Surviving August!
August in Japan is...well...as the Japanese say, while drawing air through their teeth, muzukashi (difficult). It's too hot. It's too humid! It's too noisy (cicada overload). BUT to make up for the difficulties of the season they have lots of festivals, fireworks, and other fun events. So here is how we survived August this year - Bon Odori festival and fireworks on Camp Zama. It's an open base event meaning lots of local people come on base and enjoy looking around and buying food at the PX. The city of Yokohama hosts an annual fireworks display (August is "fireworks season" and there are multiple fireworks events every weekend). The Yokohama fireworks are shot off from a barge that just so happens to be located right by the US Military base - Yokohama North Dock. So while everyone else is crowding along the shore and the surrounding area is packed with people, if you have a US Military ID you can get on base at the North Dock facility and have a FRO...