージに直面している。私たちは大き く成長した。でもトラビスのめざしているものは変わっていな い。アクションスポーツをさらにラディカルに変化させるとい うことだ。彼はそれが楽しいんだよ。だからやっているのさ。 彼は友だちと一緒にバイクで楽しみたいのさ」とナイトロサー カスのクリエイターでもあるジェレミー・ロウリーは語った。✤ さて、ナイトロサーカスの未来はどうなっていくのだろ う？ 情熱、そして革新的でクレイジーなアスリートたち がくり広げる、限界を超えるアクションスポーツ。ナイ トロサーカスのオーストラリア、アメリカ、ヨーロッパ のライブツアーは新しいTVシリーズ “Crazy Train” として NBCから今年放映される予定だ。 詳しいインフォメーションは：http://nitrocircus.com

SPRING 2015

27

WRECKED IN THE

MARIANAS Exploring underwater war remnants in the tropics マリアナの沈没船 熱帯に沈む戦争の残骸 Story & Photos by Tim Rock & Elaine Kwok

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T R AV E L E R

W

hen divers talk about seeing war-era shipwrecks, Micronesia’s Chuuk Lagoon rightfully always comes up in conversation. With nearly 50 WWII-era shipwrecks, many beautifully adorned in soft corals and clouds of colorful fish, Chuuk (or Truk) is certainly one of the finest places in the world to see wrecks.

The Mariana Islands and Guam are not to be left out of the discussion. The region has a lot to offer war wreck buffs as well. Guam is a well-developed tourism destination with beautiful rolling southern hills, white sand beaches and a tourism center in Tumon Bay. It hosts more than 1.3 million visitors from around the world. All the amenities for a wonderful tropical vacation can be found here.

However, 72 years ago Guam was embroiled in the combat of World War II. The remnants of this war still litter the jungles and seabeds here. In the ocean, many ships, vehicles and landing craft are now adorned in coral and are special artificial reefs.

戦

時中の沈没船の話になると、かならず話題にあがるのがミクロネシアの チュークだ。第二次世界大戦の沈没船が50 隻ちかく沈んでおり、やわ らかなサンゴと熱帯魚にいろどられた残骸を見るのにもっともおススメな エリアのひとつである。

そして沈没船マニアもしっかり楽しめるマリアナ諸島とグアムもはずせない。丘 陵と

白い砂浜が美しいグアムは、タモン湾の中心地として観光客にも人気のエリアで、世 界各国から毎年130万人が訪れる。南国のバケーションには最高の場所である。 しかし72 年前、グアムは第二次世界大戦に巻きこまれる。そしてその残骸がいまも ジャングルや海底に放置されているのだ。海底に残された船や、そのほかの乗り物は 時とともにサンゴにおおわれ、人工リーフとなる。 グアムにはアプラ湾に5つの大きな戦争残骸エリアがあり、ハーレーのバイクから水 陸両用トラクター、飛行機などが60種類を超える残骸が残っている。 第一次世界大戦のドイツ船の上に、第二次世界大戦の日本の沈没船が重なって SPRING 2015

29

WRECKED IN THE MARIANAS

In the wreck department, Guam has five large war-era wrecks in its Apra Harbor, and there are at least 60 types of these war remnants in the harbor, ranging from a Harley motorcycle to amtracs and tractors to lost airplanes.

One of the most popular sites is a WW I-era German shipwreck resting on the sea floor with a WWII Japanese shipwreck resting above it. The ships, remnants of the two great wars, touch near their aft sections. Not only do the wrecks provide a look back in history, but they also provide a habitat for a number of fish species and a place for corals and sponges to grow.

SMS CORMORAN The Cormoran and crew sat at peace in the Guam harbor for many months until the USA declared war on Germany.

The German captain, to avoid capture, scuttled this ship and some of the crew went down with it at the start of WWI. They are buried in East Agana in the seaside cemetery there. One of diving’s unique sites, the Japanese Tokai Maru rests next to and above it. It is the only site in the world where wrecks from two world wars touch one another. A diver can go aft of the Cormoran to see this spot.

Sitting on the starboard side, the ship can be penetrated (please follow a trained guide) so divers can see the engine room. The engine room hatches have been propped open, and divers who are familiar with penetration dives can explore the engine and the walkways.

There is also a lion claw bathtub deep within the ship.

Since the ship is on its side, disorientation can occur, so

30

T R AV E L E R

divers need to take care. This is a deeper dive but quite interesting in its older design. The ship was built in 1909.

For those not trained in shipwreck penetration, the overswim of this classic old ship is a great experience. There is not much coral growth on the Cormoran even after all of these years. So it makes her early 1900s features easy to see.

Decompression can be done above on the Tokai Maru.

TOKAI MARU The Tokai Maru was a Japanese passenger and freight steamer built in 1930. The Tokai was anchored in Apra Harbor in January of 1943. Back then the Glass Breakwater didn’t exist, and submarines could sneak close to the mouth of the harbor.

It was torpedoed at sea and damaged by the U.S. submarine Flying Fish, so it limped into Guam and awaited repair. Seven months later, a second U.S. submarine, Snapper, torpedoed it and sunk it. It went down at the same anchorage as the German WWI ship SMS Cormoran.

The Tokai is generally shallower than the Cormoran but much longer, so a full overswim can take up an entire dive.

With a large bridge area and lots of holds, it is great to explore for a second dive after making a deeper dive on the Cormoran. Those familiar with penetration can go inside the large bridge area here and see the remains of galleys, latrines, sinks and even tile floors.

One should be very careful, as it is silty. Also, the penetration into places such as the engine room is very difficult and should only be done with proper training.

The bow also is covered in salmon and brilliant yellow tubastrea corals and is very pretty on a night dive. This ship has lots of fish life out in the blue water.

KITSUGAWA MARU Nearby Guam’s twin wrecks is an upright ship with an intact bowgun. This WWII ship sits upright in the main shipping channel. Divers normally descend the forward mast and then move toward the bow of the ship. The bow is still largely intact and is a very photogenic spot for underwater photographers wanting to capture the essence of a war wreck.

It has a bowgun that still has boxes of ammo placed on the gun’s turret. There are one or two holes where ammo was taken from the boxes. Look for octopus to be residing in these holes.

A leisurely swim back to the mast and then on to the bridge can bring a look at sea life such as batfish and bannerfish. There is some damage to the ship that isn’t war-related, as this ship has gotten tangled in the anchor chains of some fishing and cargo ships.

The aft was pretty much blown away when it was attacked. Explore the bridge and then slowly ascend the kingposts and forward mast. Brilliant sapphire damsels and encrusting sponges have made these upper structures into small reefs.

Apra Harbor was a busy place as a big staging area after liberation by the United States, so the harbor is a real treasure trove for divers wanting to explore its waters.

