Urutora No Hi

Let's Start The New Year With A Bang

2019-11-25T22:08:00.002+08:00

For me, what better way to celebrate the new year other than joining a race.

I joined the KL New Year Run this year (race recap here) and had lots of fun and even managed to win a prize during the lucky draw.

So I'm looking forward to join the run again, on Jan 01 2020 and start the new year with a great RUN!

If you want to join too, you can do so at:

https://www.racexasia.com/event/kl-new-year-run-2020

But do hurry as registration will be closing on Dec 01, 2019.

Maybe I'll see you guys there?

An Exquisite Brunch at Hanare Japanese Restaurant

2019-11-24T19:31:00.003+08:00

A few weeks ago, we had an exquisite brunch at Hanare Japanese Restaurant.

The restaurant is located at THE INTERMARK MALL, Ground Floor, 348 Jalan Tun Razak Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the restaurant's culinary team is led by Chef Akira Yonomoto & Chef Kasuga Heiji.

Hanare serves authentic seasonal Japanese cuisine with quality produce freshly hand-picked and air- flown in from The Tsukiji Market in Tokyo by their own staff.

The restaurant has an open kitchen with big sushi counter, cosy bar, teppan counter seating, 3 private rooms and comfortable open seating.

And what you can look forward to here, apart from their sashimi, sushi, tempura and usual Japanese fares are:
1. Wagyu Beef teppanyaki
2. Hokkaido succulent oysters
3. Chutoro

While diners can wagyu beef eat-all-they-want, the hokkaido oysters and chutoro are limited to one per diner. But the one piece oyster and the three-slices of chutoro that you get will leave you very satisfied. Enjoy our video!

Thank you Hanare for the great food and service.

On another note: Enjoy 6% cashback when you dine with them or any Globalfoods outlet by downloading the UDS App and received RM5 in your account.

What's the benefit of downloading the UDS App?
- Enjoy 6% cashback everytime you dine at restaurants managed by Globalfoods and RM5 off on your first bill.
- Recommend a friend and enjoy 3% cash back when they dine with us.

Haven’t downloaded the UDS App?
Get it here https://uds.app/en/customer.html

Already downloaded it? Get rewarded at Globalfoods Malaysia simply by using this promo code rekc0881 https://promo.uds.app/apps/?code=rekc0881

You can enjoy the cash back at
1- Hanare, their Japanese fine dining at Intermark KL (pork free)
2- Royal Canton, our Chinese restaurant serving dim sum and HK style roasts at DC Mall Damansara Heights
3- Golden Valley, their halal seafood restaurant at Melawati Mall
4- Harley's, their no frills all natural Burger and fried chicken cafe at DC Mall, Damansara Heights and Third Avenue, a Cyberjaya.

Enjoy.

CARiNG's "Live Well With Diabetes" Public Forum

2019-11-02T19:02:00.000+08:00

CARiNG Pharmacy Retail Management is one of the top three community pharmacy operators in Malaysia.

To commemorate World Diabetes Day 2019, CARiNG together with Nestle Health Science, proudly presented the inaugural "Live Well With Diabetes" Public Forum on Saturday, November 2nd 2019 at the Oak Hall, Menara OBYU, Damansara Perdana, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

We were there to attend the public forum and learn more about diabetes and how to live well with diabetes although we are not diabetes sufferers. Knowledge is always good after all, and maybe what we learn today can be shared with other family members!

According to Ministry of Health, some 3.6 million Malaysians are suffering from diabetes, which is the highest rate of incidence in Asia, and one of the highest in the world! It is also estimated that seven million Malaysian adults are likely to have diabetes by 2025. As a leading pharmacy chain in Malaysia, CARiNG plays an active part in raising awareness on diabetes, and provides value added services to patients living with diabetes.

Isn't that scary?

Lay off those boba milk tea already!

The "Live Well With Diabetes" Public Forum was officiated by CARing Pharmacy Managing Director, Mr Chong Yeow Siang.

And also Ms Maria Rica Mier, Cluster Business Executive Officer of Nestle Health Science.

The forum was part of CARiNG's various diabetes public outreach programmes which include the "You Can Live Well With Diabetes"book and Diabetes Corner, which were both launched in November last year.

Among the highlight of the forum was The Glucocare Challenge and certificate presentation to participants who took part in the three-month challenge comprising patient counseling, regular blood sugar level monitoring and a specially crafted meal plan that adopted Nestle Health Science's NUTREN Untuk Diabetik.

"Diabetes is a condition at the forefront of our organisation's focus, and we are proud that the "Live Well With Diabetes" forum, is one of CARiNG Pharmacy's many public outreach programmes to help raise awareness of the condition. We are delighted to partner with Nestle Health Science, and take the opportunity to share positive results yielded from our Glucocare Challenge collaboration. The challenge demonstrated positive change for those who took part and truly supported the participants to take charge of their health", CARiNG Pharmacy Managing Director Mr Chong Yeow Siang commented on the success of the challenge.

Attendees of the "Live Well With Diabetes" Public Forum were presented with an opportunity to understand and learn about the role of nutrition in the management of diabetes through special educational stations placed throughout the hall. Each station housed a specific theme to educate participants on their diet, nutrition, and exercise.

Healthcare experts from Becton Dickinson Sdn Bhd, Duopharma Biotech Berhad and Bionime Malaysia Sdn Bhd were invited to give a talk on myths and misconceptions of dealing with diabetes and insulin, insulin injection techniques and diabetes e-health ecosystem.

Nestle Health Science's dietitian Ms Rachel Liu also shared on how we can find the perfect balance by introducing meal replacements as part of our daily meal planning. She later delivered a compelling presentation on the importance of creating a balanced food plan with the inclusion of a diabetic specific formula suitable for those with diabetes.

Among the topics covered at the public forum:
1. GLUCOCARE PROGRAMME BY MS RACHEL LIU
- Dietitian from Nestle Health Science
2. LIVING WELL WITH DIABETES BY DR SHALENA NESARATHAM
- Consultant Endocrinologist & Physician of Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, Klang
& Sri Kota Specialist Medical Centre , Klang
3. INSULIN – MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS BY DR FOO SIEW HUI
- Consultant Endocrinologist / Physician and Head of Endocrine Unit at Selayang
Hospital.
- Consultant Endocrinologist at Subang Jaya Medical Centre.
4. DOES INSULIN INJECTION TECHNIQUE MATTER BY MS SIAH GUAN JIAN
- Principal Diabetes Educator Institut Jantung Negara

This year, CARiNG is also introducing a new pharmacy service for the community - CARiNG Diabetes Management System (DMS). DMS is a virtual platform that links pharmacists and patients to monitor blood sugar level readings by reducing travelling time, data transfer errors, and improve blood sugar management efficiency. With the Rightest Care Mobile App, CARiNG pharmacists will assist the patients to live well with diabetes.

It was indeed a great public forum and we appreciate the effort made by CARiNG Pharmacy to educate members of public.

TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS WINS U.S. LAWSUIT IN GLOBAL IP RIGHTS OF ULTRAMAN

2019-08-08T14:10:00.002+08:00

TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS WINS U.S. LAWSUIT IN GLOBAL IP RIGHTS OF ULTRAMAN, PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES MAJOR GLOBAL EXPANSION OF IPS, LICENSING AND MERCHANDISING

PETALING JAYA, 8 August 2019 – In a recent ruling by the United States District Court, Central District of California on April 18, 2018, Tsuburaya Productions Co. Ltd. (TPC) has won its bid to be the sole Intellectual Property (IP) owner of Ultraman, which includes all the Ultraman heroes, monsters and any other characters related to the Ultraman Universe. With this victory, Mr. Masayuki Nagatake, President of Tsuburaya Productions, announced that TPC will be focusing its attention on the major global expansion of the Ultraman works. At the first major press conference of Ultraman in Malaysia, TPC announced all their upcoming plans and business cooperation with their Malaysian and Southeast Asian partners.

At the press conference, Mr. Masayuki Nagatake, President of Tsuburaya Productions said, “I am proud to announce that we, TPC, have won the U.S. lawsuit which solidifies our decades- long faith and efforts to fully and finally resolve this dispute and confirm our worldwide rights to “Ultraman”. As the U.S. judgement is highly recognized and most reliable judgment in the world, with its so called “Discovery” process, where both parties must disclose enormous amounts of documents, materials, and communications that both parties had in their possession, which was not mandatory in previous lawsuits, U.S. lawsuit has the most legitimate way to discover the truth in the dispute, we intend to actively proceed with the further overseas expansion of the “Ultraman” works”.

TPC revealed their plans for the next three years starting with the announcement of their latest Ultraman series, Ultraman R/B, which will air on Malaysia’s Astro TV starting on 30th August 2019. Besides that, TPC recently launched a brand-new series titled “ULTRAMAN TAIGA” in Japan last July 2019 and it will be available worldwide in 2020. Ultraman Taiga is the son of the legendary hero, Ultraman Taro, and will explore the universe with his companions, who are Ultraman Titas and Ultraman Fuma.

The Ultraman expansion doesn’t end there as TPC is launching Ultra Galaxy Fight, an online series featuring Ultraman’s New Generation Heroes versus the League of Darkness! Ultra Galaxy Fight will be broadcasted on TPC’s official YouTube channel starting from 29th September 2019 onwards. Moreover, TPC announced that the production of Season 2 of Netflix’s ULTRAMAN is ongoing. First released in April 2019, the series has become a smash hit around the world and released a lot of merchandise. TPC also mentioned that more characters will be featured in the upcoming season.

Furthermore Mr. Masayuki Nagatake said, “We will be releasing “KAIJU STEP”, a miniseries about Ultraman Kaiju appearing as little kids that goes on adventures while learning about new and different things. KAIJU STEP is aimed at preschoolers and it will first be broadcasted on Japan’s NHK TV network this October 2019fall. In addition to that, I am proud to announce the ongoing production of “SHIN ULTRAMAN”, a movie adaptation of the original Ultraman created in 19696. The movie is scheduled to be released in 2021, and it will be the biggest budgeted movie ever in the history of the Ultraman Universe!”.

Present at the first Ultraman Press Conference was Mr. Masayuki Nagatake, President of Tsuburaya Productions, alongside YBhg. Dato’ Mohd Roslan Mahayudin, Director General of Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MYIPO), Mr. Kei Minamitani, Manager of International Business Affairs of Tsuburaya Productions, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS), Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Perbadanan National Berhad (PNS), Malaysia Association of Amusement Themepark & Family Attractions (MAATFA), Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), ASEAN Retail-Chain & Franchise Federation (ARFF), Perbadanan Kota Buku, Malaysian Film Producers Association (PFM), Malaysia Retail Association (MRA), Association of Post Production & Animation Malaysia (POSTAM), Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM), Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and Embassy of Japan in Malaysia.

The Trams/Streetcars in Kumamoto & Nagasaki

2019-06-12T16:44:00.000+08:00

When we were visiting Kumamoto and Nagasaki, apart from the local train (the JR Line was covered by our JR Kyushu Northern Area Rail Pass), we also used the tram quite extensively to get around both cities.

Watermark on photo is of our other blog: https://linasbackyard.blogspot.com

The one-day tram pass we bought to use in Kumamoto.

The trams is used by local and tourists alike but of course, we saw more tourists on the tram at Nagasaki compared to Kumamoto.

For 500-yen per tram pass, it is a good value as a tram ride cost 130 yen - 170 yen per ride.

Trams arrived at regular intervals so we never needed to wait long for one and it was indeed great fun to get around town in the!

We used the time travelling in the tram as a time to chill and take a breather before getting to our next destination.

Enjoying A Ride On The JR Kyushu A-Train

2019-06-09T16:22:00.000+08:00

One of the many highlights during our Kyushu trip last month was riding the JR Kyushu Limited Express A-Train.

The train is named after a famous jazz tune, the theme behind this train was "the Southern European culture prevalent in Amakusa in 16th century. "

The interior is constructed using dark tone woods and stained glass and giving a feeling as if we are in a movie scene.

The train ride is covered by JR Pass, JR Kyushu Rail Pass, JR Kyushu Northern Area Pass and JR Kyushu Southern Area Pass.

For our trip, we bought the 5-days JR Kyushu Northern Area Pass for 10,000 yen each and certainly had fun riding on JR Kyushu shinkansen (bullet trains) and also novelty trains like the A-Train.

Here's a video about the ride.

There are more videos of our previous trips and marathons at our YouTube account Cik Arnab & En Kura-Kura.

I'll try to update more about our previous trips here soon!

Rail Passes In Japan

2019-06-02T13:40:00.000+08:00

We visited Kyushu during the school holiday, taking advantage of Air Asia X's cheap promotional fare to the island. Taking in mind of the school holiday season, the RM700 fare (return) was very reasonable for us.

For this trip, we decided to purchase the 5-days Northern Kyushu Rail Pass at 10,000 yen and visited Kumamoto, Yufuin, Oita, Beppu, Aso, Nagasaki, Kurume and Fukuoka (yup, in that order).

It was really fun getting on numerous shinkansens on this trip with the pass.

To travel around the city area of Kumamoto and Nagasaki, we also bought the 1-day tram pass in each city which enabled us to ride the excellent tram service around the two cities.

Depending on our needs during our travel, we'd purchase rail or tram passes or just the normal train 1-day passes for our use.

A tram single fare is usually from 130 - 170 yen so just a few trips on the tram is enough to cover the day pass' fare.

We bought this Nankai All Line 2-day pass (2,000 yen) when we visited Osaka in 2017 which we used to travel from Kansai Airport to Wakayama and then to Koyasan the next day.

Just travelling to the two areas had more than covered the price of our 2-day pass.

