A Night at the Festival

The main stage at the Summer Festival in Natsumi, Funabashi Japan

During the summer break we were able to keep with tradition and go to the Matsuri, (祭り）or festival.  The summer nights are hot in Japan and it is often difficult to sleep.  But the good thing is that they are cooler than the daytime and in Japan night time young people roam the streets and families often take their children to the neighborhood parks where festivals are held.  Many people gather and dress in traditional summer clothes usually Yukata (ゆかた）and Jinbei.（じんべい）

The matsuri festivals have music playing and a large taiko drum on the center stage keeping the beat as the people dance the Bon Odori.  Many volunteers help make these festivals possible along with many vendors who sell food, drinks, alcohol, and toys.  There are also games for children, prizes, and many other entertaining things to do.  The children always enjoy their time at Matsuri.  The only problem is that it can get quite expensive $$$!

This video shows the stage and the drummers drumming the beat to the Bon Odori, which is done in a cirlce around the stage. Usually there are official dancers that take the lead for the dance and anybody is free to join along in the circle as the song plays.

Cotton candy is a big seller and of course very exciting for the kids to get too.

 

Often we run into neighborhood friends and classmates at the Matsuri.

We were able to go to the Festival a couple times this year. I will post more photos with another entry later.

Trip to the Zoo

We took a trip to the zoo a little before Matthew was born.  It was kind of like the last trip with just the girls.  We went in the afternoon and avoided the crowds and spent a couple hours walking around and watching the animals.

The great thing about Chiba zoo is that you can get quite close to the animals and there is enough variety to keep the children entertained.



The giraffe`s head is just a few feet away as I took this picture of it eating grass by the fence

The girls are just a couple feet away from the giraffe.  You can see their shoes, the red ones

They don`t have the more agressive animals like the rhino or hippopotamus, or predatorss like tigers or lions though, but the usual big guys are there: elephants, giraffes, gorillas, and the like.

Ultimately the zoo reminds my children that the animals in their books are real.  In suburban Japan there is not a lot of exposure to wild animals, so the only thing you have are the pictures on the ABC charts and in books. 

It was fun and only took a couple hours to see most of everything.

Welcome to the Family-Matthew!

Last week we welcomed a new member to our family.  Matthew Yoshiya was born on Thursday morning in Japan.  We were both excited and relieved to see him and to know that he is healthy.  In Japan radiation is a big concern and he has a high risk of being affected by it.  We were told that he might have Down Syndrome or a birth defect during Yumi`s pregnancy according to a test she took.  Also Yumi has been exposed to radioactive water and other contamination after the Fukushima plant melted down in March, but we are yet to see any ill effects in Matthew.  We thank God that he is well and is home with us. 

Matthew now is going to be in the middle of a tug a war of attention.  All three girls want to hold and cuddle him.  We are definitely going to have to keep an eye on him and make sure the girls take good care of him.

Things Change...

Picture of our backyard last summer.  We grew quite a few plants in our small plot of land.  The sunflowers got real tall.  Those were happy times.

Looking back at the days gone by and browsing through pictures a smile comes across my face and along with it my eyes become a little watery.  Our life in Japan these days is very different for a lot of reasons.  After the earthquake we were forced to move.  The house that we spent the last couple years raising our three daughters is no longer.

I drove by a few weeks ago and was shocked to see what used to be our home completely gone. It is a complicated feeling looking at such a place.

So far things are going okay, but I say that knowing that perhaps they will soon change again.  We are about to have our fourth child sometime this week.  Again things are always changing.  It is sometimes sad when you think about it never being the same, but also there are good things that may come.  We are believing for the best and trusting God for the rest.

Manna`s birthday!

Well Manna is now four years old.  It seems like a long time, if I sit and think about it.  Four years ago we were in the hospital in Tokyo all together with little baby Manna.

It`s hard to believe how fast they grow...

Anyways onto the celebration.  Manna requested that we take her to the Rainforest Cafe.  It has quite an ambiance, from robotic elephants and gorillas to huge fish tanks, don`t forget the artificial thunderstorm that comes every 10 minutes or so.  I just wish I could say the food was that great, but it`s okay and obviously over priced.  I mean $15 tacos...come on! They also have a giant hamburger for the shocking price of $45...but it does come with fries.

So Manna was super excited and couldn`t stop talking the whole time.  She hardly ate anything because she just had to get up and explore the place.

Overall a memorable experience.  I hope you all enjoy the photos and videos

Showtime!

Today being a holiday for me and of course the girls on their summer vacation, we took off to the park for a few hours.  It was warm but shade and a breeze helped out a lot.

After the park we went to watch a show at a local mall.  PRECURE is the name of the Japanese Animation.  It is a typical heroine type action show.  Of course this was done with real people dressed up dancing, fighting, and doing whatever.  I couldn`t help but laugh at the corniness of it all, but the girls really enjoyed it.

In fact Manna was in tears when the pink one (blossom) left the stage after being attacked by the bad guy.  She thought she must have died or something.  It took a few minutes to assure her it was going to be okay.

So now tomorrow I am back to work, and I guess things will be a little less tiring.  Days off from work don`t necessarily mean a vacation.

Long ,but fun day!

Pool season starts!

Today was the opening day for the local pool we often go to. The great thing is the pool is relatively close (about 30 minute drive) and it`s FREE!

And to make things better we were able to meet up with some of Anna and Manna`s friends there too. We spent about 3 hours in the sun, going in and out of the pool trying to keep kids from slipping and falling, and to stay happy and hydrated!!

Whew! Feeling the burn....sunburn maybe.

Anyways we have a lot more days of pool fun ahead. Enjoy the pics and videos

 

MATSURI

Today after returning home from work we went to the neighborhood matsuri (Japanese festival).
There were a lot of children and people dressed in the traditional Japanese summer attire. Of course we got the girls all dressed up as well. Manna really enjoyed dancing on the stage. We bought Tako yaki, shaved ice, and some toys for the girls. They really enjoyed the atmosphere with the taiko drums and Bon dance. We also ran into a few neighbors and friends.
Before we knew it, it was past eight and time to go.
Except for the sweltering humidity, I really enjoy Japanese summers!

Summer vacation starts!!

The girls have just finished their first semester of preschool together.

And the early mornings are really warming up.
The garden has really grown the past 3 months
Every morning we are likely to have cucumbers or tomatoes waiting for us

Manna is especially fond of cucumbers.

And Anna loves tomatoes.

We hope to be growing melons soon, hopefully in time for the 90 degree summer heat!!