Our Japan Trip: Yokkaichi

After spending two, fun filled days in Tokyo, we left on the morning of July 7th to head to Yokkaichi--the small town where Ron lived for two years.  We were able to take a bullet train to Nagoya where we transferred trains to Yokkaichi,  I was so excited to ride one of these famous trains for the first time.  Here is a picture of our bullet train as it pulled up to our platform.

Ron and I with our backpacks getting ready to board the train.

A picture of me and the world flying by us as we gained speed and headed out of Tokyo.

A picture of the beautiful countryside that we passed on our way to Yokkaichi.

After arriving in Yokkaichi a little after 11 o'clock that morning, Ron had the brilliant idea of renting bikes for the next two days as our primary way of getting around this small town.  Luckily, there was a bike rental ride inside the train station.  Here is Ron ready to head out to find our hotel!

Me on my bike ready to do the same.  It really was so much fun cruising all over this town on bikes!

After checking into our hotel, Ron was eager to get out and explore his beloved town.  So we headed out in the sweltering heat to find his old apartment and a few of his other, old haunts.

We cruised through an outdoor shopping area called Ichibangai that Ron used to visit all the time.

We then biked farther out of town to find Ron's old apartment.  Here is Ron in front of the place he called home for two years (he lived on the second floor, third door from the left).

After our daily afternoon nap, Ron's good friend, Takashi, and his wife, Pooh, came and picked us up from the hotel.  We have not seen Takashi since he flew out to Seattle back in the fall of 2007 right after we moved there from Long Beach.  Takashi and his wife first took us to the Yokkaichi Port Tower for a nice, 360 degree view of the town.

Then they took us to a yaki niku restaurant where you cook your meat on a grill found right on your table.  We had a great time talking to them and eating all sorts of meat--including cow tongue which was a first for me!

Funny Takashi and his wife grilling away!  They sure are a silly and fun couple.

We started off the morning of July 8th bright and early by being picked up at our hotel by Ron's former boss, Ms. Kimura, and her husband.  She now teaches at a private high school and had asked us in advance to come and teach her first and second period, English classes.  It was so much fun to be up at the front of a classroom teaching these incredibly respectful, Japanese teenagers.  Ron and I each gave five minute introductions of ourselves (while the students madly took notes).  We then split them up into two teams and played a game that quizzed them on our introductions.

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The students listening to Ron's introduction.

Ron and I with Ms. Kimura's second period class.

After second period, we were picked up by Ms. Kimura's husband and the two of them treated us to lunch at one of the fanciest restaurants in town.  We ate at a shabu shabu style restaurant in our own private room where everything is cooked in a large pot in the middle of the table.  We even had our own waitress wearing a traditional, Japanese kimono help us with the entire process.  The food was delicious and we had a wonderful time talking to the two of them for two hours!

Getting reading to put the vegetables in.

Beginning to cook the vegetables in the pot!  Isn't it so pretty?

Yukio and Yoko Kimura with Ron and me.

Getting ready to leave the restaurant.  The Kimuras were such a sweet and kind couple--they even paid for the entire $235 lunch themselves!  

After the Kimuras dropped us off at the hotel, we quickly changed and went out on another bike ride through the city.  Here we are in a beautiful park we found.

After our bike ride, we returned to our hotel for a quick rest before heading back out to dinner with Takashi and Pooh.  This time they took us to an izakaya style restaurant that specializes in food from Okinawa.  We ate in our own private room and had a good time dining on small dishes--many of which contained pork.  We even ate pig's feet and pig's ears that night!

Takashi, Pooh, Ron, and me inside our private room.