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86|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTNATUREKYOTOONETHINGWE’VENOTICEDABOUTTHEJAPANESE:THEYCANBEFRIGHTFULLYCOMPETITIVEWITHONEANOTHER.ALLOVERTHECOUNTRYEVENTHEMOSTHUMBLEOFPREFECTURESMUSTCLAIMTOBETHEBIGGEST/FASTEST/STRONGEST/BESTINSOMETHING,WHETHERTHAT’SSOBAMAKING,SAKEBREWING,RICEGROWINGETCANDSOON.BUTONETHINGWE’VENOTICEDISTHATNOWHERECLAIMSTOHAVETHEBESTVIEW.THISISPROBABLYWISEASA)IT’SANENTIRELYSUBJECTIVETHINGANDB)BECAUSETHEREALREADYSEEMSTOBEANOFFICIALSELECTIONOFJAPAN’S“GREATESTVIEWS”.WE’VEBEENLUCKYENOUGHTOSEETHEMALLNOW.FIRSTTHEREWERETHEISLANDSOFMATSUSHIMAINMIYAGIPREFECTURE,WHICHADMITTEDLYWEONLYWESAWBRIEFLY;THENTHEREWASTHETORIIGATEATMIYAJIMA,HIROSHIMA,WHICHTHANKSTOSOMEATROCIOUSWEATHERDIDN’TLOOKEXACTLYGREAT.BRIDGETOHEAVENTODAYWEVISITEDTHELASTOFTHEM,AMANOHASHIDATE(THEBRIDGETOHEAVEN,SONAMEDBECAUSEOFHOWITAPPEARSIFYOULOOKATITUPSIDEDOWN,ASBELOW)INNORTHERNKYOTOPREFECTURE.THEBRIDGEITSELFISA3.5KMNATURALSANDBARTHATINTERSECTSABAYANDISJAM-PACKEDWITH8,000PINETREES.YOUCANWALKALONGTHEENTIRETHING,ORVIEWITFROMABOVE.DOESTHATQUALIFYITTHEBESTVIEWINJAPAN?WE’RENOTSURE,BUTWE’RECERTAINTHEWHOLETHINGISPRETTY.DAMNEDPRETTY.
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