Nonami Lunch Time!

when i arrived in japan, i turned on my phone and got several messages from friends in hawaii “Tsunami Warning! Is Mayuki ok?” OMG! i froze! the helpless feeling set in. super worried as i know what a little tidal wave can do to boats in yacht harbors. i didn’t tie her up really good because i never expected a tsunami to come. so i text my brother and luckily he went down that night to make sure everything was ok. i had a hard time sleeping thinking about what could happen. i checked the news in the morning and everything was ok. lucky! next time i leave hawaii, i’ll tie her up much better. but watching the news in japan was freaky as a 30cm tsunami hit, and at the same time, so did an earthquake in japan. this world is freaky!

we get to wakayama, then Kimura-san takes us out to dinner. i love sakura, and i love takinoko. so both on one beautiful plate was awesome. fresh takinoko sashimi. oishi!!!

then the wakayama sashimi platter comes out. fresh from the sea into her mouths. it’s hard to believe that 2 of these fish were alive 5 minutes before we ate it.

and to decorate the food with sakura was so cool!

then the wakayama sweet shrimp comes out. it melted in my mouth!

it was boys night out in wakayama. thank you Kimura-san for the great food and fun talk. and thank you always for making me feel like home in wakayama. maybe see you monday?
only 2 more days in japan so better enjoy it. hope you do too!

good morning 3:30am. left tokyo yesterday morning at 7am, arrived here in wakayama at 5:30pm. 10.5 hours and it felt super long. luckily i got to take a good nap in the car. had a very nice dinner, slept very good, and now getting ready to get a ferry to shikoku. heard there are some waves so i’m looking forward to surfing. as for the weather, it’s freezing cold! omg, i have my thermal underwear on and i’m still cold. it’s been a while since i took a dip into the cold water so i guess i’m looking forward to that. hopefully be surfing by noon when i arrive at ikumi beach. see you there!

i had a very elegant dinner at a very elegant members only restaurant in tokyo. as i sit and get served some of the best food in the world, i look at the presentation of food and think about my grandma. my grandma Osaki use to go to japan and collect dishes like this back in the 1970’s. i still have some of her dishes and use it daily back home. so eating here is like eating with my grandma. i finally could appreciate the elegance of eating good traditional food served in traditional dishes.

the tai sashimi had to be my favorite. i watched the master chef prepare this and i can’t wait to go back to hawaii and prepare some for myself.

and the lobster sashimi just melted in my mouth.

and the fried abalone. omg, i felt like i was in heaven with every single bite.

and to wash everything down with soba. the perfect happy ending. i am a very lucky person with a lot of very lucky opportunities in my life. thank you Inaida-san for the wonderful time in tokyo. see you in hawaii as our wonderful surfing sessions continue.

then i stepped out of the house, walked in the rain, took a taxi to the station, and i felt like i was a salary man again. yeah, that was once my dream.

then Saito-san and Naoka pick me up, i get in the cadillac, and we head to shikoku.

but first, i stop by Rise and Shine to see my longtime friend Matsuo. i’ve known Matsuo for 24 years so over half my lifetime. a great friend with a great heart. after he showed me his last hokkaido snowboarding trip, i got jealous. next year, i’ll try again.

if you want to surf in japan, you need a wetsuit. and luckily i have the best wetsuit in the world, Dove!

the staff are young, fresh, excited, and hard core surfers. a family, a team, and great friends.

sakura makes me happy so i was happy all day yesterday looking at the beautiful cherry blossom trees. this is beautiful japan!

then had dinner with my family in wakayama. photos coming later as i have to go. i’m sitting in the living room, everybody is sleeping, i’m wide awake jet lagged, and it’s time to move. see you in shikoku.