いるポイントは人気だ。ふたつの大戦の遺 物である船は

東海丸はコーモランより浅いが船体は長いので、全 貌

船尾で接触しており、歴史をふり返らせてくれると同時に、

を上から見るにはまる一回分のダイビングが必要だ。

いまではさまざまな魚類やサンゴの住処となっている。

SMS コーモラン

コーモランと乗組員は、アメリカがドイツに宣戦布告す

大きな船橋（ブリッジ）や船倉も多く、コーモランを見た あとの2 回目のダイブにはもってこいである。貫通ダイブに なれているならば、中に入ってギャラリー、 トイレ、流し台 やタイル張りの床なども見てほしい。

るまで、 グアムの湾内に平和に停泊していた。 ドイツ人キャ

ただ、シルト質なので注意は必要だ。機関室などへの

プテンは第一次世界大戦がはじまってすぐ、捕 虜にされる

アクセスはひじょうに難しいので、 トレーニングを受けたダ

のをおそれて船を沈没させ、乗組員の一部は船とともに海

イバーでなければ入らないほうがよい。

へと沈んだのだった。

船首は色とりどりのカップサンゴにおおわれ、ナイトダイ

彼らは東アガナの海岸墓地に埋葬された。そのすぐそ

ブにも最適。ブルーの水をたたえた船にはさまざまな魚も

ばで上に乗っかっているのが、日本の東海丸で、世界で

見ることができる。

唯一、ふたつの大戦の沈没船がおなじ場所に沈んでいる 珍しいダイビングポイントである。東海丸はコーモランの船 尾から見にいくことができる。

木津川丸

上記の双子の沈没船のすぐ近くには、機械式の弓、

ガイドをつけるのが鉄則だが、右舵側から船内に入って

ボーガンがついたまま垂直に沈んでいる船がある。メイン

機関室を見ることができる。機関室のハッチは開いている

の輸送用チャンネルの真下に沈んでいて、ダイバーは前

ので、船内貫通ダイビングに慣れているダイバーは、エン

方のマストから、船首へと潜る。船首はまだしっかりとつい

ジンや通路を探索することも可能だ。

ていて、戦争遺物の写真撮影を試みるフォトグラファーに

船の深部には、足つきのバスタブまである。船は横向

はひじょうに魅力的なスポットとなっている。

きになっているので感覚がマヒする可能性もあるので注意

装 甲塔に実弾の箱が置いてあるボーガンもあり、箱に

が必要だ。1909年製の船で、古めかしいデザインがひじょ

は弾を取りだす穴がいくつかあいており、覗けばタコが住

うにおもしろい。

んでいるのが見えるだろう。

船内貫通ダイブに慣れていなくても、このクラシックな

マストへもどり、船橋部分へ泳いでいくと、バットフィッ

船は上から見るだけでもじゅうぶん楽しませてくれる。コー

シュやハタタテダイといった魚が視界に入ってくる。漁船

モランには、長い年月を経ているにもかかわらず、なぜか

や貨物船のアンカーのチェーンにからまった結果できた、

サンゴがあまりついていないので、1900年代初頭のその

戦争とは関係のない損傷などもある。

姿をそのまま見ることができる。減圧は東海丸の上でできる。

東海丸

東海丸は1930 年につくられた日本の汽船で、1943 年 1

船尾は攻撃によりほぼ破壊されている。船橋からゆっく り上昇してキングポストや前方のマストへと移動すれば、そ こはサファイヤダムゼルやスポンジサンゴなどが生息する、 小さなリーフになっているのがわかるだろう。

月アプラ湾に入港。当時はまだグラスブレーク・ウォーター

アプラ湾はアメリカから独立後、中心地となっているに

はなかったので、潜水艦が湾のすぐ入口まで近づくことが

ぎやかなエリアで、ダイバーには宝の山だ。

できた。海上で、アメリカの潜水艦フライングフィッシュに なんとか修理のためにグアムへやっ よる魚雷攻撃に遭い、 てきたのだった。7か月後、スナッパーという別のアメリカ

アメリカンタンカー

アメリカンタンカーは防波堤内で人気のスポットのひとつ

の潜水艦の魚雷にふたたび攻撃されて沈んでしまったの

で、魚だらけのこの沈没船は第二次世界大戦の残骸であ

だが、おなじ場所に沈んでいたのが、第一次世界大戦の

る。大戦後、グラスブレーク・ウォーターという防御のため

ドイツ戦SMSコーモランだったというわけだ。

の半島の建設とともに、おそらく故意に沈められたのだろう。

Cambodia China Indonesia Maldives Mozambique Qatar Thailand United Arab Emirates Vietnam Zambia

SPRING 2015

31

AMERICAN TANKER

SHOUN MARU & SEVEN SCREWS

One popular dive inside the breakwater is the American Tanker. A very fishy wreck, this big water tanker is also a vicitim of WWII. This tanker was probably sunk here on purpose after the war as part of the building of the barrier peninsula called the Glass Breakwater.

Prior to the war, the breakwater area was just a low sand bar and coral reef. The military built up this long peninsula using rocks, debris, military junk and just about anything it could. The entire northern peninsula in the harbor was built after the war, and there are small wrecks, barges and other remnants all along this break.

Descending the buoy line to the ship, an open “bridge” area and massive rudder make the aft fun to explore. Dive guides sometimes feed fish here, and there are lots of fish to greet divers as a result.

This ship should not be entered, as the inside is massive and pitch black and not for sport diving. But the various structures on the deck hold fish life, and the bow has various coral. Look for the big, blue elephant ear sponges on the ship.

Also, if you are into tiny things, skeleton shrimp can be found on the tunicates that grow on the sides of the tanker.

The reef next to the tanker is great to explore. A fourpound nudibranch, the largest of the nudis, was found along here a couple of times. There are healthy hard corals on the reef and also growing on the side of the ship.

West of the American Tanker is the SeaBee Junkyard.

This dump site was part of the fill of the Glass Breakwater at the end of the war. There are bulldozers, trac vehicles, big pipes and all other sorts of things that attract fish and invertebrate life.

It is shallow at the top of the site and can be explored for a long dive. Fish like this protective cover and angelfish, many kinds of butterflyfish and lots of puffers can be found around the various pieces of wreckage.

The WWII Japanese freighter Shoun Maru has been Rota’s premier wreck dive for decades and, though the ship is showing some sign of age, she attracts a healthy selection of marine life and her big bow still cuts a pretty profile. The ship is upright and splayed wide open. The bow still sits high in the water. On most days the diver can see the entire 400-floor long wreck from the surface. Amazing.

There is also the Seven Screws wreck. This ship was sunk for sport diving but once plied the rivers of China. It was confiscated at part of a human smuggling arrest. The seabed around both wrecks is alive with garden eels. The ships attract whitetip sharks and spadefish like the water around the Shoun Maru.

MARIANAS WRECKS Rota is a stunning natural isle in the Northern Mariana Islands known for its clear water and natural setting. For divers, an amazing cathedral of blue beauty awaits.

Rota is known as the friendliest island in the Marianas.

Rota’s residents seem to always have a smile. Everyone waves or nods at everyone else as they pass on the road.

This is an island tradition.

Rota is just 30 miles by air north of urban Guam. It offers a great deal for the diver, hiker and escapist. This outpost is a reward in natural beauty, undersea treasures and local Chamorro culture.

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SAIPAN The island of Saipan is the capital of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and is a quick trip by jet from most Asian airports. The PIC hotel on the west coast of Saipan has a large water park, punctuated by a replica of an ancient Manila galleon, a tribute to a gold ship that sank on the nearby coast. But whether it be treasure or bountiful marine life, Saipan is a place that holds many secrets beneath its sea.

The island is famous for clear water. Divers are now coming to see a new underwater attraction, schooling eagle rays off Managaha Island. Tanapag Harbor holds most of the island’s wrecks and war planes.

TANAPAG WRECKS A couple of WWII airplane wrecks complete with whitetip sharks and resident eels sit in shallow waters in Tanapag.

Big propellers stand high in the sand. There are also a couple of wartime shipwrecks (one also called Shoun Maru) in shallow water clouded with schools of goatfish and snappers.

One is badly damaged, as it was used by the CIA in the cold war years for target practice. But it is a great natural reef. Aside from the large schools, there are sleeping sharks under the metal, and an eagle ray can swim by.

The islands of Guam and the CNMI are a great getaway for the diving enthusiast. Tinian, across a channel from Saipan, also offers some cool dives. Check out these islands for a great commune with history and nature.

Guam resident Tim Rock is an internationally published marine photojournalist whose work can be seen through Getty Images.

