Directions to Tzusu "Sea Glass" Beach

My favorite place to go is a very short distance from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. I have been asked for directions several times, so I thought creating a specific blog post would be helpful.

I have done posts about Tzusu Beach several times.

This one is the first time we went to Tzusu Beach. There are lots and lots of photos!

This is the second time we went and discovered the sea glass for the first time.

This is another link with some fun pictures.

Mother's Day 2011. Tzusu Beach is my favorite thing! We went there on Mother's Day and then dinner at California Chicken. A great Iwakuni day!

So, do you know how to get to Yellow Hat from the Monzen Gate? You can also get there from the main gate...it's just faster to slip out of the Monzen Gate. If not...it's a hardware store on 188 that has a big yellow hat on the sign...it even says "Yellow Hat."

You are at the stoplight, with 188 in front of you and Yellow Hat on your left. You turn left on 188. Check out your odometer because it is EXACTLY 8 kilometers to the turn for Tzusu Beach.

You will know you are getting near, even if you didn't check your odometer, when you see this sign on your left for a pediatrician's office.

Then you will be going slightly up a sort of long hill and about halfway down the decline is when you hit the 8 kilometer mark and turn left (sea is on your left) into the entrance for Tzusu Beach.

The entrance curves to the right and around a retirement home. The parking lot is behind the retirement home.

There is a typical (rusty with weeds) Japanese park (but the kids still love it!) right in front of the parking lot along with restrooms (squatty potties, no Western potties) and a vending machine. Down at the beach, there is a small beach area to the right (with another restroom building) and then if you go left through the tunnel (We yell "ECHO! ECHO!" and "YODLELEYHEHOO!!!!!!!!!") there are a few more areas of beach. Some rocky, some beachy. All fun in their different ways!

You get much, much more sea glass (brown, clear, green, blue and, my favorite, Japanese pottery) when it is low tide. I just found this link that publishes the low and high tide times!

If you go during the week, during the morning, you may see yochien (preschool) kids playing on the beach. They like to run through the tunnel yelliing too!!!!!! :) Sometimes they also bring the residents of the retirement home out in wheelchairs to enjoy the sea view and air.

There is a "Ninja" playground (our title) in the woods behind the beach as well as a rusty zipline that is super fun. YOU NEED TO BRING BUG SPRAY if you plan on going there!!!!!!

Be sure to bring a plastic grocery bag, or two or three, for all of your sea glass and shell treasures. Also, I like to pick up litter along the way as well and throw it away or recycle when I get home.

It's also a good idea to pack a change of clothes for your little people because they will probably get wet, as in soaked, playing in the tide pools.

There is a faucet to rinse your feet at the restrooms closer to the beach, on the level of the big palm trees.

Some days there are freaky bugs that swarm and swarm on the walls and the beach. I tell my kids to stomp (when they're scared) and say "FE! FI! FO! FUM! I smell the blood of an Englishman!" to scare them away. They'll scatter. They really are creepy.

You only need to plan an hour and a half or two hours (with travel) to do this. It is not something you have to save for a Saturday, but a great morning or after school activity. It can be really hot (like everywhere) in the summer, so pack drinks and snacks for the car for the ride home. If you brought a change of clothes...stop at the Gyoza House for a quick lunch on the way home!

Enjoy! I hope this is helpful to my fellow citizens of Iwakuni! :)

Hello Kitty Presents

If you want to throw a "Hello Kitty" party...your best bet is to throw it when you live in Japan.

Hello Kitty merchandise as follows:

Bags, bags, bags and more bags (and funny enough, only one double)

Water bottle

Band-aids

Origami set

Hello Kitty figurines (like Polly Pockets)

Swimming pool intertube

Puffy stickers

Stationery sets

Diary

Washcloths

Scissors

Cups

Headband

Pajamas

I know there's more...........

As well as some really fun Japanese and American craft sets and toys......AND a sarong and keychains (personalized for all of the Wagoner family) from Bali from Chisano Sensei who just got back from an extended vacation in Bali!!!!!!!

WOW!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Claire-chan's Hello Kitty Birthday Party

Our two years at yochien is drawing to a close, with Claire going to kindergarten in the fall, and we wanted to invite all of her classmates to her "Hello Kitty" birthday party.

First, I had the cutest invitation made by a nice person on Etsy

and then I asked Mick's secretary, the FABULOUS Miss Nika-san if she could translate it and provide a form for our Japanese friends to turn in so we could get them approved to come on base.


クレア　５歳の誕生日会のご案内
日にち　：６月３日（日）
時間　：　１２時　～　３時
場所　：　米軍岩国基地内　コミュニティルーム
参加ご希望の方は、エスコートが必要となりますので必要事項をご記入の上、５月２５日までにお申しみくださいますようお願いします。　もし、ご質問等ございましたら、７９-５５９３まで日本語でお問い合わせ下さい。　皆様のお越しをお待ちしております。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　スーザン　ワゴナー

参加者の人数：　
ご住所：　
お電話番号：　

お名前 ローマ字 生年月日


So no turning back....and then I looked at her class list. And my heart hit my toes. 28 kids. 17 Japanese and 11 American. So probably take the 17 x 3 for a parent and a sibling and then the 11 times 2 for just a parent and that adds up to, hmmm, carry the 3...62...oh shoot...add in the bus stop friends.....yep. Around 70 people. Holy Schmoly.

