yesterday was a big day for me. it’s been 4.5 years since the tsunami. we saw with our own eyes what happened in ishinomaki. to tell you the truth, surfing there never even crossed my mind. a year would pass and a few surfers would start surfing again. then another year, and more surfers returning. i would hear the wonderful news and think to myself “i can’t wait to surf with the locals, i can’t wait for the day we can all enjoy the ocean together.”

well, that day has finally come. the night before, we got the surf report from Azumi-san, he let us borrow boards and wetsuits, and we did what surfers do, surf! we had a great time. so many things rushing in my mind as i sit and wait for a wave. this day was always a dream for me. Matsu felt the same way as we’ve been waiting for this moment for the past 4 years. tears of joy mix with the water off our faces as we surf. words can’t express our feelings. a surfers bond, a priceless moment. nobody cares about the waves, nobody cares about the rain, all we care about is finally sharing this moment together. this is surfing, this is life! thank you Azumi-san for the inspiration throughout the years. and thank you also and Kuni-san for the local ishinomaki surfers hospitality! we shall do this again!

leaving the beach, you can still see signs of the tsunami. pretty chilling, but we are past that already. no negative thoughts, only positive vibes.

then it’s breakfast time. surf culture in japan. i love everything about it!
We Are Happy!
We Are One!

We Are One!

omg, another storm heading to hawaii? more wind, more rain, and more sewage spills. el nino continues!

japan transportation system continues to fascinates me. the best in the world!

i was watching the JR staff go into the train and clean it up. super efficient and super hard workers. it makes me wonder what will happen when our monorail system in hawaii is up an running. a pretty scary thought.

Kiku-chan took us to a beautiful place in sendai. a small shop that was very cozy and comfortable.

super old japanese style. wish we had one of these in hawaii.

1000 yen for a beer and pupu’s. every time you order a beer, you get a side dish with it. super authentic.

then our second stop was beef tongue of course! so juicy and delicious!

then my favorite, pig feet!

we had such a great time and talk. Miwa-san, Kiku-chan, and Matsu. Kiku-chan continues to inspire me. a very positive and very happy person. we ended up laughing so loud that the staff came and told us to keep the volume down. that we couldn’t do so we took our party somewhere else.

late night drinks and laughs. thank you Kiku-chan for your hospitality in sendai. keep on living life to the fullest! can’t wait to see you again!

last, the big news from the surfing industry in japan! Shun Murakami is the JPSA All Japan Champion! yesterday, Shun wins the biggest pro contest of the year! congratulations kid! thank you Takami-san for the wonderful news and photo! missing all my wonderful friends in chiba!