just a few weeks after the tsunami, i came to Kobochihama and couldn’t believe the damage. it was a total mess! boats, houses, and just debris everywhere. you could barely walk. then as we neared the harbor, we seen fisherman after fisherman cleaning up little by little. no machines, all by hand. all i could remember was the determination of these amazing men trying to get their fishing village back to normal. so coming here yesterday and seeing the harbor almost complete was a great sight.
and the scallop shells getting ready for oyster season.
it’s amazing how they harvest oysters. a technique passed on from generations to generations.
like always, Kimura-san pulls his boat up and we go exploring the sea of Kobochihama. it couldn’t have been a more perfect day!
the water was beautiful!!!! Hiyori-chan and Ryoko-san enjoying a dip in the ocean. after this, i jumped in and as soon as i hit the water, i felt reborn! such a beautiful place to be!
then we did some fishing on the dock. fish after fish for dinner.
then there was a matsuri or festival going on so we went to enjoy some culture.
and yes, there is hundreds of years of culture in this beautiful village.
it’s so cool how everybody knows everybody. i seen some of the kids we first met on Mission 1 here and they were all grown up.
they just reopened the minshiku here that was flooded by the tsunami. now it’s so beautiful and the food couldn’t get any better. this is the part i love about japan. the food was amazing!
tako and abalone. omg!
and of course, whale sashimi too. this is really good!
the Kimura-san family has a strong presence here in Kobochihama. generations and generations of hard work. a family i have a lot of respect for, and a family that i’m glad to have met. they make me feel like home here and made me really think of living here after i retire. i love the simple life. wake up, go out on the boat and catch dinner, come back and enjoy family time. the old japan fisherman style. i had such an awesome day enjoying and soaking up the true japanese culture.
today we’re going to experience some rare culture, and i’m going to make my long journey back to shonan. it’s always sad leaving here, but knowing i’ll be back again makes me very happy. the passion in the people and the progress going on here makes me understand what the true meaning what “ganbatteru” means. i love it!
