Let’s ride our bikes to Kikugahama before the midday sun starts beating down.
A gentle breeze is blowing; the sand is already baking hot.
We change into our swimsuits and run along the scorching beach and dive into the sea.
After playing to our heart’s content splashing in the waves, we rest beneath the shady pines.
While sipping on some sodas bought at a nearby store, we watch the froth form and disappear.
Gazing over our pop bottles at the ocean, we listen to the waves break and then recede.

A friend calls, and we plunge back into the water.

*I often went swimming at Kikugahama beach in Hagi when I was a kid. Famed for its beautiful pine forests, it is mentioned in classical Japanese poetry as the pine grove of Abu and cited in Famous Places of Japan. A summer fireworks festival is held here every August 1, when fireworks are launched offshore to the delight of onlookers.