He is a Lonely Planet author and also has his own Guam-based publishing company. Website: timrock.photoshelter.com

WRECKED IN THE MARIANAS

戦前、この防波堤エリアはサンドバーとコーラルリーフ

最大 1.8kgのものが見つかったこともある。リーフの上と船

があるだけだったのだが、岩やがれき、軍の残骸など使え

の横にはサンゴも元気に育っている。

るものはなんでも使って、この長い半島を建設した。湾内

アメリカンタンカーの西側にはシービージャンクヤードが

の半島北部はすべて戦後につくられたもので、これにそっ

ある。グラスブレーク・ウォーター建設時のゴミ捨て場だ。

て沈没船や将官艇などが沈んでいる。

ブルドーザーや大きなパイプは、魚や軟体動物の住処に

船にむかってブイのラインを降りると見えるのが、船橋と

なっている。

巨大な舵で、ガイドがここで魚にエサをやることが多いの

イントの上のほうは浅く、長時間のダイブにも適してお

で、ダイバーを迎えてくれる魚の種類も豊富である。

り、エンジェルフィッシュや、さまざまなチョウチョウウオ科

船内は巨大で真っ暗なため、船内ダイブは不可能だ

の魚、フグなど、豊富な魚を見ることができるだろう。

が、さまざまな形状のデッキ部分には魚が、船首にはサ ンゴがいっぱいで、ぜひ象の耳みたいな形の、大きなス ポンジサンゴを見つけてほしい。小動物好きにおススメな

マリアナの難破船

ロタは北マリアナ諸島にある島で、水の透明度と自然

のは、タンカーの脇に育っている被 嚢類（ホヤなど無脊

のすばらしさで有名で、真っ青な水がダイバーたちを待っ

椎動物の総称）の上にいるワレカラ （エビなどの甲殻類

ている。

のひとつ）だ。

ロタはマリアナ諸島ではもっともフレンドリーな島で、島

タンカーの横のリーフも一見の価値ありで、ウミウシでは

の人々はいつも笑顔だ。すれちがう人はかならず笑顔であ いさつしてくれるが、それが島の伝統である。 グアムから飛行機でたった30 分、ダイビング、ハイキ ングはもちろん、休暇にも最適。自然と海の美しさ、そし てチャモロの文化を垣 間見ることができるすばらしい島 である。

松運丸とセブンスクリュー

第二次世界大戦中、日本の貨物船だった松運丸は、 何十年もロタのダイビングスポットとして人気だが、年月を 経た船は、古びてきてはいるが、いまも美しい海洋生物を ひきつけ、大きな船首も健在だ。船は直立で、斜めになっ ており、船首は水面高くに位置している。たいてい水面 から400 階建ての長さがある船の全 貌を確認することがで き、すばらしい眺めである。 もうひとつの船がセブンスクリューだ。スポーツダイビング のために沈められた船だが、かつては中国の河を渡ってい た。密入国取り締まりの一環で差し押さえられたもので、ま わりの海底はガーデンイールの宝庫になっている。ヨゴレ

Five Great Indo-Pacific Shipwrecks インド洋∼太平洋の5大沈船

By Tim Rock

1. The Liberty Located on the shores of Tulamben, Bali, this may be the most popular wreck in Asia with tons of fish life and pretty corals. Divers just walk in.

2. Shinkoko Maru Located in Micronesia’s Truk Lagoon, the wreck diving capital of the world, this ship has marine life, artifacts and great soft corals.

3. Iro Maru High masts and swirling jacks highlight this freighter sitting in Micronesia in Palau’s scenic Rock Islands.

4. The King Cruiser A western Thailand wreck that is a fish magnet. Divers may see anything from sponges to cruising whale sharks.

5. The Alma Jane Located in Puerto Galera, Philippines, just right off the Asia Divers dock in deep water.

Expect to see big schools of batfish and lionfish hiding in the holds.

ザメやマンジュウダイも、この沈没船にはおなじみの魚だ。

サイパン

サイパンは北マリアナ諸島の首都で、多くのアジアの 空港から気軽に行ける距離にある。サイパン西海岸にあ

るPICホテルには大きなウォーターパークがあり、近海に沈 んだ黄金の船、マニラ・ガレオン （16∼１９世紀に活躍した スペインの貿易船）のレプリカが目印だ。黄金目当てだろ うが、豊かなマリンライフが目当てだろうが、サイパンの海 にはたくさんの秘密が隠されている。 透明度の高い水で知られるサイパンだが、ダイバーに最 近人気なのが、マナガハ島のトビエイの群れだ。沈没船や 戦時中の航空機の残骸が多いのはタナパグ湾になる。

タナパグ

タナパグには、ヨゴレザメやウツボに囲まれた第二次世 界大戦の航空機が浅い海に沈んでいる。大きなプロペラ

が海底の砂から突きだしているのが見えるだろう。浅い海 底には沈没船もいくつかあり （こちらも松運丸という名前 の船がある）、ヒメジやフエダイが泳いでいる。冷戦時代、

CIAによって標的の練習に使われていた一隻はダメージが かなり大きいが、自然のリーフとなっていて、大きな魚群の ほか、船の下で眠るサメやトビエイが横切るのを見ること ができるだろう。 グアムと北マリアナ諸島はダイバーには最高の旅を約束 してくれる。サイパンのチャンネルを挟んで反対にあるティニ

1. リバティ バリ島テュランベンの海岸に沈んでいる この船はアジアではもっとも有名な沈船で、 魚とサンゴが豊富である。 ダイバーは歩いて中に入ることができる。 2. 神国丸 ミクロネシアのチュークは沈船の中心地だが、 さまざまな海洋生物や人工物、 ソフトコーラルが楽しめる。 3. 石廊丸 高いマストと船首旗が特徴の日本軍の 輸送船で、 ミクロネシアのパラオにある 美しいロックアイランドに沈んでいる。 4. キングクルーザー タイ西部にあるこちらの沈没船は魚の宝庫で、 スポンジコーラルからジンベイザメまで、 ありとあらゆる生物を見ることができる。 5. アルマジェーン フィリピンのプエルトガレラ、 アジアダイバーズの 埠頭のすぐ沖の深い海に沈んでいる。 バットフィッシュやミノカサゴなどが 貨物室にたくさんかくれているだろう。

アンもおススメだ。歴史と自然をぜひ楽しみに訪れてほしい。

グアム在住のティム・ロックはフォトジャーナリストとして世界で活躍 しており、彼の作品はGetty Imageに公開中。 『 LONELY PLANET 』の 著者で、グアムで出版社を経営している。 ウェブ: timrock.photoshelter.com SPRING 2015

33

WRECKED IN THE MARIANAS

Diving in Guam Guam is the richest coral reef marine environment of any United States territory or state. Thriving with more than 700 fish species and nearly 400 kinds of corals, it offers great natural biodiversity.

Its historic past includes shipwrecks and remnants from WWII, WWI and even the gold bearing Manila Galleon trading days.

Consistently warm and clear water make year ’round diving a reality. Dive training on the island is also the most advanced and readily available of anywhere in the Pacific.

Guam also has many marine related tours and institutions to offer those infatuated with the ocean.

Guam is by far one of the safest dive destinations in the world. It has U.S. Coast Guard and Navy patrolled waters, and dive boats are all certified through the Coast Guard.

The boats carry oxygen and safety equipment. Guam has recompression chambers for treatment of any possible diving accident.

グアムはアメリカ本土、領土をふ くめ、 もっとも豊かなサンゴ礁を誇 サンゴは る。700以上にのぼる魚類と、

400種類以上、 その生物多様性には目を みはるものがある。 第一次、第二次世界大戦の沈没船などのほ か、金を生みだしたマニラ・ガレオンの貿易といっ た歴史をもつ。温暖な気候ときれいな水で、年間を 通してダイビングを楽しむことができる。 また、 ダイビン グのトレーニングにかんしても進んでおり、 いたるところ で受講可能である。 海に夢中な旅人のために、 さまざまなマリンツアーや施設が あり、世界でもっとも安全なダイビングを提供してくれるエリ アでもある。沿岸警備隊と海軍がつねに海上をパト ロールしており、 ダイビングのボートはすべて沿 岸警備隊の証書を持っている。ボートに は酸素と安全設備が、 事故のさ いには高圧室なども完備さ れている。

34

T R AV E L E R

www.oberoihotels.com

SPRING 2015

35

ving the Tradition of Tate in r e s e r P

HISTORIC FUCHU Every day in the ancient city of Fuchu in west Tokyo, 49-year-old Utako Takano works hard to preserve the Japanese performance art of tate, a dramatized form of iaido (Japanese katana sword fencing) that originated from the kabuki theater. For more than half her life, Takano has been part of the Takase Dojo tate training school, starting as a stuntwoman and now as a teacher to numerous classes for men and women of all ages.

