About 30 now and closing sign up Thursday noon - max 35 people.
Sign up using comment box below as soon as possible.
People Going:
Tent (2); Andy Duggan, Peter LT
Lodge (27+); (Alexey Kudashev), Mizuho, Seiko, Irina Falconett, Naomi, Ayako Suzuki, Yumi Takenouchi, Peng, Mio Kato, Sunny, Yuki Matsuyama, Mami, Tomoko M, Satoko Maruyama, Eric L, Hiromi, Jeffrey Flew, Terje Marthinussen, Emi M, Atley Jones and wife (guests), Ayako Suzuki, Akemi Miyashita, Keiko Kobayashi, Shiba Kang Feng and dog, Keiko Nakajima, Akito Sueki,
A deposit is not needed but if people cancel after Wednesday noon they will have to pay some of the room cost and the Tokyo shopping costs (within 1 week of the event). Non-members who are not OCJ guests will have to pay the room cost in advance by bank transfer.
There are 3 more event planning pages for this trip:
Food - The menu and your food contribution goes here
Transport, timetables, Meeting Time and Place, and sign up for car places
Things to Do, Things to Bring, Final Details
Kurobera
http://business4.plala.or.jp/kurobera/http://www.city.kofu.yamanashi.jp/conte ... /2614/237/The Lodges
Each lodge is for 5-6 people. We can have a womens only room if requested. Lodge places will be decided on the day I think... look for sign up list by Andy. People in the lodge have a comfortable futon (top/bottom) to sleep on.
The lodges are heated and have everything we need for cooking except for a few large pots that are rented from the main office. You should bring your own knife, fork, spoon, chopsticks, lunchbox (tupperware), plastic cup maybe. Knife for cutting useful.
Basic Costs
Warm futon set in tatami room of comfortable heated lodge 2,000-2,200en (approx).
Camping with your tent 500en.
Organiser fee 1,000en.
Non-member guests pay additional 1,000en attendance fee.
Travel Cost
5,500en. There are so many ways to get here at different prices; local train, fast train, highway bus ... this is an average cost. See the transport page for details.
Food Cost
Personal shopping by each member (1,200en-1,500en). You bring something the share. Then other special things and Tokyo shopping will be paid at campsite as extra (about 700en or less I hope). See the food page for this event!!!
Other Costs
Bath is a 300en I think. Then a little for BBQ rentals, charcoal etc but cheap.
Travel Time
Kurobera 3- 3.5hours. Main group leaves Tokyo around 900-930am but you can come later. See the travel page for details.
Cancellation.... weather looking good now!
Unlikely to be cancelled due to weather but will confirm Thursday. Good forecast for the area: 昇 仙峡
Cancellation by you
If you cancel after Wednesday noon you will have to pay some of the room cost... up to about 2,000en. You will also have to pay your share of the Tokyo shopping which should be 500-1,000en.
I expect people to pay promptly... if not, those people will lose their OCJ membership and their name and personal details will be posted on the club website under ' Troublesome Members' ...
FOOD!
Enjoy traditional Christmas food in a luxury lodge in the countryside ...
Food menu is almost done and lots of mouth-watering dishes! Special xmas food like roast turkey, stuffing, fresh cranberry sauce. Roast potatoes, gravy and mint sauce, sausage rolls, various BBQ, Tandoori chicken, Indian curry, home-made smoked salmon. Christmas pudding with brandy white sauce, sherry fruit trifle, minced meat pies, pecan chocolate pie, etc etc etc. This is the best menu we ever had!
Lots of other nice dishes including fresh soups, cheese fondue, chili con carne, turnip salad, stuffed cabbage, Buffalo wings, veggie dip, pound cakes, home made bread and cookies, pirates rum laced breakfast dessert, fresh fruit, baked apple and persimon caramel crumble with coconut and topped with egg vanilla custard.
Leftovers used for breakfast and Sunday lunch.
