Seaside Getaway

For the next few days we are stopping by two seaside towns. Going slightly further south from Shizuoka city we found a hidden gem called Yaizu. Apparently they is not much to do there which is exactly what we wanted at that point. Just like eating big meals , your body needs time to digest them. When you gather experiences after experiences you also need that time of “break” to process a little what you have been through.
This is Yaizu , a chilled out seaside town and a perfect getaway from traveling.

Cats duel , just like in a Clint Eastwood films.

“No name” guesthouse, our nest for the next days.

Cosy ambiance all handmade by the owner and his friends.

Time to stop. Chocolates and matcha tea. This is our power breakfast.

How good it is to find routines again after a long traveling time. It’s an interesting dynamic. We miss travelling when we settle down for too long. And we miss settling down when travelling for too long. They must be a middle point in that but I have not still found it. Anyway , now we are settling down and how good this feels. Living a simple life surrounded by interesting people all around. I feel that stopping somewhere for a while is also another way to travel , to experience a country. By growing some roots and physically stopping , many meetings may come to you. In that sense you are not looking for anything but the experiences are there. In this guesthouse we met many cool alternative people and the local Rasta community too. This stopover taught me a lot and they were no mouvement , no pictures , no bucket list , no fancy eateries … Just people.

Toilet design.

Rainy days in Yaizu. What a great excuse to stay in.

Windy time. Flying away !

Goodbye Yaizu people , you are all amazing.

It was really interesting to meet the local Japanese Rasta’s. Actually this culture is present all around the world. We met tea farmers , musicians , coffee roaster , Fishermans , wood workers .. Like a spiral of life when everything meets in one point , this point was the “no name” guesthouse. The rasta tea farmers were growing this so-called “3 years Bancha”. This type of tea is usually lesser known and often considered as less “noble” than Sencha or Matcha. But this Bancha has many health benefits especially when it comes to cure and prevent illness. Bancha is said to lower the acidity level in the body. Also it has a small amount of caffeine which means that it’s more tolerated for sensitive people. It’s a very different beverage and we got to learn more about it. And of course theses rasta farmers were not only growing tea … right 😉

Time to say goodbye to my dear Hisako friend after two weeks of wonderful adventures. Now moving on toward Nagoya city , but before , stopping by another seaside town.
Let’s say hello to Gamagori.

Waking up in a new place with a bright sunlight. Sleeping in a Rice farmer’s house.

Hang drum by the sea. Mesmerizing soundtrack for this first morning alone in a while. What happened over the last weeks ? Was it a dream ?

Feeding the …. hawks ? Really ?

Seaside scenery.

Going toward a scenic shrine on an island. Walking around the shrine island for the way back. This place is really special and it worth a visit if you are in the area.

From the distance , a massive statue. I got curious. This could be my next day plan.

There we are. Impressive statue of a pilgrim. I wonder who it was. Probably an important Buddhist personality.

The hill also had a very curious temple that stands out quite a bit from the usual Japanese aesthetic. I knew this feeling , I have seen this before but where .. ?

Nepali temple , here in Gamagori ! What a big surprise. I wonder how this temple ended up here. Maybe it was a gift from Nepal to Japan. Buddhism originates initially in Nepal and India. It has further been spreaded later on in China and thereafter in Japan. The teachings of Buddha are universal.

Beautiful wood carving.
Japanese aesthetic , in lamp.

In Japan there is a lot of abandoned buildings. This is especially true in the more rural areas. I wanted to find a spot URBEX to explore and I had the feeling I could find one here.

Underneath a junction in a massive hotel which looked abandoned to me.

When you practice URBEX you must be very careful before stepping in into an unknown area. You must be 100% sure that no one is living inside. I have seen many ran down hotels by the sea but somehow some air conditioners were still on. Why’s that ? This hotel is not fully empty. I’m glad I didn’t stepped in to fast , also it did looked empty in the first place.

Sadly Japan is having a highly aging population due to low natality rate. Moreover there is a strong rural exode happening. Most young people want to experience and live in bigger towns nowadays. These two factors may explain why more and more buildings are abandoned nowadays in Japan. I hope Japan will find a solution to overcome this aging phenomenon within the society , otherwise the future could be empty here.

A Dream spot by the sea ?

Café time. A last moment to stop and contemplate the Ocean , with Jazz background music.

Goodbye Ocean .
Hello countryside.

For my next stop I will experience my first family homestay as a Woofer ! I’m pretty excited about it. Next article will be in Nara prefecture.
Mata ne 🙂