By Rie Miyoshi

36

T R AV E L E R

she wanted to make it accessible and enjoyable for anyone.

In 2001, she started her first tate class for children, then expanded to teach men and women of all ages, starting from the basic beginner tate stances of standing, walking and katana wielding, to higher level steps of re-enacting an entire battle.

However, she noticed that, although women were interested in her classes, very few remained because they were uncomfortable fighting men.

At barely five-feet tall, Takano may look small but has the fierce confidence of a professional who has had years of experience in the arts.

Takase Dojo

O

riginally from Osaka, Utako Takano grew up dancing classical ballet and moved to Tokyo after high school to be a professional ballerina.

However, once she entered a performing arts school, she took one class in tate — a far cry from what she had been used to so far — and discovered her true passion.

“Once I entered the ‘action world’ of tate, I fell in love with it immediately,” Takano says, her eyes reflecting excitement, as she remembers her early training days.

“My family and friends were so surprised when they heard about the switch. Until then, I had never tried action stunts, let alone watch action flicks. I hadn’t even seen films featuring Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee,” she laughs.

At that time, she had been practicing for a separate musical but found herself increasingly wanting to spend time with her tate group. Especially back during a time when there were fewer action stunt mechanisms available, the team worked closely together every day to create stunt moves—everything from jumping from high places to sliding down ropes.

It was also at this same class where she met her husband, film director Masatsugu Takase. Takase was her tate instructor and son of Masatoshi Takase, the owner of the famed Takase Dojo. After getting married at the young age of 20, she helped her husband run Takase Dojo especially as her father-in-law’s health ailed, all while being a mother and successful stuntwoman for top Japanese action films and TV shows.

As she pursued this passion, she realized it was not enough for her to just let people be aware of tate; instead,

“I never had that problem with fighting guys when I first started tate because, since they were a lot bigger than me, I could put my all into it to try to beat them. But a lot of the women who attended my classes got shy or were scared, especially since they were beginners. Unfortunately, they ended up leaving before they could improve and develop that confidence to fight,” she says.

So, nine years ago, she decided to open a women-only tate class which she was constantly told would fail. In the past, action performances might feature male or female shin (protagonists), but never female antagonists.

However, since then, these classes have been extremely popular among women in their 20s to 40s seeking to get some exercise and let out stress after a long week at the office.

Tate has been practiced for almost 100 years with similarities to shinkokugeki, the modern theatrical form of kabuki. Although it has garnered positive feedback from spectators worldwide and the theatrical industry, it has also been looked down upon by those who are trained in the traditional budo martial arts.

“We have a saying in Takase Dojo: if budo is the sun, our tate is the moon. We receive the light from the sun to reflect that to others. That is the role of performing arts,” Takano says.

“We put ourselves in the perspective of the audience and see how we can better reflect budo through this art. Each time I perform, regardless of whether it’s to a large audience at the theater, at a small volunteer event, to a foreign group in a different country or in front of my students as an example, it’s difficult but always incredibly rewarding.” ✤

EXPLORING

FUCHU

Okutama

FUCHU Kichijoji

Shinjuku Tokyo Shinagawa

With a background rich in history, Fuchu is the third largest city in Tokyo. Located in the western side of Tokyo, Fuchu was the capital of Musashi Kuni, the largest province during the Edo Period, serving as the center of political, economic and cultural development.

OKUNITAMA SHRINE This shrine is one of the oldest in Tokyo. Each year between April 30 and May 6, the shrine’s Kurayami “Darkness” Festival takes place, where eight mikoshi shrines are carried around the streets, led by an impressive entourage of taiko drummers. Web: www.ookunitamajinja.or.jp

THE TOKYO RACE COURSE

THE SUNTORY MUSASHINO BEER FACTORY Hop on a free one-hour tour around the factory to learn how Suntory’s beer is made and end with a freshly brewed sampling of The Premium Malts and All Free. Web: www. suntory.co.jp/factory/musashino/index.html

Photos courtesy of Fuchu Tourism Board

Stop by Japan’s most famous race course to check out the horses, betting systems and the Japan Racing Association museum with Englishspeaking services. Admission is ¥200 during a live race day and free when there are no events.

Web: www.jra.go.jp/facilities/race/tokyo/

The Takase Dojo troupe puts together a professional performance annually and will also be present on May 5 at the week-long Kurayami Festival. In addition to teaching at Fuchu City, Takano also has classes available in Shinjuku, Kita Senju, Omori, Machida, Hachioji, Kunitachi and Ogikubo. Oneday workshops are also available for visitors who want to immerse themselves in Japanese culture.

For more information, visit their website at http://takase-dojo.com/

SPRING 2015

37

完璧にノルウェー

Perfectly

Norway ck L B y Ja n i

re nd Pier a x u e i em

Boucha

rd

Two cycling wanderers return to the road to begin an epic journey following the paths of past nomads from Stavanger to Trondheim. ふたりの自転車さすらい人が壮大な旅の最初に選んだルートはスタバンゲルからトロンハイムまでの、 かつて遊牧民たちが辿った道だった。

38

T R AV E L E R

SPRING 2015

39

“

We decided to follow their journey and call our latest expedition “Nomads² — From cape to cape, a cycling odyssey.

”

̶ その旅は「Nomads²ー岬から岬へのサイクリング叙事詩」と名づけた。̶

40

T R AV E L E R

Perfectly Norway

“Y

ou know America was discovered by the Vikings, not Christopher Columbus, right?” says Bjørn.

We are sitting by the fire talking to Bjørn. Last night he invited us to pitch our tent next to the red brick barn near his century-old family house he is renovating. He has stopped short of building a new balcony, because he would need to excavate to do it, and the probability of encountering an arrowhead or other Viking artifacts is high and unwelcome.

“The paperwork needed to dig is a pain and, if something turns up, it would become a nightmare,” he says.

Gazing out upon the Norwegian Sea, we see the coastline is shrouded in an eerie fog. It feels as if Erik The Red might make landfall at any moment. Norway's history is long and fascinating, yet no period has captured people's imagination more than the Viking Age (793-1066), back when Norsemen navigators explored seas and rivers for trade and conquest.

「ア

メリカ大 陸を発 見したのはクリスト ファー・コロンブスじゃないぜ、バイキ ングさ。だろう？」とビヨンが言う。

It was a time of expeditions and adventures, the mark of which has been left on Normandy, England, Scotland and Ireland, Russia and Ukraine, Turkey, Iceland and, of course, Greenland and Newfoundland.

For the best part of a month, we have been on a journey of our own, cycling north from Stavanger through Norway's Fjordland. The idea to cycle between Nordkapp, in Norway, and Cape Agulhas, in South Africa, was born during our previous trip around the Pacific Ocean following the active volcanoes of the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, which included cycling through Japan’s many seismic regions.

Adding a theme to our expedition was so yielding, we knew future cycling adventures would follow a similar path.

After some reflection during our nomadic travels, we turned our attention to other nomadic peoples.

Eventually we were drawn to one particular group that had marched between the northernmost point of Europe and the southern extremity of Africa. Inspired by their explorations, we decided to follow their journey and call our latest expedition “Nomads²--From cape to cape, a cycling odyssey.”

So we found ourselves packing our purple Surly Troll touring bikes and flying to Stavanger in southwest Norway.

We needed a training camp, so we decided to ride north toward Sápmi, traditional territory of the “reindeer people,” the first nomads on our list. We’d continue pedaling during the nightless summer months toward Nordkapp, through Norway's fjords and highest mountains.

