First stop today was Arashiyama bamboo forest. So peaceful to hear the wind blowing through the bamboo. There was a large serene Shinto temple there as well.
After this was our favorite stop of the day: Arashiyama Monkey Park! Here monkeys were roaming freely and you could feed them peanuts and apples.
After lunch we went to the kimono forest where old kimonos were upcycled as art.
Osaka is nightlife, party, and excitement. Kyoto is more subdued, quiet, and reminscent of old Edo period Japan. Today, we saw both. We started the day walking all around Osaka. For a super modern city, you still see small pockets of nature, Shinto temples, and traditional Japan living harmoniously side by side integrated with modern fast-paced culture.
Our destination? The Pokemon Center! Pokemon Go is absolutely massive in Japan. By the Pokemon Center, raids would routinely fill to 20 players instantly and everyone around is playing it. The Pokemon Center was inside a really huge 16 story train station building filled with stores, restaurants, and cool places like the One Piece store, CAPCOM store, Nintendo Osaka, and the Pokemon Center.
After a full day exploring Osaka (we only really scratched the surface of what’s in this incredible city), we took the Shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto. In ten minutes we sped between the cities and landed in Kyoto.
Kyoto is beautiful and charming in its own way, but certainly less crazy than Osaka and more subdued and quiet. There are still tons of shopping areas, stores and great restaurants though!
Living in Japan, we have cheap flights to Tokyo and Osaka! Flying on a Japanese airline was wonderful. The plane boarded exactly 15 prior to boarding and doors closed exactly on time. The plane was quiet throughout the trip!
Osaka is so much fun. Being the second largest city in Japan, there is so much to do. This city is like NYC, it’s HUGE and never sleeps!
The best way to see the city isn’t to walk it or even to bike it.. it’s to Mario Kart it! We took a 2 hour Mario Kart tour around the city, took in all the neighborhoods and sights, and even saw Osaka castle lit up at night! Afterwards we walked along Dotonbori district where all the street vendors, shops, and lights are. Then finally back to our hotel to soak in the wonderful Osaka views! It’s city as far as the eye can see!
Unofficially taken by Leanne
It’s hiccuping! How cute is that!
The little fetus is now the size of a fig, a little over an inch in length! It’s organs are developing, it’s bones getting harder, and it’s eyes moving up to it’s face where it’s developing cute (and hopefully not too bushy like it’s dad’s) eyebrows.
I’ve written another haiku.
You are but an inch
Developing your body
Thoughts too? I wonder…
Once Leanne took 3 pregnancy tests to confirm the pregnancy, we started freaking out. We are going to be parents! There are many ways to process so many emotions at once, but I’ve found journaling to help. I’ve started a journal, and also taken up the Japanese art of the Haiku. Haikus are poems that are three lines; the first line contains 5 syllables, the second line is 7 syllables, and the third line is 5 syllables. This constraint forces you to condense your thoughts and really express the most important ideas.
Here are some haikus I’ve made at every week of the pregnancy thus far!
Week 6 (the baby is the size of a grain of rice)
Just a grain of rice
A clump of cells, nothing more
Everything has changed
Week 6 (the baby is also the size of a sweet pea)
The body prepares
For your arrival, sweet pea
Tiny but mighty
Week 7 (the baby is now the size of a blueberry)
By this point, Leanne had become really nauseous. She wrote the following haiku.
Tiny blueberry
Why you gotta be this way
You made me vomit
I wrote the next haiku.
Blueberry cutie
You are growing so quickly
We will see you soon!
Week 8 (the baby is now the size of a raspberry). Leanne wrote the next haiku.
Now a raspberry
Juicy, fruity raspberry
Adam, buy some please
We are now in week 9 of this amazing journey! The baby is now the size of a green olive! Since Leanne has access to an ultrasound machine at her work, when she has free time she checks out the baby. Now that the baby is growing arms and legs, we’ve seen it dancing! That’s what inspired this next haiku.
Small but growing fast
Already dancing, a life
Olive, loved so much
We sent boxes home with Japan goodies and a picture of baby Rawji! We are so blessed to have such a loving family and based on these reactions, I know this kid is going to be so spoiled! Can’t wait to meet you little buddy.
Misawa Air Base tries to do a lot of events for the people stationed here. Last night was Oktoberfest to celebrate German.. beer, I guess?
Every year the military base opens up to the general public for the Air Festival. Since this is a joint base with both US and Japan military working side by side, the Air Festival includes an airshow with both US and Japanese military fighter jets! Also, the Japan version of the Blue Angels, Blue Impact, came to do a show too!
