When you think of Japan, you usually think of Mt. Fuji, Tokyo, temples, shrines, cars, robots and sushi. But did you know that you can find palm trees in the warmer parts of the country?

Kanagawa Prefecture is in a humid subtropical climate, and has very mild winters and tropical humid and hot summers. Palm trees thrive here, even though they aren’t native to this part of the country.

The two pictures below were taken by the beach in the Kurihama area of Yokosuka. If you looked at them without knowing where they were taken, you might think it was Hawaii or California.