Random note for the day:

In Japan, there is Hanami in the spring- cherry blossom viewing. (hana=flower, mi=look) In fall, there is Tsukimi. (Tsuki=moon, mi=look) So, in the fall, people go out at night under the trees that have changed colors and view the harvest moon. It's a classic part of Japanese culture.

And the randomness is...

McDonalds just introduced (in true we-love-the-seasons fashion) a Tsukimi Burger. A fried egg (Tsuki!) on a bun. Genius!!

My Backyard

Here all the shots of Tokyo with the family. We saw everything there was to see in Tokyo... at least all we could cram in. It was nice to be reminded of all the weird things about Japan that have now kinda sorta become normal for me and I don't notice anymore. I know- scary desho! But it was also nice to be reminded of all the small, awe-inspiring things about Japan that I now take for granted too. Plus, playing a tourist in your own city is fun! I visited places with my family that I had never even been too, in 2 years of living here!



We took a river cruise down the Sumida River in Tokyo which went under 11 bridges. There's really nothing at all remarkable about the bridges, so I swear the tour guide kept saying stuff like, "Now here is the red bridge." And that was it. Nothing left to say. Then, "and here if you look ahead you will see the blue bridge." Which, the blue bridge looked not that different from the red bridge, or the green bridge, or the orange bridge for that matter. So... the bridges weren't astounding, but seeing Tokyo from water was quite nice, nonetheless.



Me and mom on the river. The boat trip ended at a port, so from there we walked to a beautiful Japanese style garden, Hamarikyu. 30 minutes before closing the park we make it to the entrance and the Japanese worker looks at us like, "uh, yeah, you know you only have 30 minutes to see the park, right??" We said, yeah, fool, we know. Just let us into the park! It was dusk and no one was left at the park so we had it all to oursleves to sit and enjoy the view.



This was my family's last day spent in Tokyo. It was a great day, nice weather, lots of walking and laughing and just enjoying each other's company. You come to realize, with people you love, you can do anything and somehow it's fun. Just a walk, a chat, and a sunset is far better than any other entertainment you could buy!

Aquarium Life

There's an aquarium in Osaka... who knew it was popular?! I seriously thought it was gonna be lame, and it cost 2000 yen, so I was a little sceptical. In the end it turned out to be amazing! It had been YEARS since I last went to an aquarium and this one did not disappoint. We saw a sweet same (shark) but it's actually a whale shark, which was cool. Then we saw some crabs, lil teeny guys that could climb up the side of rocks, even with water cascading down on them from a waterfall. Amazing! These two crabs were even escaping from their enclosure!! Crazy, crazy. There were also penguins, dolphins, otters, seals, deep sea crabs, rays, turtles... just to name a few.

Here are a few pics... enjoy!






and of course.... the beautiful family outside the aquarium at the Osaka Port at sunset.

A few more randoms...

Kitty in Kyoto



View from a train window.



My school boys cycling away from the ALT to avoid painful conversation in English.



Fushimi Inari on a breezy day.



Blue skies.

Firsts in Kansai

Well... I couldn't avoid Kansai forever. FINALLY, this week I visited Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara with my family. And heck, it's summer vacation, so a girl's gotta take advantage of that, right?!

The trip was great for me- I got to discover (along with family) all the beautiful temples and the tranquility of Kyoto, the beauty of Himeji Castle, the bustle and the aquatic life of Osaka and grandeur (read: BIG Buddha) of Nara. I'm so glad I got to see it for the first time with my family... here's the week's best shots.

Welcome to Kyoto...



Our first day in Kyoto we dedicated to temples. Uh, which is good, because Kyoto is pretty much temples, and more temples. Beginning with Ginkakuji, we headed to the northeastern side of Kyoto to see a beautiful temple, set over water, nestled in a park up on a hill. From there you could see out over the city. The zen gardens around the temple were meticulously created and showed such attention to detail. A beautiful begin to a great city.



While in Kyoto, we also went to see some Japanese performing arts at a Kabuki Theatre. On the way we got a little hot and decided to cool off. We certainly got a couple of looks from the neighbors, but I don't think you coulda pulled us out of the cool stream for anything. Except maybe ice cream.

