The Temple of 1000 Steps

Last week I promised you Kyoto & Nara, but I don't want to leave out the fun places we've discovered here on our little island of Shikoku!  So let's start with one of our favorite shrines, KONPIRASAN in Kotohira.  It's about 20 min. by car from our house and is a bit of a climb to reach.  Ok, 700+ stairs to the main shrine and 1368 to the very top!

Zack, Andrea & Spencer starting our climb

It's not just a straight staircase, the path is lined with shops and it flattens out for a few steps before you reach the next flight.  It is a bit much for little kids, and Holden somehow talked his auntie into lugging him up on her back.  Weighing in at over 30 lbs., he is not a "little 2 1/2 yr. old".  But he does seem to have his auntie wrapped around his finger!

This is the first shrine you come to, but it's still a good 100+ more steps to the main shrine.  Perhaps they meant this as an encouragement to keep you going, but I think it's a little mean.  You think your there and then....

Grandpa & Hos

you walk around the corner see this!  Yep, keep going!  (Zack and Julie decided to split the load at the end, you can see them at the top of the staircase carrying Holden.  He lifted his legs, but he thought it was the best game ever!)

Grandpa almost to the top!

But once you reach the top, your greeted with these views!

Keepin' out the evil with a mouth of sharp teeth!

Yes, that is Gold on the doors!

 This is the main shrine and most people stop here.  Zack had a class to teach, so Julie & tired Holden (though I'm not sure why HE was so tired, he was carried!) left with Zack to get him back in time.  Grandpa, Hos, and I headed for the other 600+ stairs to get to the TOP!

Grandpa & Hos at the top shrine

 1368 stairs in total, we reached this small shrine.  Perhaps the reason most people stop at the lower shrine is because this one can't really compare.  But the climb is beautiful and we all voted it was worth it!

 Now to go back down all 1368 stairs!  This last photo was taken near the bottom.  Still going, we made it all the way back to the car and back home.  But Hos and Grandpa both refused to go upstairs once we got home until after they ate dinner! 

Hos & Grandpa

The Chief is Here, REALLY!

About a month or so ago, Julie, Zack, and I were shocked to hear that the Chief was thinking about coming out to see us in Japan. Now thinking and doing are actually two very different things, so we all thought "yeah, yeah, whatever dad". But a week or so after finding out he was thinking about it, we received an email with an itinerary from Salt Lake City. And after a long journey this last Friday, the Chief finally arrived at our train station! His ankle barely survived, but he was happy to be here and even happier to see his two HUGE grandsons! It's been over a year since he saw them last!

We really want him to experience some of our favorite things here in Japan and tonight he was at our mercy as we took him to KARAOKE! Now the experience here is soooo much different than america, and I am not really a big fan. Julie and Zack on the other hand, well let's just say they could use a 12 step program ; )

So here I am with Julie, Holden, the Chief, Zack, and Hos. Now usually Hos is much more enthusiastic, but tonight he had a little tummy ache, perhaps it was the 3 hours we spent running them around the playground prior to going to Karaoke? Our friend Kristin also joined us for the 90 min. of singing our hearts out. And yes, after about 20 min. my dad realized he couldn't sit back and just tap his feet, so he even joined in on the singing!



Here we are AFTER returning home, and we decided to continue singing once we got back. But we didn't photo document that, so all you get is a happy pic of Julie, the Chief, and me!


(My photos uploaded backwards, sorry) Here's the Chief after enduring the never-ending voyage to our home. Holden and Hos are ecstatic to, and the Chief looks pretty darn good for 20 or more hours of traveling, don't you think?


This is one of those quirky things about Japan, and of course the Chief needs to try it! Here in Japan, time is of the essence, who has time to whip up some home made pancakes with maple syrup? Why spend the time when you can just by it in a can at the vending machine! Crack it open and chug away your breakfast! Um, no! There's a reason they are home made and served on a plate, this drink left a lot to be desired!


Here are my boys at the temple in Zentsu-ji. This is where the founder of Buddhism in Japan was born so it's a huge beautiful temple complex. We love the architecture! I'll try to keep up with the photos these next two weeks while he's here, I didn't do so well when my mom came! Next week is Himeji, Kyoto & Nara!

Quirky things in the Land of the Rising Sun

I LOVE Japan. Her people, land, sunsets, full moons, FOOD and much more. One thing that I really enjoy are the little quirky things that make it fun to live here. Some of the next pictures need no explanation.

These are everywhere in Japan. You can always make a fool of yourself.

The "rules" for the rides at Universal Studios Japan. NOTE: All of you with Braces are out of Luck! Also all you people with fake arms, hands and legs! No Riding for YOU!

HUH? what in the WORLD is a SHOSE?!!! Someone please let me know if this is ENGLISH! :)

YES you eyes do not fool you... that is a mini crab "candy" in Oni's mouth. Needless to say he is turning "Japanese" but he spit this one right back out!

Ta ta for now. I will continue to bring you the exciting, strange and down right "just wrong" from far of Asia!

Ancient meets Modern

One of my favorite things about Japan is how the ancient castles and temples, all full of history, are as amazing to see as the modern buildings and streets. One of our favorite castles is in Himeji and with the Shima visiting, what better reason to go site seeing!

They are currently renovating the inside of the main part of the castle, so you can't go inside this part, but it is still spectacular from the outside. I love the tile roof and the boulder walls.