Since drilling started in the North Sea in the late 1960s, Stavanger has been known as Norway's oil capital, and it has made Norway one of the richest countries on the planet. The geography of the city is dominated by water;

the sea, fjords and lakes surround it. So, it is not surprising our journey here begins on a ferry.

National Road 13 (RV13) awaits, and we follow it to the famous flat top of Preikestolen, the steep cliff that rises 600 meters above Lysefjord. We had picked up a free Norway road map which points out designated scenic roads and National Tourist Routes (NTR).

These 18 routes are carefully selected by the Public Roads Administration based on the spectacular natural beauty infused with bold Scandinavian architecture. We start with NTR Ryfylke, excitedly knowing many more great roads await.

Looking for a place to rest for the night, we test the Outdoor Recreation Act—a freedom to roam legislature that allows access to uncultivated land—and we are camping on the Suldalslågen, a salmon river running through sand. A municipality employee on a lawn tractor finds us having coffee in the morning. He does not care that we have slept here but wants to know, “Do you like it?”

He is pointing at Høsebrua, the cubical pedestrian bridge newly installed across the river, a striking example of the NTR's innovative designs. We offer a polite, yet impartial, answer when the young man throws in, “Well, everybody in town hates it.” So much for Norwegian restraint.

We make every pedal stroke count during the four-km/ h slog from the Sauda fjord into the mountains via road #520. The strip of narrow pavement snakes through the towering mountain landscapes to the 965-meter pass, a poetic ride into Valhalla. The road opened just a week before on the summer solstice and was thankfully free of snow.

ランドにまで残っている。

にはお勧めの景色など

私たちはいい季節をねらって自転車の旅を計画した。ス

のナショナル・ツーリスト

タバンゲルからノルウェーのフィヨルドを巡る旅だ。計画の

ロード （ NTR ）が記載され てあった。それら18のルート

私たちは火を囲みながらビヨンと

全 貌は、ノルウェーのノールカップから南アフリカのアラガ

会話をした。昨晩、赤レンガの納屋の横に、彼はテントを張

ス岬までの行程となる。じつは環太平洋火山帯を旅してい

は、大胆なまでに美しいスカン

らせてくれた。そこには彼が改修中の、築100年ほどの古い

るときにこの計画を思いついた。このときは地震の多い日

ジナビア建築様式に基づいたパ

家がある。彼は新しいバルコニーをつくるのをすこしのあい

本の各地も自転車でまわった。私たちの冒険旅行にどんな

ブリックロード・アドミニンストレーショ

だ休んでいた。というのも穴を掘らなければならず、そうする

テーマがふさわしいか、それは感化されやすいということだろ

ンが厳 選したものであった。私たち

とたいていの場合、矢尻のようなバイキングの古い遺物が

う。たぶんこれからもそうなっていく、いくつかの遊牧民的な

はNTRをライフルケからスタートし、これ

土のなかから出てきてしまうからだ。

旅を終えてから、私たちは遊牧民そのものに興味を持つよう

から待ち受けるであろうすばらしい行程に エキサイトした。

「穴を掘るだけで書類を用意しなければならないなんてまっ

になった。そして見つけたのが、ヨーロッパの最北端からア

ぴらさ。それにもし何かが土の中から出てきたら、悪夢だよ」

フリカの最南端までたどり着いたグループだった。彼らの冒

ノルウェー海を眺めると、海岸線には薄気味悪い霧が

険に誘発された私たちは、彼らの足跡を辿る旅に出ることに

「 Nomads²ー岬から岬へのサイクリング叙事 立ちこめていた。赤毛のエイリーク （伝説の探検家）が今、 した。その旅は まさに上陸してくるようなそんな雰囲気が

詩」と名づけた。

さて夜になり、キャンプする場所を探していた私たちは、 アウトドア・リクレーションアクトを試してみることにした。それ は開墾されていない場所へもアクセスが許されるというもの で、スルダルスラゲンという鮭が遡上する河辺にテントを張 ることにした。朝、自治体に雇われている人物がトラクター

漂っていた。長いノルウェーの歴史は興

というわけで、私たちは紫色のサーリートロールをパッキ

味深い。それはバイキングの時代（ 793-

ングして、ノルウェーのスタバンゲルへと飛んだ。ちょっとト

に乗ってあらわれて、コーヒーを飲んでいる私たちを発見し

1066）に、その北の男たち航海士が海や

レーニングが必要だと思った私たちは、 トナカイと暮らす人々

た。彼は私たちがキャンプしたことにはいっさい触れず「気

川を越え、交易や征服に情熱を燃やし

がいるラップランド地方へとむかった。これは私たちがリスト

に入ったかい」とだけ聞いてきた。

た。その情熱が、いまもピリオドを打

アップした遊牧民のひとつだ。白夜の夏、ノルウェーのフィ

彼はホセブルアを指さした。そこには立方体の歩行者

たれることがなく、連綿とつづいて

ヨルドや最高峰の山々が連なるノールカップ地方を走った。

「町 用の橋があり、 まさにNTRによる革新的デザインだった。

1960年代後半に北海ではじまった掘削を機に、スタバンゲ

の人はみんな嫌っているけどね」。その若い男がそう投げ

それは遠征や冒険の時代

ルはノルウェーの石油首都として知られるようになった。それ

かけてきたが、私たちはその言葉には黙って聞くしか術が

でもあった。その足跡はノル

は同時に、ノルウェーを世界でもっとも裕福な国にもした。

なかった。

いるかのようだから。

マンディーやイングランド、 スコットランド、アイルラン

地勢的にこの都市は水に囲まれているといっていい。海、 フィヨルド、そして湖から囲まれているからだ。だから、ここか

ド、ロシア、ウクライナ、 らはじまる私たちの旅がフェリーではじまったのも驚くべきこ

私たちはペダルの漕ぐ回数が数えられるほどの時速4km でサウダフィヨルドから520号線を経由して山岳へと入った。 狭く曲がりくねった道を通り、塔のような山の景色を望みな

トルコ、アイスランド、そ

（RV13） を走り、有名なプレー とではないだろう。国道13号線

バルハラへと詩的な走行をつづけた。 がら965mの峠を超え、

してもちろんグリーンラ

ケストーレンの断崖にむかう、リーセフィヨルドから高さ600m

この道は夏至を一週間前に控えてオープンしたばかりで、

ンドやニューファウンド

の岩壁。私たちは無料のロードマップを手に入れた。そこ

雪がないのは幸運だった。 SPRING 2015

41

The descent is steep into Røldal Valley where we reconnect with RV13, and it is an arduous climb to Røldal Skisenter. Fortunately, the old road is well maintained.

It goes over the pass and was the main route before a 4,657-meter long tunnel was dug in 1964.

Norway has more than 900 tunnels; some of them cross entire mountain chains, some are underwater and are some the world's longest road tunnels such as the 24.51-km.

Lærdal Tunnel. Some are closed to cyclists and none are enjoyable. In fact, while bike touring in Norway, tunnels will be your main hurdle—possibly the only one—and you will need riding lights even though the sun never sets.

Between Hardanger and Sogne fjords, we begin to see signs the summer holidays have begun, as we ride along small motor homes sporting various European license plates—though Germany is overwhelmingly represented— and countless motorbikes with neon riders.

Most carry items they need to survive from their home country, as Norway has a reputation for being prohibitively expensive. Fuel and toll roads are the main expenses and difficult to avoid.

We cautiously navigate the supermarkets along the way

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in search of deals—and expired goods. We come to rely on oatmeal, pasta, canned corn, fish cakes, cod roe, bread, cheese (including the traditional Norwegian brown cheese) and tyttebær jam.

In Vikøyri, Hopperstad Stave Church stands straight as a rocket, even though it was built in medieval times. Its wooden structure is believed to have been erected around 1140, just at the closing of the Viking Age. Most will argue Christianity stamped out the pagan Viking culture in Norway, first championed by Englandraised King Haakon The Good in the mid-10th century and later more efficiently by King Olaf I (995) and Saint Olaf II Haraldsson (1015).