When we visited Japan in March this year for my Nagoya Women's Marathon, we bought the 5-days Kintetsu Rail Pass (3,600 yen) which we used to travel around Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Ise-Shima and Nagoya.

Yup, we visited all the areas the pass covered. We only used local trains which meant travel time was slower than using express trains but we didn't mind.

When we visited Hokkaido last year, we bought the 5-days Hokkaido Rail Pass (22,000 yen) and we used it to travel from New Chitose Airport to Hakodate then to Sapporo, Otaru, Furano, Asahikawa and lastly to Abashiri for my Okhotsk-Abashiri Marathon before returning to Sapporo on the last day.

In Hakodate we also bought the 1-day tram pass to visit the town.

When we visited Nikko in 2017, we bought the 4-days Nikko All Area pass (4,150 yen during winter) and it also covered the Nikko bus service in Nikko.

In 2015, when I joined Tango Ultramarathon, we bought the 5-days JR-Wet Rail Pass Kansai Wide Area Pass (9,000+ yen depending on where you buy it) and used it to travel around Osaka, Kyoto, Toyooka and Kinosaki Onsen.

For the areas where we used railway companies other than the JR line, we bought the Kyoto Tango Rail Pass. It was half price for foreigners when we bought it so it cost us only 900 yen at that time.

We used it to visit Amanohashidate and also Amino city for my race kit collection.

Oh, many many years ago, we also had bought the 7-days JR Pass and used it to travel the length and breadth of Japan; from Kyushu to Shikoku all the way up north to Hokkaido. It was rather fun but nowadays, whenever we visit Japan, we tend to focus to just a certain area instead of rushing all around Japan during our trip.

And whenever we visit Japan, we are never without our more-than-10-year-old SUICA card. This is pretty handy for not only ticket purchases (for trips not covered by any passes) but also for purchases too.

Note:
The watermark used in all photos are of my other blog link: https://linasbackyard.blogspot.com

Boyzone "Thank you and Goodnight Farewell" Tour in MALAYSIA

2019-05-29T20:36:00.003+08:00

Wowstar Creative Entertainment is proud to present Boyzone "Thank you and Goodnight Farewell" Tour with guest artist Brian McFadden this 14th June 2019 at Malawati Stadium, Shah Alam

Former boy band Westlife member and songwriter Brian McFadden has been announced as special guest performer in Boyzone’s “Thank You and Goodnight Farewell Tour” last show on 14th June 2019 at Malawati Stadium, Shah Alam. McFadden started his singing career as member of Westlife, which was formed in 1998 and released the debut studio album “Westlife” in 1999.

He left Westlife in 2004 to begin his solo career and released the single “Real to Me,” a track in his debut solo album “Irish Son.” In 2016, McFadden and Boyzone’s Keith Duffy formed the group Boyzlife and toured the world, performing their bands’ hits.

Boyzone’s Duffy, Michael Graham, Ronan Keating and Shane Lynch will be performing some of their greatest hits including “When You Say Nothing At All,” “No Matter What” and “Love Me For A Reason.” “When we started out as five young Dublin Northsiders, eager to face the world, we never imagined that we’d still have an army of fans some twenty-five years later… If you’d seen our famous first TV appearance on ‘The Late Late Show,’ you’d probably be surprised too!” said the band, according the tour website.

Boyzone enjoyed success throughout their career. “We’ve played stadiums and arenas all over the world, released six albums, and had almost two-dozen hits. We really can’t put into words just how much you, the fans, have supported us along the way. Without that support, we would have never achieved what we have, and for that we’re eternally grateful,” they added.

Ticket selling website : https://airasiaredtix.com/boyzone2019

About Wowstar Creative Entertainment Co., Ltd.

Established in 2018, Wowstar Creative Entertainment is a fast-growing entertainment company specialising in diversified entertainment businesses from concerts, live music and entertainment events, artist management, to film, television, commercial production and distribution.

For more information, please follow us on:

https://www.facebook.com/WowstarCreativeEntertainment/

Press Release: Justice For Evelyn Ang Gek Suan

2019-05-24T09:15:00.000+08:00

Justice For Evelyn Ang Gek Suan

The 2017 Klang International Marathon saw an incident that has changed many lives forever. Teoh Thiam Lim, 28, who is currently being charged under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, drove into three people. The final result of his reckless driving was two injured and one dead. Evelyn Ang Gek Suan died two months later, after not being able to pull out of a coma due to the result of the incident. This death has left family and friends shattered. There is still no closure as yet, as the outcome of the case against Mr. Lim is yet to be determined.

The case has had numerous postponements, for reasons unbeknownst to the public. Finally, on December 19th 2018 the hearing began and the first witnesses were called. The Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) at the time heard and was able to question 7 of the witnesses and see firsthand 25 exhibits that were tendered in as material evidence. Then there was a change in DPP in February 2019, after the witnesses and exhibits have been put into evidence. Thus, the new DPP only has notes to go by.

As Evelyn’s friends and family, we wonder if enough has been done to ensure that a just and fair trial has taken place. For example, did the new DPP have enough access to the evidence and the relevant information?

She had not heard the witness statements, nor been able to question these witnesses herself, as they gave their statements before she took over the case.

In addition, was the notes that had been taken by the previous DPP sufficient? Was the new DPP able to construct a conclusive submission which summarises the relevant facts, the law and a proposed analysis on behalf of the public?

With all this in mind, the biggest question of them remains to be answered - Will the court be able to come to a fair and just decision?

Justice Hurried Is Justice Buried.

Issued by

Friends of Evelyn Ang

Julie Wong

Michelle Jane

Dr. Ong Kian Ming

Timeline of events to date

2017

Dec 10

Evelyn Ang Gek Suan who was known to many of her friends as Evelyn or Evie took part in the Klang International Marathon as a pacer. She and 2 other runners were hit by a car. Amiruddin Hamid and fellow pacer Ahmad Hadafi Jus sustained minor injuries. Evelyn suffered serious injury with skull fracture and bleeding in her brain.

2018

Feb 20

The driver, Teoh Thiam Lim, 28, was charged under Section 42(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 by the Klang magistrate’s court for reckless and dangerous driving causing an accident at 4.30am in Mile 2, Jalan Kapar, Klang. He pleaded not guilty

March 1

Evelyn Ang passed away after being in coma for more than 2 month that resulted from the accident

March 9

Magistrate Roslizi Sulaiman granted deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Amira Abd Aziz’s application to amend the charge to Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine not exceeding RM20,000 as well as a suspension of driving licence upon conviction.

Apr 20

Case was postpone to May 22 for final case management before it proceeds with the trial

May 22

The magistrate’s court fixed Oct 15-18 to hear the case

Oct 15

The case was (again) postponed to Dec 19 – 21

Dec 19 – 21

Witnesses were called to the stand. Recording of testimony to resume on February 13-15, 2019

2019

Feb 13

DPP (Amira) requested to relieve herself for concluding the case as she was given short notice of transfer. Court date was put on hold until the new DPP take over.

