On Friday, after having my press photo handshake with the Mayor, I got to visit Ouchi-Juko, a traditional Japanese village where the houses have thatched roofs and the hillside is filled with shrines. The Shinto tradition is very obvious here and it really is pretty. I returned on Sunday with Meredith and we stayed to eat Soba noodles in one of the restaurants. Inside these are exactly what you imagine when you think of a traditional Japanese house. Although it is a tourist hotspot for the Japanese our presence still seemed to provoke shock and awe amongst the locals!