If you would like to see a fraction of the pictures that were taken while my family was here, you can go to: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaNXLlm0cNWOJ

This blog is LONG overdue. Over spring break, my family came to visit me in Japan. We had an amazing time together! It went even better than I had hoped. I was surprised how easy it was to slip back into “family mode.” It was fun to be with people who really know me, to be able to laugh together and joke around, to share a part of my life with them, and to just be in each others presence again.

Day one: The family arrives on time at Fukuoka and we drive back to Shimonoseki. They get to see my apartment and see all the oddities of my apartment. It accommodated all of us just fine. It was a little bit like glorified camping.

Day two: The first day we stayed in Shimonoseki and they received the grand tour of the city. This included going to the wharf and fish market, shrines, a sushi bar, the 100 yen store ($1 store), and karaoke. We spent two hours singing away and having a marvelous time! At the end of the day we took a ferry ride across the strait to Kyushu. We walked around Mojiko at night and ate kawara soba (green tea buckwheat noodles dipped in a sauce and eaten with beef and eggs).

Day three: We went to Fukuoka, the largest city on Kyushu island. We went to a folk museum, walked around castle ruins, went to a city park, and then watched a baseball game. The actual game is the same in Japan as it is in the States. However, the spectators are very different. Every time their team is up to bat they stand for the whole inning and cheer them on. In one section, the section we happened to be sitting in, there was organized cheering. Someone would go up on a ladder and instruct everyone what cheer to say. They also had these plastic sticks that they would hit together and cheer with. It was quite the experience, but one I do not need to repeat.

Day four & five: Off to Nagasaki! We had gorgeous weather and even got a little sunburned. We went to the Atomic Bomb Museum, Peace Park, Urakami Cathedral, Chinatown, Dejima Island (the only place foreigners were allowed for hundreds of years), Glover Garden, Oura Cathedral, Hollander Slope, Spectacle Bridge, and Site of the 26 Martyrs. Our list of stops also included the mall where Mom bought a new pair of shoes. (She blew out a heel with all the walking;)

Day six: In the morning we went up to a local park to see the cherry blossoms. They were in full bloom. Then in the afternoon I had worship team practice, so they all came along to watch and to meet the Shibatas. We all did some origami together, too. It was fun for them to be in a real Japanese house and interact with a family. In the evening we went to the Yasutomi’s for supper. Here they were able to experience more typical Japanese food—sushi, seaweed, roe, squid, crab, etc. I’m glad that they were able to meet the two families that have been like second families to me while I’ve been here.

Day seven: Church! They get to experience sitting through church services completely in Japanese. Everyone was also a part of the service—Mom and I played a piano duet together and did a piano/flute piece, Dad and I sang a duet, and Laura read scripture in English. Erik smiled while everyone commented on his height and age. (Everywhere we went people stared. It was pretty fun to walk behind him and watch their faces after they passed him.) In the afternoon/evening Laura went off to Kokura to go shopping with friends she had made from when she was here last year. The rest of us went to SeaMall and some shopping of our own.

Day eight: We took the train up the west coast of Honshu island and went to Nagato were we took a boat tour of some of the islands in the area. Then we went onto Hagi. There we took in the cherry blossoms along with the castle ruins. It was beautiful! We also hiked up one of the mountains. Once we got down we started looking for a place to eat. Everything was closed so we ended up finding a grocery store and eating outside on some benches. (I think the Japanese who saw us were getting a cultural experience as well:) To end the day we went to an onsen (hot spring bath). Everyone loved it!!!

Day nine: We rented bikes for the day and traveled throughout the samurai town. Hagi is also known for its pottery. We were able to see people making the pottery and look at a traditional kiln. There is a path along the coast that we biked to go out to a small volcano and a glass blowing shop. We definitely got our exercise between biking, walking, and climbing up the volcano.

Day ten: From Hagi we took the train to Masuda. The wind was so strong that the train had to slow down when we were in unprotected areas (which was most of the way). The tracks were mainly along the ocean coast where the waves were going over the wave breakers. It was a little scary at some points, but eventually we made it to our destination even though we arrived about an hour late. (This is extremely unusual in Japan.) Then we caught the next train to Tsuwano, which is known as “little Kyoto.” It is a quaint town tucked high in the mountains. It’s famous for a temple that has 1,000 red tori gates. There is also a Christian martyr site and a former samurai training center. While we were in Tsuwano we also experienced hail and snow--in April, in Japan--crazy!

Day eleven: After sleeping in we went to Chofu. There we walked through a traditional Japanese garden, taking lots of pictures. We also went to Kozanji temple where the cherry blossoms were also in full bloom. It was fun to see little children picnicking with their Moms and playing. Then there were elderly people sitting on benches, talking and enjoying the blossoms. It was as if time stood still for a moment. For lunch we made and ate okonomiyaki, which is like a vegetable pancake. On the way home we stopped to take a walk under the ocean and walk along the wharf one more time. Then it was packing time. They even took home a suitcase with my stuff and put a lot of my pottery in their carry-ons. (That’s what families are for, right!)

Day twelve: We ate breakfast one last time together before leaving for the airport. All of the luggage was accounted for and loaded in the van. We all piled in and headed out. Before we knew it, it was time for them to check in and say goodbye. A few tears were definitely shed but knowing that I’ll be back in the States in four months made it a little easier to say goodbye.

I’m so thankful that God blessed our time and kept us safe. I will always be grateful that they were able to experience a little of Japanese culture, food, language, living, etc. I was reminded of how precious and priceless a family is. The memories we created will live on in my heart and mind forever.

Today was the annual school field trip. This year we went to a Senjogahara, a park that's about a three minute walk from my apartment. It was a nice day and fun to just hang out with students for a while. They were able to choose what to wear--either their school uniform or "regular" clothes (with rules of course). I was surprised by how many decided to actually wear their uniform. I mainly went from group to group and chatted with them. Here are a few pictures from the day.

Happy Easter!!!

He is risen! He is risen indeed! I spent most of the day at church with my church family. After the church service we had a potluck. There was no traditional Easter ham among the Japanese food, but Ruthie did bring back Robin Eggs from the States. It was pretty funny to watch people’s reaction. They eyed and wondered at them, but they weren’t too quick to actually try them at first. We needed to encourage them a bit before they tried. (In general, Japanese don’t like food that’s dyed.)

After eating we played group games. One of them was telephone charades. We were divided into four teams. One team would line up in a row. The first person would receive a slip of paper with what to act out. They would then show it to the next person in line. That person would then tap the shoulder of the next person and act it out for them. By the time it got to the end of the line, the actions had a changed a bit from the original. The last person on the team had to guess what was on the slip of paper. It was pretty hilarious to see how the actions changed along the way.

Then we had an Easter egg hunt around the church. The people who hid them were definitely not as experienced as my parents because they were in fairly obvious places. Once all of the eggs were found they were put in one collective basket. Then several people opened the eggs up and put the contents in another basket. I watched this and thought of how different this is from what would be done in the States. Instead of keeping whatever you find, or your limit of five eggs, they were all pooled together. This is SO Japan. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

My parents brought me jelly beans, peeps, and Cadbury crème eggs, so it was almost like being in the States;)