vanguard blog | December 23, 2010 | 3 comments

Traveling Across the World for Vanguard in 2011

My endless curiosity and wild pursuits have landed me in various, odd places throughout my time as a journalist. I often find myself asking "Where the hell am I this time? And how did I get here?"

I'm on a rickety, old bus whose seats all seem to sink in the middle. A motley bunch of countryfolk curiously look on as a blonde-haired woman (my producer) speaks in English with a strange Japanese-looking guy whose Western mannerisms are befuddling (me). Looking outside, I see very little. We're in a bit of a blizzard, and the fresh white powder is my light source.

I'm typing this, with half-frozen thumbs, onto my Blackberry. I can't find an Internet connection for my laptop, but Japan's amazing cell network means it's easy to catch a strong BlackBerry signal.

I've found myself in the northernmost point of the main island of Japan, in a tiny fishing outpost called Ooma. Most Japanese can't place it on a map, and even fewer have ever even thought about coming here. It's remote -- very difficult to get here. When I asked my fixer if she'd ever been, she laughed and said that most Japanese would find it easier to travel to the US than to come here. I learned she was right. A few trains and this rickety busride later, I arrive.

There are no hotels in this village, since there are hardly ever any visitors. We manage to find a fisherman who is willing to take us in for the night. Over an amazing homecooked meal, he tells us all about the one industry that's keeping this place alive -- the bluefin tuna trade.

I've reached my destination: the home of the world's most sought-after bluefin tuna and where last season's inaugural catch fetched 200,000 dollars!

My next mission. To eat some of this famed bluefin.

  1. groups:
    vanguard blog
  2. tags:
    Fish,  Adam Yamaguchi,  Sushi,  Tuna,  1 more
  3.     
    |

3 comments // Traveling Across the World for Vanguard in 2011

Adam_Yamaguchi

top videos