Music

Hello I am Iwao.

I play drum and xylophone in these days.

Japan baby -2

Fianlly I could see my Japanese grandpa and grandma again since last Christmas holiday.
We went to Onsen (a hot spring) and stayed overnight. I think I liked it. We had big baths indoor and outdoor. I heard that the hot water was good for stiff shoulders and tiredness. I do not have either but... it was fun.
The next day we went swimming next to the hotel. There was a huge whirlpools. I brought my big orange float which I bought in Germany. I was able to swim very well. I wanted to stay even longer but mama and papa became tired and we decided to go home.

****
At my grandparents place, there is a piano, which my mother used to play. I can also play it very well, you see?

****

I went to a shrine, where mama and papa had a wedding ceremony.

Before entering the shrine, you need to clean your hands.

****

We went to Takayama.

Takayama is best known for its inhabitants' expertise in carpentry. It is believed carpenters from Takayama worked on the Imperial Palace in Kyoto and on many of the temples in Kyoto and Nara. The town and its culture, as they exist today, took shape at the end of the 16th century, when the Kanamori clan built Takayama Castle. About a hundred years later the city came under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate. However, the high altitude and separation from other areas of Japan kept the area fairly isolated, allowing Takayama to develop its own culture over about a 300-year period.

Yes, a beautiful town.... but still very very hot.

****
We went to a temple of esoteric Buddhism near Mt. Tateyama. It seemed to be a very spiritual place. There are small waterfalls from melt snow water from Mr Tateyama. Some perform cold water ablutions by a fall. Yes, it was cooler there.

****
It was also cooler in a shopping mall. We went there quite often. There are funny carts with popular manga characters. I took one with Draemon.
Cool, isn't it!
I also met Ampanman and Tateyama kun. Tateyama kun is a police man.

****
We went to Onsen in Kaga with mama's friends. She has two daughters - Natsu and Sachi. I was playing with Sachi (6 months). Natsu also played with me a lot.
I had big baths indoors and outdoors in the afternoon and the next morning. I really liked them. After bathing, I was able to sleep very well. I definitely like Onsen.

****
I also went to the zoo. I saw many animals. They are funny;-)

****
I had wonderful experiences in Japan. I really enjoyed staying with my grandma and grandpa. I miss them already. I hope that I can visit there and see them soon. (I found out that I did not take a picture with my grandma and grandpa because they are too close to me during holiday. )

Japan Baby -1

Hello I am Iwao.

I have been to Japan this summer. It took 10 hours and a half by airplane. As I slept well on board, I was able to manage such a long journey.

It was very very hot there, over 30 degrees every day. There are many dance festivals in summer. We went to the Awa odori festival in Koenji, Tokyo. My mother's friend Nao chan did a great performance there.
I met many papa and mama's friends. They took care of me very well.

Nao chan with Awa odori costume

I also met my family in Tokyo. I have seen them by Skype before and finally I was able to see them.

uncle and aunt in Tokyo

After three days in Tokyo, we moved to my grandparents' place by Shinkansen (a bullet train).
It was also the first time for me to take such a high speed train. It was OK. I was playing with papa and mama, seeing a view and sleeping some.

Shinkansen