Mahjong Travel Journal: Utsunomiya
As Garthe and I are getting more successful, comfortable and accepted in our position as the only American mahjong professionals in Japan, we are starting to spread our baby chick wings and explore the mahjong world outside of Tokyo. We are meeting new pros and enthusiasts everyday and it has inspired us to include some travels in our agenda.
Last month we ventured to Utsunomiya to visit the beautiful and decorated Kaori Shimizu on her home turf. You can read more about her in our interview section.
After I spent season 1 of the Asian Pacific Poker Tour locked away in casinos and hotel rooms, I vowed this year to get out and see the locations of each place I visited. Starting with bungy jumping in Macau, then visiting a palace and night markets in Korea, then jumping in and swimming through canyons and Zorbing in New Zealand, I decided that this sense of adventure MUST translate to mahjong as well.
So the day after I got back from NZ, Shintaro Konno, Garthe, Kirk and I packed up the car and drove up to Tochigi prefecture. I had booked the cheapest hotel with internet possible (for our evening meeting with Gem) and we headed out to Kaori Shimizu’s mahjong parlor, BLUE DRAGON.
It was clean and big and really nice. We got a table and played a private game in the back. Partway through a lady who had been playing free (casino-style) came and told us she heard from Kaori that we were coming and would be waiting for us. What in the world did that mean?
We found out after Kaori finished her guest spot on Ron2 and met us at a nearby bar that happened to be run by that same lady that said hi to us.
Tired from the morning work in Tokyo and the drive out we called it an early night at 2 and headed back to the hotel.
The next morning we got up early for breakfast (except Konno) and then headed out to the nearest game center for some early morning Mahjong Fight Club. We were stopped for a few autographs almost immediately after arriving and the staff gave us free coupons to come back. We spent the early afternoon playing and it must have been a site for 4 characters in the game to be lined up together!
After that it was time for some famous Utsunomiya gyoza. Over lunch we grilled Kaori on her mahjong historz and everything else we could get out of her.
The late afternoon we reserved for some famous Tochigi hot springs. Might I recommend cold milk after getting out of the bath. They sell it in the lobby and theres nothing more relaxing.
As mahjong nuts we chose to spend the evening and most of the night playing mahjong at a nearby parlor. We chose a place that we could go a little crazy in and eat the greasy delicious fried chicken we picked up on the way.
I could barely keep my eyes open on the way home but Garthe slept deeply enough for both of us in the backseat. It was one of the best one-day trips I’ve been on and I can’t wait for the next one. Hopefully there will be many more as we establish ourselves in the league and continue on the bigger journey.
