For the past few months Jessie and I have been homesick. First for the United States, a country filled with things we thought we knew and missed, and the people there we missed. And now, for the foreign country that for a year adopted us and made us feel at home. About five weeks ago we left some of the closest, dearest friends we have ever had and will ever make. We knew it would be difficult to leave Japan, but what we didn't know was how difficult it would be to return to the things we assumed would seem familiar. [View Full Entry]

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Well, four days from today we'll be back on U.S. soil. Now the challenge becomes trying to describe our year here in Japan. As with many things, the temptation is to write a list of the things we enjoyed and the things we didn't like about Japan. But, the more Jessie and I talk about our experiences here, the harder it is to come to conclusions. Seemingly, every time we've tried to make a generalization, a new experience soon followed and changed our minds. The adage that "the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know" certainly rings [View Full Entry]

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Jessie and I don't consider ourselves travelers. We're home bodies, generally content to stick close to what we know. However, because we realize this, we often find ourselves (especially in Japan) stepping out of that comfort zone in order to experience new things. We had been planning to take a trip, alone, to some far off place in Japan since our arrival here, and having saved up enough money we finally got a weekend that looked good, and we took off to Hiroshima. Now, many tourists consider this stopping point in southern Japan a must-see site. But, when we told some [View Full Entry]

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Jessie and I took a day trip to Tokyo Tuesday to see possibly the most controversial destination in all of Japan: Yasukuni-jinja (shrine) and Yushukan, the shrine's accompanying museum. The museum commemorates Japan's war dead from the late 19th century up through WWII and the Japanese believe the shrine is home to the spirits of those who fought and died for Japan. The shrine is a popular destination for families of dead soldiers and Japanese leaders, including the prime minister. In many ways it resembles Arlington National Cemetery, however, visitors to Arlington Cemetery do not pray to the [View Full Entry]

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You, are, and crazy. Those three words were in every sentence out of our friends' mouths when they heard Jessie and I would be hosting six members of Jessie's family at our little house for a week and a half. Well, yes, we, are. But, they came, we all survived, and had a pretty great time, too. It's going to be a lot quieter around here, and I feel kind of like I feel the day after my birthday... But, both of our families came and went -- each experiencing a very unique portion of Japan and sharing with us our [View Full Entry]

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That's right - sakura mania is once again sweeping Japan: a time when friends and families gather under perfectly placed and pruned cherry trees and drink sake, gross food and look at the cherry blossoms (sakura). In addition to these "o-hanami" events, the Japanese generally are enthralled with their cherry trees. The blossoms bloom brilliantly for about two weeks, depending on wind and rain, and many people keep close tabs on their local blossom forecasts so they'll know just when to head out for a day of viewing. Fortunately for my, Greg's, family, they were able to see the first half [View Full Entry]

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Well, things have been busy here for Jessie and I, to say the least. Not only is the school year winding down, but our free time has been spent with friends and preparing for our families to visit Japan. We knew these next two months would be full of adventures and challenges. My parents have been here for a week now and we're having a very nice time. Thankfully, our friends have been eager to whisk us off to places around Yamanashi and even further away. Jessie and I have been able to visit some places we've been wanting to go [View Full Entry]

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“I’m worried that Japan may have become just like foreign countries…we have to think of a good way to prevent such occurrences.” This, the reaction by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda following a December fatal shooting at a sports club. Seems like I, Greg, can't go a week without a Japanese person telling me how peace-loving and harmonious Japan is. OK, I get it already. Japanese people are desperate to erase their past and recent history of colonialism and imperialism in Asia. So, in an effort not dissimilar to the government's poker-faced lying about its whale h [View Full Entry]

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So, for about a day it was white in Minami Alps. Actually it has snowed four times here already, which is a lot compared to last year's one. The snow only lasts for the day and then melts away. We are hearing stories of all the snow in Iowa and Wisconsin and we can't say we miss it. The first time it snowed I opend the curtains in the morning and yelled for Greg to look. We ventured out on our bikes that day, which was quite challenging, but fun. Winter in Yamanashi is very short (technically we are already in [View Full Entry]

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The New Year in Japan meant celebrations galore and new opportunities to experience Japanese culture for Jessie and me. Our friends here in Minami-Alps City treated us to experiences including searching out local monkeys and visiting the Mt. Fuji area. One question we’re asked here quite a bit is, “Is Japanese winter cold for you?” We try not to laugh, but say, no, it is not too cold. In fact, it’s been in the 40s and 50s here for a high most of the winter, and although the coldest is yet to come, we’re not too concerned. We miss a lot [View Full Entry]

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