14 Weeks...

and counting. That's right, we have about 14 weeks until we fly home! We'll have been in Japan one or two days less-than a full 365 days. The time has gone by both tortuously slow and amazingly quickly. How both of those things can happen is beyond me...Some days really seem to drag on, and yet we're always saying how another week has just flown by. Every once in awhile, while riding the bus, I'll look out the window and take a mental picture of Japanese text on a sign, a shrine, or some other familiar sight; and I think, "This'll all be over before I know it." It takes a little bit of discipline to take note and appreciate things that seem so every-day now. But in just a few months, they'll be anything but. So, here's to the little things!

In honor of everyday Japan, here are a few pictures...

#1: Ramen!!! Not that it's actually our favorite thing about Japan, but we really do love it, and it's going to be tough to find the real thing back home. Here are before and after shots.

Pre-destruction:

and post-annihilation:

Mmmmm...was that great, or what? Here's hoping we find some ramen shops back home so we can take all of you to try some.

#2: Sakura (cherry blossoms)

I took this picture by the school right behind our apartment building. Jackie goes up this path everyday! Unfortunately, we were traveling during the bulk of the sakura season, so we couldn't enjoy them for their full duration. But we did indeed see plenty with what time we had. We went to many spots that were well-known for their blossoms, but I have to say, I enjoyed the ones by our house the most. For those of you who would like to see Japanese cherry blossoms, there are a bunch in DC. They were a gift from the Japanese some time ago, and every spring they have a cherry blossom festival. They look quite nice, whether in Japan or good ole' America!

#3: Off-beat signs and other text

This one needs no translation. Boy, that guy sure is mad! What a selfish lady. I'll always clean up after my dog! Consider the lesson learned.

On a more serious note, involving something that is indeed everyday but hardly common, I hope everyone had a most blessed Easter. Jackie and I celebrated Easter over a bowl of chanpon (Chinese noodles) and some gyoza (dumplings). I’ll never forget that Easter dinner! But, we had a nice conversation over 1 Cor 15, about how our own future resurrection is necessarily joined to Christ’s resurrection; and that Christ’s conquering corruption and death is not only the means, but also the foreshadowing of our own victory over sin and the grave. May we, too, put our hope in God and the Gospel of Christ, subjecting our flesh in obedience to the will and wisdom of God after the example of Christ our Savior, that we may truly share in his glorious resurrection! He is risen, indeed!!! Lord, help us to believe.

Thanks for reading, and check back again in a week or so...hopefully, I'll have added something new.

We're back (again)!

Yep, we just got back from Kyoto and a brief visit to Osaka. (Sorry this post is about a week late...like my friend James says, Japan just never stops! We manage to keep things pretty sane, but time keeps marchin' on, as always. And you people are so demanding! The pressure is almost more than I can bear at times. It cripples me.)

We had a great trip to Kyoto with our friend Evonne. We saw an awful lot of shrines (I'm officially "shrined-out"), some palaces, and lots of people. For those of you who know Kyoto, my personal favorites were:

1. Kiyomizu (pure water) Temple: This is one of my favorite photos I've taken so far. The temple and various shrines are on a mountain overlooking the city. Great views all around.

2. And the other favorite: another shrine (I forgot its name), which supposedly involves about 10,000 gates spread out over 2 miles. I think we might have done about 1/8 mile; it was pretty cool.

I also enjoyed the Shogun's palace inside Nijo castle, but there was no photography allowed inside. The exterior was nothing "to write home about," but the interior had so much to say, so much history. The 500 year-old wall paintings were beautiful, the woodwork was very delicate, and it was very spacious inside. The floors even squeeked loudly by design so no ninjas or other assassins could sneak up on anybody! The palace was by far the best Japanese thing I've seen.

I'll leave off with this picture, another one of my all-time favorites.We read there was going to be a Shinto ceremony taking place on the morning we were scheduled to leave, so we headed to this shrine just outside Kyoto to see what all the fuss was about. The ceremony itself was really boring, but it was a rare opportunity to experience the living tradition of Japan. I'm glad we got to see it.

These folks are getting ready to play some musical instruments for the celebration. The music sounded somewhat chaotic and dischordant to my Western ears, but there was a certain eerie quality to it, which seemed effective and very appropriate for the setting. I think they probably did a fantastic job. It's not something I'll be putting on my iPod, but it was indeed interesting.

There are many, many more things to do and see in Kyoto which are not mentioned here. The golden temple (covered w/real gold), the silver temple (which never actually got its silver), Gion (geisha district), Emperor's palace, lots of cherry blossoms, lots of shopping for the ladies, eating local ramen, shopping for swords and ninja stars, etc. There's something for everyone.

So, in summary, Kyoto is indeed a must-visit if one wants to experience Japan. To come to Japan and miss Kyoto is really to miss Japan altogether. It's almost a wasted trip without seeing it.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out new pictures by clicking on the link to the right, "Japanese Jubilee." You'll see a lot more Kyoto, and a little Osaka as well.