Yokkaichi Travel Guide

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My host parents took me to Mt. Gozaisho to take the ropeway to the top. The gondola ride was scarier than I expected but completely awesome :-D

We didn't have a very clear view from the top because of the weather. We walked around a bit, had some ice cream in the building there, and went to go find one of the gardens. On the way it started raining, and then there was an announcement that everyone had to leave because of the weather.

The clouds were pretty crazy on the gondola ride back down. For the first few minutes it was so thick that all I could see was some of the cable holding the car - everything else was white.

So, technically I didn't get to see much, but the experience was altogether awesome since I'd never been to any mountains that big. Also it was nice and cool on top of the mountain (around 70F) compared to, well, everywhere else (90s).

Misaya- a very friendly and cozy Japanese style finger food and drinking restaurant.
The price is resonable, and a great meeting place as you can almost always find a foreigners there

Favorite Dish: English menu's are available. Try the okinomiyaki, it's a traditional Japanese dish kind of like a pancake, but with octupus and vegatables: very tasty!

Tipping in Japan is not needed, try to avoid direct eye contact. Always try to smile and don't show strong emotions openly in public. Don't eat in public(outside), if your a smoker, don't worry you can smoke anywhere, even at the hospitals.

Favorite thing: Yokkaichi is semi-rural and very industrial. A must see is Yokkaichi Festival which takes place during the middle of August. Be sure to see Onudo, a huge doll that does a hypnotic dance he's also the mascot of Yokkaichi. As well, many traditional dances, food, and a great party atmosphere.

Fondest memory: I think the people of Yokkaichi are what I miss the most when I'm away. They bend over backwards to help people, regardless of any language problems, or where you come from.
One memory, when I first arrived, was a taxi driver driving me around for a half hour for free because I had the wrong address. This medium city hospitality cannot be found in Japan's large city centers.