"In 2012 we started this project called Venezia x Izu, to help creating a connection not only between Venice and Izu, but also between Izu and the rest of the World. In 2020 Japan will host the Olympic Games and Izu will host the cycling events at Shuzenji Velodrome. A big chance for less known local areas to become more open to foreign tourism and to build worldwide connections. Please feel free to contact us for whatever needs you should have while visiting Japan (including camping, water and electric supply)!"
EROICA JAPAN 2024, a brief introduction
Eroica Japan, celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024, is delighted to announce special tour programs.
These programs are designed to make participating in Eroica Japan easy and to let you fully enjoy the charm of Izu, the event's host location and the beauty of Japan. We have arranged comfortable hotels for easy access to Eroica Village, family-friendly tours to explore Japan after Eroica Japan, and a magnificent tour called 'Samurai Cannonball,' where you can cross Japan from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan by bicycle in just 2 days.
This is the presentation of the Eroica Japan 2024 taken from the CorsaCorsa website.
It is really a big event, "born" and created in Italy's Toscana's Chianti region and then exported in many countries, including Japan.
Our Izu region has been chosen to be the place where about 500 bycicle enthusiast will come (May 11 and 12) and drive thru Izu's beautiful mountains and countryside. It has been chosen because of its nature, the mountains, the seaside, its beautiful colors and last but not least because it can be easily reached by all over Japan and also from abroad through Narita and Haneda Airports.
As its Italian name recalls, it is made for bycicle enthusiast women and men, that are the representation of our modern days heroes, so it will be not a journey made for everybody.
There will be four different routes, with four different lenght:
Samurai, 183km, (5am-7pm)
Odoriko 145km, (6am-6pm)
Fuji route 80km 82.7km, (10am-4pm)
Fuji route 30km 28.7km, (10.30am-2.30pm)
All these four routes will go through the most beautiful places of the Izu Peninsula, from the east to the west coast, from IzuNagaoka down to the Shimoda seaside, crossing the amazing Amagi mountains.
It will be really a great event and a great opportunity to discover the Izu Peninsula, with fantastic side events, as the bycicle parade and the Italian cuisine festival (Ciao Italia) that will be held in the near Nirayama.
Next time we'll talk about the history of this great event.
Ciao!
Alberto
One year has passed...
One year has passed since I was able to go back home for a brief vacation with my family. It's becoming harder and harder to go back often as I was able to do in the past. The reasons are many, from the increased cost of the flights to the more duties at work and not forgetting the global Coronavirus pandemic and the war going on in Ukraine.
And to live so far away is not easy, even when you do like a lot the Country you moved to (Japan in my case), you still miss many things, from family and friends to food and daily routine. For me it's also not being able to share with my children the places and events that accompanied my childhood.
So by the way, during the Pandemic I've felt that I needed someway to feel a little bit closer to my hometown and its football team, that I used to follow all my life. And I've started to collect all its uniforms (preferably match worn, by players during the games).
The "match worn" type differs in terms of cost (more expensive) and easyness to find on the market from the new store ones and the ones that were prepared for the games but weren't used by the players.
Usually I try not to spend too much in one month for this hobby, but sometimes is not easy to "resist" when you find a good piece on the web (EBay, etc.) or someone offers you one at a good price.
There's actually a community of collectors, divided by teams they support and I was lucky enough to get in touch with the biggest collector of Venezia's uniforms, a guy from Mestre, that now informs me everytime he finds an interesting piece.
It's not like being able to go to the stadium everytime Venezia plays at home, but it helps a little bit to feel closer to home.
Really hope to be able to bring my son to the stadium soon, maybe next year.
Everyone has his/hers own hobby I guess...what's yours??
Alberto
Izu Peninsula, lesser known destination you must see in Japan (part 30)
Tokyo Olympics are over and now Japan is ready to host the Paraolympics.
It was supposed to be an amazing event, opening Japan to the World, hosting thousands of tourists.
Instead, because of the pandemic situation, it wasn't.
Of course we saw some exciting sport events, but nothing close to a "real" Olympic.
The Covid situation is getting worser everyday, also beacause of the slow pace in terms of vaccination rate and also beacuse of people getting tired of following many restrictions.
In this scenario, the only thing we can do on Holidays is to keep driving and walking around the Izu Peninsula, finding "new" paths, out of the touristic routes.
This time I went from Ohito Town, near Nagaoka, to the upper west coast sea, by crossing a green mountain, driving through a narrow and not easy road.
Didn't met anybody on the whole route, that took about 30 minutes.
Then before I could see the seaside I spotted a dark and narrow road/path on the right that took my attention.
I stopped the car nearby and check Google maps.
After about 1 kilometer there seem to be an observatory from where you can get a stunning view of the small bay in this area called Uchiura.
As it seemed impossible to drive through with my car I got on my feet and started walking through.
Of course, nobody was there and the only sounds I could hear were wind, some insects and birds.
Impossible to run up and down with a regular car, so I made the right choice to walk.
So peaceful.
