Yeah, Masahiro says うん！10万円あれば
安いホテルに泊まれば大丈夫じゃないかな＼(^o^)／
Basically, if one stays in an affordable hotel, then 100000 yen would be fine. (sans travel ticket)
Would it be a possibility to get a group rate on either plane tickets or accommodations?
I understand that for the plane tickets, we would have to be flying out of the same place. Speaking for the California South Bay contingent, I believe that is a possibility.
As well, I get that we would also need a (relatively) solid figure of how many members are attending. However, if we were to research around different hotels/establishments, maybe they could give us a number we would have to meet. Then we could look at it from the perspective of “We need (at least) X participants”.
Just throwing ideas around. The more people we have representing us, the cooler it’ll be; that’s my thought.
I’d love to join you all, unfortunately I am currently unemployed. Unless there is some awesome movement in job prospects, I’ll be watching this round from the side-lines.
Regardless, I wish everyone participating the best~!
Go Team Bachido/撥道会/whatever the end result for our team name ends up as~!
enjoyed reading the story on your profile and welcome to the forum . . . unemployed that means some spare time to play at least I guess . . . when I was unemployed in summer 2011 I built a stick with 3 strings and soon after discovered shamisen and this site so something cool came out of that 
Thank you for inviting me! I’ll join in, actually,my first time to Aomori:)
I would love to commit to this, but I just don’t know if I can. I’ll be starting a new job in April, and while that does mean I’ll be moving to Japan, I have no idea what my schedule will be like. If the tournament is actually during Golden Week, that might make things possible. Is the registration fee forfeited if you have to cancel?
Adrian: I think a group rate would be possible with the hotel. When Masahiro gets the names of everyone who plans to attend, he will look into the appropriate hotel 'n everything.
Then we could look at it from the perspective of “We need (at least) X participants”.
Ah right. Kevin said we need a minimum of 5 people. That can easily be filled with the local (in Japan) participating members. But as you say, the more people representing, the cooler it will be. Just imagine… all showing up in Bachido shirts… brewing fresh coffee from the Bachido booth… ahem Oh wait, right. This is about shamisen.
Oh snap! There are 12 (and possibly more) members in the LA area. If even half of them attended, that would be really awesome! 
I’ll write them to see if they can.
I’ll be watching this round from the side-lines.
Aw nuts! Well, fortunately, if it turns out good, there will be more opportunities to join in the near future!
BH: Who would have thought that being unemployed would lead to a song being written about you? 
(to be featured soon in a blogcast, probably episode 26)
Toshi: Woot!! Excellent!
Jamie: I see. Yeah, that does cut it close, though hopefully GW would make it work out. I’ll ask Masahiro if there is a refund in the case of cancelling. I hope you can make it!
I’m down for Team Bachido. Short and sweet and powerful. No doping, I swear.
I REALLY want to go, and my mind is almost made up, I’ve just got a few questions. 1. Is there a concrete date or days for the taikai? Sorry I have no idea when Golden Week is. 2. I know people may stay for different lengths of time; how long do you guys from the States stay when you go? And 3. This is a statement, but I hope we can more or less stick together because I don’t wanna be halfway around the world wandering around not knowing where anything is and not understanding anybody! This would be the trip of a lifetime though!
Jonathan!! Long time, bro!
That’s terrific news! Yeah, it’d be definitely an epic trip! It’d also be awesome to finally meet ('cause Cleveland is just a little too far, you know 
)
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The taikai itself is on May 3~4. Golden Week is the first week in May.
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That’s a good question. I’ll be there a bit longer for business (or as I like to say, “bid’ness”) reasons, but am not sure how long others plan to stay. I think a week is a nice minimum time.
Anne and Grant are planning on hosting a road trip before the taikai, so in that way everyone can stick together. Anne, how long are you thinking the road trip to be? One day on the road, two days for the taikai, one day to hang out, and one day back to Tokyo? That’s potentially a five day excursion. (Longer or shorter, depending on what mastermind Anne has in mind)
Though we should all stick together in Northern Japan (harder to get around with English there), I would recommend staying a few days in Tokyo afterwards. Though knowing some Japanese is nice, it’s sooo easy to get around Tokyo without it. It would be worth having at least one day to roam around on your own.
Hey Jamie,
Masahiro said the enterance fee cannot be refunded.
However, according to this site, (http://www.21tsnj.jp/outline.html) it seems like it’d be much cheaper than $80 to enter. Individual entrance fee is 1000 yen, and a group fee is 5000 yen. I’m not sure that means 5000 yen per person, but being that individual is only 1000 yen, it could be worth applying in case you are able to make it.