Mar 22

Hearing transferred yet again because the deputy public prosecutor was on leave.

Mar 26

Another postponement.

Mar 27

Hearing resume with a NEW deputy public prosecutor. The Investigating Officer (IO) was called to the stand.

Apr 15

Court to decide if there is a prima farce case.

Apr 17

Defense was called to enter the case.

Apr 23

Charged was amended to ‘recklessly’ and the word ‘excessive speeding’ was dropped. Both defence & public prosecutor were asked to send in their submission.

May 16

Deputy public prosecutor did not hand in the submission but instead appeal under Section 425 to recall witnesses.

Defense objected citing there is no prejudice in the hearing.

Deputy public prosecutor said that she was denied access to ask several questions in the previous hearing and hence affect her submission.

Court reject the appeal and instructed the deputy public prosecutor to hand in her submission.

The court then fixed May 27 to deliver the judgement.

UPDATE (27 May 2019)

The man who mowed down marathon runner Evelyn Ang and two others during the Klang City International Marathon in 2017 has been sentenced to four years in jail.

Link:
https://www.thestar.com.my

My Two (Not-So) Recent Marathons In Japan

2019-05-15T21:00:00.000+08:00

Can you believe that in the last six months, we returned to Japan twice and I ran two marathons in Japan during that period?

Last September we visited Hokkaido and I ran in Okhotsk-Abashiri Marathon.

It was a great event and although it was a rather small marathon, it was superbly managed and I had a lot of fun running in it!

In March, we visited Nagoya and I ran in the Nagoya Women's Marathon.

It was still fun although it was as nice as Okhost-Abashiri Marathon or any other races that I did in Japan previously.

Anyway, we returned to Japan again this month!

Can you believe it?

But this time, I didn't join any race. It's just a normal family vacation for a change. Hahahah

Manhole Cover Collection - Spring 2019

2019-04-17T21:05:00.000+08:00

Some manhole covers we managed to snap during our Spring 2019 trip:

At Mount Yoshino.

Osaka's manhole cover.

Nara.

In Ise.

And lastly, Nagoya.

Manhole Cover Collection - Summer 2018 In Hokkaido

2018-10-18T21:11:00.000+08:00

Some manhole covers we managed to snap during our Summer 2018 trip to Hokkaido.

Hakodate.

Sapporo.

Hokkaido Prefectural Office.

Asahikawa.

Biei.

Memanbetsu.

A Short Trip to Osaka In September 2017

2018-06-04T12:01:00.000+08:00

We had a very short trip to Osaka in September last year. It wasn't planned but Hubby saw bargain airticket with Air Asia X and asked me whether I want to celebrate our wedding anniversary and birthday in Osaka.

Of course I said YES!

It was pretty much a budget trip.

We spent RM681.00 per pax for our return ticket on Air Asia.

We stayed in a mix of hotel from this tatami room at 2,200 yen per room per night (with shared bathroom) to a 8,000 yen business hotel per room per night.

We visited Wakayama, rode on the Medetai train to Kada.

We visited Koyasan.

I went on a lone hike to Minoo Park as Hubby wasn't feeling well.

I went on a daily jog around Osaka and even managed to do a run around Osaka Castle Park.

It was a rather relaxed, leisurely holiday.

Being in Osaka, of course we also ate a lot of good food.

We'll be visiting Hokkaido this year and again, we got a good bargain on airfares. We paid RM690.00 per pax for a return trip from Kuala Lumpur to Shin Chitose Airport. That's a good deal, right?

Nikko In December 2017

2018-05-31T11:47:00.000+08:00

Oh my! It's been more than a year since I last updated this blog!

And between that time, we visited Japan twice. In September 2017 and we went to Osaka for a short trip and in December 2017, we visited Nikko and Tokyo.

We bought the Nikko All Area Free Pass at Tobu Asakusa Station and it allowed us travel for a return trip from Asakusa to Shimo-Imaichi station and trains and buses around Nikko for 4 days.

The blog post of it here:

Nikko In Late Autumn 2017

On our second day in Nikko, we hiked along the Lake Yunoko and Lake Chuzenji course and pass through Senjogahara Marshland.

We also got to see the three magnificent waterfalls in Nikko - Yudaki, Ryuzu and Kego.

The blog post of our hike:

A Hike In Nikko National Park

We stayed at Yumoto Onsen for two nights while visiting Nikko.

The blog post of our stay:

Yumoto Onsen

We also spent a night at Kinugawa Onsen and we were lucky to get to see this Steam Locomotive Taiju in action, travelling from Shimo-Imaichi station to Kinugawa Onsen.

The blog post of the stay:

Kinugawa Onsen

The rest of our trip were spent in Tokyo as I joined Itabashi Half Marathon and later, we visited the Imperial Palace's Inui Street which was opened to public for a week from Dec 2nd to Dec 10th, 2017.

p.s. I'm using photos I published in my other more frequently update blog : Life, In My Own Backyard.

Fancy Running In Tango Ultramarathon In Kyoto?

2017-04-16T11:17:00.000+08:00

I did the Tango Ultramarathon to celebrate my 40th birthday in 2015 and the ultramarathon continues to have a special spot in my heart.

Registration is made easier now for foreign participants to join, with Runsociety/Spacebib.com being onboard as their registration portal.

Tango Ultramarathon is held in the city of Kyotango, Kyoto Japan and will be held on September 17th, 2017 and is rated as Top 100 Best Races by Runnet Global. Tango Ultramarathon is also a Bronze Label race certified by IAU (International Association of Ultrarunners).

My race recap of the 2015 edition that I did, here.

Spacebib registration link here.

R-Wellness webite here.

Anyhoo, rather than talk at length about the race info itself which we all can find through the registration portal and the run's website; I'm sharing what we did during our 7-day trip in 2015.

It was a short trip so we focused on just the Kansai region and got ourselves JR-West Kansai Wide Area Pass, which allows us to take unlimited rides on the shinkansen (including Nozomi and Mizuho between Shin-Osaka and Okayama), Limited Express and local trains (including Rapid and Special Rapid service); on non-reserved seats, Kyoto Tango Railway, Wakayama Electric Railway and West JR bus.

A 5-day pass is priced at 9,000 yen for adults and 4.500 yen for children and if you reserve it online, you can get additional discount.

With this pass, you pretty much get the trip to the starting line of Tango Ultramarathon covered.

Stuff we did before/after the ultramarathon:

Visit Osaka.

Stop by Universal Studio.

Head to Kyoto.

Enjoyed the sights in Arashiyama and see the Hozu Boat Tour drifts by.

And of course the famous Bamboo Groves.

Visited Fushimi Inari Shrine at night, instead of during the day.

The shrine felt more mystical at night and there were less tourists too.

Climbing up the stairs felt like we were climbing towards a different world, through the vermillion torii gates.

