The bright night time lights of Hirosaki City sparkled at my feet. I was outside in the dark sitting naked on a green plastic garden chair as one does. Our hotel would have been totally forgettable were it not for the wonderful 10th floor outdoor onsen I had just been soaking in. Onsen’s, natural thermal hot springs, are the perfect way to relax after skiing Japan’s famous powder and in this case a nice pre-dinner warm up.
Dinner was at a traditional izakaya with delicious fresh sashimi and sushi – much to The Badger’s dislike. Barely able to keep our eyes open due to the jet lag and early morning start we then moved on to a second, similar place where more food and drinks were served. Comfortably installed we were lucky to enjoy short performances of the shamisen, or more precisely the Tsuguru jamisen – a traditional three stringed, guitar like instrument originating in this northwestern part of Honshu. The two players were obviously masters, turning out to be the current Japanese champion and junior champion! Part string instrument, part percussion the shamisen makes an unusual sound to unaccustomed western ears.