A Rainy Summer

Lots of things happening around Japan in the last few days that are weather related. The massive rains that began last Sunday in the area I was in along the Sea of Japan ended up becoming quite deadly. My train may have ben delayed and really slow on my way back to Kobe from Kinosaki, but I suppose I was lucky just to make it back safely.

Death toll from Yamaguchi mudslides, heavy rain reaches 7
YAMAGUCHI - A female resident at a nursing home for the elderly that was hit by a mudslide was found dead Wednesday in the city of Hofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, bringing the death toll in the prefecture from mudslides and swollen rivers triggered by Tuesday’s torrential rain to seven, local police said.

Hundreds of police officers, firefighters and personnel from the Self-Defense Forces are searching for nine people who remain missing, assisted by three private-sector rescue workers dispatched by a group in Itami, Hyogo Prefecture along with three search-and-rescue dogs. Read More...


Here are some pictures of the beautiful little onsen town of Kinosaki, Japan. I was there for two incredible days with my wife last weekend. I suppose that to foreigners, this town is a living stereotype of what many people think Japan to have been in the past.







Kinosaki, Japan

Cool foods in Kinosaki

I spent the weekend in northen Hyogo prefecture with my wife. We were all over the place. our main destination was Kinosaki which is an onsen (Japanese hot spring) resort town. it was an amazing place to go. The small town has 7 major onsens and people walk from onsen to onsen normally wearing traditional Japanese yuaktas and gaita (wooden sandals). It was like walking around in a Japanese stereotype. Well, at least the stereotype that many of us foreigners have of Japan.


Check this one out. My wife had never seen this either It's canned whale meat. We saw this in a small mom and pop supermarket in Kinosaki, Japan.



Curried mackrel. Apparetnly my wife saw this on television. It's supposed to be quite good. We bought can of this.



This is a "fugu" or Japanese blowfish. This one, obviously long since passed away is used as a protective symbol. The points on it are supposed to scare away eveil spirits. People in this part of Hyogo Prefecture sometimes hang them in their windows...apparently!



I'm going to post a lot more pictures from Kinosaki within the next few days.