Weekend Haircut & 200 K Bike Ride

I went to get a haircut. My hair was getting long, and becoming hard to manage. I went to "fleuRir" in Tama Plaza. I went there for the first time almost ten years ago. Mr. Toki, who is the owner of the salon, is my stylist. He and I are of the same age. Since we have lived the same generation, we share many common interests and concerns. I enjoy talking to him while getting my hair cut. The salon is a two-hour train ride from home, but I go there nonetheless. The biggest reason is that I feel comfortable there. I usually go there by train. Since my commuter's pass cover's up to Akasakamitsuke it only costs 500 yen or so. But this time I went there by bike. The reason is that I wanted to go another place by bike after the haircut. 

I left home at 6:45 a.m. although my appointment was at 11:30 a.m. 'cause I had no idea how long it would take to get there by bike. I took a toll road up to the border between Chiba and Tokyo, and from there on went down the regular road across Central Tokyo through Route 246 eventually to Tama Plaza where the salon was. I got there in about three hours including a 30-minute breakfast stop at McDonald's in Muzue, Edogawa City, Tokyo.

When I reached the salon, Mr. Toki and his assistant was cleaning the shop, getting ready for the opening. I pulled into a little open space next to the salon to check if there was enough space to park. I almost parked the bike to get inside the salon to talk to Mr. Toki if it's OK for me to park there. But then I thought they were busy, so I pulled out and rode on to a large park a mile or so away. There I got off the bike and sat in a shade and relaxed for a while. Or should I say I tried to relax, but couldn't, because it was too hot!

So I checked to see if there was a paid parking lot available nearby on my smartphone so that I could read a book in an air-conditioned room. I found one on the other side of Tokyu Tama Plaza Station, where I could park up to three hours for free. 

After locking the bike in the parking lot, I headed to the station, and along the way I found a Starbucks cafe across from the station, so I dropped in and ordered my regular stuff, the iced coffee, short. 

Unfortunately, they didn't have it. The smallest size available was tall. Plus, one glass mysteriously cost 690 yen. I paused for a moment, but soon realized that it's one of those uptown versions where a wider selection of sophisticated blends are offered because of a presumably more sophisticated population of residents, because the employee, or should I say, barista, tried to explain to me three different kinds of iced coffee. I stopped him while he was explaining the second one. I'd had enough of that BS.

I killed about an hour and a half, reading "Live and Let Die" by Ian Fleming.

I exchanged a few casual words and a smile with an old guard at the parking lot as I headed back to pick my bike up. When I got to the hair salon, I asked Mr. Toki's assistant if it was OK to park the bike where I did. He said no problem. I was relieved. 

Soon I was taken care of, and the job was done. Excellently, of course. And I felt like a new man, feeling my head half a pound lighter!

Leaving fleuRir behind, I headed to Chigasaki where my bilingual companion lives. She's an almost b-day girl, turning XX years old in a few days. So I wanted to take her our for a b-day dinner. Though I insisted on going extravagant, she insisted not, suggesting instead that we buy packs of ready-made food and fruits from the mall, and eat them at the food court. I agreed. We enjoyed chatting and dining for an hour or so there.

After the, not lavish, but fun almost b-day dinner there, she and I dropped by a dollar shop to get some toys for her dad. Her dad, who is over 80, used to be a softball catcher. He's a bit out of shape these days, so I thought I was going to play catch with him. I bought a plastic bat, and a very soft soccer ball for kids that is as big as a softball. 

At home he and I enjoyed playing catch. He even batted for about ten minutes. I pitched and he batted. Every time he got ready to hit, I announced his name and position just like a TV announcer would in Japan on a baseball broadcasting program. I could tell he got more and more excited as bases were filled and points were scored. Meanwhile, his wife and daughter who watched us play from the sofa started giggling because they had not seen him so wildly excited for many months! After a while I noticed he was out of breath, so I suggested we call it a day, and he agreed. He literally sank into the sofa, with sweat on his forehead, and grabbed a bottle of water from the coffee table, and gulped it like a marathon runner who just crossed the finish line!

That night I was going home after taking a short nap, but ended up sleeping till the next morning as I was exhausted from a long bike ride and chronic shortage of sleep over the week. 

My bilingual companion and I walked to the city hospital nearby because there is a restaurant on the top floor, and it's air-conditioned! After filling our stomachs, we went to a do-it-yourself store in the neighborhood. She bought a small attachment to the living room door that helps it to be held open. 

I left her home between two and three. This time I took the toll road entirely. I made a few stops at rest areas. First I took a brief water break at Ebina Service Area on the Tohmei Highway. I had a friendly conversation with a Harley rider who was on his way back home in Suginami, Tokyo. He told me that torrential rains were expected around five, so I should hurry to cross Central Tokyo to avoid the rain. I thanked him for the information, because I was planning to rest for a while. I jumped on the bike and left the rest area. About ten minutes later, I saw him coming from behind in my right mirror. In less than a few seconds, he overtook me on the next lane. As he did so, he raised his left arm and waved it at me. I was happy to see his friendly gesture. I bowed and waved back, but I was not sure if he saw me do it...

