So here’s the deal. I am coming near the end of my training
for Osaka Marathon 2012 on November 25th. With just a few weeks left I need to make some rather
lengthy long runs. Most runners, when preparing for a full marathon run a very
long run every weekend. That long run builds stamina and gets your body used to
being pushed for several hours. The great thing about long runs is that you can
explore large parts of the city you live in. I have been from one end of Kobe
to the other, but decided something a little new for this morning’s 31km (20
mile) run. I wanted to make it a “destination” run so to speak.
I decided that I would check out the compound that is the
headquarters of the Yamaguchi-gumi. The Yamaguchi-gumi is the largest organized
crime syndicate in Japan and is what is known as the yakuza.
Many Japanese people had told me where I could find their
compound. I suppose it is pretty common knowledge amongst residents of Kobe. It
only took me about five minutes doing Google searches to find the exact
location last night. I realized that I had run very close to it on several
occasions in the past.
Early this morning I ran to the area it is located and
walked down the street it is on, snapped a few pictures and made a quick video.
It was exhilarating walking down that side street in a quiet
area of Kobe. I probably won’t go there again, but it was cool to do once.
I then continued with my run.
Didn't want to hang around long, but was able to make a silly face in front of the HQ's entrance!
The compound is surrounded by a high wall and thick trees. There are also cameras all over the place!
One of the things I love about Japan is that you can come across (by accident or design) some really interesting things, regardless of how long you've lived in a place.
ReplyDeleteI lived in a really small city (Hashimoto in Wakayama) and rambled around the place as much as I could. I thought I had seen it all, but every time I went out, I found something new. Every time I talked to the students they told me somewhere else to check out.
Keep up the exploring, you won't regret it.