 | | Last change for food, better fill up 'cause it's going to be long 11 1/2 hour flight!
LAX
save file: small medium large |
 | | United 747-400, next stop NRT.
LAX
save file: small medium large |  | | Kathy and Samantha being good on the flight.
Somewhere over the Pacific
save file: small medium large |  | | Lil'cutie pie!
International waters
save file: small medium large |  | | Darn it, not in focus. But you can see Sam all wide awake while we're dead tired and sleep on traditional futons.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Ok, this is me getting arty with the new camera that I just got 2 days before. Online shopping allows you to cut things real close.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | My mom and I walked around Kanie to check out the cherry blossoms, here's one of the local rivers.
Genji, Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The main cherry blossums have already passed by but there's another set blooming. Boy's day is also coming up and you can see the carp banners flying everywhere.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | My cousin (Takachan) and his wife, we went out for some self-assembly food. That table is hot!
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Assembly in action.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Kathy and Lance posing the standard way!
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Four generations of Narita/Smith. From 7 months to 93 years!
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | These parking lot units have sprouted from nowhere to everywhere in the last few years. They keep honest people honest in paying the parking fees (they lock your car in).
Inuyama, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The street leading up to the castle. Lots of people walking, not to many cars…
Inuyama, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Kazukun and Taeko cleansing before enterings. Most if not all shrines have these to ritually clean yourselves before entering.
Inuyama, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Having some fun with the camera mascot in front of the castle.
Inuyama, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Inuyama Castle, the oldest original castle in Japan. Most got burnt over the centuries (or bombed in WWII). 500-600 years old. So no elevators and you have to take your shoes off.
Inuyama, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | I told you, no elevators. Those stairs are steep too!
Inuyama, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The view from the top. You can see from the picture that Japan isn't all skyscrapers, in fact most of coastal Japan looks similar to this suburbia.
Inuyama, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | On the hill is Narita-san Shrine of the Shigon sect. That's my family's name btw.
Inuyama, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Posing with the carp : )
Inuyama, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | So I mentioned Kathy opened up her own optometry shop and we'd like to see drop in one to see what the locals wear. So Kazukun took us to this discount place with table and rows and stacks of frames… wow. They don't have eye-docs like we do though, they just pop you into an autorefracter and call it a day.
Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Kazukun took us all out for some "traditional bar food" but in restaurant format. Historically a dude's place so this is my mom's (and grandma's) first time here. And (no great) grandma had a beer, go obachan!
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The bar food restaurant. It's not for everyone but it was good and it'd be nice to go back one day.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | One of the big things my mom wanted to do while in Japan was get a koto- she wanted to take lessons as a kid but since the other kids didn't take music lessons she couldn't either. But now she's retired and wants to start playing. US made instruments aren't as good so she's going to the source to the the good stuff!
Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | My mom at her high school. She had to take a train to get there, and while it's changed (100%) it's sorta still there. None of the original buildings are there but the campus and the next door jr high is still there.
Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | We had some minor navigation issues getting to Nagoya castle, we asked a fellow and he pointed toward where we were going and *bam* there's the castle among these houses. Wow, the old and the new. We had to make a quick stop in a park to feed the baby (manually) and to get us some grub in some coffee shop since the adults were getting anxious.
Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Next to the castle is a *huge* modern building. It is temporarily housing the construction of the Hommaru Palace reconstruction, they're going to build much of it using traditional methods and materials.
Nagoya Castle, Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Ha! So I took a picture on the golden fishie the last time I was here, I had to do it again.
Nagoya Castle, Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The outer walls and the foundation of the castle are made of giant shaped stones/boulders; each is carved with the symbol of the supplying group so they get proper credit for their work.
Nagoya Castle, Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Postcard shot of the Nagoya Castle.
Nagoya Castle, Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Lance and Kathy in front of Nagoya Castle.
Nagoya Castle, Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Joey on the subway. Even though it's rush our it's not croweded at all.
Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Err, Samantha is tired and/or too small for the baby backpack and now we're on the packed Kintetsu train to go back home.
Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Aw! Samantha looking out the window, or at least playing with the window. We're off to Kyoto for a few days to get in some sightseeing.
Shinkansen, somewhere in Japan.
save file: small medium large |  | | We just found out Sam likes the peek-a-boo game! She's laughing her butt off!
Shinkansen, somewhere in Japan.
save file: small medium large |  | | So these bullet trains are *long*, and empty. It seemed like a 1/4 mile long.