I was reassured by Miss Nika-san that our Japanese visitors would want American food. So I ordered fruit and vegetable trays, barbecue and medium hot chicken wings and pizzas. I found this nifty tip on how to cook hot dogs on Pinterest and then potato chips and dip and puff cheetos.  Note to future party planners who are having Japanese attendees....they really only want the pizza and a few hot dogs. (We ordered more pizzas mid-party.)

Grandma Yochien was kind enough to bring some sushi and rice balls!

We are extraordinarily lucky to have beautiful community rooms that we can reserve and use for free. For the under 7 set, you can have the one which has slides, climbing things and a rock wall. But since there were going to be so many kids/adults, we also checked out a jumpee (again for free) and had that outside. 

The Japanese are very prompt and the party started at 11:55 with some coloring and playing. 

Hello Kitty coloring sheets, of course!

Then we funneled everyone through the food line and panicked a bit over the pizza, but there was plenty of food and we got the backup pizza in time. 

Then, we had the treat of the day!!!!! "Grandma Sensei" is the owner of the Yochien and she brought a kimono to dress Claire up! I took several pictures during the dressing because I had a lot of chances to do so! It took Grandma Sensei about 15 minutes to get her all dressed! Claire beamed all the way through and stood very nicely! It was because she was enjoying it so much as well as she's an overall good girl!

There were several layers and steps to the kimono!

Claire felt like a Japanese Princess!

We threw her hair on top of her head.

I can't believe I didn't get a picture of the big bow! :( It was so pretty!

Getting closer to the end!

And a birthday crown!!!!

I had Claire stand on a chair and everyone gathered around and sang to her. I've never seen her beaming so much and so happy....and she is one sweet, happy girl!

Happy Birthday to You!!!!!

The Happy Birthday fan! :)

Then it was time for cupcakes!

And while no one mistakenly assumed I purchased them from the bakery....they were super cute and fun! I had made rainbow cupcakes before, but this you could taste the rainbow because instead of food coloring, I used jell-o to make the different colors. 

Miss Nika-san gave me the beautiful Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) centerpiece since I was the Mother and it was my special day too. Isn't she the SWEETEST? 

After the cupcakes and ice cream (in Hello Kitty cups, of course)

Claire with her friend Aurora.

we had more general playing and put on Hello Kitty tattoos. 

Don't you love when Moms step in and help at a party? :) THANK YOU!

We have a fabulous face painter on base, but I thought with so many kids, the line would be too long, so I went with the tattoos. It was super fun to give the kids lots and lots! 

I think Claire had 8! :)

Then we took a few pictures

Too bad we didn't get our other girls in a family picture. All of us girls except for Audrey had on matching Hello Kitty shirts! :)

Then we offered our Japanese friends the leftover food, which they gladly unburdened us of and we said Arrigato Gozaimasu (Thank you) and Sayanora (Goodbye)

All of the Senseis came! 

 and whew! We made it!

We opened a few presents

but couldn't get through all of them and cleaned up and went home for a little slip-n-slide action and an early bedtime.

When we walked in the house, Claire remarked to no one in particular, 'THAT WAS A GREAT PARTY!" 

I'm so glad she had fun! She is such a sweet girl!

Happy 5th Birthday Claire!!!!!!

I love you! 

Salad and Rose Gardens

Mick and I, despite both being from farming (extended, not immediate) families, have never gardened. A few flowers here and there, but never a vegetable garden.

Last year Mick planted a cherry tomato plant in our cute little garden at the old townhouse on the flight line and then transplanted it to our current house and it was the cherry tomato plant that wouldn't die. We enjoyed it so much!

This year we expanded and made a "salad garden." Cherry tomatoes, Japanese cucumbers (smaller), and lettuce.

We found these two cucumbers underneath the plant this weekend.

HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!!! Did I say smaller? :)

We have picked the lettuce three times and you can see that it has grown back again! LOVE!!!!!

We have some green cherry tomatoes and there are sooooooo many blossoms still! We're going to have TONS!

I got so excited with the success of the "salad garden" that I have planted a few extra pots. Edamame, blueberries and strawberries. We'll see! One of our neighbors is an expert gardener, a good Kansas farm boy, and he told us to learn gardening, the best thing you can do is to start out slow. He said the mistake that most people make is to plant too much, fail miserably, and then never garden again. He likes our "salad" plan and has been giving us a few tips here and there.

We planted some rose bushes (tulips too, but those are gone) and they are blooming! Love them!!!!!

When you have an ISU cheerleader gnome and a Texas gnome, you get motivated to make them a nice home in which to live!

We also planted a mican (Japanese clementine) tree. It won't bear fruit while we are here, but I have the fantasy that years from now the people who move into our house will feel so lucky that they got the "Mican Tree Townhouse." :)

I don't think HGTV will be calling us anytime soon, but we are very proud of our little garden!