There actually might be hope yet for me and for others who don’t have the money to go to japan. My cousin told me i might be able to get funding for the trip from some musical or cultural groups here in finland. Something like that i’d be there representing finland or bring some instruments etc from japan to finland or something like that. I hope someone understands what i’m trying to say haha!
Yea but my point being that i might actually get the funding for the trip and others should try the same in your countries. There’s always some group ready to pay for the trip if you have good reason or idea on how the group or country could benefit from this. So let’s hope for the best and really start asking around and try everything.
Sorry if the message is a bit unclear. I posted this from a phone in kind of a hurry i will check computer later and see if anyone understood
Hey you guys!
We seem to be quite a nice group of people gathering up for the Hirosakik taikai! I’m excited!
Since I’ve been named the master mind of the road trip operation I felt the pressure to come up with a suggestion.
Here it comes!
I’m thinking it will be around 7 or 8 days the actual road trip.
Starting on the 30th of April/1st of May and ending at 6th of May.
If you want to spend some time in Tokyo before or after I would suggest planning for at least 10-14 days of travel.
The road trip up from Tokyo will take two days with a stop on the way, for some awesome sightseeing.
The stop I had in mind is in the small town Kakunodate which is described like this on one travel site:
“A small town noted
for its remarkably well-preserved Samurai district dating from the early 17th century. Wandering
around the old wooden mansions it is still possible to get a feel for the Japan of bygone days and
sense the importance of bushido – the Way of the Warrior – in which personal honour and loyalty
to one’s master were rated more highly than life itself. A few stations further on from Kakunodate is
Tazawa–ko, Japan’s deepest lake, where there is the possibility to explore the tranquil lakeshore or
gaze out upon the surrounding verdant hills.”
Since I have a wurm for everything that has to do with samurai and ninja culture I think this is the place to be!
(I apologize if everything is in Swedish, it doesn’t seem to want to change the language.)
I’ve been looking up some ryokan and Minshuku (traditional guest houses) around Kakunodate.
http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/db/akita/tsurunoyuonsen.htm
http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/db/akita/ishikawa.htm
They cost between 7000-10000 yen/person.
Both are onsen places, so we can relax in the hot springs.
I’ll be looking around a bit more to find better budget alternatives.
From Kakunodate we move on to Hirosaki. There we all should meet up to practise our Jonkaras and the group performance. The taikai in Hirosaki is two days and then we move on to Kanagi where there is another taikai.
Grant or Kevin, please fill in my blanks about the taikai on both places. This will be my first time actually attending them, so you’ll have to stand for the expertise here.
I’m quite sure we should be able to find some inexpensive quarters around there. Some shared room solution where we can stay all togehter.
I’m thinking Kevin or Masahiro could be of help here, to find a good place to stay.
Same thing for Kanagi, or is it better to go back and forth Hirosaki-Kanagi-Hirosaki on the same day?
Grant and I will be travelling further up north to Sapporo after the taikai, so everyone will have to arrange for their travel home by them selves. Either you drive the car back to Tokyo or take the bullet train:
A one way trip with train costs about 10 000 Yen.
HyperDia | SearchResult (This is a good web page for looking up routes all over Japan btw.)
Renting a seven seat car costs around 80 000 Yen and a five seat car 70 000 Yen for a week. The fuel cost will be aproximately 7000 Yen.
So in total: Transportation 90 000 Yen if we are seven people = 13 000 Yen/person.
Accomodation: 10 000 (Kakunodate) + 28 000 (four nights in Hirosaki) = 40 000 Yen.
10 000 Yen for train back to Tokyo. (A little less if the car is taken back.)
That will be 55 000 Yen / person for travel and accomodation. (700 USD, 425 pounds).
I think we can find even cheaper alternatives, with group lodging. I’ve only been looking at places that you can find by searching google.
Here I’m reaching out to Kevin and Masahiro to find the local spots!
When it comes to eating, you can get away with decent food for about 500 Yen (6 USD) (sometimes cheaper) /meal. On many inns you can cook your own food too, not always the cheaper alternative.
That’s my master plan at the moment!
Since it’s golden week and probably cherry blossom viewing time when the taikai is it’ll be a busy weekend over all.
We should book accomodations fairly soon (at latest end of December) and prebook the rental car.
So come on! Tell me how many of you want to join the road trip and we’ll get things moving!
Rock on!
/Anne
Ortjo: “I have to think about it i’m not THAT good of a player to go to taikai or anything :D”
I started playing May this year. I followed Grant up to Hirosaki and fell in love, both with him and the shamisen!
I bought my shamisen from Masahiro and I’ve been doing my best since then. The taikai will be my shamisen one year anniversary. (That means you all have to by me a beer after the tournaments…
Don’t come an tell me you can’t participate on the taikai!