Shin-Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | We wanted to go to Sanjsangendo but it was raining so Kathy and Sam went back to the hotel. Me and Joey kept going and it turned out to be not that wet…
Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Everyone and their brother had umbrellas but now it wasn't precipitating much at all. Even the Indians from Atlanta didn't bust out umbrellas. The school kids did. And there are really a 1000+ budda statues here. Last rebuilt in 1266 AD.
Sanjusangendo, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | They used to have massive archery competitions at the 800-900 year temple and over the years many arrows got stuck. Some old photos show the ceiling looking like a porcupine. They left one in to show you… I took the same picture the last time I was here too.
Sanjusangendo, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Kyoto station, also our hotel! The last time we were here we were in the boondocks and we had to catch the once-and-hour shuttle to the train station. We figured we'd pay a bit more for the ammenities and proximity to the trains.
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save file: small medium large |  | | Hotel with free baby imprisonment. Their dropdown cribs are different from US ones, and presumably don't kill babies either.
Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Joey's guide book recommended the most prettiest street in the world, and this is what could find in the pouring rain. Traditional street in the Gion district, but not the street in the book. This is Shinbashi-dori and beautiful in it's own right.
Shinbashi Dori, Gion, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The street we're looking for, Joey found it next to the street we were one. In the downpour it's hard to take a good picture. There's a river on the otherside of the trees with traditional houses/shops on the water.
Shirakawa-minami Dori, Gion, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Old school Gion lit up with modern signage.
Gion, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | I've walked by this restaurant a few times over the years and never posed with the statue or went in. Well we'd remedy both of those tonight.
Issen Yoshoku, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | So the restaurant has only one item on the menu (okonomiyaki)… hey, when in Rome. Egg, squid, and a bunch of other stuff with communal sitting (don't forget the beer). We were hungry and desperate, but it makes for a memorable dinner. Especially with the semi naked dolls hanging from the walls spouting boners.
Issen Yoshoku, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | So I'm a pretty big fan of REI and the manufacturers you find there. I don't have too much Outdoor Products" products but they seem to have enough cred… until I saw this display. WTF.
Covered arcade, Shijo area, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | In this mall that we're pretty much in, it's kinda like Fremont street in Vegas but way bigger, we find this shrine/house that someone famous lived/died in. Kinda random but here's the pic.
Covered arcade, Shijo area, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | We get back to the hotel and Joey is running low on cash and credit cards can only take you so far in this country. We go out looking for an ATM, but the only ones we find won't take his cards. Doh. We tried every ATM within who know what distance… but we found this neat temple complex to take a night shot of.
Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Looking south toward Kyoto station and our hotel.
Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | My favorite shrine/temple in Japan, and it's super crowded. What gives? It's normally a popular place, but this is insane! Thousands and thousands of kids everywhere! Oh… they're all on field trips to the famous locations…
Kiyomizu shops, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | We even spotted a Korean school doing a field trip here. Little punks are the same no matter what country they're from, US, Japan, Korea. And they're everywhere. The gap you see is only there because of some official photo op.
Kiyomizu shops, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | There's a number of pictures I re-took again, this is one where my new camera is worlds better than what I used 10 years ago. Unknown woman praying at the main temple. Site dates to 798 and present buildings from 1633, without a single nail used.
Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Classic shot! Fantastic view overlooking the city.
Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Dammit, I'm getting artsy again. Sorry about that.
Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Joey looking off, Kathy is off changing Samantha with a white school girl in the bathroom with her.
Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Looking up at the main hall with two school boys looking over the edge. All schools in Japan have uniforms for the kids.
Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The complex is named "Pure/clear water" (in Japanese) and these are the spring waters behind the name. 45 minutes or so for the line so we skipped it… unlike the white girl… expat family or something but she busted out the Japanese like a pro.
Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Periodically you'll find a monk praying and asking for money for his temple. I wouldn't call it begging, at least not like we have stateside. They're not trying to score a six-pack after all.
Kiyomizu shops, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | You take a white guy, hand him a cute baby, and *bam*! Lady killer. Like shooting fish in a barrel. With a machine gun. 50-cal. Every girl walking by had to say something, take a picture, and play with Samantha. Hehe… Kathy was doll shopping inside and I translated. The last time it took Kathy and Kim an hour to convey the fact they wanted the items shipped to the states. This is the only place we found that had *good* traditional dolls... you have to pay for the quality of course...
Kiyomizu shops, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | I told you! They really wear uniforms in Japanese schools, the girls too. This is for all you yellow fever pervs.
Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Small streel with shops and restaurants between Kiyomizu and Chion-in. There are lots of good snack stands along the route!
Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Kathy and Samantha
Maruyama Park, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Joey, Kathy, and Samantha at the main gate.
Chion-in, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Kathy and Samantha after a long walk from Kiyomizu. There's going to be more walking ahead too as we follow a route between temples and shrines.
Chion-in, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Food time for Samantha. At 7 months old she'[s doing great, and we were able to get in a diaper changes with the meal!
Chion-in, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Catching Joey looking about. Sam's off getting changed and we had a few minutes to kill.
Chion-in, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Looking westish, Kathy's heading toward the main hall.
Chion-in, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Japanese taxis don't mess around. White glove treatment and everything. Though they're starting to get lax on the actual gloves, this is the only one we saw this trip.
Chion-in, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | After a long day of walking Sam (and K) weren't about to do much more, let alone a 3 mile mountain hike. So Joey and I headed off to Inari to check out the tori.
Kyoto station, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Joey at the entrance/biggest tori. I forgot how long the hike was, it's funny how your brain tricks you into thinking things are easier than they really are!
Fushimi Inari, Inari, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Looking backward/downhill along the hike. The tori are donated/paid for by local companies and there are thousands of them along the trail. Really. This hike is a few miles long and there's only a few inches in between them. Some are bigger than others but you can do the math. Or count them yourself.
Inari Mountain, Inari, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | I think this is the top. Everytime we got to the top we took a picture… then found out the trail goes higher. Won't the madness stop!?
Inari Mountain, Inari, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Finally we get to the real top and can start heading down. There are a bunch of trails here but it's not too hard to stay found. You can do most of the mountain as a loop hike.
Inari Mountain, Inari, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The weather is great and three of us went back to Gion to visit Shirakawa again. I still couldn’t get a nice shot of the water but Kathy spotted a couple of maiko entertaining some folks (and I got a few seconds of it on video).
Shirakawa-minami Dori, Gion, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The littleish river going through downtown Kyoto, looking northward at night. Lots of people hang out on the bank and the restaurants along the edge charge are fancy with corresponding prices.
Kamogawa, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Just west of Kamogawa west of Gion are some nice shopping and eating areas. This walkway goes for about a mile and is lined with high end eateries.
Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Keeping Sam out of things gets harder and harder. In the hotel it was relatively easy, back at Obachan's it was definitely harder. Note the reason my feet got wet when it rained…
Hotel Granvia, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | We're at a Café Du Monde that doesn't have beignets. WTF. Anyways, here's Joey with the first postcard he's ever written and it shows.
Café Du Monde, Kyoto Station, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | On the JR train to Nara! We just missed the express train so we jumped on the local train (mistake) so a few stops down the track we got off and picked up the next express. Here we are at the front of the local train, the train timetable (to the second) is listed by the window and the driver checks it every minute or so (with his gloved hand).
JR Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | While we were in Nara there were festivities marking the 1300 aniversary of being the capital (for 74 whole years). There were flags everywhere and TV reporters from all across the country were there filming the rocks that were once part of the building/facility. It's a field now.
Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The mostly pedestrian street from JR Nara to the historical section where all the temples are. Lots of shops and restaruants, nothing too fancy and great for tourists.
Sanjo-dori, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Nara is famous for its deer and you can find them everwhere. You can get a package of deer biscuits for Y150 and these buggers are fearless.
Kofuku-ji, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Samantha petting a just fed deer in front of the 5-story pagoda (which may or may not be the tallest in Japan).
Kofuku-ji, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Five story pagoda in Kofuku-ji.
Kofuku-ji, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | I think this is a private residence between Kofuku-ji and the Nara National Museum. Nice entrance!
Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | More deer posing with Kathy and Samantha.
Nara National Museum, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Right outside the museum with some tea serving tents behind me.
Nara National Museum, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The street leading to Todai-ji. You don't go to Nara without going to Todai-ji, thus the crowd.
Kasuganocho, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The big daddy, the big buddha, the big building. Perhaps the largest wooden building in the world (and 2/3 original size) housing the biggest buddha in Japan.
Todai-ji, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The Smith family on tour!
Todai-ji, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The Daibutsu in Daibutsu-den.
Todai-ji, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | A minor statue next to Daibutsu, it's still pretty big.
Todai-ji, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Daibutsu again. Side profile. No, it's not in a line up.
Todai-ji, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | One of the guard statues.
Todai-ji, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | So with all the festivities for the 1300 years and the old building we're thinking this is some pretty hot stuff being this old. I look close and there's this seismic retrofitting that's been done… a little too well, and seemingly before folks knew what earthquakes were. Hmmm... Oh, this building was rebuilt in 1709... it's not a hidden fact but it's sorta in the fine print...
