The "Obama for Obama" tour

This spring break I took a small trip with two very cool friends of mine. We went to Osaka (about that later) and to a city called Obama. Yes ladies and gents Japan has two of those cities. One WAY down south near Nagasaki with a neighboring town of Usa (I kid you not, pronounced oo-sah) and one on the west coast of the main island Honshu. Obama means "little beach" and it is just that, a tiny seaside town famous for squid, blowfish, and crabs. We found an amazing hostel run by the cutest woman ever. Unfortunately I have just learned that Nima Guesthouse has permanently closed in the last month. 

Squid boats docked for the day. They go out at night and use the glass lanterns you see hanging to illuminate the clear ocean creatures. 

This hotel is on a bluff and since we were there in the off season we were able to have the entire place to ourselves! The first night there we went into the center of town, which consists of about 8 city blocks, for some much anticipated seafood at the best restaurant in town. Mind you the other competition is a ramen place and cheap sushi joint, but it really was an amazing place. One of the family members who runs the place immediately introduced herself and helped us decipher the menu. We asked for what she recommended and she gave us a feast! Fried blowfish, blowfish & vegetable hot pot, grilled whole bass, raw squid, marinated tiny fish, and the list goes on. All washed down with amazing warm sake.

It is hard to see the detail because this photo was taken on my cell phone. It is a raw squid. The raw edible part of the body is draped in slivers over a Japanese radish cut in half. The head is put on the end and it actually looks as if the squid is alive. They offered to fry up the head later for us but we kindly declined. 

Next to our table in a more private room was another foreigner. Because a friend of ours had recently traveled to the area we were aware that cool foreigners could be found, but imagine our luck running into them our first night! After stuffing ourselves we were introduced to Al and her Japanese friends, and elderly couple who travel frequently. Turns out the couple has visited my hometown and enjoyed golfing! Such a small world! We agreed to meet with Al the following day for lunch and took off to the only onsen (public bath) in town.

The weather was pretty bad so we asked for a taxi. Instead though the woman who helped us order and introduced us to Al decided to drive us to the onsen. This is one of the great things about Japan, people are genuinely nice and trusting. The onsen was great! It was on the top floor and overlooked the port. There were three baths to choose from, all filled with different minerals and varying in colors. I loved the Chinese teabath that made my skin look orange in the water. Afterwards we went back to the hostel and slept in our traditional Japanese beds and listened to the ocean below.

My friend Amanda enjoying the sea and scenery of Obama

The next day we had lunch at the sushi place with Al and also visited the famous Obama shop. Dedicated to all things Barack and Obama city. They have a their own promotion with his picture on it and I bought my fair share of memorbilia. Check it out!

   

That evening walked around the various piers, talked to fisherman, visited the outlying beaches and islands and admired the scenery. It is a great area that is very chill with people who are incredibly nice. We decided to save some money and cook dinner that night at the hostel. Crab was so cheap that we could buy two! 

A hawk scavenging for scraps left by the fishermen on the dock. In the background you can see just how small Obama is. 

Our third day we hit the long road home. Road trips in Japan can offer some unexpected twists and turns. I love road tripping in Japan, but there is a cardinal rule. Leave yourself twice as much time as you think you need. To start with, maps in Japan are not really to any particular scale. Even the road signs have their own system. If the sign says you are 21 kilometers from your destination, then it is best to assume you are closer to 40. Thing is, when they measure those kilometers, they are saying "If you stretched a straight line from here to ___city, then it is 21 km." That is not how roads work though, especially in Japan when the majority of the country is mountainous. The road sign people do not account for the twists and turns you encounter. 

On a map your roads are color coded. Red roads are major. They are supposedly big and important, and it is best to stick to those. Yellow roads are a bit more local but still substantial. Green roads are small but still paved and marked. White are....well...you are lucky to see them over the rice paddy grass. Then sometimes you are thrown for a loop. Here is the RED road we encountered on our way home.

 

That sign basically says if you are not driving a major construction vehicle then it is very dangerous to continue this road. The railing you see up ahead is made of simple timber from the side of the road. This road is nothing but mud. We decided to turn around because it was rainy that day and seemed a bit dangerous. This is what we saw on the way back down.