Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 9 hours ago
We drove south from Tokyo—long enough to lose track of the hours, villages giving way to fishing harbors, ferry rides and roadside stops. By the time we reached Miyazaki, we had one plan: to surf. We’d spotted a rental shop with beautiful longboards and decided to head there the next morning.
The day started, as most mornings in Japan, with an onsen. Then we set off to the shop, only to find it closed.
Next door to the surfboard rental was a small wooden coffee shop. Inside, Naoki greeted us with a wide smile and a friendly “hello.” He called the surf shop owner, a friend of his, and sorted the boards for us right away. While we waited, he made coffee, and we walked around admiring the place, the interior, the souvenirs from around the world and the hand-shaped surfboards leaning against the walls. Ola and I didn’t need to say it—this was someone we wanted to know better.
The next day, we came back to ask if we could photograph him. Naoki said yes right away. ‘I love Thule!’ he laughed, pulling out his phone. ‘I’ll call my girlfriend Mai, she can help with translation.’
We ended up spending a big part of our winter with them. Sharing onsens, Christmas morning breakfast, yakiniku dinners and nights camping in parking lots after long days outside.
We’re grateful for the time, the coffee, the food, the laughs, and for seeing the way they move through life—yukkuri.
We drove south from Tokyo—long enough to lose track of the hours, villages giving way to fishing harbors, ferry rides and roadside stops. By the time we reached Miyazaki, we had one plan: to surf. We’d spotted a rental shop with beautiful longboards and decided to head there the next morning.
The day started, as most mornings in Japan, with an onsen. Then we set off to the shop, only to find it closed.
Next door to the surfboard rental was a small wooden coffee shop. Inside, Naoki greeted us with a wide smile and a friendly “hello.” He called the surf shop owner, a friend of his, and sorted the boards for us right away. While we waited, he made coffee, and we walked around admiring the place, the interior, the souvenirs from around the world and the hand-shaped surfboards leaning against the walls. Ola and I didn’t need to say it—this was someone we wanted to know better.
The next day, we came back to ask if we could photograph him. Naoki said yes right away. ‘I love Thule!’ he laughed, pulling out his phone. ‘I’ll call my girlfriend Mai, she can help with translation.’
We ended up spending a big part of our winter with them. Sharing onsens, Christmas morning breakfast, yakiniku dinners and nights camping in parking lots after long days outside.
We’re grateful for the time, the coffee, the food, the laughs, and for seeing the way they move through life—yukkuri.