Todai-ji, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | There are lots of walk ways between temples here and there's sorta of an established walking path you can take to catch most of them. We made our own and here's Joey walking to somewhat of a dissapointment at the giant bell.
Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | It took me forever to get this shot! People kept walking in the way, kid running around, and this couple took forever to get their picture in! Argh!!!
Nigatsu-do, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Kathy and Sam!
On the way to Kasuga, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | This temple has tons of lanterns! Literally, there are over a thousand stone lanterns about and many many bronze laterns within the inner confines.
Kasuga-taisha, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | See, lots of stone lanterns. And Joey with stroller.
Kasuga-taisha, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Ok, time to book. Kid getting ansy and the adults have barking dogs. We're on the main drag back to JR Nara but on the deer/non-car portion.
Sanjo-dori, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Um, can you read this? There's this sign posted by an old tree stump that's fenced off in a way that's indicates it's something special. So I took a picture so I can figure out later what it's all about.
Sanjo-dori, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Huh, a deer that's not all ratty and beat up. He's a big fella and doesn't feel the need to beg like all the others.
Sanjo-dori, Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Ok, express back to Kyoto please!
JR Nara, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | So we get back to Kyoto starving and with a somewhat annoyed baby. Our hotel is several stories below but there are restaurants at the top… all over priced and/or crowded as all heck. We ended up at a chinese restaurant (by accident).. They don't do chinese well here. ANyways, here's the escalator going down... 11 floors. The picture doesn't do it justice.
Top floor, Kyoto Isetan, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Time to book back to home (to grandma's).
Shin-Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Joey and I decide to spend the morning to go to the ninja house in Iga, it's only 30 min away? Ha… more like 6.5 hours, partly because we missed a junction. Instead of going to Iga-kambe the train went east and it took us a while to figure that out. A nice conductor showed us the way (and followed us) back to Iga-kambe from Ujiyamada. Here's the Y in the track where we should have gotten off to switch at Ise-Nakagawa (no one told us!!!).
Kintestu, Ise-Nakagawa, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Ugh, so trains in the boonies don't run so frequently during the middle of the day as everyone's at work. So we had some time to kill… to stare at the engineering, etc. The original station here was made with american rail/steel who knows when. Some of the stations on the Iga line were CLOSED in 1945....
Iga-Kambe, Mie/Iga, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The claim to fame around here is the ninga house if you couldn't tell. See old/new station?
Iga-Kambe, Mie/Iga, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Rural Japan is a pretty place, lots of manual labor done by the locals though they do have what looks to be contract machinery to do plantings.
Iga Railway, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | So I was here last in 1983 I think. Nothing has changed! My brother got a little sword but we dispensed with the trinkets this time around. Here's a guide showing a secret hiding spot.
Iga-Ryu, Iga, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Ha, they tested this out on mythbusters! But they obviously didn't read this! These are mud shoes, not water shoes!
Iga-Ryu, Iga, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | And ninja didn't wear black (that kinda makes you stand out doesn't it?)
Iga-Ryu, Iga, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | I took lots of picture but there'd be too many to post. But I had to post these, 'cause, well, it's the ninja house!
Iga-Ryu, Iga, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Ninja vs Samurai tricks. Darned guided tour took 15 minutes… self tour 20 minutes.. All for 10 hours of train time. Yeah, Kathy was pissed. We had plans to go the conveyer sushi place and maybe some pachinko… that went into the crapper. Sorry!
Iga-Ryu, Iga, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Before Joey took off for his disaster of a trip we we went for an early sushi-conveyer belt but we were early. So we popped into a pachinko parlor… where you can't even hear yourself thing it was soooo loud. And you think Vegas takes you money fast?! Ha, try this place. Here's Joey firing off the last of my Y1000.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Kind of an 80's thing but there's still a few of these around. The trick is to order directly so you know your food is fresh, but we got there at opening so everything was good to go. Of course Joey isn't inclinded to eat what's passing by, and that's tame compared to what's going to come later.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Lance, Kathy, Joey with the stack of plates. They charge by the plate you pick, and different items/plates have different prices.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The total bill. Y3990, about $40. Not bad for stuffing ourselves with decent sushi.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Picture of the local sushi place.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Kazukun and Taeko took us out again, this time to Atsuta. We're hitting a lot of the major temples/shrines on this trip.
Atsuta, Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | A bit cliché but you as the visitor to this site are expecting rock gardens right?