Just join in and do the best you can! It’ll be a fun and awesome experience!
I think it will be even more fun the more people we are.
I also really look forward to the group performance. We’ve been talking about Kita no Hibiki and making a couple of different tabulatures so everyone can play at their level.
Kevin, Grant, Kyle: I think it’s time to come up with these soon, I’ll need a couple of months to learn it.
Sooo excited!!!
Lookin good chief! So far I’m digging this plan. All we need to work out are some of the details, obviously.
The ryokan in Kakunodate needs to be Shamisen-friendly. Preferably equipped with a conference room we can use to all play together for a little while.
Same goes for the lodging in Hirosaki. This is obviously going to be the place where people will want to practice the most, and will be far more important that we have a place to train together there. Also I suggest that we show up at least a day early to Hirosaki that we can dedicate to getting our bearings/talking about playing/going over everyone’s pieces.
Now for Kanagi, we actually have been staying in a great place called “Fujimirando”. It’s a ryokan, with an onsen, and shared sleeping area with tatami floors and futons. I’ve stayed there 4 times now, and it’s been the site of many all night conversations and beer-riddled good times throughout the years. It also comes equipped with a conference room that’s been great for practicing in as well.
Along the lines of getting public or government funding for the trip, I suggest that we get a more solid-looking itinerary and have it linked with the website, or at least have it made up in a more “official” capacity. This will allow anyone who is applying for grants or a cultural exchange scholarship to easily reference the material and cite what we’re doing to help them gain credibility towards their cause.
This is going to be aaaaawesome.
Sounds good grant. Someone please make the itinerary ( someone who knows about these things :P)
And nice Anne. I’ve been playing shamisen almost a year now but never played with anyone with it or played to anyone who knows how it’s supposed to sound or look like
But yeaaa… if i do make it in* the taikai tournament… are we playing As a team? or individuals in a team?
edit: Oh yea lol… i forgot to mention :DDD Anne the trip sounds so awesome! So if i can join i would gladly go see all the places and spend some time with the bachido group
And i need the name of the person who organizes the whole Taikai for my funding thingie. Kyle Please?
Edit: So for now you should kind of count me in when thinking of how much money to spend on this roadtrip etc. I will tell you as soon as i know if i get the funding for the trip or not. ( life is hard… :o)
and edit of edit:
I also had 2 ideas
Name could also be something like Bachido Nation(s) since we come from many countries but are united as one in Bachido
And it would be really awesome if all the contestants from bachido wore a kimono made to look like their country’s flag + bachido logo so it would show that bachido is worldwide thing
though kimono might be hard to get for everyone but just some kinda clothing of their own country + bachido logo. ( like something bought from souvenirs section. lol)
Count me in for Taikai! I once gave up joining, but changed my mind. It must be much more enjoyable to play in Bachido group
千賀京子(56)
Grant: Excellent! I’m glad to see you and Anne taking initiative in getting this off the ground.
Anne: Perhaps you should communicate with Masahiro? He’s primed and ready for scheduling 'n stuff, so it’d be good for you to coordinate with him.
Right! Kevin, it’s notation time, buddy!
Yay!!! 考えを変わってくれて有難う！！！ You made the right decision, Kyoko. It’s your duty as a proud Bachido member living in Japan!
Ortjo: Excellent question. I think Masahiro will technically be arranging the actual taikai shenanigans. (Grant and Anne are doing the road trip part)
And it would be really awesome if all the contestants from bachido wore a kimono made to look like their country’s flag + bachido logo so it would show that bachido is worldwide thing
Oooooooh snap!!! 
That would be so cool!! I envision us all wearing Bachido shirts, but wouldn’t it be awesome if me had the flag on the other breast pocket, across from the logo.
Great idea, Ortjo!! Really really good idea!
After everyone who’s going has committed, I can have the shirts custom made for everyone’s nationality.
Oh, little addition:
I think Karl needs to get his notation program stable before Kevin can start making notation.
Karl?
Been busy at work and yesterday I was told that the previous apartment owner haven’t installed the ventilation correctly so now I need to fix that 
We need to have a joint discussion on what functions need to be added to the program.
Yey!
I’m happy you are joining too, Kyoko! Looking forward to meet you in person!
Kyle: I’ll communicate with Masahiro, I’ll send you the text so you can translate it.
As Grant said, it’s good that we have at least two days for practicing before the actual taikai. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ve heard it’s kind of crazy the days before.
And the idea about the lodging in Kanagi sounds good. I’ll put that in the travel plans when I write Masahiro.
Good thinking about a “shamisen friendly” place. We’ll have someone talking to the places we stay and ask about that I guess. (I have to give that part up, since my Japanese will only do for saying hello and how do you do… )
This is so happening!
やった！