More about my Job and Bon Dance Festival

Hey y'all! So a friend asked that I go into a little more detail about my actual job here at USJ. While I'm contractually obligated to never reveal anything that you can't see from the park itself (including anything backstage/in the green room, rehearsals, etc.), I think I can definitely write a little more about the job itself.

As you know at this point, I sing in the Frog Choir, a four person singing group in the Harry Potter word at Universal Studios Japan. There are two full-time casts of five people (Choir Master, Soprano, Alto, Tenor (me!), Bass/VP), as well as a few other cast members who swing in once or twice a week while performing other roles in other parts of the park the rest of the time. The full-time casts are scheduled five days a week, so I typically perform with the same four other people, though on weekends when both casts and all swings are scheduled throughout the day the casts usually get a bit mixed up, and people can request shift changes for trips or family visiting which can also change the cast on a given day.

Our shows run about 12-13 minutes, with a 5 minute meet-and-greet photo session afterward (which gets cut in half or completely if it's too hot). Audiences range from 75-ish to several hundred people, as we are on a stage right between the Hogwarts castle and the main walkway of Hogsmeade featuring all the shops/restaurants. Japanese audiences are typically a bit on the subdued side but will gladly clap along with a little encouragement. Either way they are always respectful. While I don't know for sure, I'd imagine this show performed in America might be met with a bit more rolled eyes and smirks from those watching, but Japanese audiences really appreciate our efforts with enthusiasm and it makes the job that much easier and that much more fun. Of course my favorite audience members are all the kids, who usually watch the show with their mouths agape and are so happy to take photos with us after the show. While the shows themselves are a lot of fun, walking to and from the stage before and after shows, waving and saying hello to children and seeing their bewildered expressions as a Hogwarts student walks by them is actually my favorite part of the job. I especially love finding a child or teen wearing a ravenclaw cloak or tie and saying "Hello there, Ravenclaw!" to them.

Our stage is outdoors, and we perform with mics on headsets, so when it's raining we can't do the usual show and instead perform inside the castle in part of the line for a ride. We perform about half the show entirely a cappella, and it's a fun way to get a little closer to people in the park, as we're right up close with them and can only perform for so many people at a time in the line.

While most of the guests we see are there for the first time, there are few dozen USJ superfans that come maybe several times a month and will typically watch our show at every performance (5 or 10 times a day, depending on the day), rather than just watching once and then experiencing other parts of the park. I'm not going to pretend that this is at all normal behavior, but many of these superfans seem like nice, innocent people who simply enjoy our performances and want to show their support for the USJ performers, and they often take many photos to share with us on Facebook. To be honest, I have about thirty pending friend requests on Facebook from various USJ superfans, and while many other performers here add them, it makes me a bit uncomfortable, so I politely respond to messages that I might receive but do not add any of them as friends. I intend to eventually make an actor fan page and direct them all to that instead of my personal page, a strategy many other performers here have successfully implemented. Until then I'll simply smile at them during our shows and hope they are not offended that I don't accept their Facebook friend requests. All of these superfans also attend the International Artists Nights put on by USJ performers as well as any plays or musicals the performers put on throughout the year. While it feels a little weird to have a group of people treating us like celebrities, it's also kind of cool, and it's honestly a testament to the amount and degree of talent that is working here at USJ.

Alright, back to my adventures in Japan. Yesterday I decided to check out a Bon Dance Festival, a traditional Japanese Buddhist festival to honor the spirit of one's ancestors and their sacrifices. It was fascinating to witness a part of this culture that differed so greatly from my own and to see Japanese people both young and old honoring the generations that came before them with such reverence. A few musicians played and sang live traditional music while hundreds of people, mostly dressed in yukatas, performed several different dances consisting of repetitive gestures and movements as they circled around the area. The history of this country is so long and rich, and it was quite a privilege to see these dances that have likely been performed this same way for hundreds of years.

There were many groups of (mostly) women dressed in matching yukatas, perhaps from local temples or communities

While it was a traditional dance festival, there were also carnival-ish booths of drinks and snacks

Just the ladies from Frozen enjoying some beers

This little Buddhist Pig guy seemed to be the mascot for the evening; here he was taking a picture with two children, one of which was dressed as a beetle for some reason

There were several video cameras set up to capture the evening's performances

The program for the two-evening festival. Too bad I couldn't read it!

The temple's doors were open

These two ladies were running the show

Quickly running through the choreo before showtime

As one song would end, the group up on the float would leave and another would take their turn to lead the group for the next song

Just a guy dressed as an eggplant tryna sell some snacks

This guy kept his eyes closed the whole time and didn't do any of the correct gesture, but man was he feelin' it

While many people were dressed in traditional yukatas, a more casual look was acceptable as well, evidenced by these ladies in matching pink polos and khakis

The more time went on, the more people joined in the dancing. It didn't matter what you were wearing or how old you were or if you even knew the moves ahead of time, anyone was welcome and encouraged to participate

This white dude was a bit braver than me and joined in the dancing. Afterwards he received many compliments from locals who appreciated his efforts.