There was a minor jam on the metropolitan highway, but once out of it, traffic was smooth as cream until I took another rest at Makuhari Service Area in Chiba. I was both thirsty and hungry, and there were a selection of sweets sold at various shops. But after having two small cups of water from a dispenser, I ignored all that sweet stuff, and went to a grocery store that sold veggies. I expected them to be local produce. But most were from other areas such as Gunma. There was 'egoma'. It's wild sesami leaves. A bunch was sold for 120 yen. I thought it deal. They looked like shiso leaves. I don't mind eating shiso fresh. So I thought I'd eat them fresh. I pulled out a few sticks and rinsed the leaves in a sink. I then spread them on my towel and ate them one leaf after another. They were delicious. They have a very peculiar taste, different from that of shiso, but I liked it. Surprisingly, after having ten leaves or so, I no longer craved for sweets. My hunger and thirst was quenched, and I was a happy rider again. 

             

I got off the highway at Takeishi Interchange. I got home shortly around 5:30 p.m. Though I was scared a few times when crossing high bridges near the Tokyo-Chiba border because winds were strong and I felt shaky, but overall it was an exciting ride. I should go for a long ride like this more often so that I can blush up my motorcycling skills. 

Tomorrow I have a corporate seminar in Shin Yokohama. I'm done with mental rehearsal. So I'll go for a slow jog to condition myself physically before going to bed.

Recommending to be a Rider

 If you are someone who loves freedom, I highly recommend you to be a owner/rider of a large bike. There are three reasons.

<Reason One: Immediate Gratification>
Once you have become a owner/rider of a large bike, it becomes easy to immediately gratify your need of freedom. All you need is start the bike and hit the road. It's as easy as 1-2-3. There is something about moving from point A to point B on a moving vehicle that is inherently pleasurable. And being a rider gives you immediate access to that sensation.

<Reason Two: Ability to be One with Nature>
If all you need is move from point A to point B, you can achieve the same goal by driving a car as well as simply by walking. But there is something about riding a motorcycle that is fundamentally superior to these other means. That is its ability to allow you to be one with one of the greatest elements of nature--wind. What I mean is this. When driving a car, you and the outer world are separated by a windshield. Therefore you cannot directly feel winds on your face. If driving a convertible, you can feel winds on your arm if you put it over the top of the door, of course, but not directly on your face. Of course, when you ride a motorcycle on public roads in Japan, you are required to wear a helmet, so the actual area of your face on which you can feel the wind varies depending on the structure of your helmet. With a full face helmet, the air hits your face only through a small window. With an open face type, the feeling is more direct. Either way, the sensation of directly feeling the wind while riding is something only motorcycle riders can enjoy. Of course, if you are a jogger, like myself, you can feel winds on your face as you run. But human speed is quite limited compared with the speed the motor vehicle can achieve, so the sensation is no match.

<Reason Three: Comfortable Sounds>
The first two reasons are enough to recommend you to be an owner/rider of a motorcycle. But there is yet another reason that is specific to a motorcycle that is large in size. That is the comfort that the engine sounds provide you with. When riding a bike with a small displacement (250cc-400cc), the engine constantly works at very high speeds. The sounds created by an engine working at high speeds are high-pitched and not very pleasant (unless you are a hooligan!) On the other hand, when a motorcycle with a large displacement (401cc~) travels at the legal top speed of 60 km/h on public road, the engine does not work as fast as that of a smaller bike, and therefore the sounds created are low-pitched and comfortable, like the heart-beat a baby hears in his/her mother's womb. Nothing can beat the level of comfort created by that! And the engine sound of a large motorcycle traveling at a normal speed is very similar to it.

<Conclusion>
You should become an owner/rider of a large motorcycle, because it is fun, bringing to you tremendous joy and comfort. But questions remain regarding how and how much. I would like to write another post sometime on this topic.

 

Weekend Night Ride Between Home and Narita

I went for a bike ride after coming home from work. I bought a new helmet in Ueno on my way home, and also I had protectors that I had ordered from Amazon that arrived two days ago. I wanted to try them all on and hit the road. 

I bought a full face helmet instead of a jet type. Many riders who ride cruisers tend to wear a jet helmet because they usually look good in it, and I agree. But this time I took safety over fashion.

I bought a black with some green here and there, hoping it would match the lime green of the cask wheels.  I can't see how I look in the dark, and while I'm riding it. So next time I see my bilingual companion, I'll ask for her feedback. Hope she thinks they match. 

The ride between home and Narita was refreshing. I love riding a bike late at night.  There are far fewer cars on the road. There are few pedestrians on the sidewalks that I need to watch out for. 

A 20 K ride brought me to Central Narita. JR Narita Station looked renovated and clean. I cruised very slowly down the main street that connects the train station and the temple. It was unexpectedly lively with quite a few bars and restaurants still open. There were a good mix of Japanese and foreigners there. The area seemed to have become fairly international since I was there last.

As I came nearer to the temple, there were fewer and fewer shops, and the street became less lively and darker. I kept on until I hit Route 51, took a right, and went back the same route. 

