This is Google's cache of . Google's cache is the snapshot that we took of the page as we crawled the web. The page may have changed since that time. Click here for the current page without highlighting. Google is not affiliated with the authors of this page nor responsible for its content. These search terms have been highlighted: smelly melt banana ROSIE'S tour diary of Japan September 15th to the 24th 1997. HOT SPRINGS IN JAPAN Before I left for Japan, I had an idea, maybe a fantasy, that I could go to a Japanese hot spring while I was there. While Kimo and I were shopping for language tapes at the bookstore in Japan town, we came across a tour guide, "Hidden Hot Springs of Japan," and the photos and descriptions here got me even hotter for this plan. I talked about how much I wanted to do this with Kimo, who just said "Maybe." For some reason, I was slightly fixated on the idea of going to a hot spring in Japan. I think I just wanted the opportunity to experience some nature, since I knew we'd spend most of our time in big cities. Throughout my fixation, I knew how unrealistic I was being: our schedule in Japan was full, with only a few days free for activities away from the group. Kimo didn't seem too interested in going to one. Also, just getting to any of these hot springs seemed to be difficult, as they were usually located far from cities and public transportation. Once I got to Japan, I let go of this idea - there was too much else going on. It seems strange to me now how much I was into Plainfield's shows. Almost all of my pictures are of PLAINFIELD playing (and Melt Banana). I have very few pictures of JAPAN - a few from an afternoon in Asukasa with Kimo, Sudoh and Shiho, a few from Kyoto with Dave, Yuko and Mari, and a roll of film I took the day of the Monchapi Barbecue. Maybe PLAINFIELD was, to me, something familiar to relate to in all the newness that was Japan. I haven't sorted this out yet. But I was definitely way into the PLAINFIELD/Melt Banana shows - that was some good, old-fashioned fun being dished out to awesome Japanese folks. The band sounded great and Smelly's performances were the best I'd ever seen from him. When PLAINFIELD played in Osaka, two friends of mine came to the show - Yuko and Mari, two very cool girls that I met four years ago when they were traveling in San Francisco. Yuko and Mari seemed to dig the show and got along well with Smelly and everyone else (they had actually met Kimo and Dave when they were in San Francisco). It was such a cool experience to see them again. That night, we made plans to meet in Kyoto - and Melt Banana invited Yuko and Mari to the Monchapi Barbecue. Mari Maede and Yuko of Japan. Kimo decided not to go to Kyoto - he wanted to hang out with Mike and Lisa and go to that part of Tokyo where they have every electronic thing in the world times seven. Can't remember the name. Since I didn't want to go there, it was good that we split up. Dave was my partner on the Kyoto trip - he was into going to a traditional Japanese city and seeing some temples. There is not enough space or time to write about how cool Yuko and Mari are. Mari came from Kobe to meet us in Kyoto, and took Dave and I to a temple. In one section, the floorboards made a noise like birdsong - to warn the monks if an intruder entered the temple. That evening, the four of us had dinner and drinks. Even while I was having a good time, I was feeling bad that our time together was so short. Also, I was becoming aware of just how far out of their way Yuko and Mari were going; they had met us in Kyoto, were staying in a hotel overnight with us, and then the next morning were going with us to Sudoh's parent's home (Monchapi Barbecue). Going from Kyoto all the way to Sudoh's would take several hours - and Yuko and Mari had to make the return trip on the same day. I hadn't realized what a pain in the ass it was going to be for them - plus they had to spend a lot of money to do all this. I still feel bad when I think of this. We drank and talked together that night. When we were ready to head to the hotel, we walked along the riverside. People were sitting on the river bank - they were in pairs, and there seemed to be the same amount of distance between each couple. It was symmetrical. I remember there were willow trees and stars. Kyoto felt like a European city to me, but that's probably just the closest thing I have to compare it to. It's probably not like that at all. I can't really say - I was only there one day. I could have stayed there a lot longer. When we got back to the hotel, Dave was cashed. He had nothing left to give. He looked tired in the way only Dave can. He went to the room he and I were sharing, and I went next door to Yuko and Mari's room. We had a few beers with us and were planning to hang out and talk some more. Here's where the hot springs fixation comes back into play. I can't remember who mentioned it, but someone let it be known that our hotel had a public bathing area. I had read about hotels having hot baths in my tour guide and somehow, in my mind, it was connected to the whole hot springs idea. So I said I would be interested in checking out what our hotel had. At the end of the night, Mari said she wanted to got take a shower and bath and invited me to go with her. (Yuko was staying behind in the hotel room). I felt uncomfortable but didn't want to chicken out, plus I wanted to satisfy my curiosity about this whole phenomenon. The bathing area consisted of a room with lockers, where you strip down, then a big tiled room with shower facilities on each side, ending with a large tub for soaking. The shower facilities were all at a low level, maybe twelve of them side by side. They were similar to the showers at the homes Kimo and I had stayed in. By checking out what Mari and the others were doing, I realized for the first time that you are supposed to sit on a plastic stool in front of the faucet while you use the shower. There were about fifteen women showering when I was there. I wasn't prepared for how embarrassed I felt. I had been to Osento in San Francisco, which is a Japanese-style bath house for women, so I had some experience being naked around others - but it was different when I was actually in Japan. I was the only not Japanese person there. I felt that I was really sticking out. I wondered what people were thinking of me for having the audacity to come bathe with them - and I wondered what they thought of Mari for bringing me. I soaked for a few minutes in the bath, which was hell of hot, and got out of there as quickly as I could. Thinking about this whole hot springs/hot bath episode - my conception of reality and reality itself were so far from each other, it made me really question myself. Being around Smelly for ten days definitely aggravated this condition - Smelly constantly tries to challenge your sense of reality. I think the most unreal event that happened while I was there was also the most enjoyable - after the Monchapi Barbecue, we went to Sudoh's family's house to have beers and relax. Mike set up Sudoh's snare drum and hi-hat, Kimo played guitar, Dave played bass, Sudoh played piano and Smelly knelt on the floor and sang a few PLAINFIELD songs for Sudoh's family and my friends, Yuko and Mari. There was Smelly, singing about cannibalism and child molestation, and it made for perfect entertainment. Hey, that's show biz. MUCH THANKS to all of the great, beautiful, generous people who let me be part of the PLAINFIELD trip to Japan: Kimo, Smelly, Dave, Mike, Lisa, Eisuke, Yasuko and her mother, father, and sisters, Agata and his mother, Rika, and Sudoh and his mother, father, sister, and cousin. I feel special gratitude to Yasuko's mom, Agata's mom, and Sudoh's mom for their kindness in allowing Kimo and me to stay with their families. (end of page 15 - roze.html)