We walked on the pine covered sandbar of Amanohashidate, which is 3km long and span the mouth of Miyazu Bay.

It is one of Japan's three most scenic view; apart from Miyajima (which we visited in 2008) and Matshushima (which we visited in 2010).

And witnessed the rotating bridge of Amanohashidate in operation, to let a ferry sail by.

Travelling from our hotel in Toyooka to REPC site in Amity Tango and Amanohashidate; we used this cute train. There are three trains, the Ao-Matsu, Kuro-Matsu and Aka-Matsu.

The blue one is the Ao-Matsu and we also managed to board the black Kuro-Matsu.

More info about the train line here.

What do you do after running in an ultramarathon?

For us, we visited an onsen town.

We bought day passes that allows us to enter all 7 public bath houses (sotoyu) in Kinosaki Onsen which is a top onsen destination in the Kansai region.

We visited Onsenji.

And also enjoyed making onsen tamago.

While doing our sotoyu hopping, we also enjoyed the lovely scenery of Kinosaki Onsen.

The next day, we traveled to Kii-Katsuura Station to do part of the Kumano Kodo trail. A nice recovery hike after all the running that I did.

We started our hike from Nachi Station and our aim was to hike to Nachi no Otaki, a 133m waterfall.

The route.

The Daimon-Zaka, 267 steps of 600m long cobblestone staircase.

For us to finally reach the Nachi no Otaki.

Of course, one can simply opt to take a bus straight to the waterfall (and the nearby Seiganto-ji and Fudarakusan-ji) but where's the fun in that?

We later enjoyed a footbath that overlooks the port and sea while waiting for our train back to Osaka.

And the Tango Ultramarathon itself?

The route is super nice with lovely scenery and plenty of good eats at the water stations.

So if you're looking for a warm, September run (I hate running in cold weather), Tango Ultramarathon is highly recommended.

Registration is open now. Have fun and good luck!

JIBTV's Discover & Explore Chiba With Chiba Aqualine Marathon

2017-02-05T10:43:00.001+08:00

I haven't been updating much here and much less about our Chiba trip in October 2016 when we visited Chiba for me to run in Chiba Aqualine Marathon.

But, I found this excellent documentary on JIBTV.com about Chiba Aqualine Marathon and Chiba.

Truthfully, I entered Chiba Aqualine Marathon last year because of these few reasons:

1. Running on the bridge section of Aqualine Expressway

2. The Marathon is held bi-annually

3. Limited slots for foreign participants (always a draw for me)

Here's the documentary about Chiba Aqualine Marathon and Chiba, for those planning to visit Chiba and also for those researching about the Chiba Aqualine Marathon. The next marathon will be in 2018.

Hubby & I didn't explore Chiba much during our trip because of time constraints so we do need to make a return visit someday.

Maybe we can spend a day or two there this year, when we visit Kanagawa Prefecture (I plan to run a race in Dec) ^^

Running Around The Imperial Palace

2016-12-15T13:27:00.000+08:00

Nijubashi or double bridge

Visiting Imperial Palace is one of the highlights for those visiting Tokyo.

The Imperial Palace is located a short walk away from Tokyo Station which makes it very convenient for visitors to visit.

For runners like me, there is another side of Imperial Palace that attracts us and that is to run around the Imperial Palace, following its 5K jogging track.

The dos and don'ts of running around the Imperial Palace jogging track.

If you read about my post on Adidas Runbase, where I met up with Toshi-san earlier; this is where we were headed to after putting our bags and changed into our running gear at the Runbase locker.

We walked towards the Imperial Palace which was just a 3-min walk from Adidas Runbase and started our run from this statue/fountain area.

I ran with Toshi-san and Shin-chan while Hubby took photography duties.

I was to run in Chiba Aqualine Marathon the next day so the run around Imperial Palace was just a short and easy one. The guys were obliging enough to slow down to meet my pace. Hahaha

The route is a popular one, both with local and visitors alike so expect a busy, filled running lane.

And it's also important to be mindful of not only other runners but also those on bicycle and those who are just sightseeing around the area.

In front of Sakuradamon; a designated important cultural asset as it is the largest of the remaining gates of the former Edo castle.

We could enter and enjoy the vast expanse of the exterior grounds of the Imperial Palace.

Broadwalk for a few hundred metres before we go out to the pavement again. Some areas are wide and some are narrow so we do need to me mindful of others.

The nice thing about running this track is that we didn't need to worry about traffic. The whole track is kinda unobstructed. We also do get a few inclines here and there within the 5K loop which was nice. Flat route can be pretty boring, right?

The track is open 24-hours and runners can run there anytime as it is well-lit and koban (police box) are stationed around the track.

There are also toilets and drinking fountains available for runners to make a pit-stop.

The clock tower which is a popular meeting spot after we enter Sakuradamon.

The track's map located beside the clock tower.

I ran 5.39K that day because I only stopped my watch when we got to a nearby sento called Bain Douche to meet other Japanese runners for our dinner gathering later.

In front of a public bath (sento); Bain Douche which is also just a few hundred metres from Imperial Palace.

Another fun option for visitors &/ runners to try, apart from Adidas Runbase.

Entrance with usage of the public bath and locker is around 400yen.

Details:
Bain Douche 1-5-4 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku
It is a 1-minute walk from Hanzomon Station on the Hanzomon Line;
Open Mon-Sat, 3-11.30 p.m.

A good place to relax the muscle after running around Imperial Palace! (or walking around Tokyo!)

Flying With ANA

2016-12-14T13:14:00.000+08:00

Our October 2016 trip was our second time flying from KLIA to Narita direct, with ANA (Air Nippon Airways) since it started plying the KL-Tokyo-KL route in Sep 2015.

We used ANA in Sep 2015 and flew in to Narita before taking a domestic flight to Kansai Airport. We paid about RM1,000.00 per person for our tickets last year.

This year, we paid about RM1,200 per person for our tickets. Still OK lah and a bargain considering it's a full service carrier and not a budget airline.

It was a short trip, solely for the purpose to let me go run in Chiba Aqualine Marathon. It wasn't school holiday yet and Son wasn't keen on skipping classes so the trip was made with just the two of us.

A first time for me & hubby going to Japan without Son, since 2002!

We took the 8.00am and soon after take-off, we were served breakfast.

Breakfast was Halal-certified.

But not lunch, it seems...

Anyhoo, we only got breakfast and snacks served lah for our 7-hour long flight. Snacks served were Halal-certified, by the way.

In-flight entertainment was syiok of course. I watched Shin Godzilla movie and an anime, The Boy and The Beast.

Our breakfast.

Our snacks.

Our dinner for our return flight.

ANA is of course the choice for us for the time being, as their promo fares are still competitive and a bargain. JAL does offers promo price at the moment, and we do love flying with JAL too but ANA still trumps all full service carriers including MAS and SQ at the moment.