Norwegians are still ocean champions at heart. A prime example is the old man in Leikanger who gets excited over our bikes parked in front of the Kiwi MiniPris supermarket.

“I know about Quebec, the French colonies; I navigated on the St. Lawrence. We would go to Duluth, Minnesota, and get rice to bring back to Germany,” he says.

Leikanger is on the Sogne Fjord, the largest fjord in Norway. It stretches 205 kilometers inland from the ocean to the small village of Skolden where the road starts to

ascend on Sognefjellet.

The National Tourist Road leads steeply to Northern Europe's highest pass (1,434 meters) and a surreal view upon mainland Norway's largest glacier, the Jostedalsbreen Glacier, and Galdhøpiggen, at 2,469 meters, Norway's highest mountain. Its notoriety as one of the world's top bike routes is richly deserved, and we see a good dozen loaded bikes on the way up.

At the top, overweight bikes are replaced by bony road bikes driven by neon-green riders. We have come face-toface with Tour de Jotunheimen, a 430-km., two-day road race, and Tour de Sognefjell, its more approachable 137-km. long little sister. The smell of freshly cooked dough in the icy air gets us excited, but security is tight at the waffle station.

Up the wild and lush valley west of Lom, we reach NTR Geiranger-Trollstigen. Since tourism was in its infancy, tourists from all over the world have visited Geiranger and Trollstigen...and they still do.

From the viewpoint at Flydalsjuvet, we count no less than five cruise ships floating on the narrow Geiranger fjord. Buses buzz on the tight switchbacks leading down to the fjord and up the northern route out of it.

Perfectly Norway ローダル渓谷へ下る道は急だった。そこからふたたび

ラウンチーズ） 、そしてリンゴンベリージャムなどを食べた。

2,469m。ここはバイクルートとしても世界的に知られていて、

RV13へ。ローダルスキーセンターへはやっかいな登りがあっ たが、旧道は整備されていた。1964年に4,657mのトンネル

教会があった。この木造建築物は1140年ごろに建てられた

頂上では重量過多のツーリングバイクに代わってネオング

が開通するまではその道しかなかった。

と信じられていて、ほぼバイキングの時代といえるほど古い。

リーンを着たライダーたちのレース用自転車があった。Tour

ビコイリにはロケットのようにそびえ建つホッパースタッド

当然のように多くのバイカーを目撃した。

ノルウェーには900以上のトンネルがある。いくつかは山脈

よく論争になるのが、キリスト教がノルウェーのバイキン

de Jotunheimenという２日間で430kmの自転車レースに顔を

を突き抜け、またいつくかは海底を抜けている。世界一長

グの文化を駆 逐したこと。最初の制圧者はイングランドに

つきあわせることになった。Tour de Sognefjellという137kmの

ルーツのあるハーコン王。10 世紀なかばからはオラフ一世

レースもあり、こちらのほうが参加しやすいだろう。

いラーダルトンネルもここにあり、その長さは24.51kmだ。 トンネルはサイクリストにとって悩みの種だ。ノルウェーで

、そして聖オラフ二世ハラルドソン （1015） 。ノルウェー （995）

サイクリングを楽しみたかったら、これがいちばん問題だ。そ

の人たちは海洋王としての誇りを胸に秘めている。それをあ

私たちを興奮させた。でもワッフルステーションのセキュリ

のために夜のない夏といえどもライトが必要なんだ。

らわすこんなことがあった。キウィ ・ミニプリス・スーパーマー

ティは厳重だった。

ハーダンジャーからソングフィヨルドのあいだはサマーホ

ケットの入り口に私たちが自転車を駐車したときのことだ。

パンの焼けるような香りが冷たい空気に運ばれてきて、

西ロムのワイルドな渓谷を登り、私たちはNTRガイランゲ ルート・ロールスティゲンに到着した。観光事業がまだ初期

リデーがはじまったと気づかせてくれる光景を見るように

ある老人が興奮した様子で私たちに話しかけてきた。 「フラ

なった。ヨーロッパのライセンスプレートを付けたモーター

ンスの植民地だったケベックを知っているよ。セントローレン

のころからすでにここには世界中から人々が訪れつづけて

ホーム、とくにドイツの車が多かった。そして数多くのモー

ス川も辿ったことがあるし、ミネソタのダルースで米を買いつ

いる。

ターバイクに乗ったネオンライダーたち。このノルウェーを

けてドイツに運んだこともあるんだよ」と彼が話した。

フライダルスジュベットを見下ろすと、５隻ほどの船が狭い フィヨルドにあった。バスはホーンを鳴らしながら狭いスイッ

訪れたときに注意しなければならないことは物価の高さだ。

ライカンゲルはノルウェーでいちばん大きなソグネフィヨル

燃料と有料道路は高額で、まさにこれらは避けて通ること

ドにある。海から内陸にかけて205kmの長さだ。奥にはスコ

チバックの山道を下ったり、北のルートにむかって登ったりし

はできない。

ルデンという小さな村があり、そこからソグネフィレまで上り

ている。 国道63号線をゆっくりと登る私たちに太陽が激しく照りつ

だから私たちもスーパーマーケットで買物をするときは値

坂がつづく。ナショナル・ツーリストロードは北ヨーロッパで

段に注意し、賞味期限が近づいたセール品を探した。ぜい

もっとも標高のある地点を過ぎ、ノルウェーのメインランドで

けた。新鮮はストロベリーの香りが私たちの鼻をくすぐった。

たくは許されず、オートミール、パスタ、 トウモロコシ缶、フィッ

もっとも大きな氷河のすばらしい光景に出くわす。ヨステダ

この大きなストロベリーは休むことのない真夜中の太陽の

シュケーキ、タラコ、パン。チーズ （ノルウェーの伝統的なブ

ルブレン氷河と、ノルウェーの最高峰ガルドホピンゲン山は

恵み、道路脇のキオスクで売られている。

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Perfectly Norway

By now, we have grasped that Norway is a spectacular place throughout, so there is no point in lingering in the overcrowded fjord, UNESCO World Heritage site or not.

The sun is scorching as we slowly climb up road #63 at the bottom of the Valldal Valley, our noses tickled by the smell of fresh strawberries. These gigantic berries are bombarded by the restless midnight sun and sold at roadside kiosks.

At the top of the verdant pass, among the jagged Romsdal mountains, are a few sheep and some keen mountain bikers enjoying the alpine. We postpone our descent of Trollstigen until the next morning and join them for the night.

We've been warned about trolls—the small shaggy creatures with supernatural powers inhabiting Scandinavian forests and mountainsides, but we have yet to meet one.

Trollstigen—The Trolls' Ladder—is a road built on a rock

face, an engineering masterpiece with 11 sharp hairpin bends. It is a hair-raising slide down to the Isterdalen Valley.

Upon reaching the waters of Romsdal Fjord in Åndalsnes, we note the high mountain section of our tour is over. We'll be closer to sea level on our way to Trondheim and, for a while, we will be riding by the sea.

National Tourist Road Atlanterhavsvegen contains seven bridges linking islets that scurry along the ocean's edge.

The day after staying at Bjørn's house, we are eating by the Fastad Coop when an excited road cyclist interrupts a tranquil breakfast.

“Canadians? You have to meet my friend Suzy from Toronto; she lives close by,” she insists. Dressed in cycling gear, she adds, “The Atlantic Road is great but

road #680 along the coast of Nordmøre, via Kyrksæterøra and Aure, is just as good and not as busy.” We look forward to two great coastal roads to Trondheim. Norway does not disappoint.

The bustling city of Trondheim was founded by the Viking King Olav Tryggvason in 997 and remained the capital of Norway from 1030 to 1217. Coronations have been held at its gothic Nidaros Cathedral since 1164; the last time in 1991 when Harald V climbed on the throne—although since 1906 the democratic country refers to the ceremony as a “consecration.”

