Beached as in Japan.

As the summer nights grow longer we have resumed our exercise regime of running in the evening. But, after a collective 310 km’s; well actually 309, I don't like rounding up, my knee has started showing signs of sitting at a desk for the last eleven months. As a result our planned mountain climbing excursion with my Japanese teacher had to be replaced with a more leisurely activity, and what more says leisurely like a Sunday drive.

Along with our Sunday drive we decided to watch our adopted baseball team, the Hiroshima Carp. Looking at the nearest Japanese map you'll notice that our proximity to our local team makes it very difficult to be loyal supporters. So when they were playing at a stadium only an hour away we decided to get our 'konbini' bought shirts from the draw and go see the Carps finally win a game. It was a relaxing way to spend an afternoon; watching baseball at the foot of Tateyama and the Japanese Alps and getting half of our bodies sun burnt.

After eleven months we are becoming more and more Japanese and so too is our dependence on the 7-11. By the Sunday morning we had completed a full cycle of meals bought and eaten solely from the konbini. Only to be broken by some ramen later that day.

After eating our sandwiches for breakfast we jumped in our little car and embarked on our Sunday drive around the Noto peninsula. A drive filled with sweet bridges, winding inaka roads, a hole in the rock and experiencing how Japanese people enjoy the seaside.

Once we had driven around the peninsular it was time to make our way home via the 26 tunnels between Toyama and home. To kill the time and maybe some brain cells we found out that we could hold our breath for a 1500m tunnel, there were several failed attempts and dizzy spells during the long tunnels.

A great weekend and one of the last road trips we will have in goggles. Sniff sniff!

Enjoy!

Enjoying another day at the baseball.  

Seeing the world feet first: Toyama. Sorry Aimee, all photos showed your ankle tan lines. 

Japan's hole in the rock. 

The Japanese beach experience. Just drive your car on to and park it at the tide mark.

A walk through old and new.

Who knew there would be two stations with the same name in one prefecture? Well, a lot of people I think, and with diligent research we may have been a part of the chosen many who knew this secret. For our second weekend trip away, Aimee organized a weekend away in Kamikochi and Matsumoto. Matsumoto, home to the oldest castle in Japan, and Kamikochi, a small hiking hamlet nestled in the Japanese Alps. We spent the Saturday strolling around the city of Matsumoto, exploring the castle and being invited by the locals to join in with two Japanese traditions. The first was the fanatical support of your local team. We have seen this already in Hiroshima with the Hiroshima Carps at Mazda Stadium, but this time we were accosted to join in with the festivities at a local bar with the fans of the Matsumoto soccer team. Second, is eating parts of an animal that weren't really considered the prime cut. After enjoying our beer, cow heart and pig intestine, we said our goodbyes and posed for the token Japanese/Gaijin photo and parted ways.

The sense of community in Japan is amazing! Regularly, communities will get together and celebrate local events and band together to help people in need. I do appreciate this sense of community, on several occasions we have been on the receiving end of this good fortune. But, I do have a problem when the community decided to do the 'weed whacking' outside our Ryokan at six am on a Sunday! But, what we thought was inconvenience was a blessing in disguise. We rose early and made our way to Kamikochi. A place interspersed with amazing dams, tunnels and awe-inspiring scenery. Getting there early we had the opportunity to enjoy the peacefulness before the crowds descended.

After some great views, a pleasant walk and several samples of the local omiyage we left on good terms. Leaving a little wiser, now knowing there is more than one station with the name Sawando in Nagano.

 Making new friends, capturing the hearts of the locals and eating the hearts of the cows.

 The upside of waking up at 6am.

Seeing the world feet first, Kamikochi