Kamakura

I didn't know where I was going today until late last night. I read about a lot of places but couldn't decide on a place to go next. Oona suggested Kamakura and it seemed like a cool place. There was a hostel that had a room available and it was only an hour away from Tokyo. I checked out of my Tokyo hostel this morning then caught a couple trains to Kamakura.

Hold onto your hat.

I arrived and checked into my hostel. I decided to walk to the 7-11 to get some rice balls for lunch  (as I do most days). As I walked there, an old man on a bicycle screeched to a halt next to me. He asked if I spoke English and when I said yes, handed me a piece of paper with a long note collaged with pictures of food, raccoons, and cigarettes. The note reads as follows:

"If you should find this memo, please get in touch with me as soon as possible. I'd like to correspond with you or a good friend. It is my dream for a long time to receive an English letter from someone. I like playing tennis and gardening with my wife. Her name is Teruyo Kakiyama. We are both 71 years old and pensioners. We have two sons and four grandchildren. If you live in Japan, it is more convenient for me. Well, that's all for today. I am looking forward to your reply. Take care of yourself. Sincerely, Yojiro Kakiyama"

He explained that he had been studying English for five years and hoped that once I got home I would write him a letter. Lucky for him, I love sending and receiving mail so I definitely will send him some mail once I get home. I googled his name and found several other travel bloggers who had written about receiving a similar note so I guess he must carry around several notes and hand them to all the foreigners he encounters.

I've got two nights booked in my Kaumkura hostel. I think I'm going to take it easy for a while then go see some of the temples here.