Come with me as I take 3 days to explore this amazing location on what will be an unforgettable journey.

3日間の忘れられない旅に出掛けましょう！

Let's go!

行きましょう！

[Life in Japan Theme Song]

1日目

Day 1

準備出来ました バックにドローン

Ok we're packed up here.

マイ枕も大事です

I've got my bag ready, I've got my drone here...

服と靴も持ちました

Got my pillow, because you want to sleep with your own pillow when you can

準備完了です！

And bag with clothes, extra shoes, and a bag

都市生活は忙しいです

I think we're ready to do this thing — let's go!

目先の事に追われて 大事な事を見失う時もあります

Life in the city goes by at an almost frightening pace.

遊歩道を歩いて 吊り橋に行きます

It's far too easy to get caught up in all the little details of life that we lose perception of the big picture.

ビジョンを明確にする為 毎年3日間 リトリートをしています

I've come to this trail here. I'm going to go to the suspension bridge.

色んな事を振り返り

In order to keep the big picture in view, each year I hop in the car and go on a 3-day personal retreat.

自然の中で人生を内省します

These retreats are times of reflection and processing,

上手くいった事は？

a time to enjoy nature and to take a personal inventory on life.

改善すべき事は？

What's going well?

成長するには？

What needs improvement?

良い人生への鍵です

How can I develop as a person?

城ヶ崎自然コースにいます

The answer to these questions and many others keeps my life on track.

海岸線沿いの美しいコースです

I'm currently on Jogasaki Nature Course

この海岸線は噴火で形成されました

It's a several kilometer course along the coastline and it is just beautiful.

巨大な溶岩流が海に流れました

This whole coastline was formed as the volcano erupted

階段です

And this giant lava flow came out and met the sea

素晴らしい場所です

And more stairs

自然に触れ合う事が好きです

What an absolutely gorgeous place.

瞑想して優先順位を見直します

Getting out into nature is one of the things I love to do for my own personal retreat.

吊り橋に来ました

A time to think clearly, to reset priorities,

その後で車に戻ります

I'm almost to the Hashidate Suspension Bridge...

4キロ位です

And then I get to turn around and go back to the car

宿に帰ります

Which is probably about—almost 4 kilometers back

自然愛好家なら 日本が好きになるでしょう

And then on to my hotel for the night.

自然の中で 心も落ち着きます

If you're a nature lover like me, then Japan is a fantastic place to live

吊り橋です

and getting out into nature puts me into a peaceful state of mind.

迂回路もあります

Here's the bridge.

でも橋を渡ります

If you don't want to do the bridge, there's a chicken out route.

すごい！

We will not be taking the chicken out route.

トレーニングしてます

Very cool.

ここで…

There's people practicing repelling down there it looks like.

渡りました！

And over here, oh yea!

車に戻ります

And that's the bridge.

こういう登山道では

Well now I'm heading back towards the car

見たことが無い景色に出会えます

But on a trail like this the nice thing is that even when you start heading the other way,

太陽が出てきて

It looks like you haven't been there, because you haven't seen this before.

ゴージャスな海岸線です

The sun has come out

昼食を取ります

And it is absolutely gorgeous coastline.

サンドイッチです

Well, I found the perfect spot for lunch here. And what's for lunch?

ツナのおにぎり

I have a sandwich: tomato, lettuce, ham & egg.

ヨーグルトとオレンジジュース

A tuna & mayonnaise onigiri

鳥が食べ物を狙ってます

And blueberry yogurt with an orange juice.

険しい岩場です

I think there's a bird over here that wants to steal my food. But you can't have it.

寒くなったので 歩きます

Those rocks down there are really wild.

多忙さから離れて 自然を満喫しています

I'm starting to feel a little bit chilly, so it's time to get moving again. I'll warm right up.

皆さんはどうですか？

A little bit of time in nature, and I'm already unwinding from the busyness of life.

駐車場に戻りました

How do you unwind?

