春 (Haru, Spring) Photos!

Hi y'all, here are some spring pictures (and just a few winter pictures) with a little bit of background for each image! Please enjoy :)

Here's a short of Anamizu's annual かきまつり (kakimatsuri, oyster festival)! Oysters and other seafood can be freshly charcoal grilled. If you're not into seafood, there's other sources of barbecue cuisine available! 10/10 would recommend with friends during the winter time!

Eric (fellow high school ALT at Suzu), "Sasuke" (local resident in Anamizu), and Alex (amateur griller at work) at the festival!

Here's a picture of me, Bree, and Tetsuya at an American-themed diner called "Little Picnic" in Nanao, Ishikawa. The owner of the diner used to live in the States for a little longer than 10 years and was inspired to open this restaurant thereafter! 12/10 rating for the ribs.

Round 2 at "Little Picnic"! Featuring Nono, Hiro, and Bree! Upon my recommendation, 75% of these group members drank root beer for the first time! Unfortunately, it was probably the last time as root beer tastes too much like toothpaste and that's a "no" when it comes to drink preferences. Aside from questionable beverage choices, debates of how to say "Baskin Robbins" correctly (it's either "Baskin Robbins" or "31"(because there are 31 flavors)), and banter of how we drove a little over an hour just for Hiro to order a vanilla shake (despite the diner offering flavors like green tea, blueberry, and even caramel) arose in many good memories to be made.

2 locals taking in the night life at Ushitsu. It's not uncommon to see stray cats within Japan, and Ushitsu is no different! If you're a cat fan, there's also a few cat islands among prefectures like Kanagawa, Ehime, and Fukuoka! Check them out!

Tulips from Bree's garden! Some of the locals grow vegetables like broccoli and okra; and herbs like basil and parsley within these grounds. It's honest, down-to-earth, hard work to garden and grow crops, but it's nice to experience a side that you normally wouldn't see in the cities.

A sakura blossom tree at Toshimayama Park in Ushitsu. Cherry blossoms tend to bloom around the first or second week of April in the Noto area!

Here's a picture from a local church picnic at Yanagida Park!

Transitioning to experiences in the city, here's some ramen in Ishikawa's capital city, Kanazawa (金沢)

And the group photo of those who travelled there :)

This is the Rokkosaki Lighthouse in Suzu city! It's also named the Noroshi Lighthouse and is located on the northernmost tip of Ishikawa prefecture.

Here's the seaside view from the lighthouse. If someone swims far enough from here, he/she/they could supposedly make it to Korea!

A view of the Suzu coastline from Noroshi

This is Gyokusen-inmaru Garden in Ishikawa's capital city, Kanazawa. Nearby the garden are three other popular tourist destinations: Kanazawa Castle, the Ishikawa-renowned Kenrokuen Park, and an outdoor contemporary art museum. This is the perfect place to go for a nice stroll and take in the sights!

And finally, we'll end this post with a spring sunset in the quiet town of Ushitsu

"Thanks for tuning in everyone!"