Tokyo's Adidas Runbase - The City Is Our Gym

2016-12-12T21:27:00.000+08:00

Adidas Runbase Tokyo is a place for runners who are fans of the Adidas brand to not only purchase the latest Adidas products but also as a place where one can rent lockers (with excellent shower facilities, I might add), rent running apparels (shoes and clothing) and simply head out for a run.

No excuse not running because one forget one's running shoes!

Runbase 5 one feature:

From Nagatacho station (1 min walk), from Imperial Palace (3 min walk)
Latest shoes wear for rental
Stylish locker shower
Tailored running clinic
Professional staff advice

The day before my Chiba Aqualine Marathon in October 2016, Hubby and I had set-up a meeting with a friend, whom we got to know when I ran in Tango Ultramarathon in 2015. Toshi-san was also the race director of Tango Ultramarathon in 2015.

He had kindly offered to bring me to the store and later accompanied me to run around Imperial Palace jogging course before meeting a few other people for dinner.

We got off at Nagatacho station and head out from exit No. 4 and met Toshi-san who was already waiting for us at the exit's entrance.^^

First order of business for us was of course, to check out what Adidas Runbase Tokyo has to offer before changing into our running gear.

The latest array of running apparels are available at the store.

Me, looking at the Adidas Boost shoes available for rental.

But I came ready! I had brought along my own running gears so I only needed to rent the store's locker.

I had done my homework and followed Adidas Runbase Tokyo Twitter account (https://twitter.com/adidas_RUNBASE) and got a discount for my locker fee at 600yen (700yen normal fee).

Shoes, running apparel and even watch can be rented at a fee, starting from 100yen to 500yen for a set of jacket, shirt and running pants.

The staff were obliging and nice and most important, they are runners themselves. I even had the chance to talk with one of the staff there; Takanori Haraguchi who is also a competitive runner who had spent three years in US and Canada.

Me and my locker key.

Very onsen like. Ahahaha

Hubby and I, accompanied by Toshi-san later met another runner and we jogged from the store to Imperial Palace where we did the 5K loop.

The store offers a number of running clinic and the schedule can be viewed at their website (Japanese only).

After the run, it was time for us to get ready for dinner so it's shower & change time!

There are 8 showers available in each of the women & men locker room; apart from 248 lockers.

Towels can rented for a fee but other amenities such as body wash and shampoo; apart from hairdryer, lotions and other amenities are available in the locker room for free.

For those who wanted to check out the store, here's the map.

Have fun!

And oh, for those who is or will be in Tokyo this weekend; there will be a charity run held at Imperial Palace.

More information on the race can be found at my other blog: http://linasbackyard.blogspot.my

Entries are still accepted until race day so if you're in town on Dec 18, 2016 and want to meet fellow runners in Tokyo and also contribute to charity; why not drop by to Imperial Palace and join the run?

Chiba 2016 Trip - A Snapshot

2016-10-31T20:21:00.000+08:00

We came back last Thursday from a 6-days' trip. The trip was so that I could run in Chiba Aqualine Marathon. It was great fun and while we visited familiar places, we also managed to do something different too.

We made our journey to Japan on Friday morning and flew with ANA on the 8am flight.

For the first time since Feb 2002, it was just the two of us this time.

We arrived Narita Airport at around 3pm but spent more time at the airport to sort out a glitch with our Japan SIM card.

It was almost 5pm when we took a local train to Chiba Station and after checking-in at our hotel, the first order of business was to search for dinner. Luckily, there were plenty of restaurants located near the train station.

Dinner and a night stroll with Hubby before we finally settled in our room.

Saturday was a busy day.

We went around the malls near Chiba Station before making our way to Tokyo Station. As always, whenever we are in Tokyo, a stop at the Central Post Office.

A great place to shop for souvenir and commemorative stamps.

We later met a few friends to run around the Imperial Palace jogging course and later a dinner gathering.

Sunday was race day!

I joined the half-marathon at the Chiba Aqualine Marathon held in Chiba. The run was interesting to me as it is only held once every two years.The run saw 12 thousand full marathoners and 5 thousand half marathoners running around Chiba.

Plus we get to run on the Aqualine Expressway up to the point where the bridge link goes through the undersea tunnel across Tokyo Bay. The bridge/tunnel connects Kawasaki in Kanagawa with Kisarazu in Chiba.

Monday was reserved for a hike. We started at Mount Takao and used the Inariyama Trail where it is less crowded with hikers/visitors.

We hiked 15 kilometres from Takaosanguchi Station to Mount Jinba. The hike down was using a shorter 4 kilometres route before taking a bus for another 10 kilometres trip to Takao Station.

From the start of the hike till we board the bus; we took about 8 leisurely hours to hike to the top of Mount Jinba (857m) and down again.

As a treat after the hike, we went to an onsen and later had a nice sashimi dinner.

Tuesday was cycling day.

We rented bicycles from Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel and went around Tokyo Bay and the neighbouring area.

Our rental was for 24-hours so we took our time cycling and enjoying the sights.

Tuesday night was spent in Akihabara, trawling the shops that were still open after 8pm; looking for toys. ^^

Wednesday was spent in Ueno and we spent most of our time in Ameyokocho for some final shopping.

And all too soon, it was time for us to return to Malaysia.

Next year, we plan to spend more days for our yearly vacation!

Total spent excluding airfares (plus omiyages and snacks to bring home): about 85,000 yen (around 4,050) for two.
Airfares : RM1,298.00 return with ANA.

Memories of 2015 Trip : Last Day In Tokyo

2016-10-11T11:25:00.000+08:00

From the Kii Peninsula in the Wakayama Prefecture we then traveled to Tokyo for our last day.

Flying ANA domestic, we flew from Kansai Airport to Haneda Airport and while we were in Tokyo, we met a few friends who were running in a race that weekend.

We arranged to meet and saw them off at the Keio Bus Station in Shinjuku before they boarded their bus to Kawaguhiko Station.

They joined the UTMF 2015 ultra race last year.

The same spot where we boarded the bus to Kawaguchiko Station when we went there for me to run in the Fujisan Marathon 2014.

The order of business in Tokyo was shopping. Shopping. Shopping.

First - we went to Yodobashi and Bic Camera to buy Lego sets for Son.

We literally cleared off a shelf of Lego! It was a treat for the Boy and he had waited patiently for almost a year for this trip.

For Mommy, she just wanted to update her wardrobe. Tights.

Shoes.

But didn't find any good deal in Shinjuku.

But was happy to find a pair at a bargain at Sports Zyuen in Ueno.

We bought some (a LOT) of omiyage chocolates duty-free shop there too to bring back home.

Our final meal in Tokyo and in Japan was at Tenya. It's a tempura chain and quite popular even with foreigners.

The staff at Ueno branch were foreign students doing arubaito (part time) job there.

Son chose the soba set.

And the parents chose tendon. Ebi (prawn) and vege tempura on rice.

