it’s been a while since Saito-san and i have been up to tohoku. driving the 6 hours from tokyo was exciting, but also pretty heavy as all the memories came back like it was just yesterday. i remember the roads on the highway being cracked and wavy from the earthquake, i remember the military troops and vehicles driving up slowly, i remember my geiger counter beeping loud, and i remember all of our nervous faces as we didn’t know what to expect. it’s my 8th time up here since 3/11 and i’m just as nervous as i was the first time.
right as we were going through fukushima, we seen the most amazing double rainbow! it made me so happy as it felt like mother nature was watching over us.
first stop was the new Freeside Surf Shop. on 3/11, Azumi-san lost his entire shop to the tsunami. at that time, i remember him telling me he wasn’t going to reopen. but he and his close friends got together and built this amazing new surf shop. i’m very happy to see that the surf culture is back in ishinomaki!!!
every single person in this world inspires me in some way. Azumi-san inspires me because of his passion for surfing. just living a healthy surfing life with friends who ride waves together. if it wasn’t for 3/11, i probably would have never met this wonderful surfer i can call, my friend. congratulations again Azumi-san!
while we where there, surfers walked in with smiles on their faces. they finally have a place to go to get new equipment, hang out in, and talk surf stories. right as you enter the shop, you can feel the warmth, and you can feel the heart. as we left, i shed a tear of joy watching Azumi-san back doing what he loves to do. if you are in the area, please visit Freesurf. it’s open in the evenings on weekdays, and on the weekends. well, depending on the surf of course. haha.
then we met We Are One Market Naomi-san, Ryoko-san, and family for a wonderful dinner. i would love to have 2 sisters like Naomi-san and Ryoko-san. we would have so much fun! and to see the kids growing up into fine young adults was cool. Ryoko-san told me “next time you come to ishinomaki, we are all going to surf together.” oh yeah! that is the day i dreamed of!
then i went to look for Abe-san’s shop. i clearly remember driving down this same street seeing all the damage from the tsunami. we must have driven past over 15x throughout the past 2.5 years. Abe-san cleaned up his shop and so did everybody else around. this is the part of the recovery i love to see!
my Pharmacist Surfer Friend Abe-san! good to see you again and good to finally visit your store!
changing the subject for a little. check out the new island that just formed of japan! omg! mother nature creating another beautiful japanese island! i just hope china doesn’t try to steal it.
isn’t this freaking amazing?
anyway, it’s 3am and yes, i’m sitting in my hotel room jet lagged. a long day ahead as we are going to oshika hanto, kitakami, and back to ishinomaki. have a wonderful day!
