Onyado Toho Aizuwakamatsu

... Most are pretty normal, like a family receiving a high status visitor in the main hall. Others a bit odder--there's one of the mother scolding children for playing in their father's room. And then odder still--the re-enactment of the suicides of the owner's family (wife (34), daughter (16, 14, 6, 2 (well the 2 year old probably couldn't commit suicide so it's more like manslaughter...)). Apparently, the lord went off to war and fearing he wouldn't return they killed ...

... more than the traditional Japanese breakfast! Anyway, Paul had invited us to come and join his fellow staff members and their families at a picnic in Osaka as it was a national holiday, and we readily agreed. My other mission was to get washing done - I had not seen a single laundromat in Japan and Paul said I could do it at his place first before we went to the picnic. Of course, we didn't consider quite how long it would take ...

... over $160 just for tolls and gas (costs less than in Europe, but far more than in the US) for the day. We had fun getting gas at a "typical" gas station, where the attendant runs out, shouting and directing you to the pump, and then when you're ready to leave, he stops traffic and directs you back out onto the road. Too funny! Sorry I didn't get any pictures. Aizu ...

Now we decided to head 3 hours east to visit the apline snow monkies of the japanaese alps. Probably not the most constructive use of our time but when I heard that the young monkies dive bomb their parents in a natural hot spring I was sold. We got there and it was so true, the monkies are helarious and complete unafraid of humans, they don't really care that you are there. You should ...

... center near the train station and had coffee/tea in an adorable shop with a nice view of the town. We walked back, stopping in some shops, and then changed for dinner. We decided to eat in the highly recommended dining room of the Kanaya hotel. The room was beautiful, Victorian style with large wood pillars and ornate mantles. It was very well lit. The food was French but their famous dish is the rainbow trout caught in the nearby river ...

... a great bowler. In fact he's pretty bad. But he is sooooo funny. He is a walking rock star, in everything he does. With his hair, and outfits, and he is always having fun. The most outgoing Japanese guy I've ever met... He had Amy spanking his butt for good luck at one point. I hope we spend a lot of time with him! Tatsuya was the big winner of the game. And after bowling we went into the arcade since they give you free tokens to play with for bowling ...

... got her another yet!)so we wanted to get one, the owner offered to drive us to get a new one which was really nice after we got the bag he then took us out for ramen his treat. the food at the hotel was great but even tho they had an english menu the waiter made a mistake on the second night and we had curry and rice two days in a row. we basically spent two days relaxing, we had a walk and saw a shrine, i got to know a japanese dentist in the outside bath (and no there was no gay love).

... marked windows, when knocked go JYAAN, and fall down in one piece. Other windows go PIKA PIKA PIKA (accompanied by wide, "twinkling" hand movements) and shatter all over the place. I also asked about the big red cow symbol we had seen everywhere around Aizu. The cow is called AKABEKO (BEKO being Aizu-ben for cow). It symbolises happiness and togetherness. We finally exchanged addresses and got ready to leave. Mike even promised that he would return to Aizu for the festival with girlfriend in tow.

... Mike, and we ended up charging off in the wrong direction. Back to Kitakata. Yamaguchi-san was kind enough to give us a lift in from the YH. Dave and I sat in the back of the car with his 1 year old grandson who was giving his lungs a good going throughout the whole trip. It soon occurred to us that to open our mouths to say something led to an outburst of crying and screaming. Probably seeing gaijin for the first time in his life was too much for him. After thanking Yamaguchi ...

... 13. That train arrived at Tokyo at 13:13. We left Tokyo at 13:36, once again in carriage 13 and row 13. Luckily 13 isn't a superstitious number in Japan, otherwise I might have thought someone trying to jinx our trip. When we got to Shiokawa station, a stop just out from Aizu Wakamatsu and near the YH, it was pitch black. Bloody cold too. The school kids there were a bit try-hard with their caps on sideways, 80s-esque hairdos and checkered grandpa pants (haha). The hostel ...