Hos & Holden are waiting at the ticket gate. Did I mention this summer was the HOTTEST they have on record? That's 150 years of scrupulous record keeping! Those white towels are fashionable in the summer in Japan. Everyone has one, some even come in your favorite color or design. "What are they for?" you ask. SWEAT!!!

Holden taking a breather on the way up to the castle. He's a pretty tall 2 1/2 year old, but he gives you a good idea of how big the boulders are.

Now for the MODERN! This is Downtown Osaka. On Ebisubashi, one of the busiest areas in the world. And this is the famous okonomiyaki restaurant. Below, we are looking towards the bridge, and the shops don't stop! I don't think this area ever has a "down time". Are you ready to come visit yet?

This one's for the Shima!

As far as homemakers go, these countryside moms in Japan sure put the rest of us to shame. They don't need Martha Stewart just give them the project and they get it done beautifully. Whether it is making a killer Bento for their child's lunch or teaching us all that you never can have too many coordinating bags. Japan will make a homemaker out of me! I have to give my mom credit too, she drives a mean sewing machine. She taught me all I know, whether she wants to claim it or not. So my guilt for not having coordinating school bags got the best of me and I have been busy trying to redeem myself with Spencer Hos as he is the ONLY kid at school without "mom made coordinating bags".


This year Hos' new favorite is Mario. So here we have the Mario School Ensemble: a cup bag, a bento bag, a place mat, and the tall one in the back is the reusable snack bag. Of course, once Holden saw brother's "set" he picked out his fabric on the next trip to the fabric store.



Holden will be 3 this November, so he will enter school in April. Yes, a little frightening and liberating at the same time. This isn't the American preschool 2 X a week for 2 or 3 hours. We're talking Mon. to Fri. from 9 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. So he will need a coordinating bag set as well and I decided to get a jump on it. Holden's pick: ANPANMAN! Here we have the indoor shoe bag in the back (because they have shoes for indoors and outdoors and bags for them too), with the cup bag on the left, and the bento bag on the right, all on top of the place mat. Now he can be just like brother!



It can't end there because you have to have another bag for all your bags (seriously, this is the land of bags!). Usually they call it your "Monday Bag" because you have to haul all your things to school on Monday and bring them home on Friday to wash, so you need a bag to carry them all in, right? Well, here is the Mario Monday Bag for Hos. (I still have Holden's to finish;) Then, I got sidetracked....



We spent a day organizing Hos' room and we found his favorite crayons, which had been missing for a couple months (amazing what can hide in a futon closet), were barely keeping it together in their tattered box. So I took some tips from a favorite blog and this is what I came up with.



I think Hos & Holden have more fun taking the crayons out and putting them back in their new holder than actually using them. Guess that makes it a success! So here's to the Shima for her excellent sewing training which helped me rise to the this Japanese Homemaker Challenge!

Summer with Grandma

We were so happy to have Grandma Margie here with us for the month of July! I don't know that she was as excited for the heat and humidity, but we taught her some tips and she managed to survive the rainy season and the beginning of the summer!

We tried to travel as much as possible in between teaching, Hos' school (until July 20th), church obligations, and everything else in our crazy schedule! We spent an evening in Takamatsu at Ritsurin Garden. It was so hot that we decided to wait until the last admission to try to beat the heat, but it really wasn't much cooler. But the views were beautiful!



Our students and friends were almost as excited to meet my mom as we were. Her social calendar filled up with lunch appointments and tea parties. My mom and I went to lunch with some friends and the restaurant had a beautiful garden. It was right here in Marugame and I didn't even know it was there!



The last time my mom came to visit, she didn't get to ride the BULLET TRAIN! I'm not sure how we missed that, but this time we made sure she experienced it! Holden was just as excited as my mom to ride the "fast train"! We made it from Hiroshima to Marugame in less than 2 hours!



While in Hiroshima, we took the ferry across to the island of MIYAJIMA! We spent the day visiting temples, pagodas, and climbing to the top of Mt. Misen. Even little Holden hiked all the way to the top (it was so hot I refused to carry my 30 lb. baby!)! It was a great day and we topped it off by hitting the Itsukushima Shrine at Sunset!



Along with all the site-seeing, we tried to give Grandma a good sample of all the delicious food! Our students and friends helped out with lunch invitations and food making demonstrations. One of our favorites is Okonomiyaki, which is kind of like a japanese pancake. Full of cabbage, egg, ginger, seafood, sometimes pork or beef and yaki soba noodles. Topped off with yummy sauce, fish flakes, and seaweed! Hos did a great job showing grandma how to cook it on the grill! The month went by too quickly, but we all enjoyed the visit! I will try to get some more photos up soon!

HA! HI! HU! HE! HO!

For those of you not familiar with Japanese Cartoons, you are missing out! One that has been famous for years is called Anpanman. That is also the name of the hero in the show. Oh, and did I mention the Hero is a bread man filled with anko beans? Well, Holden gets a kick out of the villian. His name is BAIKINMAN, which means bacteria man. Why? Because he introduces the bacteria which causes mold to destroy Anpanman, the bread man. We took a little trip to the Anpanman Museum here on our little island and the favorite was the picture of Baikinman!

Even outside Hos and Holden managed to find Baikinman! And Holden can do a pretty good imitation now "Oresama des!"