Hot summer in Shikoku

Japanese summer is just crazy hot. We're having days with over 35C (95F) temps.

Japanese people often ask me how we manage to sleep in Finland where it doesn't get dark during summer nights, but I think that's much easier than sleeping when it's so hot and humid. The heat provides a nice excuse to escape to the mountains to look for relief. Each weekend we take trips around the Tokushima area and last time we went to check out Amagoi Waterfalls (literally "praying for rain waterfalls"). If you ever decide to travel around here, I would definitely recommend it, although it is a bit difficult to access. The roads there are so narrow that two cars cannot pass each other. One strange thing while going there is human-sized dolls that hold signs or sit in front of houses, here's a blog featuring some pictures of them and of the waterfalls: http://matsusake.blog53.fc2.com/blog-entry-782.html

Another joy of Japanese summer is the beach life. Just recently the beaches were almost empty, now suddenly they are just packed. You can see people having drinks with friends inside small shops that are set up only for a short while, eating booth foods such as yakisoba. In the evening fireworks lure the crowds over to the riverside instead, with more food booths, drinks and traditional dancing displays available for all to enjoy. We can see the river fireworks from our balcony and they have been going on for hours over the weekend, lucky to have such a view.