YEAH!!! DIVING SAIKO!!!
BIG OYSTERS!
ISHIDAI FISH!
GO-NAMINORI….

good evening. after a 2.5 hour drive to fuji, we spent an awesome day there. now we’re in wakayama, which took 7.5 hours to get too. there are no waves but who cares?? no us. i’m learning something really important on this trip. it’s how to maximize your happiness and not to have the world revolve around the surf. just until a few years ago, i use to be so bummed when there were no waves. now? i know how to be happy building friendships and exploring. and if there are any waves, it’s just a bonus. i wish every surfer can enjoy what i’m enjoying!!!

this is how my board bag usually looks when i’m traveling around. it can barely close. and the weight? you would break your back carrying it around….

instead of through my eyes, your going to see an awesome trip through the eyes of these 2 girls. mari-chan and ai-chan are taking photos and video which will be coming out on go-naminori. stay tuned for experiences and laughter! laughter until your stomach hurts is priceless….

in japan, people maximize space. so driving in this little car with boards, diving equipment, surfboards, photo gear, and computers is no problem. especially when you have a great crew…

if you know me, your going to have to know my friends. if i could introduce all my friends in the world to each other, this world would be a happier place. being surrounded with great people is better than being surrounded with great waves. if you can’t share happiness with your friends, life would suck…. takami-san and toda-san have been there for me from the beginning. and hopefully till the end if they don’t get sick of me.. haha….

fuji has the best desert cafe in japan. eat cake, eat food, eat cake, and eat cake. if i lived in fuji, i think i would have a bigger stomach than toda-san. haha…. mari-chan and ai-chan are experiencing things that only few in this world can….

toda-san has many faces. you can see 3 in this photo! haha….
**we had a boat trip in fuji. toda-san’s brother was kind to let us borrow his boat. toda-san was the captain. we drove all around the west side of izu. we got chased out of the water by angry fishermen and 70 year old amasan’s. i wish i could tell you the whole story but cant. now we’re in wakayama doing the same thing. having fun and living an exciting life.
**last, i have a question. i know it’s illegal to pick abalone and shell fish. but is it illegal in japan to spear fish? i get all different versions of the law and was wondering. can somebody please answer the question? i’d really appreciate it…

good morning. the road trip continues. we’re driving thru japan having fun. the waves are flat right? it’s ok! even if the waves are flat, you just have to think positive and have a great time no matter what. that’s what we are doing! it’s so great to have a job like this….
want to thank toda-san, takami-san and everybody in fuji that made our stay there a fun one. another list of long lasting memories…. doomo arigato gozaimasu….

**GO-NAMINORI is in it’s 5th year. when we first started this site, i didn’t even know what a blog was? a few of us started doing blogs everyday and to tell you the truth, i got a lot of crap about it. people use to think i was crazy. people use to tease me. but i kept on doing it because i wanted to promote surfing and my sponsors in a positive way. and the thing that’s keeping my going is the response and support i’ve been getting throughout the years. everywhere i go, people come up to me and tell me they visit the site everyday. and the awesome emails i get from around the world keeps me motivated. everybody seems happy about it. it’s like a dream come true. my sponsors are happy, my friends are happy, people i don’t even know are happy, and most important, i’m happy. 5 years ago, it was my dream to do something positive for the sport that has given me so much. i think i’m on the right road….
when ever i start something, i dream big. as far as GO-NAMINORI, want to know what it was? my dream was to get 1,000,000 hits a day. when i told a friend 5 years ago, he laughed at me. he told me that was impossible. impossible? for me, nothing is impossible if you believe in it. when people doubt me, that’s when i work even harder. i love to prove people wrong. i’m in this not only for me, but for everybody that is involved in go-naminori. if we can build a huge family and move forward in this struggling economy, that’s what i’ll strive for.
i put my 100% in my dream of living in japan, that came true. i put my 100% in my dream of graduating from college, that came true. i put my 100% into GO-NAMINORI but from today on, i’m putting 110%. it’s not just for me anymore, it’s for everybody! we’re well over 1,000,000 hits a month and i ain’t stopping till we get 1,000,000 hits a day. you can mark my words…. and when that time comes, i think we’ll be ready for our GO-NAMINORI 100′ sailboat that will take us around the world exploring new places and making new friends. we need it for our blogs right?? haha..
i want to thank each and every go-naminori visitor. your the best!!! HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!
SURF YOU DREAMS….

oh, forgot about our magazine. we launched the first ever web magazine in japan last year. it was a huge risk for us because of the time and money involved in such a huge project. we believed in it, did it, and now it’s the fastest growing web magazine on the internet. more than 60,000 people read each volume and that number is growing. as print magazines here in japan dwindle, we’re striving to put out web magazines that will make you want to jump in. our web magazines are for everybody. hard core, soft core, little core, or kids core. there’s something in there for everybody. check out vol. 3 cover shot taken by U-SKE. i’ve never seen an underwater shot like that and i’m underwater a lot. artistic? i think so.

i get many emails by people finding other sites that try to copy go-naminori. to tell you the truth, i love it. i’m a surfer, a writer, a photographer, promoter, and blogger so i know exactly how each and every level of this business is done. as a surfer, i welcome any website or magazine that will promote surfing. we as surfers can’t make a living without it. as a writer, i love to read and write things. as a promoter, i love pushing things i truly believe in. and as a blogger, this is a way to tell my stories without you falling asleep listening to me. i love every aspect of this business. we’re growing and growing together as a team. go-naminori is about making dreams come true. a lot of mine have and i hope yours will too!!!

**in my senior year, my college professor pulled me to the side and said “Kirby, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. BE A LEADER, NOT A FOLLOWER…” that’s been in my head ever since….