Going back to Kumamoto City

This video is loaded with laughter and fun as we drove back to Kumamoto City. It was my first time driving in Japan so it was a quick learning curve to drive on the left side of the roadways and steer from the right side of the car. Everything seemed to be reverse with the turning signal lever on the right side of the steering wheel and the windshield wiper lever on the left side of the wheel. As we headed back to Kumamoto City, we stopped at Misumi Nishi Ko (Misumi West Port) and learned some history about the port that opened in 1887. Misumi Nishi Ko supported the Meiji Era Industrial Revolution in Japan and flourished as a distribution center. This port was very important for exporting coal to Shanghai, China. Under "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining, Misumi Nishi Ko is one of 23 properties registered as World Cultural Heritage Sites in July 2015. Our journey included another stop at the famous Nagabeta Kaishoro Tidal Road which is also known as the Nagabeta Disappearing Road in Sumiyoshi Kaigan Park in Uto City, Kumamoto, Kyushu, Japan. In 1974, the Nagabeta Disappearing Road was created by the local fishermen of the Sumiyoshi area. This disappearing road was built to provide access for local fishermen to transport seaweed and shellfish by truck from the Ariake Sea during low tide. The 1.5 km road is famous for appearing during low tide and vanishing at high tide. There are 24, or roughly 1 kilometer of utility poles that stand in the water. The Nagabeta Disappearing Road is not a natural sight to see, it’s surreal and reinforced my thoughts about the unified mindset and effort of the Japanese people to build this road in sections at a time during low tide. The Ariake Sea is the largest bay in Kyushu and has the largest tidal difference in Japan which is about 6 meters or nearly 20 feet. We were very grateful/thankful for Toru and Masaki sharing their priceless time with us. It was truly an unforgettable experience to drive in Japan as we continued to share more laughter and good times. We hope you will watch this video and laugh out loud, too. Aloha to all, take care and keep living the dream! Matt & Susette Higashida