5/05/2025 - 11/05/2025 Week 8 in Japan

Week 8 has been a quieter week and Chloe and I have made the most of exploring the local area a bit more. Monday was still part of the golden week holidays and the sun was shining so we decided to head to a local park with Louise and Jesus. We took a picnic and a frisbee and spent the day relaxing in the sun. The park was pretty busy with lots of locals fishing in a stream with handmade fishing rods made out of sticks and string and after looking closer we saw that they were catching something that looked like a mix of a lobster and a crab and a scorpion!! It was pretty creepy and some people had caught about 4 and had them in a plastic container ready to take home. We also got approached by a little girl and her mum who wanted to practice their English with us and we listened while a little girl introduced herself to us before promptly running off … it was very cute. 

I’ve been getting back into running here and it’s been a great way to explore the local area! Most days I find I either run in the scorching hot sun or the absolute torrential rain and on Tuesday, it was a run in the rain for me. With rain comes frogs though and I got half way through the route and came across a MASSIVE toad sat in the middle of the road. Mobara is known for having lots of rain and therefore there are lots of frogs; I can hear them from the apartment croaking away but until Tuesday, I hadn’t actually seen any. After phoning Chloe and freaking out about the frog, there was nothing for me to do other than just carrying on, so I sped past it and didn’t look back. Whilst it was the first frog I’ve seen here, I definitely don’t think it will be the last.

This week I have definitely noticed a lot of Japanese people noticing me…. I am very, very different to the average person here and in quite a rural city like Mobara, I stand out quite a lot. I’ve had a lot of stares and I even had an older lady run up to me in a supermarket to say ‘hello’! It’s certainly different to being at home!!!

On Sunday, Chloe and I headed out in the mushi mushi (hot and humid) to explore a local Buddhist temple in the next town over. By the temple there is also a sign for ‘Mutzusawa Woods of Relaxation’ and so we decided to explore both that day. We started with the walk but found that the steps up a steep hill had completely been overtaken by nature and there was no access from that point so we walked to the temple first and tried to access the walk from that spot instead. The temple gates alone were amazing and it was painted a bright red and wood carvings decorating the roof.

A steep staircase leads the way up to the temple with stone carvings of the Zodiac signs either side. It was really cool and seeing amazing things like this is what I love most about being in Japan. Everyone sees Tokyo online, but, for me, it is the rural towns and cities where you get to see the depth of Japan. The nature is a rich green and the streets are lined with local, family restaurants where you can eat for £5. Just a short walk down the street and you will probably come across a shrine or a temple that takes your breath away. 

After walking around the temple for a while, Chloe and I ventured into the ‘Woods of Relaxation’ and let’s just say…. It was the furthest thing from relaxing I have experienced in a long time. After a short amount of time, we quickly realised that the steps and trails had been completely overgrown and any semblance of path was hard to find. The woods quickly dissolved into a dense forest and I could feel bugs and leaf canopies dropping onto my head. After about 10 minutes of trying to walk this route, I round the corner to try and see if the path clears up and come across a path FILLED with creepy crawlies. There were ant trails, jumping spiders, and worst of all, the dangerous Japanese centipede, the Mukade! It’s a big centipede with short legs and a shiny body and it’s known to be very dangerous!

Click before to read a blog about the mukade!

I absolutely bolted out of there and I swear I can still feel bugs crawling over me now….