Ms. Nicole's Peak Life Experience: Reading to the children at Aria's school
Ms. Nicole was invited to be the "mystery reader" at Aria's school in Tokyo. Mystery readers come to read a book in their bilingual (English/Japanese) school. But since it's Japan, they are not satisfied with littles only being exposed to 2 languages: I was invited to read a book in Russian. I was SO NERVOUS! I seriously rehearsed many times to make sure my pronunciation was good, I was capturing the rhyme and rhythm of the story, and I was keeping it precisely to 15 minutes including Q&A. I shared "У Меня Зозвонил Телефон" and it was a HIT! Faces blurred to protect the littles.
Transportation: Everything except a helicopter and a rickshaw...
We took a domestic flight to Hiroshima, Japan Rail trains to Hemeiji and Kyoto, bullet train back to Tokyo, subway, bus, and ferry boat! Ms. Nicole was especially excited that the niblings got to learn the magic of coin rental lockers in the train stations!
Delicious Japanese Food!
We ate all the things!
Last Day: Tokyo Dome Amusement Park!
by Renee Garneau
Since Aria got out of school early today, we all met and went to the Amusement Park at Tokyo Dome. Aria was so excited the whole time to ride all of the rides with us! First we all went on a ride where we got to shoot robots and then Natalie, Uncle Kent, and I went on the Viking Ship. We even rode a ferris wheel where you could sing karaoke while riding the ride! To finish off the trip Natalie, Ryan, Aria, and I rode the teacups and then Ryan, Aria, and I rode a small roller coaster! We all had a blast at our last Tokyo attraction! Finishing off the night was a hot pot meal at Uncle Kent and Kumiko's! We are going to miss them so much!
Sensō-ji in Asakusa, boat to Odaiba, and Shibuya!
by Natalie Garneau
On Monday we went to the Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. The entrance to the temple had a giant paper lantern and the gods of Wind and Thunder on either sides. Once you walk through the gate there is a bunch of little shops lining the road to the temple. Then we stood next to a huge bronze bowl of burning incense that is considered to be the breath of the gods. Next we walked into the temple and bought fortunes. Ryan was the only one who got a bad fortune and had to tie it up on a little rack. After, we walked to the boat and took a boat ride down the river to the island of Odaiba. We got to walk along the beach and then road a huge Ferris Wheel that looked over the bay and Tokyo. Last we took a train to Shibuya where we took lots of pictures of the intersection and went shopping. We went to Tokyo Hands which is 7 floors of anything you can imagine. To finish the day we took a train back to our house and had Pizza Hut. :)
Heian Jingu Shrine
by Nicole Garneau
For Thursday night dinner in Kyoto, Kumiko and Aria traveled from Tokyo to join in the fun and visit Kumiko's father Kaneda-san. We spent the night in a traditional Japanese ryokan (inn) that featured rooms with tatami mats on the floor, communal baths, and yukata (robes) for everyone to wear within the space of the hotel. We slept on beds that were low to the floor. The next morning after a delicious breakfast we visited Kyoto's Heian Jinkgu Shrine.
Heian Shrine dates back just over 100 years to 1895. It was built on the occasion of the 1100th anniversary of Kyoto's establishment as the capital, and is dedicated to the spirits of the first and last emperors who reigned Japan from the city. We were impressed with the giant torii gate that marks the approach to the shrine. We were also amused by several groups of school children who interviewed us about the shrine as part of their schoolwork. They spent a lot of time rehearsing what they were going to say to us and jostling around as they worked up the courage to talk to people they had heard speaking English. We were happy to oblige!
Tenryu-ji Temple and Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
by Nicole Garneau
We finished our day in Kyoto with a sweet tram ride to the Tenryu-ji Temple and Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. The walk through the gardens from Tenryu-ji Temple was a soothing dose of beauty in itself, and then we were treated to an incredible grove of tall bamboo trees!
Ryoan-ji in Kyoto
by Nicole Garneau
We got a good soaking at Kinkakuji (no, Ryan, unless there is soap involved it does not count as a shower), but we had a warm lunch and the weather cleared up for our visit to the dry garden of Ryoan-ji in Kyoto. This lovely rock garden dates back to the fifteenth century, but went largely undiscovered until the 1930s. Now it is one of Japan's most famous rock gardens. The garden is made up of a long walled rectangle of gravel in which fifteen stones of different sizes are arranged in 5 groups among raked sand. There are patches of moss around each set of stones. Our guidebook said that the layout might be a koan, or riddle, set by Zen masters to test their students, and there is a lot of debate about its meaning. We each had our own theories, but Ryan's were the most imaginative. This was a very peaceful place to visit for quiet contemplation.
Bonus Family! Dinner with Kumiko's father, Mikio Kaneda
by Nicole Garneau
As we were planning our travels to Kyoto, we discovered that Kumiko's father Mikio Kaneda would also be in Kyoto at the same time we were there! He was kind enough to invite us to meet him for dinner. This was very special for all of us, but especially for Uncle Kent, because this is the first time he has been able to introduce his father-in-law to any of his American family. We met Kaneda-san for a DELICIOUS tempura dinner and had a really nice visit. Kaneda-san told us a lot of stories of the history of Kyoto and its relationship to Tokyo. We also talked about his passion for golfing and his travels around the world. Aria had an American and a Japanese grandparent in the same space for the first time ever. Uncle Kent said this was a highlight of the Kyoto visit for him.
