Melinda's Japanese Adventure: Back in Japan

We enjoyed our trip to China, but were really happy to be headed back to Japan despite the continued aftershocks and threat of nuclear meltdown. Even now, weeks later, we have to be cautious about where the vegetables we eat come from, using bottled water, and not leaving things around that could fall during an earthquake (although our apartment is on the first floor and doesn't suffer nearly as much shaking and disruption as apartments higher up).

We were especially happy to return when we did as cherry blossoms were just beginning to bloom and we got to see them in their full glory. It was beautiful.

Near the moat.

Sam and I rode the boats the next weekend. There were fewer cherry blossoms and I ran us up on the rocks, but it was still very pretty and fun. These lucky people got to float around under the cherry blossoms hanging down over the water. But the line was too long for us.

Cherry blossoms at the moat.

The white on the water is not scum, but fallen cherry blossoms.

Yasakuni Jinja.

The Americans have tea, cake, and cookies at a little eatery after viewing the cherry blossoms.

You can see the cherry blossoms through the window. We will soon all weigh ten thousand pounds from eating tea and cake!

Sam gets a haircut.

Mr. Ulu helps Sam off the beehive at Kodomonokuni (Kid's Country). We went on a school trip to here one Saturday. It was very fun. It is a huge park with many play areas, paddle boats, farm animals, a bouncing thing, a petting zoo.... Mr. Ulu is Sam's principal.