Run #250 "13th Anniversary & Sake Hash", January 21st, 2007
Long time no write, NH3!
For those who couldn’t join the Nagoya H3 13th Anniversary Run: Tumble After The Sake, shame on you!
Nah, just kidding. Although that sake was quite delicious, but more about it a little later.
The sky was overcast when Urinator and I arrived in Nagoya from Osaka and it would remain so all day, until it started raining in the evening. At the Nagoya Meitetsu station, we were joined by 2 more Kansai hashers, Humping Iron and the ever visible (or is that blinding?) Slimie Limie. There we also met Sea Cucumber, I’ve Been Ekiben and Crack Whore, before being joined by Mankophobia (Kansai) in the train at Kanayama station. We talked much on the train before arriving in Okazaki.
The pack met and changed, some in public, we put the bags in the car, we listened to the hares misinform us about the course, took some pictures, before boarding a bus to get to the start of the run.
This brought me good memories of my first ever NH3 run 5 years before (I got a down down for it, of course) where we had boarded a bus all dressed in thief costumes. This time only Doraemon Pocket really enjoyed the ride as he was sitting next to a schoolgirl in uniform: there seemed to be a bulge rising from his pocket…
We got to the end of the line where the run began. Quickly the first check presented itself and Doraemon and I chose the correct direction. However a few hundred meters later, we were shortly dumbfounded by a F. I found true trail and by then the pack had almost joined us. They caught me up when I took a few pictures of them, just before going into a nice temple, followed by another one right after.
We were not even 3 kilometers into the run when we arrived at the sake brewery, easily spotted with the help of some obviously drunk people carrying bottle and cases of the nectar of the Japanese gods.
Soon, we were the ones who were drunk! With basically as many tastings as we wanted, including some unfiltered nama genshu (unpasteurized undiluted sake, often only available at the brewery itself), I began seeing double the pack! We talked with some drunk locals, some took a small tour, others listened to the brewmaster passionately talk about his nectar, and most bought a bottle or three.
Urinator, Humping Iron and her virgin friend and I were about the last to leave after leaving our bottles in the custody of Daikon Do Me who had driven to the brewery for that purpose exactly: thank you very much!
We quickly closed in on a small group composed of Chikubitch (Minowa rules!), Crack Whore, Sexy Babe #1 and one of the hash horrors. I couldn’t resist it; I sneaked upon them and booh-ed them as loudly as possible, for the second time in Sexy Babe’s case, with much the same effect as the first time.
We then got to another temple when a precious rock was exhibited. A real virgin from the temple took our picture before we had her join in the pack.
We then went along a canal that has cherry blossom trees lined along the banks, where we had run a few years back during a hanami run. We then ran along some big roads before crossing a bridge where we caught up with 2 more hashers, before turning left along the other side of the river.
By then, I was the only runner and thus decided to take the long course. Just in case some people might follow me, I added an F and a check for good measure, but I believe I was the last.
The run ended in a park where mounds of snacks and cases of beer were waiting for us (Mankophobia then understood why the Nagoya Hash costs 1000 yen). Slimie and I played capitalist pigs by selling Kobe H3 sweaters, the rest of the pack arrived joined by the Groper-Cheap Liquor clan and we ate Osaka black sesame balls and Cognac-laced Belgian chocolates on top of the regular snacks.
With the mercury falling fast, Shinkansen got the circle going (from this point on my memories are hazy at best and will not take responsibility for any half-truths, omissions, lies or dubious jokes).
The down-downs I remember are as follows: hares (Spooky and Daikon Do Me), visitors (aforementioned Kansai hashers as well as Japanese Tits and her boyfriend; no Kanto hashers this year: I guess they don’t make them as strong there as here in Kansai… ;), long time no see, 5 year anniversary, new shoes (Mankophobia), yasashi (Daikon for taking our bottles at the brewery AND not drinking them), nice temple toilets comment (Sexy Babe), non-runners, recently engaged and so on.
After drinking this last down-down, I felt I needed to honour Sexy Babe with one in gratitude: indeed, accompanied by Crash 5 years ago, had she not made such a nice course (although very long at the time), I would not be here writing this, I would not have started running, and most importantly, I would not have met Urinator. With the down-down, I also gave her a long-sleeve t-shirt from my ample haberdashery collection.
Once the circle done, we packed our stuff and ambled to Spooky’s new house. And let me tell, it looks nice. Most of the interior is wood (and currently still has the smell) and looks like the perfect party place! There is even space for legs under the low tables just like in an izakaya.
