Comments on: 2008-06-21 Summer Solstice http://onemanwalking.com/2008/06/21/2008-06-21-summer-solstice/ leaving a trail across Japan Tue, 19 Jul 2011 05:12:15 +1200 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: craig http://onemanwalking.com/2008/06/21/2008-06-21-summer-solstice/comment-page-1/#comment-353 craig Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:52:47 +0000 http://onemanwalking.com/2008/06/21/2008-06-21-summer-solstice/#comment-353 hi Shelby, Thanks for the info. I'll start looking out for the Y plates now. that really is a nice area to be stationed so close to. but then most of Japan is. hi Shelby,
Thanks for the info. I’ll start looking out for the Y plates now. that really is a nice area to be stationed so close to. but then most of Japan is.

]]> By: Shelby Jennings http://onemanwalking.com/2008/06/21/2008-06-21-summer-solstice/comment-page-1/#comment-344 Shelby Jennings Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:10:15 +0000 http://onemanwalking.com/2008/06/21/2008-06-21-summer-solstice/#comment-344 Hello Craig! I have just stumbled across your blog from a Google search for "Towada Shrine." I have read many of your blogs, but I would like to leave you a comment, specifically, on the blog entitled "2008-06-21 Summer Solstice." In your blog, you write, "Today I saw 9 people of European descent. They were all in cars, whizzing about doing their own things. This is worth noting because I’ve not seen any non-Japanese people since Nagano more than two weeks ago. I guess Oirase is, quite rightly, mentioned in a few guidebooks." I have some information for you that, if you do not already know it, will clarify your recent sighting of the "people of European descent." Oirase Gorge and Lake Towada are only 75 km away from, and VERY popular weekend destinations for, the people of Misawa Air Base. Misawa Air Base is a joint American-Japanese military base located (you guessed it) in Misawa. The Air Base is home to approximately 12,000 American military members and their dependents, including myself and my husband! It is very likely that the people of European descent you saw on your travels through Oirase were from the military base. My husband and I vacationed in Oirase/Towada just this weekend, in fact. While we were traveling through the Gorge, we witnessed many Americans from the military base- more than we thought we would. So, it is my belief that many of the people you saw were probably also from the military base. American military members stationed in Japan are easy to spot, because all of our license plates on our cars are marked with a "Y" in place of the normal kanji character in front of the numbers. Someone once told me that this stands for "Yankee." Whether or not this is true, American military members stationed in Japan are the only people to receive this license-plate designation and it is illegal for an American military member to even ride in a car without the "Y." So, if you did not already know this, perhaps it will enhance your future sightings of non-Japanese people in this Japanese island nation. Good luck with your travels! Itte irasshai! Hello Craig! I have just stumbled across your blog from a Google search for “Towada Shrine.” I have read many of your blogs, but I would like to leave you a comment, specifically, on the blog entitled “2008-06-21 Summer Solstice.”
In your blog, you write, “Today I saw 9 people of European descent. They were all in cars, whizzing about doing their own things. This is worth noting because I’ve not seen any non-Japanese people since Nagano more than two weeks ago. I guess Oirase is, quite rightly, mentioned in a few guidebooks.” I have some information for you that, if you do not already know it, will clarify your recent sighting of the “people of European descent.”
Oirase Gorge and Lake Towada are only 75 km away from, and VERY popular weekend destinations for, the people of Misawa Air Base. Misawa Air Base is a joint American-Japanese military base located (you guessed it) in Misawa. The Air Base is home to approximately 12,000 American military members and their dependents, including myself and my husband! It is very likely that the people of European descent you saw on your travels through Oirase were from the military base.
My husband and I vacationed in Oirase/Towada just this weekend, in fact. While we were traveling through the Gorge, we witnessed many Americans from the military base- more than we thought we would. So, it is my belief that many of the people you saw were probably also from the military base.
American military members stationed in Japan are easy to spot, because all of our license plates on our cars are marked with a “Y” in place of the normal kanji character in front of the numbers. Someone once told me that this stands for “Yankee.” Whether or not this is true, American military members stationed in Japan are the only people to receive this license-plate designation and it is illegal for an American military member to even ride in a car without the “Y.”
So, if you did not already know this, perhaps it will enhance your future sightings of non-Japanese people in this Japanese island nation.
Good luck with your travels! Itte irasshai!

]]> By: Peter A http://onemanwalking.com/2008/06/21/2008-06-21-summer-solstice/comment-page-1/#comment-333 Peter A Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:16:48 +0000 http://onemanwalking.com/2008/06/21/2008-06-21-summer-solstice/#comment-333 Hahaha! The increasing look of masked anxiety as you wander on to the road! How much of the day did you spend naked. Were the stares you received because you were naked? Hahaha! The increasing look of masked anxiety as you wander on to the road!

How much of the day did you spend naked. Were the stares you received because you were naked?

]]> By: Alison http://onemanwalking.com/2008/06/21/2008-06-21-summer-solstice/comment-page-1/#comment-332 Alison Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:47:49 +0000 http://onemanwalking.com/2008/06/21/2008-06-21-summer-solstice/#comment-332 Photo of the island looks magical. This part of the country sounds all together more scenic. Hope you didn't catch a cold! Alison Photo of the island looks magical. This part of the country sounds all together more scenic.

Hope you didn’t catch a cold!

Alison

]]>