It's yummy and affordable too!

Our return flight was also on ANA.

ANA offers an expanded Halal menu for its in-flight meal and even the snacks served are Halal certified for flights to/from Muslim majority countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia.

Their Halal certified in-flight meal is provided by Brahim's.

The menu served in-flight is of course available to view on their website and we wanted and chose this...

After a week-long trip to Japan in September 2015, the trip had finally ended.

It was a great trip with the family and I am certainly happy to also bring home the Tango Ultramarathon medal back with me.

A run that I had finished to celebrate my 40th birthday.

Note: if you carry your medal in your carry-on, you may need to declare it when you put your stuff through the scanner before going in to check-in. Haha

Memories of 2015 Trip - Hiking The Kumano Trail (Visiting Nachi Waterfall) Part II

2016-10-10T09:01:00.000+08:00

Continuing from Part I, where we reaced the foot of Daimonzaka on our way to Nachi Waterfall in the Kii Peninsula.

A family photo before continuing our hike.

The weather was pretty hot by the time we reached here but bearable. Remember, we visited Japan in the late Summer months last year.

And here's the map of the route we're following.

23.09.2015

A special date.

It was Hubby's birthday!

There is a tea house here and we were greeted by cheery staff (or proprietress) who were busy tending the weed on the stone steps.

One can rent the pilgrim's costume here for a fee, apart from enjoying tea.

We stopped here to enjoy free wi-fi. Hah hah

Just up ahead we pass the Meoto-Sugi; the Husband and Wife 800 year-old cedar trees.

From there onwards, it was the stone steps that we tackled.

There were benches at a few spots for weary hikers/pilgrims to rest on before continuing their hike.

And a few dead tree stumps.

That way to Kumano Nachi Taisha and Nachisan Seiganto-ji. And that way we went. ^^

From the top of the hill we descended and made our way to Nachi Waterfall, our destination for the hike.

And there's Hiro Jinja here too, which is part of Nachi Grand Shrine.

Finally, walking down the stairs!

Behind me - Nachi Waterfall. The tallest waterfall in Japan with a single uninterrupted drop.

133m drop.
13m crest.
10m basin depth.

We later walked up to the rest station up the hill which is located about 500m to the Grand Shrine and saw a couple of pilgrims on their way to continue their journey.

From the stop on top of the hill down the road leading to Nachi Waterfall lined rows of souvenir shops and eateries.

For us, we just enjoyed soft served ice cream with the intention of having a big late lunch (or early dinner) when we reached Kiikatsuura later.

For our return trip, we took the bus instead of walking and it was a nice 30 minutes journey.

We arrived Kiikatsuura station and immediately headed to the nearby shotengai (shopping street) to look for an affordable restaurant but alas, most shops were already closed. The ones that were open were souvenir shops.

With nothing else to do, we just walked around the port area to pass time before our train arrived.

Of course the market had already closed too!

Boats were docked and there were even whale-watching boats here.

We found a foot bath and decided to take a rest there.

And enjoy the sea view.

We later boarded the train, but instead of heading back to Osaka; we made a last minute plan to travel farther - to Shingu.

We arrived Shingu Station and not exactly sure what we were going to do there! Hahaha

Memories of 2015 Trip : Hiking The Kumano Trail (Visiting Nachi Waterfall) Part I

2016-10-08T17:01:00.001+08:00

Our initial plan was to spend 2 days and 1 night hiking around the Kumano Kodo trail and stayed a night in a minshuku after my run in Tango Ultramarathon last year.

We ditched that plan in favour of spending a longer time at Kinosaki Onsen and made our way to Wakayama from Osaka instead of from Toyooka.

We boarded the Ocean Arrow limited express train at Tennoji Station using our 5-days JR Kansai WIDE Area pass which was on its final day use and the trip took about 3.5hours.

Using the JR Kansai WIDE Area pass, we took our seats in the unreserved car but we later walked around the train and spent some time seated in the sightseeing car with wide windows. It was nice to sit in the sightseeing car and watch the scenery as we traveled to Kiikatsuura for the start of our hike to Nachi no Taki (Nachi Waterfall).

Kiikatsuura station.

With a pretty unique interior.

From the station, we headed to the bus terminal (if one can call it that) to wait for the bus to Nachi Station.

The bus we boarded actually traveled all the way to Nachi Waterfall but we alighted at Nachi Station so that we could hike part of the Kumano Kodo trail.

Our short bus trip took less than 10 minutes.

The bus trip from Kiikatsuura to Nachi Waterfall will take about 25-30 minutes.

In front of Nachi Station.

We spent some time at the station as there is a wealth of information about the pilgrimage route available there.

Our destination - Nachi Waterfall.

For foreigners wanting to embark on the Kumano Kodo trail, don't worry. There are maps available and the trails are properly and clearly marked.

We of course, only did a very small part of the historic pilgrimage route and we plan to someday do the whole route when we have more time to do it (make it a week).

The Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route stretched across the mountains of Kii Peninsula and since ancient times, pilgrims from all level of society (including retired emperors and aristocrats) made the journey as they undertook religious rites of worship and purification.

Kumano Kodo route had, in 2004; been registered as UNESCO World Heritage as part of Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Peninsula.

Our hike can be sectioned into 3 parts:

1. Main road

2. Trail

3. The stone steps of Daimonzaka

One thing about the route we chose - we couldn't find a single shop!

Luckily we brought along enough drinks and snacks to eat along the way. I brought along a few bars of Moolabar to snack on and I sure was glad I brought them!

But we bought some Japanese cucumbers from an unmanned stall that was set-up by the road-side. Only 100yen for 3 cucumbers and we just leave the money in the yellow coin box.

We later walked into a housing area before entering the trail section.

The fun part starts!

Green moss.

Bamboo forests.

Clearly marked path.

Stumbled upon a small shrine.

Gave way to a couple of hikers whom we later met again at Daimonzaka.

Apart from the two hikers, we got the trail all to ourselves so it was nice to just spend time walking and enjoying the scenery quietly.

Of course the Boy couldn't help to play and goof around.

We later exited the trail part and came out to a cemetery located on top of the hill.

From this hill, we descended and walked past this village en route to Daimonzaka Hill.

No shops in sight (or we didn't notice one) but as anywhere in Japan, there are vending machines to buy drinks from.

Bought a bottle of mineral water and continued our walk.

Past houses, fruit trees, flower fields and shrines.

We later found another unmanned stall selling candies and bought a packet.

The same bag of candies, with a shop logo sold at souvenir shop nearby Kiikatsura Station was sold at a much higher price!

There was some huge construction done around the area and at one junction, there was a construction worker manning it.

Beside him was a big carboard map of the trail and also some encouragement written for pilgrims and hikers.

He saw us and gave a thumbs-up and told us Daimonzaka was just up ahead. Wasn't that nice?

From this point onwards, it's ancient stone steps up and up all the way to Kumano Nachi Grand Shrine and Nachi-san Seiganto Temple.

