In Need of Directions

Japan is a country that does not believe in street signs. For the most part, streets in this area of Wakayama do not have signs. From what I have heard, the only cities with a fair amount of street signs is Kyoto and Hiroshima. Of course, the main roads have numbers but for the most part directions here consist of "turn left at the smiley face sign", "right at the liquor store", "cross over the train tracks", "turn right at the shrine" and "continue past Roman City". If you are not very observant and good at directions, then Japan may not the country for you or if it is, you will just have to adapt quickly.

On Friday night, my second closest JET neighbour, Sarah, invited me over for dinner and now the search began for our meeting point. I was to go down the main road past the local mall called Roman City, and turn off at the road by a store called Party House and go into Mihama-cho which is about a 20 minute ride from my apartment. I knew I had to ver to the right, cross over a bridge and then look for a mom and pop shop that had some vending machines in front of it. Easy right. Well I got a little lost and instead found a beautiful field with sunflowers and saw a lot more of Mihama-cho than I had planned.

Sunflower fields in Mihama
After asking for some directions from a local, I happened upon the corner store and met up with Sarah. We then went riding to Enjukuhama Beach and past a shrine that is the birthplace of Yoshimune Tokugawa , the eight shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. The great thing about living in a more rural part of Japan is that you encounter great historical places and beautiful scenery at every turn.
Enjukuhama Beach; Seagulls on the beach Shrine that is the birthplace of the eight shogun of the Tokugawa Ieyasu shogunate
After our bike ride, we had some dinner and had a scare with a flying bug (time to buy some screens, Sarah!). Freaked out by the bug, I hightailed it home riding back through the dark country roads and figuring out some new landmarks for my next visit to Mihama-cho. Next time, I`ll be on the look out for the Lawson`s convenience store, a sake shop and a supermarket.