Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunty Susan Visit

TRUMPET FANFARE!!!!! THE GRANDMA, GRANDPA, AND AUNTY SUSAN VISIT.

We waited a long time to make our visit to see Ethan, Ryan, Kevin and Stephanie in Japan and you have all waited a long time for this blog.  As we sit in frigid weather back in Geneva, it seems like a long time since we were dripping with perspiration as we got off our long 13 hour flight on ANA and went through customs.  Boy, were we glad to see Kevin waiting for us....especially because we were carrying 3 extra big bags and not maneuvering too quickly.  The train ride was cool and relaxing and I think we all took a little snooze somewhere along the line.  We mercifully were treated to a taxi ride from the train station home and as expected the taxi driver had on gloves and a very clean but small taxi.  Cars are very clean and actually no old cars on the streets.  The older the car the more taxes you pay on it.  The cars seemed to be parked in tiny little garages and the people drive them on weekends only.  We were quite mesmerized and completely lost and anticipation built up to see Stephanie, Ethan and Ryan and their new home! Kevin impressed us with his directions to the taxi driver, he sounded quite confident but later we learned who the really impressive Japanese speakers were in the family.  I was also amazed at Stephanie's ability to sound just like a Japanese lady whenever speaking to someone.  Her inflections and tone were right on, so if she didn't know a word, they still knew what she was trying to say and she seemed to communicate well with all the people she had to deal with and she has a LOT to deal with.

The family home (the one in back)....amazing how the houses are laid out to conserve space and although the front is small, it is quite spacious and has a large kitchen and a yard that is behind the house to the right.  They were doing a tear down right next door to the house in front, so it was interesting to see how they build.  They are constantly doing tear downs and rebuilding according to new codes etc.  Oh yes, did I tell you we experienced a typhoon and an earthquake while in Japan.  No big deal......hmmm....longest I have felt an earthquake last...although the house felt very safe.

The Japanese have clever ways to be surrounded by greenery because there is not a lot of room for gardens and yards.

Dinner out and the food fest begins.  But at least the first night we were comfortable sitting with wells for our legs.  Stephanie told us that the last time they ate here, they came out with a bag of veggies for them when they left.  Sure enough, we each got a bag of fresh veggies (carrots, etc.)  when we left.

You will notice that a lot of our adventures included eating food with gusto!  Both Ethan and Ryan love the food and they are good eaters and try everything.  Quite expensive too!

One of the first places we wanted to see was called "Kidzania" and from the descriptions we heard it was going to be amazing.  Kevin and Stephanie wanted us to feel the whole true adventure  of taking the kids to "Kidzania"  so they went on a "date" and left us with Ethan and Ryan...since they have been there quite a few times already.  In order to reserve tickets, you can go on- line and choose a morning session or an afternoon session.  On the day of the outing, we had tickets for the afternoon session which opened at 4:30pm.  Stephanie left around 9:00am to get a (low) number for us to stand in line.  Kidzania is in a huge indoor shopping mall and the lines wind along the third and fourth floors.  Everyone is instructed to stand in line according to the number you received that day.  Stephanie got us a pretty low number, in the teens) .  We got in line around 3:00.  You left open spaces for people who were not there yet, and attendants kept the order pretty efficiently.  At around 4, the natives get restless and the line starts moving.  Than we were on our own.  Ethan and Ryan had chosen to go to the candy making store first so we hurried over there and they were put on a list and were told to come back at 6:00 for their session.
This place is truly amazing.  It is like walking in to a Main Street of a little town.  All little store front type businesses and a fire station, police station, bus station, drs., hospital, a dentist office, a veterinarian... anything you can imagine.  The sessions are timed to do what you would do in playing the role of a baker, candy maker, pizza maker, a store sales clerk, bottling  Coke, photo-journalists, a soccer camp where they take videos of your shots, after getting instructions from coaches.  The fire station puts out a pretty realistic fire, with hoses and real water.  The police guard and walk around to make sure all is safe.  I hope the following photos capture the absolute genius of this place.  As I said, the boys chose to do the candy making together...(they get the box of candy they make...a very popular brand).  Ryan went to do the soccer video, and he was on a construction crew, that was doing utility work.  Ethan did news and commentated on a radio station and was a clerk at one of the famous dept. stores in Japan, also a policeman.  The people who instruct and help with gettiing the jobs done are pretty thorough teachers and each session is about an hour or so.  The afternoon session was over at 9:00....can you imagine how tired we (the adults) were?

