For all the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, about 60 miles away one can find pockets of quiet, natural serenity. My good friends the Kataokas have found a wooded haven from the busy cities in the beach-side village of Akiya. I spent my last 24 hours in Japan there. The beach of Akiya has some interesting rock formations that have been featured for hundreds of years in woodblock prints and photos. It was a beautiful place to end a very successful trip to Japan.

If you look closely, you might see the famous silhouette of Mt. Fuji. This was the first time I had seen it in 5 visits to Japan!