Look, I don't even buy cheetos in America, but I wanted to try a weird Japanese version of an American snack for the blog, and these seemed like the right choice. I think they were okonomiyaki flavored, or maybe just some sort of savory pancake with butter? Either way, they tasted alright but kind of strange and not particularly like any one recognizable flavor. I was disappointed that they weren't either amazing or terrible, to be honest, as either would have been more exciting.

(***EDIT: Turns out that picture on the front isn't a pancake, it's grilled abalone (a seasnail) with butter and soy sauce. Yeah, that's about as Japanese as it gets.)

I thought this hat was too funny not to buy for 1000 Yen (ten bucks)

I thought this shirt was pretty funny too, but I wanted to try it on in a fitting room, and I was DENIED a fitting room because I wasn't Japanese! Seriously, I asked for a fitting room (which were like ten feet away and totally not taken), and the guy said no, and when I said "nan de?" (which means why, or what reason), he gestured to his skin on his face, which I'm pretty sure meant "because you're white and not Japanese." I was shocked and just dropped the shirt and left the store.

Mount Fuji

You guys. I climbed a mountain. It was quite a challenge, but it was also an incredibly rewarding experience. Here's how it went down, y'all.

Packed and ready to catch an early morning train from Tempozan to Shin-Osaka station, where we'd catch the bullet train.

My backpack was pretty stuffed, full of clothes, food, water, and toiletries/first aid stuff. For a first time climber I think I did pretty well in bringing enough/not too much of each of those categories. Could have used a thicker coat for the summit, but that's really about it.

Shinkansen, or bullet train, 2 1/2 hours from Osaka to Tokyo, arrived just before 11am

Inside the shinkansen. From Tokyo station we found a rep from the tour company and took a bus about three more hours to Fuji

The bus took us to the fifth station on the Yoshida trail, one of several different routes one can take on the mountain. All climbs start partway up the mountain at the fifth station. Why they don't just call the fifth station the first station, I'm not totally sure.

Even from our starting point, we were already in the clouds

Ready to go! Bought that wood stick for 1000 yen. I could have gotten it stamped at each station after that but each stamp cost more money, so eff that

To the left, the guy in charge of our group on the bus. To the right, our mountain guide. We booked a tour package through one of the Japanese stage managers at work, and we didn't quite know what to expect before we got there. Both of these guys frequently gave information and instructions that we didn't understand, so we just followed along with whatever everyone else in the group was doing.

We were instructed to tie these to our bags so other group members could be easily identified while on the mountain

Horses!

Just our mountain guide having a quick smoke before we started. Like...what??

Away we go! We started our ascent at a little after 4pm

Right away we basically walked through a cloud

Gravity can have a pretty cool effect on the way trees grow

After a while of walking slightly uphill around the side of the mountain, we got to the sixth station, where our path turned directly upwards. Here we can see all the huts that line the path up the mountain, one of which we'd be staying at in the evening.

We're in the skyyyyyyyy!

Yeah, three more climbers from our group stopping for a quick cigarette. They know we're about to climb a mountain, right??

Onward and upward!

We were ruhl excited about the climb, y'all

A lot of people had fancy shmancy metal climbing stick thingy-mabobs

I, however, quite liked my wood stick (as well as keeping my other hand free). Also, I borrowed these hiking boots and they were absolutely crucial

I took a lot of pictures of clouds. It was pretty amazing to see, but I guess you kinda had to be there lolz

Getting closer to the huts

About two hours in and the path was finally starting to get a little rougher

I thought this might be as hard as it would get. I was wrong.

Each hut had a bathroom that cost 200yen, though most of them had no way of actually knowing if you paid or not. I secretly paid 101yen instead OOPS SORRY. But not really sorry, all I did was pee in a hole.

Snacks were also crucial to my success. This is pocky, a Japanese fave that's basically long cookie/cracker/pretzel sticks dipped in a little frosting.

As the sun set on the opposite side of the mountain, the sky turned to some pretty colors before getting dark

Still a ways to go, but we made it to the hut we were to stay at before 7:30pm. "Just over three hours of pretty easy climbing and we're already at the hut? This is gonna be a piece of cake," I thought to myself, foolishly.

Inside the hut we were directed to sit at tables for a quick dinner

More info from the guide that I didn't understand

Dinner! Japanese curry and rice

After dinner it was bedtime. There were rows of sleeping bags all right next to each other, so it was time to get cozy with some Japanese strangers. Also, it was not even 8pm. I took a few melatonin tablets to try to get some sleep, thinking we'd be waking up around 1am.

I barely caught any sleep, mostly because of the early hour and the snoring all around me, and then all of a sudden it was time to go! I hastily put more layers on and left the sleeping area, where I learned that it was only about 11:30pm. Now that's an early morning! Oof.

