Beer, with a side of HASH
So, this weekend I traveled far into the deepest depths of Kyushu for a Hash. No, not the corned beef kind. Or the illegal kind. No, this was a Hash House Harriers kind of Hash.
So, what's a Hash? A Hash is sort of a footrace. It's also sort of a rabbit hunt. It's also sort of an outdoor bender. Well, actually it's mostly an outdoor bender.
Let me explain: When you run a Hash, one (or a couple of people) are the designated "hares". The "hares" get a head start on the assembled group of runners (the runners being the "hounds"), after which the runners take off in pursuit, the goal being to catch the hare. The hares will run a designated course that the runners must follow. The runners must follow a series of trail markings that designate the proper course for the run, which have been laid by the hare before the race starts.
Unfortunately for the runners, there are numerous false trails and dead ends that line the course, forcing the runners on wild goose chases and down wrong paths. The other crucial part of a Hash is various refreshment sites hidden along the course, usually well stocked with beer. Apparently, people often get good and snookered at these sorts of things (hence the bender part). I've never been so thankful to have been a DD. Not that beer isn't lovely, but I'm not sure I consider beer, heat, and a 10 K race to be a good combination. The whole race ends with a big party and lots more drinking at the finish line.
It was originally an invention of British expats living in Malaysia in the late 1930's, so I think it's more of an Eastern Hemisphere thing. At least that's my excuse for why I never heard of it until I came to Japan. Though apparently, it exists in various places in the States as well--which has led to some trouble in the past.
You see, the "trails" are traditionally marked with small piles of flour or chalk... so you end up with mysterious little piles of white powder... all over major American cities... in apparently random patterns... with a lot of people running and screaming... I think we can all see how this ends. Poorly. With many irate local authorities. And possible arrests.
Our Hash had no such problem though, other than probably further reinforcing rural Japanese impressions that foreigners are really freaking weird.
Picture of the day:
Tetrapods. My arch-nemeses.
These concrete monstrosities can be found around beaches and ports all over Japan.
They theoretically exist to prevent erosion, but research has shown that they don't actually do much.
Turns out they mostly exist to provide a massive boondoggle for the construction industry and completely ruin Japanese coastlines.
So, what's a Hash? A Hash is sort of a footrace. It's also sort of a rabbit hunt. It's also sort of an outdoor bender. Well, actually it's mostly an outdoor bender.
Let me explain: When you run a Hash, one (or a couple of people) are the designated "hares". The "hares" get a head start on the assembled group of runners (the runners being the "hounds"), after which the runners take off in pursuit, the goal being to catch the hare. The hares will run a designated course that the runners must follow. The runners must follow a series of trail markings that designate the proper course for the run, which have been laid by the hare before the race starts.
Unfortunately for the runners, there are numerous false trails and dead ends that line the course, forcing the runners on wild goose chases and down wrong paths. The other crucial part of a Hash is various refreshment sites hidden along the course, usually well stocked with beer. Apparently, people often get good and snookered at these sorts of things (hence the bender part). I've never been so thankful to have been a DD. Not that beer isn't lovely, but I'm not sure I consider beer, heat, and a 10 K race to be a good combination. The whole race ends with a big party and lots more drinking at the finish line.
It was originally an invention of British expats living in Malaysia in the late 1930's, so I think it's more of an Eastern Hemisphere thing. At least that's my excuse for why I never heard of it until I came to Japan. Though apparently, it exists in various places in the States as well--which has led to some trouble in the past.
You see, the "trails" are traditionally marked with small piles of flour or chalk... so you end up with mysterious little piles of white powder... all over major American cities... in apparently random patterns... with a lot of people running and screaming... I think we can all see how this ends. Poorly. With many irate local authorities. And possible arrests.
Our Hash had no such problem though, other than probably further reinforcing rural Japanese impressions that foreigners are really freaking weird.
Picture of the day:
Tetrapods. My arch-nemeses.
These concrete monstrosities can be found around beaches and ports all over Japan.
They theoretically exist to prevent erosion, but research has shown that they don't actually do much.
Turns out they mostly exist to provide a massive boondoggle for the construction industry and completely ruin Japanese coastlines.