This is a small part of the cemetary across the road from Rob's apartment. Each grave contains ashes: the real estate is too scarce for bodies, and cremation is traditional anyway. It's curious that the closest grave has a Korean flag ... but then again, many of the signs in town include Korean and Russian and English. We're closer to Seoul than we are to Tokyo. The fishing industry has been hit hard by recent Japanese regulations regarding oil spill containment mechanisms on all ships. Most North Korean fishing vessels do not qualify, so they can no longer enter Japanese harbors. In addition, the size of the crab and other fish harvests has declined in recent years. As a result, the Sakaiminato economy isn't nearly as robust as it was a few decades ago. The town has a feel of a tourist area that has seen better days, but then again, I'm visiting during the off-season, so it is unfair of me to judge. Many hot tourist spots in the US have the same mostly-deserted look to them.
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