sorry, jb, had to do it... 

dave in japan 

and there they are. let it be know that they are chanting "we want cock, we want cock!" thats right ladies, try and deny it... 

thats right, huge phallically splendiferically funny penises, and lots of them...indeed, welcome to the land of virility, hopeful soon to be parents, and yet another one of those places where you're wondering just where in god's name are you...it was a trip, but a little intimidating, especially as matt and i were outnumbered by ladies, four to one... 

okay, shifting gears. this is a pleasant little shrine we visited in the mountains. but wait, look closer...tell me what you see 

and a great elementary school to boot...no, not one class, you're looking at the whole school 

then there is this... 

these guys... 

kids kicking the crap out of one another in the rain (look at that girl, pure trepidation...she's about to get a little piece of what that kid on the left is getting)

...me sharing a large skirt with a japanese woman while trying to pop balloons... 

on a lighter note, there was also the jedi game, one of my personal favorites... 

this sports day also hosted something i couldn't even conjure up in my most horrid nightmares...for those of you who know my abject abhorrence for clowns, you can only imagine what images like this did 

...this is why there are now 4 japanese men driving me face first into the ground. ironically - or fortunately rather - as a result of my nihonjin deviance, at least we were going rather slow when we hit the ground... 

this is the mukade (centipede) race; see the legs, all tied together? i'm not sure who decided i should be in front, but if you look carefully, you'll notice that my right foot is planted hard and that i'm trying to lift my left. you might also notice that everyone else is doing the exact opposite... 

these kids go through some pretty ridiculous lengths to entertain, and entertain they do...they also get hurt. i've been to three of these events, and not one was injury free. hell, i tore up my own palms and knees at one of them and i only participated in some 4 or 5 events. i love this picture; i guess the spotters told those kids on top, "if you're going to fall, make sure you fall backwards..." 

sunday sunday sunday! the most bizarre, dangerous, and downright frightening - if not fun as hell - sporting event you could ever imagine. if you're not there you better be in jail of dead, and if you're in jail...break out!!! thus, the japanese sports day...let er' rip... 

this preceded another intimate moment with a jellyfish 

and kickass rocks to climb 

with pink boats 

a beautiful place 

heading to omijima island via my kickin' roadster; aptly named cecil, by the way... 

...and paydirt 

nothing more satisfying that the rewards that follow a hard day in the ocean 

?? 

megan nabbed three in honor of this special day, september 3rd; i pulled in about 10, and these suckers were huge