無事に戻れました

Here we are. Back to the parking. Oh!

見て下さい

So nice. It's a great walk and it's good to be back.

宿まで車で48分です

Look at this.

素晴らしい初日です

From here it's a 48 minute drive to my hotel.

海岸線沿いに 沢山の名所があります

And these three days are off to a great start.

とても気に入りました

So many beautiful stops along this road. It's just one beautiful coastline after another.

楽しかったです

I love it. This is the first time for me to be down this coastline this far.

伊豆半島に2泊3日します

It's been a lot of fun.

リセットの為の時間です

I'm planning 3 days, 2 nights in the Isu Peninsula.

部屋です ベットや机もあります

This should give me enough time to unwind and reset.

海岸に行きましょう！

And here's my room. It's got a nice place to work, a bed, a toilet... everything I'll need.

すごい

Definitely to the beach.

美しい

Oh yea.

最高のドライブコースです

Beautiful.

美しい夜です

Driving along here, it is just absolutely gorgeous.

天は神の栄光を語り告げ

What a beautiful evening.

大空は御手のわざを告げ知らせる

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

美味しそう！

The skies display his craftsmanship.

食べましょう！

What a beautiful looking breakfast, oh yes!

ホテルのご主人は感じのよい人です

OK, let's eat!

少し話しました

So I talked with the host, he's a super nice guy and made a great breakfast...

お勧めの場所を教えてもらいました

We sat there and chatted for awhile

楽しみです！

And he gave me some points of things that I should check out here

外ではオーディオブックや

And so I'm very excited to go check them out today.

聖書を聴いて祈ります

And while I go, the whole time I'm listening to audio books,

神様との豊かな時間です

I'm listening to the Bible, I'm praying,

御言葉に耳を澄ませます

And this is just a great way that I really am able to connect with God

下賀茂で河津桜と菜の花を楽しみました

And I'm able to hear his voice. It's great.

青野川沿いを散策して楽しみます

My first stop was at Shimogamo to see the joint blooming of the Sakura, or Cherry blossoms with the yellow Canola flowers.

最高の経験です

You can walk for kilometers up and down the Aono River and take it all in, one step at a time.

日本人とこの国の自然が大好きです

It was the perfect day for this once-a-year experience.

次に海岸に戻りました

So I like the Japanese: I love nature and I love that this is a country that loves nature.

伊豆半島の最南端です

Next I returned to the shoreline to explore some of its famous points.

すごい灯台があります

This right here is the southern most tip of the Isu Peninsula.

息を吞む絶景です

And it has this incredible lighthouse here.

日没と日の出が素晴らしいです

And just astonishing views

風が強いです

It says sunset and sunrise are great here.

伊豆七島です

It is extremely windy here at the tip.

伊豆諸島が見えます

Here are the seven islands of the Isu Peninsula

大島、利島、新島、式根島

And from here, you can see most of them.

他にも

There's Ooshima, Toshima, Niijima, Shikinejima...

現在地です

And some others

駐車場が見えます

And there's where we are

歩いてすぐです

From here you can see back to the parking.

メールが来ました

It's just a short walk from there to here.

絶景を求めて登ります

(Cell phone dings) Looks like I got reception.

また素晴らしい景色です

I'm climbing this loop that is supposed to have incredible views.

この時間をくれた 妻に感謝します

Just like everywhere else here has incredible views.

結婚生活や人生を良くする為にも 大事な時間です

I'm so thankful for my wife. She makes this all possible—that I can go away for a couple of days.

すごい！

And do this, it really makes a difference for our marriage, for our family, for our own lives and direction. We need this.

ルース！寂しいよ！

Oh yeah.

次は一緒に写真を撮ろう

Aww Ruth, where are you?

撮影が楽しいですが

Aw!

編集が大変そうです

Wouldn't I love to get a picture with you here.

この海岸は見逃せません

I definitely enjoy getting lots of footage here

ここから登りです

But later on it has to get edited, so I should take some time and pace myself.

