My Japanese Home

Yokohama

2009-10-04T16:14:00.000-07:00

Pictures from Yokohama. It was such a nice day out yesterday and with this Typhoon coming our way we really needed to take advantage of it. So yesterday after my class we went to Yokohama, the Hard Rock Cafe, watched some magic and juggling shows, window shopped then came home. The full moon in the background was really cool!

Random Pictures from around the House

2009-08-31T15:27:00.000-07:00

I always forget to add these :) That tiny machine looking thing is our dishwasher... it hold enough to make it worth it but still barely holds anything compared to an American one...

Mt Fuji

2009-08-25T15:33:00.001-07:00

Almost made it to the 9th station, less than 500 meters to the top. Tried to make it back before the dark but ended up walking in the dark for about 30 minutes or so, ard to see anything ahead of you- the 2 things I forgot MY LIPS!!!! (sunscreen) and the light we were supposed to bring!!!

Day in Zushi

2009-08-16T04:50:00.000-07:00

more umbrellas and starfish than I have ever seen. Guam and Okinawa had such nice beaches and weather- maybe that is why people never crowded. This was very, very strange!

All American Rejects Live in Yokosuka

2009-08-11T17:06:00.000-07:00

Went to the free concert yesterday on the base. It was cool. Here are some pictures... Liam came straight from camp- we walked to get sandwiches then got out GREAT spot up high near the front and then we he got home he wanted to play connect 4!!!!!! WHAT THE HECK! An all day field trip to a cool future museum, a concert and then it is not enough.... go to sleep!

I think

2009-08-11T17:03:00.000-07:00

I sometimes forget about this blog..... anyways here are some pictures from todays trash. I was out walking when I figured out today was cardbard trash day, I was very excited to participated and take my junk out- it was also magazine day but I did not have another paper bag or string so I could not paticipate in that one, maybe next time.

Japanese Trash

2009-06-28T00:19:00.000-07:00

I finally woke up early enough to take the picture of the trash system at our house. You know the big trashcans and huge dumpsters used in the U.S. ? The trash in Japan does not work that way, in addition to sorting the trash about 6 different ways (we have tons of trash cans!) each type of trash also has its own scheduled day. So on Monday we have burnable trash which consists of food, diapers, paper (but not newspaper or magazines or food boxes, that is another trash) anything gorss like band-aides, personal items, q-tips, etc. Then Tuesday is plastics and packaging which consists of all the plastic packaging that comes on stuff you buy, potato chip bags, bottle tops, one time food packaging(yogurt, sour cream) toothpaste containers (cleaned) shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc, (all cleaned!) Wednesday is Cans and Bottles (cleaned and dry) then Thursday is burnable again. SO we have 4 days of trash. So your regular bottle of water would consist of paper trash, plastic trash and plastic bottle trash!

Sometimes the crows get to your trash then your trash ends up all over the street and if you are not home you don't know about it until a neighbor tells you. That is when good candy comes in handy :)

These people are lucky: in addition to a net they also have a container, it gets folded up after the trash people come. No trash is allowed out before 6 am in the morning and if the nets arn't out yet and you need to leave for work- you can't leave your trash.... It is a little difficult to get used to. I wish we could just pay for a trash service to come and pick up our garbage :)

Japanese Kitchen Small and Cramped

2009-06-28T00:18:00.000-07:00

Here it is, small and cramped. I think it is the smallest kitchen we have ever had.

We have babies

2009-06-02T05:57:00.000-07:00

in our yard. Racoon Dog babies. We saw 2 tonight- they were cute, they have weird tails though. I wonder how many babies are back there.

Guess who came back

2009-06-02T00:21:00.000-07:00

no, not the racoon dog! The fruit guy with his big cart of cases of fruit. We bought more oranges today and got some peaches as a present! The price went up on the sour oranges since they are at the end of the season but he threw in some extras and then the 2 peaches which are easily almost $8 at the Japanese store...so I guess it wasn't to bad of a deal :) They will be enjoyed!

Design Festa

2009-05-17T00:29:00.000-07:00

Spent a longgggggggggggggggggggggggg day yesterday at Design Festa at Tokyo Big Site- Here are some very different things I saw.......... I really don't get most of it..... whatever :) Some things were VERY strange, I forgot to get a picture of the yellow guy (he was there last time too, so maybe next time!) Some things were cute and fun! Enjoy or be grossed out! Sorry :)

Running away to Tokyo

2009-05-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

Thinking of doing it again this Friday, if it doesn't rain :) It was soooooo much fun last week, heck- if it rains we might just take off to Yokohama instead! So much to finish before the Design Festa next weekend, not sure if I should run away....... My husband offered to drive- what a RELIEF, I spent over 30 minutes today trying to get Japanese people to understand my English on the phone- what a nightmare.... it is soooooo much easier to speak to someone in person.

Kore wa Nandeska ? (What is it)

2009-05-02T05:21:00.000-07:00

Something different and interesting happened today while I was at home. The doorbell rang so I went outside to find a man with a wheely cart with about 10 large boxes on it. He took a box and started talking- I had no clue what so ever what he was saying- but figured either he was trying to sell me something or someone was having a gift delivered to us. It ended up he was selling fruit and it was 2500 yen for the box (about $25 which is average for a box this size in Japan) no clue what it was, how it would taste but decided what the heck, it's not everyday someone comes to the door with something that you actually need - FRUIT!!! They ended up tasting really good, kind of like a lemon and an ornage but more on the sweet side- Everyone likes them:) Then to top it off I sold a miniature original this afternoon which made my fruit purchase almost nothing. I think there is an order form in the box. Wouldn't it be cool if I could get fruit delivered every week :)