Kiyomizudera Temple
by Nicole Garneau
On our last day in Kyoto, Uncle Kent took us to see Kiyomizu-dera, which is one of Kyoto's "defining sights." We walked up a big hill along a bustling road lined with souvenir shops and food stands. The crowds of tourists were out on this clear sunny day! Kiyomizu-dera has a beautiful wooden platform that overhangs the valley and offers wonderful views of Kyoto from above. We also visited the shrine to Okoninushi-no-mikoto, an ancient diety in charge of love and good marriages; his messenger is a rabbit. Ryan and Nicole tested their love lives by trying to walk with our eyes closed in a straight line between two "blind stones" set 18m apart while saying the names of our loved ones. With a lot of support from our family members, we both made it safely from one stone to the other, thereby proving that love is strongest when supported by family!
We also wandered the shaded paths along the route to Otowa Waterfall, whose waters are said to cure any illness, and admired flowers and greenery along the way. On our way back down the hill we stopped for Ramen and soft serve and then headed back to get on the bullet train to Tokyo.
Sunday Family Funday at Mori Tower at Roppongi Hills!
by Renee Garneau
After our ramen lunch today we all headed out to Roppongi hills for a little sight seeing! It is the office and shopping complex where Uncle Kent works. We went all the way to the top of the roof to look out over Tokyo. The view was amazing! We took a ton of pictures! We even got free ice cream on the observatory deck! After that we went and visited the Mori Art Gallery, which was all about Japanese architecture.
Nijō Castle (二条城 Nijō-jō)
By Nicole Garneau
Nijo Castle is a flatland castle in Kyoto. The photos you see here are the outside of the castle, as photos are not allowed inside of the castle. We took off our shoes and walked through Ninomaru Palace to see the many reception chambers, offices, and living quarters of the shogun. Bonnie's favorite part of the palace is the "nightingale floors," which were constructed in such a a way as to squeak like birds when anyone walks on them, to protect the occupants from sneak attacks and assassins. Bonnie says, "it's unimaginable how all of this was constructed! I loved the whole idea of walking along and hearing birds singing!" Nicole loved the interior paintings on screens: especially the ones that humored the shogun's love of falcons. It was really cool that they staged the interior rooms with statues of feudal lords kneeling as if they are meeting with the shogun.
Tokyo Zoo!
by Ryan Garneau
We went to the zoo in Tokyo. My favorite animal there was a pangolin. The pangolin is not that common and are in danger of being extinct. They live in hot places in Africa and parts of Asia. We also got to see a male panda and a black handed spider-monkey. Here is every animal that I think we saw: pangolin, panda, elephant, monkeys, prairie dogs, birds, pigs, alpacas, horses, bulls, owls, seals, polar bears, chickens, goats, African porcupines, capybaras, emu, chinchillas, white mice, rabbits, hedgehogs, fish, turtles, penguins, kangaroos, otters that didn't like each other, tigers, peacocks, and aardvarks.
The Most Important Reasons to Visit Japan: Family!
by Nicole Garneau and Aria Garneau
We have been having a lot of fun visiting our family. We went to the zoo, we made up obstacle courses in the park, and we ate a lot of yummy food. While Kent & Kumiko went to a party, the rest of us stayed with Aria and cooked pasta with grated cheese. We also went out for wood-fired pizza!
Kinkakuji in the Rain
by Renee Garneau
On Thursday, we visited Kinkakuji (The Golden Palace) in Kyoto. It was surrounded by a pond and the place was in the middle of it. What we saw was a replica because the original was burned down in 1950 by an angry monk. When we were there it was pouring down rain and we all had to huddle under umbrellas to stay somewhat dry. But it was still really pretty!!
We all agreed that the rain only enhanced the beauty of the Golden Palace and its surrounding gardens!
Himeiji Castle
by Ryan Garneau
Himeiji Castle was so awesome. It was a lot of hard work but it paid off. We had to climb up a lot of stairs all the way to the 6th floor. The view was amazing! You could see all over Himeiji. There was a secret spot where warriors could hide and jump out to surprise anyone trying to arrack the Castle. I liked how there was a spot where you could drop rocks on the heads of other warriors.
Renee at Himeiji-jo, also known as "white egret castle," since the complex is supposed to resemble a bird in flight.
Natalie at Himeiji Castle, which miraculously survived the World War II bombings that destroyed much of the city.
Natalie, Renee, and Ryan enjoy the view of the city of Himeiji.
Hiroshima Visit
By Natalie Garneau
On Wednesday we went to the Hiroshima Bomb Memorial. First we walked through the park and visited the shines dedicated to the loved ones that were lost. The children's shrine was very special because it had thousands of paper cranes displayed made by other school children over the years to commemorate those who died. We also visited the A-Bomb dome which was the wire framing of a dome that lasted through the bombing. It is the only building left standing after World War 2 in Hiroshima. Last we visited the Peace Memorial Museum where we learned about the bomb, history of Hiroshima, and the aftermath and rebuilding of the city. This experience really impacted the way we see the world because we got to look at it from a whole different perspective in Hiroshima.
The Hiroshima Memorial Cenotaph. Under the arch lies a stone coffin containing the names of all the direct and indirect A-bomb victims. Through the arch you can see the flame of peace, which will be put out once the last nuclear weapon on earth has been destroyed.
The A-Bomb dome. This building was almost at the hypocenter of the blast and was one of the few structures within a 2 mile radius that remained standing. It's been maintained since in its distressed state as a historical witness to Hiroshima's suffering.
The House in Japan!
Ryan wrote a great post about the house where we are staying in Japan. He says:
The house that were staying in Japan is awesome. The house has a nice view. The bedrooms have a TV and a mini fridge. They also have a sink. That's why I love our house in Japan.
Getting on the plane!
We made it through security without too much trouble in spite of the fact that TSA needed a deep investigation of Natalie's and Renee's snacks! About to board the plane!
Excited to get on a great big plane. photo by Ryan.
Grandma and Renee have full water bottles. photo by Ryan.