- Wish me luck.
I hope I studied enough.
I can't believe its only been a month
since I started driving,
and yet here I am.
If I can pass this final written test,
I'll be granted my full Japanese license.
Okay, we just finished the test,
and it was a lot harder than I thought it was gonna be.
(upbeat music)
(monitor beeps)
(Micaela gasps)
That's me. That's me.
I actually did not expect this to happen today.
I came here like 80% sure I was gonna fail the first test.
So this is a really pleasant surprise.
I wonder where I'll go first.
Straight away my friend and I rented a car
for my very first excursion.
I was nervous, but if I passed the exam,
I must be ready. Right?
Okay, red alert, this is not a key.
This is not a key. What is this?
Where does the key go?
There's a button.
(car beeps)
Oh, that's cool!
Is that it or should I...
What am I supposed to be doing?
Is it like a touch thing?
It's not a button.
What?
What is this?
(car engine starts)
Whew ooh, there we go!
It's all good.
Figured it out; we're ready to go.
First place I wanna check out now that I have my license
and a car is Sunflower Cafe in Itoshima.
It's super photogenic,
it's like right on the ocean,
and I love their food,
and I can never get there unless someone drives me,
so today I'm gonna drive myself.
(car beeping) (upbeat music)
Sunflower's one of my favorite places to visit with a car.
A 40 minute drive from Fukuoka city center,
the exterior reminds me of a little summer cottage,
somewhere I'd spend lots of time back home in Canada.
Inside the restaurant it's cozy and bright
with a beautiful seaside view.
If you're sitting on the terrace,
you can even bring your dog.
It gets pretty busy, so it's better to arrive early.
And a personal tip, always check their Facebook page first
to make sure they're open for business before driving out.
My vegetable pizza's here, and as you can see,
it is basically a salad on top of a pizza.
Seafood curry.
We got like a big shrimp.
We got some little shrimp,
we got some squid, some shellfish.
Wow, it looks good.
The route that takes you along the perimeter
of Itoshima is called Sunset Road,
and it's a popular route for beginner drivers.
Following this route from start to finish,
youʼll be able to visit all the beaches
that this peninsula has to offer.
One of the biggest points of interest
are the majestic wedded rocks at Futamigaura.
According to Shinto religion,
these rocks are husband and wife,
bound together by a large rope.
I love it out here.
Never get tired of it.
I recommend seeing this in person.
It's a lot bigger than it looks on camera.
And while driving along Sunset Road
will show you beachy Japan,
cutting through the island to get to the other side
is one way to get a taste of traditional Japan,
with it's lush green farmland.
(slow hip hop)
So now I've made it down to Keya Beach,
and Keya Beach has changed a lot
since the last time I came here.
It didn't have so many attractions,
but I guess since Itoshima is getting so popular now,
there's just like, every beach has attractions now.
The water's just very calm; it's very easy to swim here.
Easy to just float around.
But Itoshima isn't just beaches.
There are tons of other points of interest as well,
including shrines and hiking trails,
which are a little less touristy, and more of a way
to experience the natural beauty of the peninsula.
(adventurous music)
Into the woods we go.
Can you hear all these animals?
And by animals, I mean bugs!
Oh my goodness!
Look at you.
(adventurous music)
this is for sure one of those like twisty forests
where the trees at night come alive
and probably kill you,
but I feel like if we don't leave before dark,
we're probably gonna die.
We're getting some sunlight.
Some sunlight up here.
(Micaela breathing heavy)
Whoa!
Nice!
(birds chirping)
Beautiful!
You guys, this is the type of thing
you can't do without a car.
This is the type of thing that you need to be able
to have some sort of mobile flexibility in order to do.
I mean you can have a friend who has a car.
That friend could be me 'cause now I have a license.
Aah, it's so nice!
It's so nice!
Hello!
(Micaela sighs)
Aah, it's so beautiful, you guys.
It's so beautiful up here, and I've just never been up here.
In all the years that I've come to Itoshima,
I've never gone hiking in Itoshima.
And now that I know that this is what it can be like,
I think, now that I have a car, and I come out here
whenever I feel like it, this is gonna be a thing.
This is definitely gonna be a thing.
(soft music)
You know it's crazy to think that my life in Kyushu,
up until a month ago, was limited to public transportation
and the generosity of my friends.
I went my whole life thinking I didn't need
a driver's license, thinking it wasn't for me,
but now that I have the freedom to go wherever I want,
whenever I want, I feel excited to explore Kyushu even more.
I'm so excited to be able to explore this island
in more depth than ever before.
And guys, just a reminder,
it's never too late to learn something new.
If there's something in your life
that you've been putting off,
I hope you feel inspired to get back at it,
whether it's driving a car, or learning a new language,
You'd be surprised at how the world can open up
for you when you learn something new!
Anyway guys, thanks so much for watching this series.
I hope you liked it.
And thank you so so much to Fukuoka-Ken Jidousha
Gakkko- Fukuoka Prefectural Driving School
for allowing me to make this series in the first place.
They were such great people and I really don't think
I'd have acquired a full license in one month
without their dedication to helping me pass.
Thanks you som much for watching.
I will talk to you again soon! Bye!