Japan likes to package their country in groups of three: three best gardens, three best temples, etc. Well, the next stop on our road trip was one of the three "most beautiful scenic views." Amanohashidate, whose name I butchered countless times when trying to remember/pronounce it, means "bridge in heaven." It is a sand bar a few miles long, covered in 8000 pine trees, with mountains on both sides.
While certainly the stroll on this narrow strip of land as well as the view from up above were lovely, I will mostly remember this place for two things: 1)the town's pine cone mascot and 2)seeing everyone bend over to see the land bridge upside down.
The mascot came out of nowhere on a very hot day. I was first drawn to it when I heard about 50 middle aged Japanese tourists shriek in delight upon seeing it come to greet them. Indeed, they had good reason to because I think it's one of the top three "cutest things Brian's ever seen." Of course, I had my picture taken with it and was giddy as hell. And this brings me to a point I'd like to make about why I love Japan...because Japanese of all ages take incredible delight in the fun of animation/cartoons. Anything that can have a smiley face on it, does. Even a indigestion poster on the train shows a picture of an animated stomach. It's never cynical, rarely sophisticated, and always childlike. I wish America was as playful.
And, after the mascot, the "bend over" was everywhere. Tourist after tourist perform this goofy exercise and graphic illustrations of it are all over the town. It's imprinted on pastries, printed on storefront windows, anything you can think of. I loved it.
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