I arrived on the top so tired, but the landscape that I found gave me a big relief.
I really hope we all can start travelling again because the world is so full of beautiful places and cultures that it is really a waste not to go around and see.
It 's been two years without going back home in Venice, but at least I'm living in a place full of natural beauties. Sea, mountains, green hills and white sand beaches. In Izu you'll have it all!
Alberto
"自由への長い道"
僕の友達のお兄さん、ゼンナロ・マルコ氏（47）が人質に取られてから二ヶ月経ちました。
スーダン共和国の刑務所にいます。
朝から晩まで30人が入っている部屋にいるらしいです。
刑務所にいるのはどこでも大変ですが、スーダンのような国の刑務所がもっときついだと思います。
スーダンは2011年に南部が南スーダン共和国として独立するまでは、アフリカで最大の面積を誇る大国です。アフリカでは3番目の大き
さで、それは日本の国土の約5倍に当たります。200を超える部族が混在して国を形成しており、人口はおよそ3,800万人です。
アラブ・アフリカ諸国との友好関係の維持を外交の基盤とし、非同盟・内政不干渉、アラブ・イスラム諸国との連帯、善隣、相互協力が主要
原則。2019年の新暫定政府の設立、ダルフール情勢改善等を踏まえ、欧米諸国との関係も改善傾向（米国は、2017年10月に経済制裁を解除）
にあったが，2020年10月にはトランプ米大統領がスーダンをテロ支援国家リスト（SSTL）から除外する意向を表明したほか、トランプ大統
領、ネタニヤフ・イスラエル首相、ブルハン主権評議会議長及びハムドゥーク首相が電話会談を行い、スーダンとイスラエルとの国交正常化
を発表するなど、スーダンと国際社会の関係は急さらに改善しつつあります。
こういう国です。
彼が大手電気機械メーカーの社長であり、長年でスーダンとの商売していました。
今回もビジネス旅行で行ったが、空港で捕まりました。理由が誰でもわかりません。
彼の家族がスーダンのリーダーに五千万円を払ったが、ヴェネツィアに帰らされません。
イタリアが国として動いていますし、ご家族、友達、ヴェネツィア市民達、ヴェネツィアのサッカーチーム、バスケットやラグビーチームがみんなこのニュースをシェアして、応援して、早めに自由になって欲しいです。
我慢し続けるように応援しましょう！
VFC伊豆ファンクラブ再スタート・VFC Izu Fan Club's new start
先週、Venezia FCのアジア担当、タイに居住しているダニーロ・トッレザー二氏から電話がありました。
2019年に中国の蘇州市とVenezia FCとのコラボが始まって、毎年中国、タイ、モンゴルでユースサッカーキャンプを行われ、様々なプロジェクトが進んでます。
Venezia FC側で、新型コロナウイルスが落ち着いたら日本でも同じようにVenezia FCのブランドを広げたいつもりがあります。
そのため私たちが2017年に立ち上げたVFC伊豆ファンクラブに連絡が来ました。
やっぱりヴェネツィアのブランドが強いですが、サッカーチームとしてあまり知られていないかもしれません。
僕が生まれた街。
僕が29歳まで住んでいた街。
歴史のいっぱいあるヴェネツィア。
サッカーチームとしても長い歴史があります（wikipediaより）。
1987年から2002年まで、マウリツィオ・ザンパリー二がクラブを所有されました。ACヴェネツィアと名乗っていた1999-2000シーズンは、元日本代表・名波浩が在籍していました。
2005年にそれまでのACヴェネツィア (Associazione Calcio Venezia 1907) からSSCヴェネツィア (Società Sportiva Calcio Venezia) にチーム名を変更しました。
しかし、かねてより経営の危機が囁かれていた2008-09シーズン終了後、二度目の破産。FBCウニオーネ・ヴェネツィア (FootBall Club Unione Venezia) と改名し再結成のうえ、2009-10シーズンにセリエDから再スタートしました。2011-12シーズンにセリエDで優勝したのに続き、翌シーズンのレガ・プロ２でもタイトルを獲得しレガ・プロ１に昇格しました。
2014-15シーズンは12位で終えたが、翌シーズンのレガ・プロへの登録が叶わず降格となりました。2015年10月9日、かつてアメリカ人弁護士のジョー・タコピーナをはじめとする投資家グループにより買収され、ヴェネツィアFC (Venezia Football Club S.r.l.d) に改称されました。
現在のオーナーがアメリカ · ユーロネクスト · ダンカン・ニーダーアウアー氏です。
今年はまだプレーオフ中です。
セリエBのプレーオフですが、シーズン終了後、上位2クラブは無条件で次季セリエAに昇格となります。さらに3位〜8位のクラブでプレーオフ（ホーム＆アウエー）を行い、勝ち残った1チームもセリエAへ昇格となります。
先日Venezia FCがレッチェに勝ちました。
木曜日はラウンドツーです。
もし、買ったら次のステージがファイナルです。
それではみんなで応援してもらえたら嬉しいです！
Forza Venezia, Forza VeneziaMestre!
