DTI/Taikai Tokyo 2008

[Brian]

Hi. I was just wondering who will be in Tokyo this year for the DTI/Taikai week?

 

Brian

[Jesper]

I will.

 

Jesper

[saemonjonosuke]

I also

[Brian]

So far so good..keep 'em coming. Looks like I may make it too.

Busy making arrangements and selling a kidney :lol:

 

Brian

[Pete Klein]

I am very curious as to how those of you who have traveled such a long distance cope with the jet lag? Do you find that a certain number of days is necessary to adjust?

Thanks much!

[Guest reinhard]

After arrival I always spend my first two or three days in Kamakura. Streching a leg, strolling around, getting rid of jet-lag and approaching Japan and NihonTo on a smaller and more familiar scale turned out to be a good start before jumping into big cities and the "serious quest for treasures". Just my own personal preference, of course.

 

reinhard

[Brian]

I haven't traveled very much at all, but can't say that I felt wiped out the last time I went to Japan. No doubt jetlag affects many people badly, but since I am tired most of the time anyways, I guess I didn't notice the effects too much :lol:

From the USA it must be quite enhanced though. Definitely recommend a day or 2 of chilling before jumping into an major activities though, and leaving a whole day to relax and take it easy.

Reinhard's suggestion sounds perfect to me.

You planning on doing Japan soon Pete?

 

Brian

[Pete Klein]

Hi Brian -- no, not this year but hopefully next. It is very difficult for me to take extended time off from work being the lone doctor on staff. I wish I could though.

Thanks Reinhard -- I will have to remember that!

[Ford Hallam]

I deal with the jet lag by arriving in the morning, staying awake all day ( I tend to check in to my lodgings and then go directly to my teacher ) I have a light supper at about 8, a tokkuri ( or 2 ) of sake and hit the sack at about 10. I generally wake up to the sound of crows very early the next morning ( seasoned Edoko will know what I mean )....then have to wait bloody ages for a coffee shop to open for breakfast...a couple of cups of tea, a boiled egg and piece of toast and a dodgy looking bit of salad. Then I'm ready to take on Godzilla.... :D

 

Someone once advised me to try melatonin tablets before going to bed to help reset my body clock. I tried a quarter of one tablet one evening, a few days before leaving for Japan and spent the next day stumbling around like I was stoned. It apparently works for some some people really well though. It's available over the counter in SA and America but not in the UK.

[Bugyotsuji]

Used Melatonin for years but the only thing I can say with certainty is that it bridges the gap between the crows and that first coffee shop. White noise TV time. Before Melatonin I would wake up and no way could I fall asleep again. When I take it, I wake up at the same time, sure, but then drift off easily again for some serious bonus sleep, and that is a small blessing.

The vivid dreams I always put down to the Melatonin, until one trip when I forgot to take it and had equally vivid dreams.

 

30 minutes before going to sleep the night of your arrival.

 

The first pills I came across were 3mg jobbies, but then they started selling them in 1mg capsules. It took some years of travelling to find whether 3mg, 2mg or 1mg would work best for me. I now tend to take 2mg the first night, and then nothing or 1mg the next. The third night will be clear which way I should go. That gets me past the worst and by then my body clock is busy resetting itself.

 

It still takes me 10 days to iron out the effects of jet lag on my sleep, concentration, hunger, and digestion cycles, regardless of whether I use Melatonin at the beginning or not.

[Grey Doffin]

I try to arrive late afternoon, after a mostly sleepless flight. Fumes keep me going till bedtime, I sleep soundly all night, and wake the next morning on Japan time. Works wonderfully for me; I take no pills and suffer no jet lag.

Grey

[peterqu]

A small party from South Africa will be there for the week including David Volkwyn, Ford Hallam and myself.We are hoping Brian can join us. As the proud owner of the "Ebay Daisho" I would be happy to discuss some of the offers that have been thrown around.Peter Quin

[Brian]

Yes Peter, you guys will need someone to babysit you and make sure you don't buy out the whole show, so me and Nicky are going :lol:

Ford will do a very good job, but after that first bottle of sake...who knows?

When i get back, I plan on writing the definitive article on "Doing Japan on $50 a day" Scary stuff.

 

Oh, and about the fraudulent Daisho that appears on eBay every few weeks, yep..Peter owns it. So everyone can rest assured that we are 100% confident it is fraud

 

Brian

[jlawson]

I will also be there.

