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Bill Belew has raised 2 bi-cultural kids, now 34 and 30. And he and his wife are now parenting a 3rd, Mia, who is 8.

Super Volcano Sea of Japan

Super Volcano Sea of Japan

If Fuji-san is Japan’s most famous mountain, then what’s its most famous lake?

Well, many people may not care, but I do, because I had to go all the way around it once, over hill and dale and with a huff and a puff.

Lake Biwa is Japan’s largest lake. It is also one of the oldest freshwater lakes in the world. I don’t know who decides such things because I happen to think the whole world is the same age. But that’s another matter.

Biwa-ko (are you picking up the Japanese? ko = lake)..is in Shiga prefecture which is north of Osaka.

Freshwater is good and tastes much better than salt water. I drank both when I competed in two Ironman triathlons…one in the Japan Sea and the other in Biwa-ko.

It is a long way around that puppy (that is not Japanese)..nearly 100 miles. And Lake Biwa is surrounded by mountains…I know,  I went up and down them, too before I ended up at a castle outside of Osaka.

Biwa-ko is supposedly quite beautiful…but then how would I know, I was on my bicycle completing the second leg of the Japan Ironman Triathlon when I went around and, to be honest, I didn’t have the leeway to look.

Well, at least I didn’t have to walk.

Talk to Bill and others about their experiences raising bi-cultural Japanese-American kids.

Bill Belew

Daddy and Christian.

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