登ります ご飯を食べてよかったです

There's probably only so many seashores that we need to see.

宿のご主人に教えてもらいました

It looks like I have a bit of a hike coming up.

富士山の絶景が楽しめるそうです

So let's start the climb. Boy, it's a good thing I just had some lunch.

楽しみです

My friend back at the hotel, who runs the hotel, kindly told me about this place

最初の階段は ただのウォームアップでした

And that it has spectacular views of (Mt) Fuji, and that it's worth visiting.

これが本番です

So I'm giving it a try, right here.

一度に一歩.. 人生と同じように

So apparently that first stairway was only a warm up — check this out.

一度にしなくても 競争しなくても大丈夫

That is a whole lot of stairs.

一歩ずつ進めば 必ず大丈夫

One step at a time...just like life, one step at a time.

こうした場所は 階段が多くあります

You don't have to do it all at once, you don't have to race up it.

何かに辿り着く為に 努力する必要を体現してるみたいです

You just gotta take it step by step, and it will be alright.

息が荒くなってきました

A lot of these places, they have a lot of stairs leading up to them.

終わった！

I think the idea of working hard to get there is part of the attraction.

階段の一番上です 見て下さい

If it sounds like I'm breathing heavy, it's because I am.

すごい岩肌です

The top!

上からの眺めは素晴らしいでしょう

Oh! It's the top of this stairway. Look at that thing.

登山は続きます

Look at this! It's just sheer rock face there

行きましょう

The view from the top, I imagine, is going to be awesome.

険しい道です

But we're not done yet, because the trail goes on.

スイッチバックもします

So let's move on.

本格的な登山です

Well now it's a full-out trail.

危ない

With switch backs and everything.

クリスチャンを含め 登山を精神的な体験と捉える事があります

This thing is all-out mountain climb.

登頂の苦労と得られる喜びには やりがいがあります

Gnarly, Dude.

多分あれが頂上です

Climbing up a mountain is considered a spiritual experience for people all over the world, Christians included.

あと少し

There's something about the struggle of reaching the top and the perspective you gain from it that is so rewarding.

そうでした

I think that's the top right up there. It could very well be.

神社が見えます 最後の階段です

Just a little bit more to go.

行きましょう

I was correct.

水が信じられないほど青いです

I can see the shrine. I can see a final stairway.

遂に登りました

Here we go.

まだ上に行けます

The water here is just incredibly blue.

最高の景色はこの上です

Whew! I hiked up from all the way down there.

一番頂上です

And you can still go a little bit higher yet.

良い場所を教えてもらいました

The best view must be from up here. That would be my guess.

すごい！

The very top point of this mountain.

富士山は雲で見えません

What a great suggestion from my friend back at the inn.

でも大した事はありません この絶景！

Wow!

素晴らしい！

Eh!

建築は大変だった事でしょう

Holy cow!

この山は半島から 更に突き出ています

Mt Fuji would be over there, but you can't see it now because of the clouds.

半島が囲んでいて

But it really doesn't matter — what a view!

中心に山があります

What a place!

凄い地形です

Somebody worked really really hard to build that there.

下山は楽ですが 足には負担です

This mountain is absolutely crazy because it sits apart—like outside of the main peninsula,

滑落しない様に気を付けます

You see, there's the main peninsula, it just goes all the way around,

注意しないと滑ります

And then there's like this mountain right in the middle of it

スキーで下りれたら楽しいのに

What craziness!

普通の靴じゃなくて

Going down is certainly easier on the heart, but harder on the legs.

雪の時に

And you have to be a little bit more sure footed on the way down because

階段ではなく

It can be easier to slip if you're not careful.

もし雪山だったら スキーで下ります

Too bad I just can't ski down this thing. That would be cool.

車にハイキング用の靴があるのを 忘れてました

I mean, not with these shoes, that wouldn't be cool.

