Hisashiburi Japan!
ひさしぶり - It's been a while! We spent the first two weeks of May in Japan. It was over a year since the last visit, so it was nice to be back at the other home again. We did a lot of shopping, my wife's cousin got married, and I even got to finally go to Okinawa! In general, it was a very relaxing trip, except for the !&#%!#@! annoying hiked consumption tax.
Japanese food is the best.
I never visited Okinawa while I lived in Japan for nine years, but I finally got to go this time. We spent three days in Ishigaki-jima (Yaeyama islands), and it was really the paradise on Earth I imagined it to be. If only we could have stayed longer. Even the weather turned out to be good, despite the forecast promising us nothing but doom and gloom. It was over 30°C though it was just early May.
Okinawa is a really fascinating place with its unique culture. You cannot avoid seeing the perky looking Shisa dog statues everywhere and hearing the quirky local folk music. Okinawa (or the Ryukyu Kingdom) was annexed to the Empire of Japan only in the late 19th century. The main island suffered horribly during WW2 (roughly a third of the population perished in war), and after the fighting it fell under US military rule. The interaction with American troops led to the creation of some really peculiar but tasty delicacies, often including SPAM as an ingredient. My personal Okinawa favourite is called Taco Rice. We also tried some more traditional local specialities like Yaeyama Soba. Yummy!
I miss Japan, and I hope that we get to go soon again. If only the flights were shorter (and cheaper).
My wife worked for a couple of days, so I had some time to walk around and take pictures.
I like walking around in Kawagoe.
We did a little Sunday hiking trip to Kanetsukido-yama.
Foothills bordering the Kantō plain.
Hundred little hand-carved statues pave the way to Shōrin-ji Temple.
See no evil hear no evil burp no evil.
Proof of concept: I could almost be a wedding photographer. Please hire me so I can leave my day job!
"Please wait for a moment" - even the Japanese traffic signals are polite.
Buds of a 300 year old pine.
Saitama Sunset.
Hello Okinawa! This is Hirakubo Lighthouse, at the northernmost point of Ishigaki-jima.
School kids on a trip at Kabira Bay.
This monster was huge! I had my wide angle lens attached, so I sneaked as close as I could before it tried to devour me.
Sunset Beach.
So yes, it is confirmed. I will move to Okinawa when I retire.
チーズ! Smiling politely for the camera.
It took me a while to realize that there are little guys living inside these tiny sea shells.
East China Sea sunset.
A change of scenery: welcome to the jungle! We spent a day in Iriomote-jima, which is mostly covered by dense jungle and mangrove. We went hiking (and swimming and diving and caving) in the wild. I had to take these pictures with my phone, because I was again cheap and still didn't buy an action camera.
Our guide prepared us Yaeyama soba as a lunch, and these yummy little things as a dessert. "Peach pine" pineapples from Iriomote-jima are small but very, very sweet.
The idea about a day in a rain forest was obviously not mine. I was sure I would get malaria and a brain fever, and get bitten by a spider and finally eaten by the snakes. I stopped worrying when I met our guide Nagasawa-san, he clearly knew what he was doing. A fun day and a great guide.
Jumping to Taketomi-jima. It is a raised coral atoll.
Tourist bus, Taketomi-jima style.
A "traditional" Okinawan street view has flowers, sandy roads, stone walls, and red tiles on the roofs.
Shisa, シーサー, on a rooftop.
A view from behind the dashboard. Autonomous driving is already here, however these girls stop for a break whenever they feel like.
The ojii-san driving our ride sang us a famous local folk song called Asadoya Yunta. Here is a more modern version of it, and here is a traditional one.
Yumi-chan, our water buffalo. Like her namesake at home, she is beautiful, hard working, strong minded and in general decides our direction.
Chillaxing in the shade. It was already over 30°C in early May.
Little Shisas. They are from Okinawan mythology, and they protect from evil.
Northern half of Ishigaki-jima. I wish we could have stayed longer.
I was told that I caused a scene in the plane, when I really wanted to take this picture but I was sitting far from the window.
The wedding was really pretty and the banquet was provided by celebrity chef Masahito Ueki.
Typical city traffic in Japan.
My wife chose my birthday cake. It is a question-mark, not a nine!