Which brings me to the food. Many cooks got busy in the kitchen (including Groper in a lacy apron!): oden, nabe, deep-fried chicken, fried mushrooms and much other food was served and quickly devoured, as well as copious amounts of beer and sake (my memories really get fuzzy at that point). Some more down-downs were called by Slimie and I for some forgotten reasons, an oden pot was knocked over, the hash horrors were running everywhere; well, it was your typical fun-filled anniversary run. Had to be there.
We concluded by Swinging Low before walking to the station. On the Meitetsu we had to change trains 2 or 3 times to get to Nagoya. Humping Iron, Urinator and I jumped on the Hikari after grabbing some omiyage (including those delicious Cognac chocolates!) to safely make it back to Kansai.
On-On
Al-kanida
Following message is written in Japanese.
時は１月２１日（日）。東岡崎駅の乱？名古屋ハッシュも１３年の月日が経ったのじゃあ。 事前通達で「Sake Hash」とあったのでネットで鮭の写真をＤＬして挑んだShinkansenであるが、鮭では無く酒蔵の酒と判った時にはガッカリであった、、、。
まぁ、今回も関西圏からメンバーがぎょうさん来てくれたぎゃ！感謝感激！！！ 今回のヘアは、Daikon do! me!とSpookyの二人。以前、花見ハッシュの時、どえりゃあ長いコースを作成したコンビ！心配してコース説明を聞くと「まず、バスで移動します。」と聞き？？？一般客に迷惑をかけないようワイ！ワイ！騒いで移動。でも、何故かAo Can Shutchoご夫婦は、走ってスタート地点まで。バスで駅前か ら北東に向かい「大樹寺」バス亭で降りたら、もうAo Can Shutchoご夫婦は待ってました、、、。
スタートして最初のチェックで長ーーーーーい「Ｆ」にハマッタ私は一気に最後部に。北へ西へ住宅地を走り、西光寺を南下、バス亭の名前にあった大樹寺前を西へ向かい、南下して左折すると大樹寺小学校前を通り右折すると事前告知のあった酒飲み放題スポット「威光醸造」に到着。
そこには先客が大勢居ましたが、当日、市民駅伝大会があったようで、駅伝参加者と間違われたのか？単なる酔っ払いなのか？メンバーたちもすぐ酒盛り！何種類の酒を飲んだことやら、、、。
「うっ、ヘアがゴールで待っている」と我に返った私は、数人に声をかけて走り出しました。最初のチェックでAo Can Shutchoご夫婦と分かれると、その後はShinkansenの独走（孤独なラン）何時もならすぐ後続に抜かれるのに、ランナーAo Can Shutchoご夫婦さえ追ってこない？？？ そーか！子供が来ていないことをいい事に、事前に走って下見して、名前の由来でもある「あおかん」に明け暮れていたのでは？！
その後、県道２６号を横断して井田公園を横切り、八幡宮や泉龍寺を通り、草まるけの公園のブランコで遊び、伊賀八幡宮の池を周回して西へ向かい、広幡小学校を通り、国道２４８号を渡り西へ。愛知環状鉄道「北岡崎駅」のガードをくぐり、ユニチカ工場やアピタを右手に見て更に西へ。矢作川に掛かる日名橋を渡ったところにロング・ショートの別れ道が！随分走ってからの分岐に迷い、何時もなら迷わずショートへ行ったのですが、何ぶんトップでの通過。ショートへ行っては後からのＤＤが怖くなり渋々ロングへ。川原をひたすら南下してやっと土手を登り、矢作東小学校前を西へ向かい、北上したところに矢作公園に突入！通るだけか？と思ったら出口にゴールを発見！
ただ、文字だけでヘアも誰も居ない？？？たまたま携帯を持って走ったので、すぐにSpookyに連絡を取ると「すぐDaikon do! me!に向かわせます」との事で待っていたら、後続ラン ラーが続々とゴール。遅れてAo Can Shutchoご夫婦が手を取り合って清々しい顔でゴール？「やっぱり！」と思いました。
Daikon do! me!が到着して荷物を車から降ろしたら土産らしき酒が一杯あり、Daikon do! me!に聞いたところ、メンバーが随分購入しました。との事でこの まま置いていては知らずに飲んでしまう恐れがあったのですぐ車に仕舞いました。
DDではアルカニの結婚報告？の話題で盛り上がり、Sexy Babe ＃１の切なる疑問の「ふたりの初体験の体位は？」にアルカニは最後までタグらかされてしまいました、、、。その後、年末に新居が完成したSpookyの家にお邪魔して書道の勉強？茶位万年、酒盛りして楽しい時間を過しました。
ヘアのDaikon do! me!とSpooky、とても長くないコースをありがとう。酒蔵飲み放題最高！お疲れ様でした。
On ! On !
Shinkansenでした。なも、、、。