# Guess who is back??????



## spikethebest (Feb 10, 2011)

Hi Everybody!!!!

I am back. I am sure most of you didn't even realize I wasn't around very much, but I left the country for 4 weeks to do a mission with the US Army in Japan. 

Here are some pics of my adventure...

I am definitly open to answering any questions you have about the mission (that is unclassified of course, so if it is secret, I wont tell you, so please dont ask me again... ), about Japan, about the food, about the women!!! , or anything else you would like to know!


gotta start the trip off right... this was in the first of 3 airports I landed in Japan...






1st airport I landed in at Japan...





"western" toilet with a butt washer.... very common in Japan





Japanese traditional toliet..also very common, especially in the rural areas (where I was)





this model/poster was everywhere... 





lots of good food always on display (no sneeze guards...ever)





control tower of the 3rd airport I landed at in Kumamoto, Japan





gotta love the street lights





and the license plates...lol





and the right side driving, no its not a mirror effect...lol


















tent city





this is my tent. there are many like it, but this one is mine. (i actually share it with 2 other soldiers) 





the MWR tent (morale, welfare, and recreation)





my bed





the door to the shower room, its gets very cold at night.. like 8 degrees cold (not something a guy in southern california knows anything about...lol)


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## Tom (Feb 10, 2011)

Welcome home!


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## Marty333 (Feb 10, 2011)

Welcome back!!! One question how would a girl pee in the second toilet LOL


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## Laura (Feb 10, 2011)

I guess you squat! good luck getting back up! must be for young people!
I would definately need the grab bar!! and I guess wear skirts commando!


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## spikethebest (Feb 10, 2011)

our mission symbol





some Japanese soldiers on base





walk





stop





breakfast, lunch, and dinner





age 20 is the law for smoking and drinking





random





fire statiom





item on the menu... very tasty!!





food we ordered


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## Edna (Feb 10, 2011)

Marty I think of operant word is "squat". Welcome back, Corey. Of course we noticed your absence! Did you like the beer there? Hopefully that's not classified info. My source says their beer is not up to our tastes.


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## spikethebest (Feb 10, 2011)

tasty food





more food





fellow soldiers at the table inside the restaurant





the dessert





more food





a table full of young japanese girls that are amazed to see an American (i was in a place where tourists rarely go, so white people are rarely seen)





very cold and snowy





cold





the McDonalds value menu






Japanese tagging








a hybrid Honda Fit





Japanese National Flag





cup of noodles out of a vending machine. the machines serves hot water and chopsticks





juice, coffee, soda, and water vending machines on base next to the tents





Tommy Lee Jones' picture is posted on most vending machines throughout the city....lol





more food in a grocery store





inside a movie theater





a cardboard pic





octopus noodle soap





raw horse (ume) meat


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## Greg T (Feb 10, 2011)

Really cool. Glad you are back now. Love the pictures - always facinating to see how the rest of the world is!!


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## spikethebest (Feb 10, 2011)

top view of the octopus noodle soup





bakery





dinner with a local





food





raw whale meat










Ninja is the name of the restaurant we ate at





the redbull car, yes there were Redbull girls...lol





one of my fav foods at this 105 Yen sushi bar





and my fav dessert at the same place

















fried octopus





the Japanese military is strictly a defense force





a performance at the Friendship Hall (a place where US Military and Japanese Military gather to socialize and most importantly to drink!)


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## coreyc (Feb 10, 2011)

Welcome back Cory


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## spikethebest (Feb 10, 2011)

breakfast





hot meal for lunch





mmmm snow!!











































in front of Kumamoto Castle































gotta have the mote!















door


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## spikethebest (Feb 10, 2011)

a passed out (drunk) japanese civilian....lol





dinner at a mexican restaurant in downtown Kumamoto, with a bunch of locals











birthday cake in the face!










best beef and rice ever!!!


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## dmmj (Feb 10, 2011)

Quite a few people were wondering where you where especially those who wanted mazuir. Welcome back of course and awesome pics. Did you try any beer from a vending machine? When I visit somewhere I love to go to places where tourists don't usually go,from the pictures I would guess your mission was to try all of japan's food? LOL One more question ( at least a public one) overall in your opinion how are americans in general treated over there , are we liked or disliked? indifferent? I definitely want to go soon and enjoyed your pics immensely. Thanks for posting.


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## spikethebest (Feb 10, 2011)

the Japanese civilians generally hate (yes I know its a strong word to use, ill explain later) non-japanese people. 

I was refused service many many many times for being non-japanese. the older population very much hates us. 

the younger population-- teens to kids, love us. 

the Military greatly appreciates our help and loves us very much. 

but let me note.... this was in a very rural area, where tourists are not common at all. this was not in Tokyo, it was VERY far away from it. and this is just from my experience.


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## tobibaby (Feb 10, 2011)

welcome back  i love the japanese garden so beautiful, hope u enjoyed the trip


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## Torty Mom (Feb 10, 2011)

Yes, we missed you!!! Thanks for all the pictures, very cool! Looks like you had an amazing trip! Glad you are home safe!  
Not really hip on the restroom facility, squat? really? I just know I would pee on my leg!


