4th of July Camp Out on Japan's West Coast

Since this is most likely our last summer in Japan, James and I are committed to getting out the gate and seeing as much of the local area as possible. So when our friends invited us to join them on an excursion to the West Coast of Japan, to explore the area on the Sea of Japan and camp out for the 4th of July, we jumped on that opportunity. Normally we're not campers, but they had some cabins that we could stay in instead so we were willing to challenge ourselves.

The morning of the 4th, we packed up four cars full of food, supplies, fireworks and puppies and caravanned out to the Takayami Inari Shrine on the west coast. I had been there before during the wintertime with Lisa, but James had not. So I was excited to share that with him.

Us at the entrance to the shrine

This shrine is a popular destination because of the hundreds of orange torii gates that wind their way up the hill to a beautiful overlook. There are also a few iconic red Japanese bridges crowning some beautiful lilly ponds. We had fun wandering around and taking photos, and generally enjoying the warmer summer weather the region on the Sea of Japan has to offer. After weeks of rain and clouds, that sun felt SO good!



Family portrait of our group. Haha. We were especially excited to hang out with our friend Greg Balzhiser and his wife Monessa who had recently returned from their wedding in Switzerland.

After we were finished at the Shrine, we drove to our campground at the base of Mt. Iwaki. James and I were glad to see that our cabin was pretty gucci - with all the amenities of a nice Japanese hotel room, plus a kitchenette and three times the space. haha. Our friends kind of gave us a hard time for not being willing to rough it. They would not be laughing in the morning... But I'm getting ahead of myself. ;^)

When I say that James and I are not campers, what I mean is that we don't like sleeping outside. But we enjoy all the fun parts of camping as much as the next person - sitting outide around a camp fire, grilling burgers and hot dogs, etc. This was a very relaxing camping trip. Once all the tents were pitched, we at around in a circle, watching the dogs play and enjoying some delicious food.

One of the unique features of this campground was a large roller slide. You climb up onto a two story platform with a foam board to sit on, then zoom down a long, twisting slide lined with rollers that propell you along. I'm pretty sure it was built with children in mind, but we found some unique ways to utilize the slide that - I'm sure - would traumatize its Japanese owners. haha. Hardly neat and orderly.

That night we played some fun card games, roasted marshmallows and reminisced about past Independence Day celebration around a roaring campfire. Thankfully, fireworks are not illegal in Japan so we were able to put on our own glittering show and celebrate our freedom in a truly American style. I hadn't lit a sparkler since I was a little girl so I had a lot of fun getting into the spirit while dancing around tracing light patterns in the sky.

Roman candles + long camera exposures = Harry Potter-like special effects.

Around midnight, we were tired and lethargic and decided to hit the sack. James and I hopped in our car and returned to our forest chalet where we had a comfortable bed set up in the loft. I was so thankful for a quiet, bug-free environment and a shower before drifting off to sleep beneath a ceiling fan. I slept pretty soundly, and didn't wake up until around 6:30 when a loud "woosh" and a crack of thunder signalled the start of a powerful downpour. Pretty soon, we heard a knock on our door as our friends who had mocked our cabin came knocking in search of shelter. We were all to happy to let them in and utilize our kitchenette to cook breakfast since an open flame was out of the question.

Thankfully, the storm passed quickly and we were able to continue exploring. We took a circuitous route through the lush, green, rural Japanese countryside out to the rocky coast of the sea of Japan. The area where we stopped and got out to explore reminded me a lot of the Falls of the Ohio in Louisville, KY. There was a flat bed of rock jutting out into the water that we could walk around on. From there, we could look down into the clear salt water and see the beautiful water plants growing below. We found a shallow area where the dogs were able to get in and play. It was gorgeous!

On the way back we stopped for a late lunch as Mos Burger in Aomori (a new restaurant for both of us). I think as we drove eastward, we caught up with the storm that dumped on us earlier. The force of the water falling from the sky was ridiculous! It literally felt and sounded like there was a firehose above our car, aimed straight down at the windshield. Even with my sturdy all-weather wipers, we could barely see Sara's car in front of us. I was so thankful to have James there driving because I would not have been able to keep a level head if I was alone. Eventually, we pulled ahead of the storm and were able to make it home safely.

The whole trip was a memorable one - definitely an experience I will treasure from our time here in Japan. The days when I get to explore this beautiful country with my husband are so rare. So this was a special occasion for many, many reasons.