We also visited Kiyomizudera, which was actually my favorite temple of Kyoto. It is a short walk away from the busy streets of Kyoto, but all of a sudden, you're at the temple, you look out, and you realize you are completely surrounded by trees. It was really, realy beautiful. So simple in design yet the location made it stunning.



Kiyomizudera with my new friend Satoru-kun. He was hilarious.



Another one of my favorites was Fushimi shrine. It's a ways out of central, touristy Kyoto, thus less crowded and just as beautiful. There is a 4 hour hike which is lined with the red tori gates the entire time. If you've seen the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha" you've seen these red gates. On the hike up I even ran into two friends. From Tokyo! What a crazy small world.



Gotta was those hands!

My family said the city they loved most was Kyoto. I tried to get them to say Tokyo, but they just couldn't be bought. Booo. Oh well. I must admit, Kyoto, being the former capitol of Japan for more than a thousand years, kinda has a one-up on Tokyo. No matter, though. I still love it!

I'll be sure to post on Osaka, Himeji, and Nara soon. Not to mention more Tokyo pics. I'm back on blogging track, and with the sweltering heat keeping me inside, I'll probably have plenty of time to blog!

Love from Nihon!

Summer time catch up

Since it's summer and I've got free time now, thank goodness, I thought I'd post up some new pics I took around my kinjou (neighborhood) and Tokyo. Enjoy!


Kawagoe is known for it's old Japanese-style buildings, sweet shops, and temples. There was a recent festival around the city so my brother and sister and I checked it out- and I must say it did not disappoint.


We also saw this kid performing on a small shrine with Taiko drummers, being pulled to the temple. Love that face!


Old and new in Japan.


Yeah, I live countryside. And yeah, I DO love my morning bike-ride commute.


A view from the train as the world flies by. I've taken the train a million times- sometimes I forget to actually look out the window and enjoy the scenery. Life is in the journey, not the destination, right?!


Blue buses in a black and white world.


Night festival at my local temple. Taiko drumming, karaoke competitions, and cotton candy!


The shop around the corner. Always good for yaki imo (sweet potato) and fresh veggies, straight from the backyard.


Harajuku girls. You'd have to see it to believe it. And... I hope you DO see it someday!

Come and see Tokyo- you've got a guide waiting for you!!

Goodbyes and Hellos

Life has been a crazy blur lately- hence the lack of posts, but as I now have a second to update, here's what's been going on in my world lately....

Well, as July is coming to a close, it also marks the end of the JET contract. Not for me, but for other people. I'll be staying on another year, which means I've had lots of sayonara parties and farewells to take care of.

Just a few of the people that I've grown to love these 2 years...



Here's me and Scott sharing a Mister Donuts moment. Scott and I met in Seattle 2 years ago and have been kicking it ever since. We came to Japan on JET and luckily he loves to party, so he knows Tokyo better than I do even though he lives out in the country. That always feels good- getting shown up by the country folk in my own backyard! HA! Thanks Scott for all the memories- I'm gonna miss you 'round here!



And then, my partner in crime, Cassie. She's been living here in my lil city for 2 years, so there's been plenty of good times for us around here. Japanese lessons, camping, Taiwan, and here at the baseball game with her boy Bryn. I love this girl! Ganbatte back in Oz. I'm gonna come visit you soon!

Luckily, I've had a few hellos around here too...




My brother and sister arrived in Japan! Finally, people. ;) They're here for two weeks, so we've been having lots of fun checking out Tokyo and we'll be off to Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe this week. Yahoo.



We even fit in some soccer viewing- seeing Japan in the Asia Cup. Glad I have two soccer pros to teach me about the game and cheer for Nihon with. We have been checking out the city, staying up late every night and sleeping in late every day! Can I get what what for summer vacation?!? :)

I'll be sure to post pics of the travels around Tokyo and Kyoto soon. Mom just arrived 2 days ago so the whole gang is...reunited and it feels so goooooood!(can you name that song?!)

Be well!