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## Isa (Feb 10, 2011)

Welcome back Cory  Thanks for sharing the pics with us, they are beautiful


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## Angi (Feb 10, 2011)

Very cool pictures. Thanks for sharing


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## ChiKat (Feb 10, 2011)

You took a few pictures, didn't you? 
Thanks for sharing! I think it's so interesting to see pictures from other countries.
And they have drunk passed out people too? Look how much we have in common 
Some of the food pictures made me want to throw up though


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## Tortuga_terrestre (Feb 10, 2011)

Awesome Pictures! The cooks from my unit were also in Japan in January..I so wanted to tag along! Its ok, Im going to Fort Hunter Liggett in June for a month! hahahahaha...Cory knows what Im talking about. It sucks there.


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## N2TORTS (Feb 10, 2011)

Yo SPike .... welcome back ... was wundering where ya been ! 

Great pics ..... ~

JD~


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## Maggie Cummings (Feb 10, 2011)

I was gone too Cory, so I didn't know you were gone. I loved the pictures, but I think you are somewhat obsessed with food. I am a cheeseburger person, so none of that food looked very good. Especially the bananas for dessert...I don't think so! I guess I would starve over there. 
I feel the same way the older Japanese do when I see the setting sun on their flag.
WWII is still in my mind...
But I am glad you went and glad you are home...it's always good to travel and you take good pictures...I love seeing how different the stores are


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## Nay (Feb 11, 2011)

Cory, what a nice thing to have you take the time to post all those pics!! Thank you.. I agree it is so cool to see how others live, and what better way to show than pics!!! I take loads also, but its so different now. I used to send my roll out, have it come back a week later and hope there was one good one. Nowadays I take all these pics put them on my computer and save them to a disk.. Not quite the same.. 
And I wouldn't starve there. I love different foods, Although I think I would have to draw the line at horse shushi!!
SO again Thanks

Maggie, where were you?? any place good? And where's your pics!! and even more important. who do you get to watch all your pets?

Nay


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## terryo (Feb 11, 2011)

Welcome home Cory. I'm glad you are home safe and sound. Your pictures were wonderful!! I loved seeing all the food...don't know if I could eat the horse though. I just love when people here go away, and then post their pictures.


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## spikethebest (Feb 11, 2011)

thanks everyone for the very nice comments!! you are all wonderful and near and dear to my heart!

stay tuned for more of Cory's wild and crazy adventures!


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## Kuro (Feb 13, 2011)

very neat!! loved all the pics but the 2-3 of the horse meat...made me sad...i know they have different views on horses i guess but i love them and don't think they should be eaten. to each their own but very sad for me.

hope you post more pics of other places you go!!


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## methos75 (Feb 13, 2011)

Japan rules, I was there last summer for a month in Tokyo doing ATFP stuff for the USAF


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## froghaven5 (Feb 13, 2011)

Very cool pics! Thanks for sharing. My 16 yo son wants to go to Japan. He is looking to join the Marines and hopes to be sent there.
He really enjoyed the pics as well.


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## Neal (Feb 13, 2011)

Did you look around the market places that sell live animals for some ploughshare tortoises?


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## CtTortoiseMom (Feb 13, 2011)

Wow, loved all the pics. This is my second time looking at them. Hope you didn't help their Military out too much. Haha


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## spikethebest (Feb 14, 2011)

Neal said:


> Did you look around the market places that sell live animals for some ploughshare tortoises?



only live animals I saw were Monkeys, fish, and some basic wildlife. 



CtTortoiseMom said:


> Wow, loved all the pics. This is my second time looking at them. Hope you didn't help their Military out too much. Haha



their military wouldnt be anything without us. they need us, and we want to help them as much as we can. 



froghaven5 said:


> Very cool pics! Thanks for sharing. My 16 yo son wants to go to Japan. He is looking to join the Marines and hopes to be sent there.
> He really enjoyed the pics as well.



a LOT of Marines are stationed in Korea and Japan. However, in the past 10 years, a Marine's first and usually 2nd deployments are to Afgan, Iraq, or Africa. Glad you both enjoyed them. 



ChiKat said:


> You took a few pictures, didn't you?
> Thanks for sharing! I think it's so interesting to see pictures from other countries.
> And they have drunk passed out people too? Look how much we have in common
> Some of the food pictures made me want to throw up though


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## Yvonne G (Feb 14, 2011)

I think somebody already said it, but I'll say it again: Looks like your mission was to see how many restaurants you could try out. Are you sure there was military stuff going on too?

Thanks for the toilet pictures. I'm still trying to picture a fully dressed working lady with panty hose, slip, dress, etc. trying to squat over that lowboy and not pee on her clothes.


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## spikethebest (Feb 14, 2011)

emysemys said:


> I think somebody already said it, but I'll say it again: Looks like your mission was to see how many restaurants you could try out. Are you sure there was military stuff going on too?
> 
> Thanks for the toilet pictures. I'm still trying to picture a fully dressed working lady with panty hose, slip, dress, etc. trying to squat over that lowboy and not pee on her clothes.



There was LOTS of military stuff, I just can't/won't post any pics of that stuff. 

haha yea it's crazy!


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