もうすぐゴールです

Not without skis, on snow...

下に駐車場があります

Not on a stairway...

水を飲みます

But assuming this was a mountain with snow, and I had skis on, I would totally go for this.

あれがさっきの山です

The ironic thing is that my hiking shoes are in the car. I had no idea.

想定外に良い場所でした

Oh, here we go. It's the end—almost the end of the journey.

絶景に行くための階段

The parking lot's down there, my car's down there

とにかく好きです

And I have water down there, so that's good.

また見つけてしまいました

Look at that—that's what I just hiked up—that huge pointy mountain.

素晴らしすぎます

I had no idea it was going to be like that, but what a great suggestion.

日本が好きな理由です

Big stairway up a mountain leading to a great view? Hey, why not?

自然や絶景が大好きです

I am just an absolute sucker for these things...

日本が誇るべき物です

I see one and I can't pass it up.

野生の木が茂ってます

It's just too good— too awesome.

ゴージャスな眺め

That's one of the things I absolutely love about living in Japan—

木を切ったようです

Is that I share this love for nature, for incredible places

お花畑に出来そうです

And the Japanese certainly have that down pat.

春が素晴らしいでしょう

Some absolutely wild trees down in here.

素晴らしい一日でした 宿に戻って休憩します

Gorgeous view.

コーヒーを買います

It looks like they've cleared out a lot of trees here.

宿に戻る前に 最後の寄り道をします

And a lot of trees through there so that they could build their flower garden

爪木崎公園を散歩し 崖の上の灯台に向かいます

Which I'm sure will be spectacular when it's in season.

伊豆半島には数々の名所があります

It's been just a great day. It's time to head back to the hotel and rest a little bit.

すごい

Before we keep going: a quick pitstop for some coffee, oh yes!

もう日が沈みますが また階段？！

Before heading back to the hotel, I decided to take one final detour.

完璧な構図です

This time I would walk through the gardens at Tsumekizaki Park and head up to the lighthouse on it's cliffs.

待ってくれていたみたいです

There really is no lack of incredible places here in the Isu Peninsula.

間違いない！

This is awesome.

夕暮れの灯台は 2日目の締めくくりに相応しい時でした

And it might be the end of the day but hey stairs! Why not?

家族や友人 日本への感謝に満たされます

Oh! Well now if that isn't just perfect framing.

皆さんと旅をご一緒でき 感謝しています

It's like they were expecting you to come this way.

温泉付きのホテルにも感謝です！

Yes! Don't mind if I do.

最高の一日でした 部屋に戻りました

Seeing the lighthouse at dusk was a perfect way to close up the second day.

温泉の時間です！

And as I reflected more, I was overcome with thankfulness for my family, my friends, Japan and our lives here.

温泉に入りましょう！

I'm thankful for each one of you who is making this journey with us.

ここで着替えます

And I am thankful for a hotels with onsens.

入浴の前に体を洗います

Oh! What a fantastic day, and now I'm back in my room. It feels good to be back!

そしたらお風呂を楽しんでください！

And it's time for an onsen bath!

3日目

Here we go — into the stone onsen!

3日目の朝に龍宮窟に行きました

You get changed right here, and after you get changed you come over here...

絶え間ない潮流が 印象的な岩肌を作り上げます

You shower off. Japanese always shower off before entering the onsen.

この洞窟は 上から見ると ハートのように見えると言われています

And then right here you take the top off and enjoy!

ハートはあるのでしょうか？ 見て下さい！

Day 3

砂丘を見てください！

As day 3 dawned, I made my way down to Ryugu Sea Cave.

昨日スキーの話をしましたが

The persistent tides of the ocean carve impressive structures out of these rocky coastlines.

あの砂丘では スキーが出来そうです！

Here at Ryugu, they say that the cave that was formed even looks like a heart from above.

帰り道に 河津七滝を訪れました

I wondered if there would actually be a heart. There's a heart. Look at that.