[saemonjonosuke]

Dai Token last year.

Good opportunity to see and study Japanese swords

[Brian]

Still waiting for someone to tell me what exactly the Taikai? is, that is a week after. What happens there and is it worth going to if you aren't a NBTHK member?

 

Brian

[saemonjonosuke]

In 2001 I went with friends to the Taikai (sword exposition) in Kobe.

This Taikai was only for members of the NBTHK.

[Brian]

Ok, I see here: http://www.touken.or.jp/english/30thanniversary.htm that it is a special anniversary meeting this year.

But 29000 yen, plus 19000 yen for a partner is a bit steep

Hmm...and I am still not sure if it is members only. But that price is a bit prohibitive for some of us commoners I think.

I am sure it includes a nice catalog though. Might have to skip the taikai.

 

Brian

[saemonjonosuke]

There was also donation to the victims of the Kobe earthquake included. I don’t remember what we paid.

We also staid in this Plaza Hotel for 1 night.

anyway...it is interesting to hold swords, juyo and higher, in your hands.

[Brian]

That is true, but I did that for free at the Taibundo sales show, and I am sure the DTI will have ample opportunities to do that too

I don't mind a charge, they have lots of expenses for a show like this. But $450 for 2 people is more than I can budget for 2 days I think.

 

Brian

[Stephen]

seems to include a shinsa? whould it cost that much without bringing a sword?

[John A Stuart]

Is this not the 60th anniversary? Anyhow there is to be a special meetinf the following day for foreign members with, I hear, some surprises. John

[Brian]

Do you have to be a NBTHK member to attend the first day?

Also...is it true that the entry includes a shinsa slot, and i guess the same price still if you are not using it?

Still can't see myself being able to attend

 

Brian

[sencho]

I am very curious as to how those of you who have traveled such a long distance cope with the jet lag? Do you find that a certain number of days is necessary to adjust?

Thanks much!

 

 

Shochu works great Pete... :lol:

 

I'm flying to Taiwan from Fort Liquordale next week and staying for 3 days before flying back 50 hours of travel and 72 hours in Taiwan.... not enough time to adjust naturally!!!

[Tokaido]

Hi Brian an Stephen,

 

Still waiting for someone to tell me what exactly the Taikai? is, that is a week after. What happens there and is it worth going to if you aren't a NBTHK member?

Brian

 

 

Five years ago I attended the Token Taikei.

 

I guess there will be no mayor changes in the procedure/event:

 

1) It is for members of the NBTHK ONLY (second person = spouse etc.; not a member, not allowed to handle the swords).

 

2) The entrance fee is good for the viewing of the swords, the participating in the kantei session, a gift and the dinner at the evening.

 

3) There was a small leavelet listing the swords on exhibition, but no catalogue. The gift was a fukusa, a menuki-nuki and a book with some articles (in Japanese) of the Mishina School, Kunisada/Shinkai and others.

 

As far as I understand, there will be no shinsa and you surely cannot bring your own swords to this event.

In 2003 there were 168 blades in two rooms plus the kantei room (6? blades) and the shinsakuto room (approx a dozend blades).

For the main rooms you stand in line and wait(and wait and wait). There is a "soundmachine" giving a whistle every 60 (?) seconds. Than you have to step forwards, grasp the sword in front of you, lift i up from the table, read the Japanese label on the table and look at the sword (<40 seconds). After the next whistle (60 seconds!) you put down the sword and move to the next one on the table. Amazing procedure

 

Swords were of different quality up to juyobijutsuhin.

 

Greetings

Andreas

[Guido]

I called the NBTHK this morning, and this year's convention is basically the same event as described by Andreas (and what I experienced in the past). "Appraisal" is not the best choice of words, they actually mean "appreciation"; in other words: there will be a viewing of important swords (conveyor belt style ), not a Shinsa.

 

Bringing along a spouse doesn't really make sense. However, the quality of the swords that can be examined, and even if it's only for one minute, shouldn't be underestimated, and can't be compared to a dealer's exhibition. It's also a nice challenge to participate in the Kantei - it's under "combat conditions", and you can find out what the recent, heated discussion on this board was all about.

 

In addition, there will be a special event for foreign members on the third day: Mr. Tanobe will show a wide variety of blades, and have participants do some kind of Kantei along the lines of "spot the Saiha" etc. He'll try to enable people to distinguish between good and bad quality swords, what to look for in a blade and so on. This event alone will be worth the money for the convention.