We were given a to-go meal for later, which was some rice, salmon, a meatball, and a bit of pickled something or other

A view of below the mountain at night (my camera isn't great with night pictures, even when I set it on "night." WHATEVER)

This Falling Rocks sign looked like some rocks had fallen on it

Ok, it's starting to get more mountain-y

This was at some point during the late night climb, can't quite remember when. I couldn't take many pics on the way up at this point. The path got rockier and steeper and the temperature was much colder, and after a while the pace became very slow due to the amount of people trying to get to the top in time for the sunrise. Even though we were all going to the same place our guide did not allow anyone to go ahead of the group, which was a bit frustrating at one point, as Lauren and I wanted to snake our way though the crowds instead of following along in a slow single-file line up the path. Toward the top though, the air was getting colder and thinner, and the slower pace was probably better for our bodies. I concentrated on inhaling through my nose and exhaling twice as long through my mouth, watching the feet of the person in front of me, and thinking warm thoughts. Glances up to the top were disheartening, as it seemed like this cold, dark, difficult part of the climb had no end in sight.

After what seemed like an eternity, we began to notice the beginnings of a sunrise behind us. "This must mean we're close!" Indeed, about five minutes later the steep path came to an abrupt end, and boom, there we were, at the summit of Mount Fuji. I almost didn't believe it, convinced it was just a big hut and we had more climbing to do. It was just after 4:15am when we arrived, and the sun was scheduled to rise just after 5:00. We were told to meet at a certain spot at 4:50 to watch the sunrise with the group, and until then we had the time to ourselves. I sort of just wandered around for a few minutes, bewildered and exhausted, but really, really happy.

The summit was paaacked. There were a bunch of places to get souvenirs, food, drinks, and rest.

These cans of coffee and hot chocolate were sitting in a vat of hot water

I thought I earned myself a hot chocolate

It was the best hot chocolate of my life

This was at about 4:35. Even well before the sun rose it was a beautiful sight

With the group at 4:50. One spectacular sunrise, coming up!

Oh HEY there sun, I didn't see you there!

The sunrise itself was breathtaking, but the communal and cultural experience with all the other climbers made it even more special. Our guide led some sort of little call-and-response chant after it rose all the way, and I wish I knew what it was.

And right after the sunrise, it was time to head back down. We went down a different way than we came up. The paths were bigger, flatter, less rocky, and zig-zagged all the way down.

We were warned that the descent could be hard on your knees, so I was careful to keep my knees slightly bent the whole way. The way I walked down the mountain actually made it easier to go fast rather than to take it slow, not to mention the fact that I was tired as balls and wanted to get the eff off the mountain asap, so I practically ran down this thing.

I did stop to take a few more stunning photos on the way though. Oh what a beautiful moooorning, as my mom would sing

I was never more excited to smell horse poop than I was when I was coming down the mountain, as it meant I was nearing the end! A few minutes later, I saw an actual horse, and at that point the way down had joined with the path we had taken up, so I recognized where I was and knew it wouldn't be long. I did stop at one point to put bandaids on my big toes, as both had developed huge blisters on the way down.

Ignoring the box on the top right and just looking at the mountain part on the left, I took the far right yellow line up and the middle zig-zaggy yellow line down

This was just a few minutes before I got back to the fifth station.

I reached the fifth station by about 7:45am, making my descent in about 2 hours and 30 minutes, which, in comparison to the 8 hour ascent, is a breeze. I found a bathroom, changed my clothes and shoes, reorganized my bag, threw out garbage, and then found Lauren. We had about an hour until we met up with the group to get back on the bus, so we sat in a little cafe area that had wifi (woo!) until it was time to go.

I'm not sure if we booked our trip late or what, but there were three more people on the bus than actual seats, which were assigned, so Lauren and I had to sit on fold out chairs in the aisle. There was no support for my head so I couldn't fall asleep for more than a few seconds before my head fell over and jerked myself awake. It was torturous after a sleepless night of mountain-climbing. We drove for an hour or so to an onsen, a Japanese bathhouse. The men separated from the women, and we got undressed and entered the  bath area, which had individual little stations to sit at and shower and two big hot tubs. I gave myself a much-needed wash and then sat in the hot tub for about fifteen minutes, just soaking and relaxing. After I dried and dressed I made my way to the lunch buffet. We left at 2:00, dropped some group members off at the Tokyo airport at 5pm, and made it to the Tokyo station at 6pm. From there we took a shinkansen back to Osaka, which arrived shortly after 9pm, then hopped on the subway line to head home. We made it back at around 10pm, and I was ready for a good night's sleep in a bed. Then it was up at 8am for a 9am call this morning at work. It was a jam-packed two days, and despite the exhaustion and the sore muscles, I'm so glad that I did it. It gave me stunning sights, challenged me physically and mentally, and taught me a lot about Japan and its people. It was certainly an experience I'll never forget and will be one of my favorites parts about my time here in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Alright, now it's time for a hot bath, I've been back for 25 hours now and my thighs are more sore than they've ever been in my liiiiiiife. My next adventure might be a tad less physical in nature. Later, y'all!