Drinks - buy yourself (BEFORE YOU GO - no shop there) but there will be a small quantity of special xmas drinks in th emain shopping bill - hot spiced wine
Things to Do
Saturday
We might walk around scenic places at Shosenkyo, do some free wine tasting - if time! Or go direct to the campsite and prepare for dinner. There are nice baths (m/f) on the campsite ...
Sunday
Miso Festival
There is a festival at the campsite this weekend. The locals take Miso out of a cave/hole where it has been left 1 year to ferment . They eat, sell, and take home what is left. Some of it is used to make the next batch of Miso which is put back to ferment 1 year. We can help make it and eat there... could be fun.
Hiking - probably option 2 which keeps most people happy
Option 1. Hike from the campsite to Kurofuji mountain and down to Shosenkyo. It is not a difficult hike and suitable for low level hikers with proper outdoor footwear. 2 hours climbing up then along top and down - total about 5 hours. There will be no time for sightseeing at Shosenkyo. We need to leave campsite by 11am latest (10am better). People on this hike should carry headlight. It is a beautiful hike with a good view of Mt. Fuji, Kinpu San, Mizugaki San, Yatsugatake, the Alps, and nice rocks at the top and wild forest... saw baby and mother kamoshika there last time.
Option 2. We drive down to Shosenkyo and hike over the small mountain there... can even use ropeway to get to the top. There will be time for some sightseeing with this option - not much. Its easy but you need outdoor footwear and warm clothing.
A. Ropeway+ hiking = about 2hrs 30 mins total to Shosenkyo Guchi.
B. Hike up without ropeway is about 3hrs 30 mins total to Shosenkyo Guchi. A and B groups could meet at the top. At the end we return to cars and others return to Kofu by bus.
Sightseeing Only
3. Im sure some people will just want to walk around tourist sightseeing area ... that will be decided at the campsite.
There are some nice rocks to climb in the area ... another option decided at the campsite by those interested in harder event.
TRAIN PEOPLE!!!
Leave a message with your arrival time, which bus you will get on, which stop you will get off and what time - by Friday night!
People can post messages here to organise groups for cars or meeting and going by train.
Cars
1. YUMI will leave Tokyo around 3pm (?) and has space maybe.
2. JEFF is renting a car and I think full now.
3. AKITO has a rental car and probably full now.
Van - Full at this time - leaving Hachioji station 11am (need to confirm this later)
ERIC has an 8 seater VIP van from the base.
OCJ Cooks van from Tachikawa; Eric, Sunny, Andy, LT, Mizuho, Irina, Tomoko, Yuki Matsuyama
Train and Highway Bus
I will post details soon.
We can arrange pick or meeting at Shosenkyo ... at fixed times. See below.
Maps with directions and bus stops
Kofu area to Shosenkyo
Shosenkyo area and Kurobera
Shosenkyo area detail map
Hiking map with all details around Shosenkyo and Kurobera
Tokyo-Yamanashi
Meeting Time and Place
Some people will go at other times but we all aim to meet up at Shosenkyo Taki-Ue bus stop at 1415.
We can then decide about looking around for 30 minutes or going straight to the campsite... we will need a couple of trips to get everyone there.
Car pick up at later bus times will be decided Friday .... bus at 1533 and 1814 at Shosenkyo Guchi ... do not come later than that, or you might be walking 3 hours!
For people catching 1320 bus to Shosenkyo
Shinjuku 1036 local train or 1100 express train or 1130-1200 latest car/van.
1445 bus is not recommended for most of group as we need to get to the campsite and get organised before dark. This is an option for a few individuals.
Some scribbled ideas but you can see basic timetables.
Not final plan!
1148 pick up by campsite manager possible.
1533 pick up by Eric hopefully. This could be the last one ...
1814 (not definite pick up). You need to tell us Friday if you are arriving late.
