Eric's parents were our first (and possibly our last) visitors to Japan. We had suggested they come in Spring or Fall since those are the two most beautiful times to visit. They chose to come in the fall so we were excited to show them all our favorite spots. We did not plan for the two typhoons that hit while they were here but we had a great time regardless. They flew in on a Wednesday and we wanted to give them time to adjust to the time difference so we kept it easy their first couple days. Eric was working that week so while the boys were at school I took them around to all the local shopping spots. On Friday night we had a sitter and took them to our favorite local Italian restaurant which I think everyone enjoyed.
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| George at George's...one of my favorite stores |
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| Our favorite Italian restaurant close to base |
On Saturday, Eric had rented a van for all of us to travel to Shizuoka. Mel had an exchange student from Japan live with her when she was in high school and she wanted to host us so they could reconnect. We met Noriko and her husband at their house and then went out for conveyor belt sushi to kick off the weekend. There was a typhoon coming in that day so we headed to our hotel soon after lunch. The place where we stayed was a beautiful Japanese Inn with Japanese style rooms. What we did not expect was the full Japanese experience including an onsen before dinner. In case you are not aware, an onsen is a public bath....meaning you bathe....naked....with other people! This was something I swore I would never do in Japan but when someone is hosting you and they tell you to get naked, you get naked. So while my boys were so excited to get naked together in a bath, me and Mel were over in the women's section in a bit of shock. Neither of us were comfortable with the situation but we followed instructions from Noriko and pretended we weren't walking around with nothing but a small towel to cover ourselves. Its really quite odd....you have to scrub yourself clean before you enter the bath and this too is in the public area. In Japanese culture this is all very normal but for us it was the most foreign, uncomfortable, and quite awful thing I have experienced here in Japan. After bathing naked with my mother in law we met up with the guys and had a nice buffet dinner where I might have had a drink or two of alcohol to calm my nerves.
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| The boys in the van ready for the weekend with Nana & Papu |
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| Mel seeing Noriko for the first time since High School! |
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| Noriko had them sample many different kinds of Sushi |
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| The boys always enjoy their food being delivered by conveyor belt! |
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| Checking out the ocean view at The Grand Yaizu Hotel |
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| Sitting on the floor is fun too |
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| Ready to go to the onsen |
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| Me and Mel after the onsen....we survived! I think we deserve a badge of some sort. |
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| Buffet Dinner with Noriko and Shigeo |
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| Happy to have clothes on again |
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| Morning view...Typhoon Lan was coming in |
The next day we headed to another Japanese Style Hotel close to Mt. Fuji called Kozantei Ubuya. I was resolved to the fact that we would most likely get naked again and I was right on. At this hotel we had a private room for dinner and breakfast. We also slept on Tatami Mats which were surprisingly comfortable. We woke up to a partial view of Mt. Fuji and it became fully clear later in the day. The boys were troopers trying all the interesting Japanese cuisine over the weekend...they even enjoyed Salmon for breakfast! Noriko had to leave after breakfast for work. All joking aside we were so grateful to her and her husband for hosting us for the weekend. The opportunity to stay at these beautiful hotels was definitely one we will never forget!
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| Another great view of the storm |
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| A good place to be |
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| Yukatas on and ready for another onsen. |
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| A & E |
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| Dinner in a private room |
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| The Japanese really know how to make a presentation! |
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| Hayden has come a long way and was willing to try some new things. |
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| Daddy cooking the shabu shabu |
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| Lincoln practicing his chopstick skills |
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| Japanese breakfast |
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| Beautiful morning view of Fuji |
While we were in the area we took Mel and George to see Shiraito Falls which is one of our favorite scenic areas near Mt. Fuji. By this point we were all craving a little something different than Japanese Food so we went to a nearby burger joint for lunch. That night I was happy to be home and take a shower....alone. :)
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| Love this pic of Nana & Papu with the boys |
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| Love that there is always a rainbow here |
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| We are all so ready for a burger and fries!! |
Eric took the next week off and while the boys were at school we took Mel and George on many day trip adventures. We started with a trip to Kamakura to see the Big Buddha and do a little shopping. We enjoyed walking around the nearby shrines and were stopped a few times by some kids practicing their English.
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| My favorite statue in Japan |
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| Saint Melody |
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| Praying family |
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| So many good photo opps here! |
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| Japanese kids practicing their English |
The next day was a little rainy so we decided to train to Kichijoji. This is a cool spot Eric and I have visited with lots of shops, restaurants and craft brew pubs. After shopping for a bit, we sampled beer at Yona Yona and then had lunch at a Thai spot called Peppermint Cafe.
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| Yona Yona |
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| We all tried a sampler |
The next day I had culture group so Mel came along with me. We visited a local sake brewery. We enjoyed a tour, tasting, and lunch after. Eric and George went to Tachikawa on a search for cigars and had Yakiniku for lunch which is different types of meat cooked over a small grill at your table. As much as you can eat in an hour and a half.
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| Ishikawa Brewery |
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| Culture Group ladies |
On Friday we drove to Shoshenkyo Gorge to hike and take a cable car up the mountain. We enjoyed lunch and the views at the top!
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| Views on the hike |
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| Cable car up! |
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| Great view of Fuji today! |
That night the boys carved pumpkins with neighbors for Halloween. On Saturday night the base decided to have Trick or Treating despite the 100% chance of rain. The base opens the gates to the Japanese to enjoy the night so its always crazy. As a neighborhood we set up tents and combined all our candy for the mass chaos. We didn't get many pictures as it was raining pretty hard. Nana and Papu came out to watch the boys go door to door.
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| Lincoln's first pumkin |
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| Hayden and his friend Brodie |
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| Super Mario costumes were a hit |
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| Eric's masterpiece pumpkin |
On Sunday we had booked a room at The New Sanno, which a nice military hotel closer to Tokyo. They had a special Halloween brunch that we attended before we ventured out. There was another typhoon coming in so we decided to do something indoors. We went to The Tokyo Motor Show which is the largest in the world. It was very busy so we didn't stay long. That night we went out to eat at a restaurant close to the hotel. We then chilled out at the hotel and enjoyed the indoor pool for the rest of the night. The next morning we checked out another cool area nearby called Daikanyama. We had an awesome brunch at Blu Jam cafe before heading to a unique book store where the boys were able to pick out books. We walked around the neighborhood before sampling beer at Spring Valley Brewery.
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| New Sanno Sunday Brunch |
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| The boys at the motor show |
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| Pumpkins in Daikanyama! |
The next day Mel & George left for the airport around noon. We were so grateful that they made the trip out. Japan is not easy....its not easy to get here, the food is not easy, and getting around can take a long time and be tiresome. We really packed a lot in during their two week visit and bonded like I never thought we would! Thank you Nana and Papu for coming to see how we live in Japan. It was an experience we will never forget!
