last time i was in wakayama, i went to check out this lady’s old school store. i met her in hawaii a couple of years ago so it was very nice to see her again. i followed her on her bicycle down the narrow streets.

then went to check out her house. it was so beautiful and full of old japan culture.

and here is her little store. so cute!

in old japan, these were the only kind of stores. kind of how it was in old hawaii. gosh, i miss those days.

old japan, i love it! i hope this part of japan will never change!

Mike Woo in back in japan now shaping some cool boards. he just finished shaping my “step up” board. “step up” meaning a shortboard for bigger waves. something i’d use in overhead to double overhead waves, or 4-6′ surf. it’s a 6’2 x 18 1/4 x 2 1/4.

new technology epoxy board that is light, strong, and fast!

the V12 model shaped Mike Woo by TSSC. i can’t wait to try it!!! can somebody please bring it back to hawaii for me? haha.

1 house burned by Madam Pele! OMG!
Good morning 6am.
North shore high surf WARNING posted! 6-8′ and coming up to 12′ soon. Best spots are Haleiwa and Sunset Beach. Strong currents. Be careful! South shore clean and perfect waist/chest high. Diamond Head beautiful! No wind. Kind of bumpy on the North shore, super clean on the South. Sunny and warm sky.
Have a wonderful and happy Veteran’s day!

thank you Shirasaki-san for the corn treat from saporro! so good!!!

had a wonderful dinner last night with my good friends from japan. Go-Naminori has built our great relationship which will last forever. Naoka, great job on keeping Go-Naminori running smoothly. glad to see your english is getting better. Takuya, i’m stoked you’re married to my special friend. you’re a very cool guy. and Yumie, meeting you has changed my life. thank you always for the positive vibes and thank you for being such a great friend.

hey Naoka, some of the photos i post is upside down sometimes? why is that? this is one you sent me so please figure it out. and hey, great ride!

it was weird how so many of my japanese friends tell me “wow, hawaii is so safe yeah!” i always say “no it’s not. our economy is based on tourism so where there is money, there is crime. and the homeless and drug problem just adds to it. you won’t see or hear most of the news because it’s just bad publicity.”

yesterday morning at 4am, a 70 year old man selling the sunday newspaper was doing his weekly routine. somebody decided to come and kill him. stabbed him to death with a knife. probably the motive was for the few dollars in his pocket. this is kaimuki, this is my hometown, this is right down my street, this is crazy.

this is big and shocking news to me because it’s so close to my home. and to make things worst, nobody seen anything and the murderer is still on the loose.

it happened right in front of Cafe Miro, one of my favorite restaurants in hawaii.

no, this is not Hawaii Five-0, this is real. i hope they catch the guy who did this soon because until they do, kaimuki won’t be the same.
and to all my japanese friends who think hawaii is safe, like i always say, no it’s not. just be careful and don’t go walking on the streets late at night. japan ok, hawaii not ok.