It is a lot of history around which to wrap our heads, as we ready ourselves to push further north. Our training camp is over. We feel strong and excited about what's lying ahead as we ride into the never setting sun. ✤

山々の頂上は青々として、数頭の羊と高山を楽しむマウ

Atlanterhavsvegenのナショナル・ツーリストロードには7つ

活気のあるTrondheimは、バイキング王Olav Tryggvason

ンテンバイカーたちがいた。私たちはTrollstigenを下ることを

の橋があり、小さな島々を結んでいる。ビヨンの家を出たあ

によって997 年に統治され、1030 年から1217まではノル

明朝にして、今夜は彼らとここですごすことにした。私たち

と、私たちがファステドコープで静かに朝食をとっていると、

ウェーに首都にもなっていた。戴 冠式はgothic Nidaros

はある小さな野生動物に注意していた。それはスカンジナビ

あるサイクリストが興奮気味に私たちに声をかけてきた。

ア地方の森に生息し不思議な力を持っているという。しかし まだ一度も見かけたことはなかった。 ̶The Trolls' Ladder̶は岩肌に建設された。その11のヘ アピンカーブは土木工学的に傑作と讃えられている。

ÅndalsnesにあるRomsdalフィヨルドの海辺に近づいたと

Cathedralで、1164 年からおこなわれ、最後は1991 年にハ

「カナダ人かい？それなら家の近くに住むトロントから来た

ラール5 世が王位に就いたときだった。しかし民主制に変

スージーに会ってみたらいい」と強く勧めてきた。サイクリン

わってから、この儀式は神聖な行事としておこなわれるよう

グギアで装った彼女は 「アトランティックロードはすばらしい。

になった。この国のさまざまな歴史の物語が私たちの頭の

でもNordmøreの国道680号線からKyrksæterøraと Aureを経

なかをかけ巡っている。さてトレーニングは終わって、さらに

由するのもいいわよ、道が空いているから」と勧めてくれた。

北をめざす準備が整ったようだ。心も充実し、これから起き

き、私たちはツアーの高山ルートが終わったことに気がつい

私たちはTrondheimまでつづくふたつの海岸線に期待を寄

ることに期待で胸は一杯！沈むことのない太陽にむかって

た。これからのTrondheimまでのルートは海沿いを移動する。

せた。ノルウェーはけっして失望はさせない。

ペダルを漕ぎだすぞ！✤

THE NOMADS Janick Lemieux is originally from St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, but moved to western Canada in 1991. Since then, she has traveled the world, first with a backpack, then from the saddle of a mountain bike.

Pierre Bouchard was born in Quebec City. He left Université Laval’s Faculty of Philosophy classrooms in 1990 to undertake what Descartes called the study of “The Great Book of the World” on his bicycle. Follow their adventures at www.nomadesxnomades.com. 自転車さすらい人たち ジャミック・レミエウクス: ケベック州のSt. Hyacinthe出身。1991年には西カナダに移住。そのころより彼女は世界を旅するようになった。最初はバックパックで初めてマウンテンバイクに座る 「世間という大きな書物」の教えのとおり、Université Laval ’ s Facultyの哲学科を離れて自転車で世界を ようになった。ピエール・ボウチャード: ケベック市生まれ。1990年にデカルトの説いた 見聞する旅に出た。 www.nomadesxnomades.com.

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He my nam llo e is Tanmaru

The 4th - Let’s Go! Tanzawa Oyama Yamanami Stamp Rally The Tanzawa Oyama Mountain Range of Kanagawa Prefecture is waiting for you! Complete the stamp rally to receive a limited-edition spring motif towel. Please visit our website for more details.

SPRING 2015

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It’s not that competitions aren’t necessarily fun anymore, but rather I’ve evolved and have headed in a new direction. Pushing my limits as far as absolutely possible enables me to express myself, purely through climbing. 試合が楽しくなくなったというわけではなく、自分自身の 成長と共に新しい道をみつけ、自分の限界を超えつづけることで、 ぼくはクライミングを通して自己表現できる。 46

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Q&A Sachi Amma

Photography by Eddie Gianelloni

安間 佐千

写真：エディ・ジャネローニ

Over the past few years, Japan’s two-time World Cup Champion Sachi Amma’s focus has slowly moved away from climbing competitions and toward testing the boundaries of his abilities on some of the toughest routes in the world. His journey led him to Spain to conquer an old nemesis and reach personal heights he didn’t know were possible.

ワールドカップで2度の優勝経験がある安間佐千。 彼はこの数年、試合ではなく、世界中の過酷なルー トを試すことによって自分の限界を超えることに集中 している。スペインへと導かれた彼は不可能だと思わ れていた大きな敵を打ち負かし、その限界を超えた。

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Q What do you like about climbing in Spain?

A My favorite style of rock climbing is sport climbing, especially trying hard routes. Spain is the perfect place to do this for me, especially Oliana.

Q Why is Oliana your favorite area to climb in Spain?

A I go to Oliana every year. The atmosphere in Catalunya (Catalonia) is slow, and I am relaxed all the time. I love it. I had so much unfinished business, which motivates me. I “sent” the Fight or Flight route last February so it’s time to go to another area.

Q What else do you like about Spain?

A The people in Spain are powerful and positive. I am shy and quieter, but their energy opens my heart.

Q What other areas in Spain outside Catalonia are on your wish list?

A I am interested in Villanueva del Rosario. I would like to make my next trip there.

Q How about climbing in Japan?

A The Japanese climbing scene is getting bigger in recent years. So many young, strong climbers, big climbing gyms and talented people who support climbing are here. It is so cool to stay here. I am inspired almost all the time when I go climbing.

There isn’t as much good rock for sport routes, but I often travel overseas to climb, so it’s not a problem for me.

Q What climbers do you look up to?

A Yuji Hirayama is my favorite climber. I am inspired by how he has changed the climbing community. Adam Ondra is my good friend. I was motivated watching him grow. I cheered him on and I want to push myself like him.

Q When do you think has been your best climbing moment, when you felt in the best shape or most motivated?

A Actually, I enjoy climbing every day, and every day is different. Every day changes me and brings me fresh air, and I always have a clean mind when I am climbing. After sending Fight or Flight, I was full of motivation.

Q What kind of mindset do you try to keep while working a route?

A If I am nervous or motivated, I will never become tired or unfocused. I try hard to stay in a place between nervous and motivated.

Q What is an intense training day for you?

A In an intense training day, I try four hard circuits in the bouldering room. It takes four hours. And I do bouldering one or two days in a week with friends, making boulders with each other and trying hard. I climb four or five days in a week.

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Q スペインでのクライミングはどうでしたか？ A ぼくはスポーツクライミング、とくにむずかしいルートが好きな んですが、スペインは最高でした。とくにオリアナはすばらしかっ たです。

Q オリアナは何がよかったのですか？ A 毎年行くんですが、カタルーニャのゆるい雰囲気のおかげで つねにリラックスできます。まだまだやりたいことがいっぱいあっ て、去年の2月にはFight or Flightを完登したので、今はつぎの目 標へむかってます。

Q スペインってどんなところでしたか？ A 人がパワフルでポジティブですね。ぼくは人見知りだし、静 かなほうですが、彼らのエネルギーはそんなぼくの心もひらいてく れる。

Q カタルーニャ以外で行きたいところは？ A ヴィラヌエバ・デル・ロサリオに行きたいと思っています。 Q 日本でのクライミングはどうですか？ A 日本のクライミングシーンは最近どんどん大きくなっていて、 若くて強いクライマーも増えているし、才能あるクライマーがいる 大きなジムも増えています。日本は最高ですよ。クライミングに 行くたびにいい刺激をうけます。スポーツルートに適した岩場は 多くないですが、登りたくなったら海外へ行っているので気になり ませんね。

Q 尊敬するクライマーは？ A 平山ユージ。彼はクライミングのコミュニティに大きな変化を 与えているし、それから友人のアダム・オンドラ。彼の成長をみ ていると、ぼくも頑張ろうと思います。

