i’ll never forget the first time i went to the Japan Sea. i was expecting clean water and beautiful beaches. i walked down this tall mountain, hiked along a long trail, and i finally found the beach. not only did i find the beach, i found tons of garbage! that was 14 years ago and i bet it’s even worse now. 
so i jumped in and looked around to see what the Japan Sea had to offer…
in about 10′ deep of water, i found shellfish everywhere! i stopped by a convenience store on the way back to my minshuku, had the mama-san cook me up the sazae and abalone, and had the best appetizers of my life. the cool thing is i clearly remember exactly that secret spot and next time i pass by the Japan Sea, i’m going to stop there for sure. next time i’m taking a cooler and bbq with me because i’m going to eat it right on the beach. can’t wait!
