when people get the surfing fever, all they can think of is to surf, surf, and surf. just to ride anything is better than not riding at all. one way to get rid of the fever is to surf the wake behind a jet boat.

and if anybody knows about the surfing fever, it’s me. i’ll ride anything at anytime!

lake biwa is so beautiful! beautiful but kind of weird. after i finished surfing, my skin felt so smooth. felt like i just got out of an onsen. no salt, no taste, and just weird for me because i’m not use to that. anyway, here comes the set! you want to go left or right?

Oshima-san is like a kid. all he can think about is surfing! and if you have no ocean nearby, this is the closest you will ever get to the real thing.

gosh, i felt like i was in hawaii! everything was just perfectly warm and blue. i rode a few long waves and had a wonderful time. can’t wait to do it again.

then back to the cultural city of kyoto, where trains run in the middle of the street. so cool!

went to a really authentic sushi restaurant. old, traditional, and real.

see the basket on the left? that’s how they use to store the cooked rice back a thousand years ago. culture still going strong here.

had a great time with the surfer boys and surfer girl! thank you Oshima-san, Saori-san, and Aki-san for the wonderful day and night in kyoto. keep the surfing fever alive! see you boys and girl in the ocean soon!

to me, sushi is art! i can sit at any sushi counter just watching and watching for hours. i’m learning, i’m experiencing, and i’m soaking in thousand of years of culture. this was my take out bento for today’s lunch. a lunch i will enjoy up in the mountains.

you will never ever find something like this in hawaii. the art of sushi, kyoto style.
thank you again Oshima-san for the wonderful cultural experience. i learned a lot about your beautiful city of kyoto!

when i walked out of my hotel yesterday morning, i couldn’t believe how beautiful it was! super warm, cool winds, and the most perfect weather i’ve ever experienced in osaka.

i’ve been to kansai about a hundred times but never ever seen the sky so deep blue. i just kept staring at it thinking i was back in hawaii or something. super crisp air and the deepest blue ever.

took an early morning walk through the underground basements. it’s unbelievable how smart the japanese are by making so many underground crossways. the whole city connects underground. amazing!

and the stores getting ready for another crazy business day.

i’m finally starting to understand the train system in kansai. not getting lost as much as before.

always packed! took the train to kyoto. 30 minutes at 550 yen or $4.75. a very nice people watching ride.

then arrived in kyoto and couldn’t believe how beautiful it was. Oshima-san picked me up from the station and we headed straight to lake biwa!

they dropped his boat in the ocean and off we went! what an amazing system they have here in japan. i wish we had this back in hawaii. it would be a dream.

i’d never thought i’d be surfing the next day i arrive in japan. surfing the longest wave ever.

i still couldn’t believe how blue the sky was! it was the most picture perfect day in kansai. still a little dizzy from jet lag, but very awake when i was surfing in the lake! had an awesome lunch. learned a lot about geisha, geiko, maiko, and the amazing culture of kyoto. i love it!

i get back to my hotel at 3pm, slept for an hour. woke up not knowing where i was or what time it was. felt like morning, took a shower, went to an amazing dinner and culture night experience.
now sitting in my hotel feeling so relaxed and satisfied. i love this county very much and now i know why i came here more than 200 times in the past 25 years. i want to learn more, experience more, and keep on the path of becoming a true samurai. haha.

Right now in Lake Biwako!
The longest ride with Oshimasan.
Perfect weather.
Perfect wave.
Perfect surfing.
Perfect day.
I love Japan!