The line and you can see across the way, it winds throughout the floors of the Mall.

Ethan getting ready to be a store clerk

I would buy anything from this handsome man.

Ryan getting ready to make his DVD shooting at the soccer net

Ethan getting ready to patrol.  There is also a court room in police station and they also choose a captain, guess who.

Ryan getting instruction on taking care of utility poles

A determined crew.

They all get a chance to go up and work the crane and simulate some emergencies.

Finally, the candy making factory.   Can you imagine the work to put a place like this together?

All these uniforms and hats and the safety and sanitary rules that are followed!

 The fire engine for the town and the crew gets to put out a fire with real water hoses.  Ethan and Ryan did not do this one.  Although they have been here several times, they can choose what they want to do each time and the activities are unending.

Ethan speaking on his radio show....you get a disk of his commentating

I think the rest of the blog will not be so detailed but just could not get over this place!  I will be dividing the rest of this blog in groupings...you must realize I had thousands of photos to choose from and so I think it best to show you our trip in photos....that's what you want to see anyway and I will add comments as we go along.
Our other trips to Japan were more for business and the experience of being in a Japanese home, and living a typical family life there was new to us so we really wanted to get to see what life was like for Kevin, Stephanie, Ethan and Ryan.  A lot of adjustments for them and they are doing beautifully, taking full advantage of what this new adventure has to offer, as you can tell by Stephanie's blogs.  We also had adjustments to make and reality to come face to face to...like sleeping on the floor on futons, no central air or heat, they don't need a car so they walk, bike and take the train everywhere.  They navigate really well and we got used to the walking and taking the train.  I still don't bike....so my encounters with bikes was to try and stay away from them as old and young pedaled all around us on the sidewalks.  Hundreds on the streets, especially with the little seats on the back, going to and from school, stores, houses...everywhere!  We enjoyed the little shopping streets with open storefronts with everything beautifully displayed, like going to a street fair everyday as you walked to the train station.  There was a florist with huge beautiful, unusual blooms that had one wall as a climbing wall for the kids to climb.  We fell in love with a huge department store called Dai Ei,  similar to Target, that had everything including a little game section for the kids to play games and taiko(drums)  and spend their money.  Also the 100 Yen store that had everything...but for only $1.00.  Food was beautifully displayed everywhere and we took home delicious prepared "bentos" frequently.  Kevin and Stephanie also cooked their specialties for us and Susan, Stephanie and I took a cooking class and made the dinner one night.
Summer in Japan has Fairs and Markets and fun things to do every week and great food to eat.

The kitchen is quite big and Kevin cooks his one dish specialties and we eat in the dining/family/living room on a Japanese table, sitting on cushions.  In the winter the table is actually heated, as is their fancy toilet.  It has so many buttons to push for all kinds of luxuries.  Heat, warm water rinse..gentle or strong, and innovative and conservation smart...at the top of the tank is a water faucet for you to wash your hands and the water then goes into the tank to use to flush.  Clever!  Oh, yes and a Japanese style bath, which is a room that has a shower and a deep bath tub to sit in after you take a shower and clean yourself.

Stephanie's creative genius as she has to prepare these "bento" boxes for Ryan for lunch.

Climbing wall in a Florist shop.  Just stop by as you are walking to train station and do a wall climb.

At the (Dai Ei) dept. store you can use yen to play a game that gives you little tokens if you win.  The only value of the tokens is to use in these games to help you win more tokens, but spending your money each time.

This the the "target" department store that has a game/toy department where the kids can spend time and money, put your coin in to play the drums.

Ryan in this cute hat and he gets a ride from Mom to school everyday and gets picked up via same transportation.  About a 1/2 hour bike ride each way.

We went walking, walking everywhere!

More Fairs and Food coming up. 

This was a special " Fish" Festival for a certain kind of fish they grilled.

Along the streets are parkways that have benches and fun animals to sit and rest and play.

Had to visit Hatchiko, the dog's monument at Shibuya train station.  If you haven't read the book (really?) you need to.  Starring Richard Gere and he looks great and the story is a tear-jerker.

Yes, those are touch screens to order your sushi.  Really good Sushi for being a novelty restaurant.

Little plates, far too easy to eat a lot of sushi!