On my way home I dropped by a Starbucks cafe near JR Sakura Station. It's one of my favorite Starbucks cafes in the area. It's on the corner of wide streets next to a large parking lot. It's surrounded by large open space. It's open until midnight, and is usually reasonably crowded until then. In eight minutes it's closed, so I must leave soon. But I want to come here again to take a rest while touring.   

My Final Golden Week Mission Accomplished!

The last remaining mission has been successfully accomplished. I test-rode Kawasaki's legendary urban cruiser, the Vulcan S 650. I actually paid to rent the bike from SCS Ueno in Tokyo, but it was worth the money. A young pretty female receptionist from Tohgane, Chiba helped me with all the paper work. Once it was done, a mechanic took over and briefed on the bike. He started the engine, and that familiar engine sound reached my ears that I had heard so many times while watching its reviews on You Tube. Once the briefing was over, the mechanic said, "Have a safe ride," and I was on my own.

In the first couple of minutes I was as nervous as hell. I didn't sign up for optional damage insurance. Should the bike be damaged in any way, no matter how minor it may be, I have to pay everything from my pocket.

But once I passed that initial anxiety phase, I felt as comfortable as if I had owned the bike for years. I sped through the urban roads far less crowded than usual because it was a national holiday, and there were fewer commercial vehicles.

I turned right from Route 4 into a street leading to Kudanshita. The famous torii gate to the Yasukuni Shrine was in sight much sooner than I thought. I took a left as I left behind the gate, the Imperial Palace appeared up ahead. I took a right into the circular road around the Palace and enjoyed cruising around it a couple of times. So many people were jogging around it. There are a bunch of foreign tourists also. And every now and then I saw cyclists passing the runners and tourists. I was overtaken by many other motor cyclists who seemed far more experienced and comfortable with their own vehicles. But I didn't care. I simply respect their experience and skills. I am just a novice.

After going around the Palace a couple of times I got bored, so I took a right at an intersection into a street leading to the area where my office was. It was a familiar area, but going through it on a fast, powerful vehicle was a whole new experience. Originally I was thinking of going across my office area toward Aoyama, but I was too nervous to change the lanes into an over-bridge, so I stayed on the left-most lane and turn left into Akasakamitsuke. I felt relieved as I saw the familiar neighborhood around my office building.

I thought of keeping straight into Uchisaiwaicho and turn left to go back to the Imperial Palace, but at the last minute thought that there was no challenge to it. So I took a right at an intersection in Tameikesanno, and headed toward Roppongi. Seeing holiday goers from a car lane was refreshing. It's like watching a Tokyo version of "Fellini's Rome".

Once I passed Roppongi, I came to another intersection. If you went straight, you'd get to the Tokyo Tower. If you turned left, you'd get back to the Imperial Palace. I didn't want to get too far away, so I decided to turn left.

When I finally got back to the Palace, I was so relieved and filled with a sense of peace. And somehow I felt like I could be a bit more adventurous this time. So this time around I went through that over-bridge I had missed before, and headed toward Shibuya. Once I was on Aoyama Dori Street I found myself surrounded with expensive sports cars and convertibles. I guess the street was popular among those who wanted to show off their gorgeous vehicles.

I almost went as far as Shibuya, but imagined how crowded and messy all the roads might get, and decided to turn left into a road leading to Roppongi again. But this time I decided to reach the Tokyo Tower. And reach the Tokyo Tower I did! There were so many people at the foot of the tower and so many carp banners were hung above them. The area was filled with a holiday atmosphere and people all looked happy.

I headed toward the Imperial Palace, but instead of going around it again, took a right at the Peninsula Hotel toward Ginza. After that I kept straight until I hit Route 4. And once I took a left into it, I just kept straight north-bound to get back to where I started off. I filled it up, of course, before returning the bike. It's part of the deal.

Once I got back, I showed the clerk my gasoline receipt, and returned the registration form for the bike.

I shared my impression while the clerk checked my gasoline bill and and my gas mileage. He said, "You stepped on the gas, didn't you?" I didn't know what he meant by that at first. Did I do something wrong? Or was I not supposed to go fast? I don't remember going too fast though every now and then I turned the throttle to accelerate just to enjoy the power of the vehicle. So I said, "Oh, is there anything wrong? Like the tank was not full, or anything like that? I don't mind going to the service station again to put more if that's necessary. I didn't do the work, you know. I just asked the guy to fill it up and paid, you know." He said, "No, no, no, no. Your gas mileage is quite common. It's not like cruising along the highway for hundreds of miles." I was like, "What do you expect, pal? I rented the bike only for four hours. How far do you think I can get? In Central Tokyo you get stopped at every few hundred meters by traffic lights. Of course, gas mileage won't be that good!" But I didn't mention it, of course.

I asked for an estimate for the bike. It was surprisingly less expensive than I thought, and fairly affordable even for a man of modest means such as myself. The only downside is the color. Pearl white is not my most favorite color. There are two more bikes of the same kind, but in a different color. One is in Kanagawa. It's more expensive, but comes with more accessories. The other is in Adachi City, Tokyo. It's as inexpensive as the one I rode today. But it doesn't come with any accessories. Both are in my favorite color: metallic black. I will probably go to see both before I make my final decision.