Q これまでのクライミング人生で最高だった瞬間は？ もっとも 調子がよかったときやモチベーションが最高潮だったのはいつ でしょうか？

A ぼくにとってクライミングはいつでも最高だし、それぞれが異 なった経験なんです。日々の変化のおかげでいつも新鮮な気分 でいることができます。クライミングするときは、いつも頭はクリア にして登っています。Fight or Flightを完登したあとのモチベーショ ンは最高潮でしたね。

Q クライミング中、考えていることは？ A ほどよい緊張とやる気があるときは疲れないし集中できるの で、 いつも緊張とやる気の狭間 （はざま）にいるようにしています。

Q ハードなトレーニングと、リラックスしてトレーニングするとき の違いはありますか？

A ハードな日はボルダリングルームでハードサーキットを4回やり ますが、だいたい4 時間くらいかかります。あとは、週に1 、2日、 友だちとボルダーをつくってボルダリングもします。週にだいたい

4、5日は登っています。

My focus every day is to get stronger, no matter how small of a measurement. If it is one more boulder move, one more route at the gym or one more project, this is the success I am striving for. たったひとつのボルダームーブやジムでのルートだろ うが、新しいプロジェクトだろうが、どんなに小さな 前進でも日々強くなりつづけることが、ぼくにとって は成功を意味する。 SPRING 2015

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Climbing always gives me something important. Since Catalunya my life is shining more now. I do not know how far I can go, but now is the time to push through my limits and the answers will become clear. クライミングはいつも大切な何かを教えてくれる。カタルーニャに行ってから ぼくの人生はさらに輝きを増した。どこまで先へ進めるかはわからないが、 いまこそ限界を超えるときで、そうすれば答えは自ずと見えてくる。

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Q Do you have any other hobbies or sports you enjoy?

A I love cooking. Food is really interesting to me. What I want and what I need is often different. I am slowly changing to eat what I need, but it is not easy.

Q As a climber, what is your best skill or quality?

A I cannot find the good word in English, but it is called “shuchu-ryoku ” (集中力) in Japanese. It means power of mind when I focus; I guess the ability to concentrate.

Q When you pick a route, what do you take into consideration?

A When I was around 20 years old, I just went for what motivated me. The Fight or Flight route was the one. But now I want to find more good routes which open myself to the world.

Climbing is my way of dong this, and I want to find as many cool routes as I can, because life is short.

Q You won the World Cup in 2012 and 2013, and you were seventh in 2014. Were you disappointed?

A I participated in only four World Cup events in 2014 instead of all eight. I won in Chamonix and Briançon in France, so I was very happy with my performance in competition in 2014. I planned to do fewer competitions and more outside climbing in 2014.

Outside climbing was more attractive to me than competing. I don't mean competition is not cool. It is a beautiful way to show your skill to the world. I just wanted to do my best on rock.

Q Are you friends with the other competitors at the events?

A They are friends and competitors. When I was young, I was thinking only about winning. But I realized if I focus only on winning, I don’t learn from the other climbers.

Q ほかに趣味やスポーツはされますか？ A 料理は好きですね。食にはとても興味があって、食べたいも のと必要としているものが違うことがわかってきました。できるだ け身体が必要とするものを食べるようにしていますが、なかなか むずかしいですね。

Q クライマーとしていちばんのスキルはなんですか？ A 集中力だと思います。なにかにフォーカスするときのマインド のパワーですかね。

Q ルートを決めるとき、何を基準にしていますか？ A 20歳前後だったと思いますが、とにかくやりたいことをやって いました。Fight or Flightのルートもそのひとつですが、今は自分 自身の目をもっと世界にむけさせてくれるようなルートを探してい ます。そしてクライミングのおかげでそれをすることができます。 人生は長くないですし、できるだけたくさんのすばらしいルートを探 したいです。

Q 2012年と2013年にワールドカップで優勝した後、2014年に 7位になったときは落ち込みましたか？ A 2014年には8つあるワールドカップイベントのうち、参加した のは4つでした。フランスのシャモニとブリアンソンの大会で優勝 したので、2014 年の成績にも満足しています。2014 年は試合 よりも、アウトドア・クライミングに集中していました。試合よりク ライミングのほうがおもしろくなってしまって、試合がおもしろくな くなったというわけではないんですが。アウトドア・クライミングは 世界にスキルを見てもらうには最高の表現方法だと思っています し、自分の力を試してみたかったんです。

Q 試合では、ほかの選手とも友だちですか？ A 彼らは友人でありライバルでもあります。若いころは勝つこと しか考えていませんでしたが、勝敗にばかり気を取られていると、 ほかのクライマーから学ぶことができないということがわかったん です。

Q ほかのクライマーからのアドバイスで大切なものはあります

Q What is the best advice you’ve received from other climbers?

か？

A Adam Ondra once said, "Your mind is your strongest muscle." It helps me all the time when I lose confidence.

だ」と。自信がなくなったとき、この言葉にはいつも助けられてい

「心は最強の筋肉 A アダム・オンドラに言われたことですが、 ます。

Q Your current project is to “send” ten 9a or greater routes in 2015. Why so many?

A I feel like my outside climbing experience is not yet enough to get to the next level. So I made a goal to send ten 9a or harder routes in 2015. I already completed seven, so I keep pushing myself as much as possible so I can do it this year. ✤

Q 9aを10回、もしくはより難しいルートを完登するのが2015年 の目標と聞いていますが、なぜそんなにやるのですか？

A アウトドア・クライミングにかんしては、まだ次のレベルへいく のにじゅうぶんな経験がないと感じていて、その目標を立てまし た。すでに7回やったので、年内にどれだけできるか試してみた いと思っています。✤

SPRING 2015

51

Fight or Flight Catalonia, Spain スペイン カタルーニャ

Catalunya is one of my favorite places to climb in the world.

The high concentration of so many hard routes means you are never bored working on just one or two routes. Over the past few years, I have been drawn to the area, especially to Oliana.

I had unfinished business with Fight or Flight (9B). I tried the route more than 25 days over the last two years.

I didn’t think twice about buying a plane ticket and setting forth on a journey to finish what I started. When I close my eyes, my heart tells me the way of climbing is also the way of being happy. This is very important to me. My last trip to Oliana was very stressful, so it was important to make this trip fun.

On my fourth day in Spain, I found myself at the base of Fight or Flight. What had been a warm day started turning breezy and cool. That morning I had no intention to work the moves and send the route. I booted up and asked my friend to belay.

I surprised myself and sent Fight or Flight in one try. What shocked me the most was that I completed the project so fast.

After sending Fight or Flight, my confidence and motivation soared. I didn’t want to stop, and in the end I climbed far more hard routes than I ever dreamed on the trip.—Sachi Amma カタルーニャは世界でもお気に入りのクライミングスポットだ。世 界最難級のルートが密集するこのポイントでは、いくつかのルート を試すだけでもまったく飽きさせない。ここ数年、オリアナはぼく のお気に入りのエリアとなっており、とくに難関不 落だったFight

or Flight（9B）は2年間で25回も登った。 ここを攻略しようと決めたらすぐにチケットを買っていた。ぼくに とってクライミングは幸せへの道でもあり、とても大切なことなの だ。前回のオリアナへの旅はストレスの大きなものだったので、 今回は楽しい旅にしたいと思っていた。 スペイン到着4日目、ぼくはFight or Flightのベースにいた。暖かく なりそうだったが、 けっきょく風のある涼しい一日となった。その朝、 ぼくはムーブをためして完登するつもりはまったくなかった。ブーツ をはき、友人にビレイを頼んだ。そして、ぼくはたった一回の挑戦 でFight or Flightを完登した。何に驚いたかといえば、こんなにす ぐに完登した自分自身にびっくりしていた。

Fight or Flightを完登したことで自信とモチベーションが大きく上 がったぼくは、その後の旅で、まさか登れるとは思っていなかった ようなさらに難しいコースを登ったのだった。

52

T R AV E L E R

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SPRING 2015

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