1445 to Shosenkyo Take Ue is not a planned pick up time as yet... tell us Friday what your arrival time is - which bus!
甲府駅
ﾊﾞｽﾀｰﾐﾅﾙ
昇仙峡口
ｸﾞﾘｰﾝﾗｲﾝ
昇仙峡
滝上着
Trains
Can get discount tickets for express trains - from JR in books of 6 single tickets valid 3 months any direction (need 2!). Book of six single tickets costs 16,800en = 2,800en so saves you 1,400en using the express train - worth buying if a group of 3, 6, 9, 12 people together!
Or from resale ticket shops ... single tickets but will cost more.
Other option is cheapest Keio line for 1,800en. There are many highway buses that are also cheap and take about 2 hours... allow for traffic jam though.
A little personal shopping - bring to share with others for about 1,200-1,500en. Then some Tokyo shopping and special xmas dishes. The bill for this is shared between everyone at the campsite on the day. I think about 500en to 1,000en per person extra.
The idea is to prepare a recipe for something and cook it at the campsite, or at home if you prefer. Or something ready made if you do not have time. We can cook on gas stoves in each lodge and BBQ grills outside. Everyone cannot cook individually so you need to make groups if possible. Cooking things are available at the campsite.
Bring your own drinks. No place to buy near campsite.
You must decide your food for the trip NOW! Put it on the this webpage below using the comment boxes so other people can see what you are bringing...
Tips
Don't bring junk food snacks... there is a lot of food and potato chips will be eaten first and good food leftover and wasted.
Find another person to make a dish with - 2 or 3 people are needed to pay for 1 dish for a big group.
Do not overspend ...! We cannot cover costs and its a waste of your money.
Make what you can with 1,500en or join in group to make more ... portions will be limited. Maybe everyone cannot eat every dish, unless just a small portion... except turkey, xmas pudding etc.
We got a few big stuffed turkeys with fresh cranberries.
The OCJ Christmas Party Menu 2009
Starters
Cream of tomato soup by Peng with LT, Irina and Yuki
Cream of mushroom soup by Peng with LT, Irina and Yuki
Home-baked bread with raisins and nuts. Also a can or two of fish to put on it by Alexey
Pound cakes (home made) and join with others to cook appetizers for party with any vegetables and ingredients! I like mushrooms, onions and beacons with green etc. by Mizuho
Veggie dip (two kinds of dips) by Satoko
Buffalo wing Japanese style by Naomi
Main Course
BBQ volunteer cook: Tomoko and Mizuho
Ribs, steak, roast ham and apple sauce, chicken, lamb chops with mint sauce.
2 or 3 whole roast turkeys with stuffing, gravy and freshly made cranberry sauce
Baked salmon in butter with lemon by Atley Jonas and wife
Roast potatoes, mashed potatoes .. (maybe from base with gravy and mint sauce - provided by someone)
Cheese Fondue by Hiromi with Mio
Chili Con Carne by Yumi
Turnip salad by Seiko
Tandoori Chicken and Spicy Indian Chicken Curry ( Chicken Karahi) by Sunny with Ayako Suzuki
Bacon & mushroom garlic pasta by Emi M
Japanese Kurikinton - a kind of sweet potato salad with chestnuts by Tomoko ( Terje?)
Japanese stew, Oden by Keiko and Akito
Dessert
Pecan pie or pumpkin pie and chocolate cake by Yumi
Christmas pudding with brandy and white sauce
Trifle; sponge cake base soaked in sherry with layers of fruit, custard and cream (made by Andy maybe)
Cookies by Mami
Pirates Breakfast (with rum) by Atley Jonas and wife
Apple (persimmon) crumble with coconut and egg custard topping by Akemi Miyashita and Keiko Nakajima
Fresh fruit by Jeff
Avocado purée with cream and cane sugar by Shiba
Campfire Food
Marshmallows, grahm crackers and chocolate for the smores by Eric
Hot spiced tea/wine
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