My favorite place in the Pacific is the outdoors anywhere in Japan (especially during the fall when the weather is always perfect).

I can always drop whatever I’m doing and go hiking or just jump on my bike and ride around town. What I really love to do is ride my bike out to 99 Islands and just explore by myself. There’s a ton of hidden little beaches and coves that you can get to by cutting through the woods or climbing along the rocks.

Even when I don’t want to commit hours to getting lost in the woods, I like to grab a book and sit out there and read. I also got the chance to hike Mt. Fuji last summer, which was one of the coolest experiences of my life. We did an overnight hike and were on the mountain as the sun rose. Even though we were on the wrong side of the mountain to see the sun rise, it was still incredible starting off with the sky pitch black and watching it slowly turn blue from that high above everything else.

I think the best part about Sasebo, though, is you don’t have to go on a long excursion to enjoy the outdoors. I can sit on my balcony or walk around town and be surrounded by mountains and the ocean.

– MC2 Tony DeFilippo, AFN Sasebo, Japan