Atsuta, Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The ancient wall around the facility that was built in 1560 by Nobunaga (he's big). Kinda forgotten and unseen by most folks but visible to history nerds like me.
Nobunaga-Bei, Atsuta, Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | So Kazukun asked us what we wanted to see/visit, that's like asking a 5 year old to pick something in a candy store without telling him what's there. Uh… someplace near some shopping? We needed to pick up some gifts for folks back him. The temple is surrounded by a merchant area (ie shops) that was established centuries ago and it's still a major place to go. A fair amount of expats around here too.
Osu-Kannon, Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | I asked if taking pictures was ok!
Osu-Kannon, Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Entrance to the shopping area from the temple. This place is huge and goes on for blocks, all covered to ease commerce during rainy periods. That's new of course.
Osu-Kannon, Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Uh-huh, that's the shopping area. Many many blocks housing all types of shops and restaurants.
Osu, Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | So this is a house/condo/living unit. No setbacks here, and it's maybe 7-8 feet wide?
Osu, Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | 20-something feet long? Geez… talk about squeezing folks in.
Osu, Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Back at grandma's (my grandma, Samantha's great-grandma). That table rocks, it has a heater in it. And as you can tell the dwelling is not baby proofed. The last kid in here previously was me in 1985.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Since when did Allen Bratty get to Japan, and how did he get to be on a cooking show???
Japanese television
save file: small medium large |  | | A relatively new store in Kanie, a drugstore like CVS in competition with my uncle's store. Unfortunately scale lowers price and they carry baby food we need. We leave in a day or so, and with marketing types hitting the country they asked me if I wanted a frequent buyer card. LOL.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Even the little towns are getting new shops and amenities, here's the local pizza (italian style, not american/chicago) that screwed up our corn pizza. I was looking forward to it too.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | This traditional hotel with the old style garden(s) was a local landmark for years. But it went under and the owner has to tear it down (they don't just walk away like here in the states).
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Flight time? Err… we should look that up. So we moseyed over to the local library (grandma isn't exactly on the information superhighway) to get on the 'net and we dink around afterwards on the lawn. Some semi-grown up kids were playing kankedian (kick the can), i remember playing that!!!
City Library, Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | It's not as crowded as it looks! And as you can tell by the signage that any white person can make their way around town. Here we are heading back after an afternoon of shopping Takeshiyama for some postcards and gifts.
Nagoya Station, Nagoya, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Oh Kanie station, it hardly changed over the years. A little less busy so the vendors outside the station aren't there anymore. I missed the toys the newpaper seller sold, also the snack vendors.
Kintetsu, Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Obachan's living room.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | My grandma's room, she no longer sleeps upstairs. As you can tell from the pictures she has some knicknacks but not like we do. Her entire collection of stuff from all her years and travels fits into these two rooms. And it's in the cabinets.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | My uncle used to do a lot of fishing- he'd travel around the world to catch stuff. They don't stuff them or take weird pictures like we do- they ink them and press the fishie on paper. I remember this bad-boy from when I was a kid.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | The kitchen. Not american style but nothing outrageous and any person can make their way around.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Kitchen looking out. I spent many a moment here when I was little. Often with aircon and famicom.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Oi, Samantha was spoiled on this trip! She was a rock star and handled everything fantastically. Once back stateside things were a bit different though, and we paid the price!
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Who doesn't like ice cream! And how could we not give her any? She's just too cute!
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Yeah, we had a lot of stuff. 1/2 baby, 9/19's kathy, and 1/19th's lance. I had 2 shorts, 1 jeans, 4 polos, 4 tshirts.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | On the way home that afternoon from shopping we stopped by my uncle's place to say hi/bye. He just came back from my grandma but gave us a ride anyways (we couldn't say no… really, translation was hard). Anyways, on the way back an unknown family stopped the car and asked where the baby was. Well.. back at home. So they came over later (interrupting the fireworks..) to see the baby. Too funny!
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Kids don't play outsite and/or with fireworks anymore. WTF! They're all busy getting fat with PS3 (no xbox here) and the local store don't sell them much. The owner (didn't remember me) lamented that kids are changing… WTF? No fireworks? Damm kids. BTW it's hard to focus a point'n'shoot at night on fireworks.
Kanie, Japan
save file: small medium large |  | | Heading back home! It was a good trip, hopefully we'll be back soon!
Somewhere over the Pacific
save file: small medium large |  | | The big bird that dropped us off in LA! And I'm about to get yelled at by the TSA… we forgot how things were here : )
LAX
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