I went on a short trip to Katsuura in Chiba Prefecture the other day. Katsuura is about a two-and-a-half hour train ride from where I live, and is known for its beach, surfers, and seafood. My friends and I were invited over by Mrs. Makiko Kanada, wife of Yoshinori Kanada (an extremely talented animator who passed away this July), to offer incense to Kanada-san's departed soul. This gave us a good excuse to take a short break from our busy work schedules and enjoy some time outside of Tokyo.

The area where the Kanada family lives is an elegant community of summer homes built on a hilly, grassy area. It may not be the most convenient location, but it sure is a great place to lead a relaxed, idyllic lifestyle. We didn't quite understand why Kanada-san chose to commute five grueling hours every day until we actually visited. Now that we've seen where he lived, we know why he did. We chatted over at the house for a while, but politely declined Makiko's offer to stay overnight at her house. We knew she already was stressed out from dealing with the passing of her husband, and didn't feel it was appropriate to bother her further by staying at her home as well.

After we returned to our small hotel near the train station, we decided to walk over to another hotel where we were offered free access to its spa facility. This hotel chain is famous for its Ougon- buro (golden bathtub). The bathtub is made of 18k gold and comes with a tacky crown suspended from  above, which you may wear while bathing. It is valued at 150,000,000 JPY (approximately $1,666,250 US) and has been the hotel chain's main attraction for ages. One of the 80 kg (176 lb) bathtubs was stolen a couple of years ago, but was replaced couple of months later. I was determined to try this unique tub experience, but as it turned out, the golden bathtub was not offered to us at the particular facility we had free access to. I guess it was reserved for the main hotel's guests. I texted my friends from the bathing area to see if they had any luck, but they were just as disappointed as I was. Though our enthusiasm was dampened a bit by this incident, we managed to enjoy the rest of our stay, despite a typhoon that was heading towards Japan at the time. Makiko-san was kind enough to drive us around, so the rain didn't affect that many of our plans. We promised to return there in December for a winter nabe party (nabe is stewed veggies and meat or fish in an earthen pot, and is one of the most popular home party foods in Japan). I know there's no sense in wanting to change the past, but I really wished I'd traveled there while Kanada-san was still alive.