i was looking at this cover shot of Coastal Angler and just kept thinking about my last trip to panama. i was supposed to get one of these big boys! but didn’t. 8 months have passed and now i’m thinking about the “what if’s? what if this? what if that?

i don’t like living a “what if” life so i might be going back to panama again to pursue my dream. only time will tell.

for the past year, i’ve been tracking the tiger sharks that have been tagged. and for the past 11 months, all the big tiger sharks were around maui and molokai. but this month, things are changing. the big boys are heading towards oahu. 5 of the tagged tiger sharks are surrounding oahu now. add that to the hundreds that aren’t tagged, now there are a lot of sharks very nearby. it’s kind of creepy.

wanted to thank Aska-san for the Tabio gift!

yes, i will indeed use these on this trip. keep my toes warm!

and last, i think it is very important for parents to give their kids attention. and surfing together is the best attention in the world. i saw Nishiziko-san pushing his son into waves the other day at haleiwa. what an awesome moment!
CLICK HERE FOR FUMIHIKO NISHIZEKO GO-NAMINORI OFFICIAL BLOG!

IT’S GOING TO BE A BIG WEDNESDAY!
20-25′ NORTH SHORE SWELL!
EDDIE AIKAU? STAY TUNED…

i had a great flight to japan. landed at 2:36pm and actually made the 2:44pm train to tokyo. it took me 7 minutes to get off the plane, go through immigrations, buy a train ticket, and get on the train. one hour later, i was in tokyo. backpacking is the best! no luggage, no wait.

after a nice massage, it was dinner time. yes, the best in tokyo like always. i just love this place!

authentic traditional japanese. i can’t or never will eat at genki sushi ever again.

yes, this is OHMA GOSH tuna! straight from the famous Ohma fishing port. it just melts in your mouth.

and loved the uni from hokkaido! that’s where i’m going!

i always give my friends the best advise: “if you drink tequila, only drink Don Julio. never drink any other tequila, including patron because it will give you a hangover.” well, i’m eating my words now because i took a shot of patron last night and i have the biggest headache right now! i live my life with no regrets but i’m regretting that right now. haha.

then we came home and tried to burn down the house. haha. Inaida-san lighting the fire to keep us warm. what a wonderful lifestyle he has.

and what a wonderful lifestyle i have too. i told Inaida-san that a lot of people must hate me. but you know what? i think i’m still dreaming and will wake up someday. i just hope that someday is not too soon. but until then, i’m enjoying every minute and every breath. thank you Inaida-san for a wonderful night in tokyo.

got my jr rail pass activated. it costed me 29110 yen for 7 days of unlimited travel. i’m going to the top of japan and just that cost 32100 yen one way. it’s great to be a tourist in times like this because this pass is only for tourists.

i just finished booking my hotel for my first night in hokkaido. i’ll be soaking in that rooftop onsen tomorrow afternoon. can’t wait!
for now, going shopping to buy some warm clothes. have a wonderful day!