John's foot was in pretty bad shape after the first day (too much walking over the last few weeks) so he had to skip Disneyland Tokyo, Hiroshima and Mt. Fuji - but joined everyone for Edo Wonderland on the last day.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Kathy, Patrick and Jonathan visit - Mt. Fuji, Hiroshima and Tokyo
Kathy, Patrick and Jonathan came for a week long visit, and Walker and Alice were very excited to see their cousins - and show them around a bit.
John's foot was in pretty bad shape after the first day (too much walking over the last few weeks) so he had to skip Disneyland Tokyo, Hiroshima and Mt. Fuji - but joined everyone for Edo Wonderland on the last day.
John's foot was in pretty bad shape after the first day (too much walking over the last few weeks) so he had to skip Disneyland Tokyo, Hiroshima and Mt. Fuji - but joined everyone for Edo Wonderland on the last day.
Edo Wonderland with Kathy, Patrick and Jonathan
The last day of the visit from the cousins, we went to Edo Wonderland near Nikko - very interesting place - part outdoor museum of Edo (name of Tokyo from 1603-1868) to get a sense of traditional Japanese life and part amusement park with Ninja attractions...
It had the potential of feeling very fake, and yet it was quite 'real' on the whole. The kids had a great time watching the Ninja show, playing Ninja games and exploring the 'town.'
Taking a cue from the Japanese, the family slept on the mostly empty train on the way home - although Walker (in the blue Japanese soccer shirt with Endo on it) takes the prize for most unusual sleeping position. He stayed in that position for almost an hour.
It had the potential of feeling very fake, and yet it was quite 'real' on the whole. The kids had a great time watching the Ninja show, playing Ninja games and exploring the 'town.'
Taking a cue from the Japanese, the family slept on the mostly empty train on the way home - although Walker (in the blue Japanese soccer shirt with Endo on it) takes the prize for most unusual sleeping position. He stayed in that position for almost an hour.
visiting John's host family (high school AFS program) in Tochigi-shi
In 1981, I first visited Japan on a summer AFS exchange program - living with the Yasuhei and Yoshii Yamaguchi family in Tochigi-shi for four months. I attended high school (and received my only failing grade in my entire academic career on the English exam) and learned a lot about Japanese culture, and some language skills too. The parents ran an architecture firm - though they are now retired. They have three children - and two of them and their wives were there for our visit. The elder brother Ichiro and his wife Taki have two sons - Masazumi and Takeaki. Hirotake and his wife Satako were also there, but youngest sibling Eizaburo was not able to make it. The house has changed, but we stayed in my room from 29 years ago, and it is the same. We wandered Tochigi, which has become a bit of a tourist destination now - and also stopped by my old high school - Tochitaka. I don't recognize the guy in the picture my host mother is holding at the very end.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)