"Japanese Junk food" (they call it) at a typical c-store.

Officials at San’in Kaigan Geopark.

Displays in the San’in Kaigan Geopark Visitor's Center. These odd fish are found just off shore in deep water (3000m). They get much bigger, we were told.

Trail Map and Be-Pal photographer Yuichiro (Yu).

View from the trail.

Naoto and Masa

The Japanese hikers are keenly interested in nature. They were always stopping to study, admire, or explain something. It made for a very interesting outing.

The Geopark Trail has all sorts of view points and rest stops. This is the tallest one that we saw.

My view from this platform. The magazine sent a small core group and together we spent a whole day hiking parts of the Geopark Trail - before the Long Trail Forum event. It was fun day!

A sea-side flower blooming in the winter.

Ryujindo sea cave. In summer, a good place for swimming and scuba diving, sea-kayaking, and rock climbing.

Steep trail climbing out of the sea cave.

Rest stop with a view.

Hatsumi and Wakana, TV personalities.

It was fun day for everyone.

A second professional photographer accompanies us on our shake-down hike.

Masa

The photographer is using a drone to shoot this beach scene.

This is my shot of the drone.

The film crew photographs the hikers on Tottori Sand Dunes, Japan's largest sand dunes.

End of a great day of hiking.

Back row: Hiroaki (Wakana's manager), Masa (runs nature craft school), Loon (AT hiker), Tomo (Owner gear store), Ryuji (Editor in Chief, Be-Bal Magazine, Shunya (Be-Pal writer), Naoto Y. (Geopark nature centre staff).

Front row: Yuichiro (Be-Pal Photographer), Wakana (actress), Hatsumi (singer, song writer), Jenny, Ray, Kazuya (Nature interpretor/guide of Geo Park nature centre)

Naoto, Masa and Katsu.