Besides eating we visited both Ethan and Ryan's schools....a rude awakening for a teacher.  Ethan's teacher is with those kids all day, including taking them outside for gym and giving them a hot lunch that is brought to their classroom.  She has children helpers who take turns helping to serve and she eats right there with them.  Ryan has a couple of teachers doing activities with them but in no particular schedule or order.  The children go from one thing to another and all in one room and all 20 or more, exuberant and loud!  They have a great time.  Kei and sat among the activity and were ready after an hour.  Of course, there also was soccer practice, and Ethan's soccer tournament, and English tutoring, calligraphy, Japanese tutoring.....we made some but not all.

On to some trips we took.  To Nikko for a weekend in the mountains.  Which was a nice relief from the hot weather in Tokyo and a fun trip for the boys to what they called "Ninja Land".  It is really called Edo Wonderland,  a cultural park that historically reenacts life back in the days of the Shogun from about 1603 to 1867 and has ninjas, geishas, all in period costumes, shows, activities with the weapons and cultural arts classes.  The Edo period is completely recreated in this village and another attraction that is mind boggling.  Again, Kevin and Stephanie wanted us to experience the true joy of being grandparents and aunt and went on a romantic getaway for the day.  As we walked through the park, we stopped for the kids to do archery,  throw those ninja pinwheel knives...these were games for prizes but actually using the real weapons.  We saw Ninja battles, action shows and a beautiful water show where geisha's spout water rhythmically from hands and feet that is indescribable and we couldn't take pictures.  Of course, there was food....grilled skewers and rice cakes and all yummy stuff.  The first day of our weekend we did take in some other scenic spots and some beautiful photos.

Edo was the capital before Tokyo during the Edo period.  It was a culturally advanced and was a large metropolis with a huge population.

Beautiful red bridge at entrance to park with shrines.  Did not take too many photos of temples and shrines....they all look alike.

There was a beautiful waterfall here....we are in the mountains so you see them cascading from high.

Sunset on Lake Chuzenjiko in Nikko

Something about the sign of the Ninja?

The battle was to knock off the small beach balls attached to the warriors clothes before he knocked yours off.

Back to Tokyo and more adventures.
Kei and I also got up at 2am to go to the famous Shijiki (?) Fish Market.  We got there by taxi to wait in line, only 60 people a day, in 2 groups get in to see the fish auction of huge Tuna.  You end up getting in line so early that everyone is down sitting on the floor for a couple of hours to wait but if you don't get there in time, you got up at 2 for nothing.  They just turn you away once they get their quota of crazy sightseers.

We were warned to stay behind the ropes, be quiet and don't point your finger or wave your hand or you might end up with a huge tuna at a hefty price!

Of course, after the tour you have to go and eat sushi at 6 AM.  But it is really FRESH.

Not that appealing for someone (Jean) who doesn't like to eat fish.  But, it is so fresh that you do NOT smell any fish smells at all.  Also is really cold...these fish are frozen.

Saved the best for the last.  In the summer, the temples move their portable shrines to different locations, now the why and details of this is not understood to us (foreigners).  It is called "Mikoshi". Stephanie has asked but the people who invited her to these festivals have no clue why they do this.  They only know it is a great time, good food (free) and lots of drinking.  You will see the portable shrines, they have one for children (which was moved on one day)  and one for adults (moved on another day....thus you have 2 days for having fun!)  These are heavy, heavy shrines, made elaborately, gilded gold and ornate with decorations.  The adult one has lights because the parade to move it lasts into the night.  They rest on two by fours that are then carried on the shoulders of men and women on each side.  There are drums, and chants and shouts to keep the cadence and if you don't , you get stepped on.  They meander the streets of town to get to the destination but you stop for a rest along the way and this is where the food and drink comes in.  There are sponsors who provide really great food, skewers of grilled stuff, noodles, sweets, candy for the kids and lots of beer and sake.  They rest a lot and so the parade takes a few hours to complete also, you do have to dodge  cars and stop traffic as you go along.  As you are marching along, you get people who come in and out of the line to take their place and shoulder the load.  Even I got a chance to participate...however, if you are short, all you do is get between tall people and just hold on the the wood.  Kevin and Stephanie, Ethan and Ryan did this last year and they asked if we would like to join them in this festival.  This was a lot of fun and a highlight of our trip.  It was the ultimate blending in to the new culture and neighborhood and we are glad we got the experience of seeing them thoroughly take part and be around friends they have made.

The kids shrine.

Kevin, Stephanie, Ethan, Ryan and me with their friends who treated us and welcomed us so nicely.

I think this is the end.  But you can see what a wonderful time we had and the memories we will cherish.  This is but a tiny piece of recollections....if you want more.....no, I don't think you want more!
Grandma, Grandpa and Susan....but written and produced by Grandma Jean