This is all Dan's fault.
There I was, all set to spend my holiday picking my nose in my Tokyo mini-flat, and he had to go and point out the historical re-enactment about to be staged on the other side of Japan. Now I've got to go see samurai shooting each other, explore a new city and generally enjoy myself. Bastard.
Even worse, I now had to get up at stupid o clock for the student class train journey. Here's a piece of advice for all your budding adventurers. The day before you have to get up at 3 AM, it is not advised to experiment with how much quadrupling your caffeine intake will improve your productivity at work. Not only did I feel like throwing up all night, but I lost the ability to blink.
It kept me awake on the train at least. That meant I got to enjoy a view that didn't involve Tokyo! Instead of buildings, I got to see those magical tree things again. As we climbed up the vastly vertical mountains, great walls of blossoming vegetation stretched away above and below me. When things weren't vertical, rice fields, filled the view, with the first hint of shoots poking through the surface of the water. (for those who don't know, a rice field looks like an agricultural paddling pool. Rice likes a good soaking.
Eight hours and 5000 yen later, I arrived in Yonezawa; home of the annual re-enactment of the bloodiest battle in the Uesugi clan history. I now had two days to kill before the big event.
On a side note, the honey orange tea I consumed at a station café was delicious. Could someone please remind me of this when I return so I can practise the recipe.
Hours of travel: 8
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