JAPAN

I went to Osaka, to my grandfather's cousin's house. Her name is Michiko, and while we were there she helped me put on a Japanese kimono. 

 

 I went to Kyoto. This is a photo of us and our cousin Miyoko and her family.  While we were there we went to a traditional Kanko festival where a bunch of men young and old wearing traditional clothing representing the five towns carry their town's shrines to the same place. 

 

I went to a town named Gobo and stayed with Takakazu and Kayoko. This is Kayoko holding a sword that she uses for Tai Chi. She taught me how to open a Japanese fan.  She also taught me some Japanese phrases: "arigato gozaimas" means thank you, "ohio gozaimas" means good morning, "kombanwa" means good night. 

 

 This is Michiko and I having fun, posing like Japanese girls do for photos.  Michiko taught me how to say "kay ko des" which means no thank you.    

 

These are two of Michiko's grandchildren Kazuma and Manaka in Nagoya. Their father is Michiko's son Ken and their mother is Ken's wife Yuko. 

 

This is my cousin Yuya and me with the artist Hashizume Kiyoshinuki. He made this painting by carving the design on canvas and soaking it in handmade indigo dye.

 

And here are a few more photos from Japan:

 

 Takakazu and Kayoko

 

Kentaro and Junko

 

In front of Taka and Miyoko's home in Kyoto, with Miyoko's daughter Hanna and Taka's mother.

 

The Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto 

 

cousin Ken Otokubo in Nagoya

 

 hand washing tradition at To-ji temple, with Taka, Miyoko and Yuya

 

and Hello Kitty

 

 

Japan

 

TAIWAN

I went to a building in Taiwan called Taipei 101 but in Chinese they call it Yi Ling Yi.

In Taipei there are lots of night markets which are streets full of food stands and other things. In one of the night markets my mom made me try stinky tofu. It smelled sooo bad, it smelled like a rat that has been dead for 100 years. But it tasted delicious!

 

This is a another photo of a night market in Taiwan.

 

Something that is popular in Taipei are surgical masks. Almost everyone wears them! But we don't 

know why they do.

 

While we were in Taiwan we saw many rice fields. When you plant rice you have to flood the field with water and then when the rice plants turn goldish you have to drain the field and harvest them. 

 

Another thing that is popular is shaved ice with condensed milk.  I thought it was good.



This is a Buddhist temple. There are many temples with beautiful roofs.  The woman next to me is my grand aunt, who I call "xiao puo puo."

 

One more thing about Taiwan is that 7-ELEVENs are everywhere, and people can pay their bills at any 7-Eleven and even pay for parking on the street.

 

And here are some more photos from Taiwan:

 

 

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