i had such a great time surfing with Uchiyama-san this morning. a hard core surfer from Chigasaki that’s been surfing half of his entire life. super good to surf the reef at bowls as the waves were super perfect!

nice bottom turn. when you can set your rail in the water like this, you will see the spray coming off the back. it feels so dam good!

yes, the waves were solid and super fun! great surfing Uchiyama-san!

ok, who’s the tourist? i think i was more excited than Uchiyama-san today. i couldn’t believe how happy i was after i caught my first wave. i was so excited the whole session! great to be back home!

then i took Mr. and Mrs. Uchiyama-san sightseeing. first check, diamond head. the waves at lighthouse looked super good!

then up to tantalus. i swear this view is looking better and better each time i go up there. what a beautiful day and what a beautiful island.

i don’t know anywhere else in the world that has a better view than this. we say “breathtaking!”

and a panorama shot for memories. thank you Mr. and Mrs. Uchiyama-san for a wonderful day in hawaii.
i always tell my friends here in hawaii, “you will never appreciate hawaii unless you leave hawaii.” every time i come back, i feel refreshed and excited to get back to work. can’t wait till tomorrow! good night.

Morning surf was awesome!!! So happy!!!
Go-Naminori Again!

i went to visit this wonderful survivor named Abe-san who lives in oshika hanto. i pull up to his temporary housing unit at 6am and i knew it was too early to wake him up. i waited a little and was about to leave then i thought to myself “i came all the way here to meet this man and i can’t go back to hawaii without meeting him.” so i wait and wait sitting on the table outside his door listening to the various species of birds singing. it was so peaceful. then at 7am, Abe-san wakes up and finally comes out and says “i knew it was about time you would be coming.” haha. he always tells me that as he gives me a big hug. i sit down and listen to his stories as we talk about the events that took place and will be taking place around his temporary housing. Abe-san’s village nearby got totally wiped out and he told me that they are never ever going to rebuild. pretty sad story coming from a very strong and positive man.

wanted to thank Yumi-chan for the wonderful gifts from osaka! oishikatta!!!

right in the heart of tokyo lies this small mom and pop restaurant a friend suggested to me. they have a special lunch special that i tried for the first time. you get rice, miso soup, tsukemono, tofu, and get to choose any type of fish they have out on the counter. it was super delicious! and only cost $9.80. i’ll be back!

caviar and abalone with champagne? if i saw this on someones blog, i’d hate them too. haha.
well, i’m back to hawaii and back to my normal lifestyle. no caviar, no river mouths, no uni, no hotels, and no long drives. just a simple lifestyle. that 9 days of travel in japan was amazing. i’d have to put it in my top 5 ever trips out of the thousands i took. good waves, good food, good experience, and most of all, good friends. everything was perfect and i couldn’t be a happier traveler. next month i have 5 days off and if i take another trip, guess where i’m going? yes, i’m going again to the land of the rising sun!