That in my next post.

Stay tuned!

Memories Of 2015: A Walkabout In The New World & The God of Things As They Ought to Be

2016-09-26T12:08:00.000+08:00

The day after our trip to Kinosaki Onsen, we were back to Osaka. We were supposed to travel to Wakayama and spend a night there but ditched the plan and just did a day trip there after our stay in Osaka.

Our day spent in Osaka was a hot one and it was also a public holiday and the place we stayed at; around the Shinsekai area where Tsutenkaku Tower is located; was packed with locals and tourists alike.

It's a bewildering place to be at, and an assault to the senses to put it mildly.

Welcome to Shinsekai - the new world that is already 104 years old. ^^

From narrow culinary street to panchinko shops. retro cinemas, shops selling clothes to shops where ojisan are playing shogi...

There's even a zoo nearby. Make that the third zoo opened in Japan, back in 1915!

Keep your wits with you at Shinsekai. I find the place strange, even for Japan standard. Haha

Notice anything familiar in this photo?

Hint: It's next to the Japan flag.

It's pretty normal to see queue like this, in the area.

They are lining up for kushikatsu, a popular deep-fried dish in Osaka.

Another fun thing to do (well, for us at least) here is spot the Biliken.

Biliken is known in Osaka as “The God of Things As They Ought To Be”. The god has a mischievous smile with pointed elf-like ears, an elongated head and looks quite like a Buddha.　

But here's the thing: Billiken is not even Japanese! Billiken was actually made by an art teacher from America and is a mascot for the Saint Louis University and Saint Louis University High School!

Not only that Biliken is almost at every store front, one can buy Biliken as souvenir too. There are lots of Biliken merchandises!

After all the crowd and tired from our walk, it was nice to enjoy our meal. And some fruits too.

Memories of 2015 : The Trip To Toyooka, Tango Ultra REPC And Race Day (Photos Galore)

2016-09-21T14:18:00.000+08:00

The 2016 16th International Friendship Race in Historical Road Tango Ultramarathon had just concluded on Sep 18, 2016.

I joined the 15th edition last year and enjoyed it tremendously (race recap here)

Just adding some photos of the event last year in this post. The ultramarathon is a wonderful experience and highly recommended for those looking for a road ultramarathon in Japan.

From our hotel, First Cabin in Kyoto we had an early breakfast at Yayoi-ken before heading to JR Kyoto Station.

We needed to make our trip to Toyooka where we would be staying for the next two nights.

We had bought JR West Kansai WIDE Area Pass for the trip which could be used for 5 consecutive days but unlike the JR Pass where one could reserve seats before the journey; our pass was for unreserved seats hence the queuing. ^^

But OK lah for travel not on PEAK PEAK period. Just choose any seats that's available and enjoy the trip.

Our 130 minutes long journey was by the Limited Express Kinosaki and we arrived Toyooka station shortly before 10.00am.

After leaving our luggages at the hotel where we would be staying in, we went to Amino to collect my race kit for the next day's run.

A small nondescript local line station adjacent to the JR Toyooka station. Train trips are not frequent so it's best to check the train schedule beforehand.

We had to wait for more than an hour for the train so we decided to walk around the Toyooka town before boarding our train.

We used the Tantentsu rail from Toyooka Station, heading to first Amino then Amanohashidate.

1,800yen day pass on Tantetsu line which we bought at half price because we were tourists. The private line is not covered by any JR passes.

The trip took about 40 minutes from Toyooka to Amino and at the station, race crew were busy guiding participants to the shuttles buses waiting, to get to the REPC site at Amity Tango.

After getting my race kit all sorted out, assisted by the Race Director himself; we went around the REPC expo and watched the presentations that were available for runners at selected time.

The Race Director then ushered us towards the tea ceremony area when foreign participants were encouraged to enjoy.

Tea and wagashi (Japanese sweets) were served and we enjoyed it tremendously.

In front of the stage area.

We didn't stay long as we decided to visit Amanohashidate to fully utilise our day-pass.

Dinner that day was at a restaurant in a mall next to Toyooka Station.

Son had the soba set. Hubby had the tempura/udon set and I chose the tempura/udon and mushroom rice set. Our tummy was happy.

And finally it was time to rest in our room.

It was an small, rather old family owned hotel but it was clean and the bed was comfy.

It came equipped with standard amenities and most important, internet connection! Haha

And it only cost us about RM300 per night for the stay.

My category was flagged off at Kumihama so we headed off to Kumihama for the start on race day morning. The Finish Line however was located at Amino, where the 100K category was flagged-off earlier

The route passed-by a beach, mountain areas, villages and small towns, farms and even a theme park!

At around KM15, going forward.

I couldn't resist to look back after after the climb at KM15 and here's what I saw.

Absolutely breath-taking.

I arrived this KM22.9 aid station with a nice buffer to chase the cut-off time.

Apart from the massage provided by Phiten, and of course drinks; we were served udon here.

It was later at around KM25 that I bumped into Hubby and Son. They had used the supporters shuttle bus and was walking around while waiting for me to pass the route.

It was a nice surprise and I was sure happy to see them.

The first checkpoint (CP) was located at KM34.50

Runners in the 60K category need to pass this CP by 2.30pm and not a minute later. Late arrivals will not be allowed to proceed with their run.

Despite all the unplanned stops for photo taking and enjoying what the aid stations had to offer, I arrived at 1.46pm.

I had put a drop bag here and planned to change my gear before continuing on.

After refreshing myself and changing out of the sweat-soaked gear and into a dry one, I went to forage for food at the aid station.

A number of runners were resting, dipping their feet in the kiddie pool provided and eating.

There were fruits (pears and grapes), onigiri and barazushi. Pickled plum (umeboshi) was served at all ad stations.

It was a feast.

I stayed for about 15 minutes as per my plan before continuing my run.

I arrived the second CP with an hour to spare.

Here I enjoyed some soup and ate some buns before continuing my run. I didn't stop as long as I did at CP 1.

Villages that we passed through.

Drummers getting ready for runner.

About 200m from the Finish Line, I saw Hubby and Son waiting for me. I was walking at the time but I started to run as I saw them from afar.

Son ran with me for the final 200m and we later took out the Jalur Gemilang and ran with it at the last 100m.

While Mommy was running along the historical road of Kyotango, the boys went sightseeing.

After seeing me pass through the route that they had waited for me, they went and enjoyed a dip at a nearby onsen using the coupon that was included in my race kit.

Apart from my running bib, I was given a drink, a packet of local rice and some vouchers to use around the area.

And at the end of the day, we enjoyed a bowl of udon courtesy of Tango Ultramarathon.

But I got hungry shortly after so we headed off to a konbini near our hotel for a quick dinner, enjoyed in our hotel room.

My second dinner for the day. ^^

After resting then it was time to soak my tired legs in the bath tub and then sleep. Zzzzzzz