FingerPrint Friday

2009-05-01T04:16:00.000-07:00

I am linking the below pictures to the FingerPrint Friday on the PamperingBeki Blog- www.pamperingbeki.blogspot.com Right smack in the middle of busy, busy, extremely busy Tokyo among all the buildings, cars, noise, yucky air is this beautiful( even thought it is small) garden between skyscrapers. You would have never imagined to find a mother duck and 10 ducklings floating around in a pond if you were walking on the street or passing by the buildings in a car. It was a nice place to spend 2 1/2 hours this Friday- so glad we ditched everything we were supposed to do :)

Ropponghi Hills

2009-05-01T03:56:00.000-07:00

Ditched everything and enjoyed a beutiful day in Ropponghi Hills in Tokyo. After eating Indian food (it was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo GREAT) we went for a walk around the Japanese garden and layed in the super soft grass. Guess what we saw? A mother duck with 10 baby ducks- they were sooo cute! Included in the pictures is an upside down view of skyscrapers, we were laying on our back enjoying the sun! Funny- buildings on one side and a garden with a pond on the other!

New Pets

2009-04-26T01:00:00.000-07:00

Some new strange, unusual and friendly pets. First the strange and unusual Salamander, I think we have babies swimming around in a ceramic vase in the yars, either that or maybe they are tadpoles- we will see. Friendly- the little pigeon couple that started coming around the other day- we threw them some bread and leftover popcorn then they started showing up every afternoon at about the same time so we kept feeding them. Today they came and landed on the fence where they watched me thru the window, I got some old bread for them and they ate again, then they came back a second time later this afternoon. As long as they DO NOT bring their friends I will continue feeding them, once the friends start showing up the food will stop- I only want the 2 of them :)

Cherry Blossoms in Ueno

2009-04-06T06:59:00.000-07:00

Was on the way to Kamakura today when I decided, what the heck- Let's just go all the way to Ueno and see tons of Cherry Blossoms. They were in full bloom- it was spectacular!!!!!!!! and on the way home we could see the Tokyo Tower all lit up............ That's the reason I like unplanned days like this, where you just cancel all activities for the week, get up when you want, leave the house when you want and come back before it is time to go to bed- this is the reason. Today was GREAT!!!!!!! Go to my other blog spadazzle.blogspot.com and click on my flick to see more photos- Enjoy!!!! oh- also a funny guy wearing really goofy glasses and selling food :)

Cherry Blossoms

2009-03-30T20:03:00.001-07:00

We went to Ueno last week while in Tokyo- The Cherry Blossoms were 60% bloomed. There were tons of people just walking and taking pictures of the flowers, picnicing on cardboard box tables and drinking lots of beer and other liquor.

Kindness in the Tokyo Subway Poster

2009-02-14T18:46:00.000-08:00

Please do it at home! I love these posters- this one is to remind people to give up their seats to people who need them :) Cute.

THQS

2009-01-16T06:07:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from the New Years trip to Tokyo! Pictures include New Years Mochi Decoration at the hotel, The Tokyo Tower 2009, New Years Fortunes at the Shrine and A Japanese Building in Ueno

Yokohama at Christmas Time

2008-12-23T04:34:00.000-08:00

Went to Yokohama over the weekend. Photos include- View of Mt. Fuji from the ferris wheel, a Christmas Clown and a sparkly, mirror like singing Christmas tree ( we made it just intime to see it start sparkling and singing!)

Japanese Movie Extras

2008-12-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

Well, we were in a Japanese Movie yesterday in Kawasaki! Very interesting to see how much work goes into making a very small part of a movie! I tried to take pictures but the only one they would let me get was the one of the Bento lunches. It was a good experience, made some extra money, got fed 3 meals, snacks, drinks and met a lot of foreigners from all over the world- among the ones we met, Bosnia, France, Canada, Scotland, Australia- the only requirement was that you were not Asian (I am guessing they already filled those parts. WOW!!! It was a crazy day- made it home around 11 ish! Here's the picture showing the area in Kawaski and here are the Bento lunches- I had some sort of stew thing :)

Oh I Forgot..........

2008-12-03T03:13:00.001-08:00

When the Japanese neighbors came to the door with the trash with a ticket I had makeup on that was freaky...... black lipstick, big black eyeliner on both upper and lower eyelids and streaks of green and purple in my hair. The lady remembered me "Hi Sarah" oops forgot to mention I was trying on my stuff for our acting extra role as part of a Heavy Metal Concert Audience for a Japanese Movie in Tokyo tomorrow- they probably thought I was strange......... was dressed for WORK!!!

Trash Ticket

2008-12-03T03:05:00.000-08:00

Well, it's very obvious what the problem was.... Anyways 6 months of living in the Japanese Home with the very confusing trash rules and multiple trash cans for seperating and something very obvious (a can) got mixed in with the plastics and packaging.... maybe in the busyness of Holiday parties and house guests..... who knows- well, it needs to wait one more week and then it can go out again- the crows already got it today.

The Great Buddha Of KamaKura

2008-11-20T18:05:00.000-08:00

Pictures from the Great Buddha. This Buddha is the 2nd largest in Japan. Very big, very crowded. Also, his slippers.

Fun in Tokyo!

2008-11-07T04:24:00.000-08:00

Went to Harajuku and Omote Sando today to meet a friend we knew from Okinawa! Had lots of fun and saw many different things.

Size

2008-10-29T18:48:00.001-07:00

So you could see the size of this HUGE Statue-

Look What's In Our Backyard!!!!!!!

2008-10-29T18:36:00.000-07:00

Found this yesterday, walked 10 minutes from our house and upa ton of stairs, went into the trees and along the trail and 15 minutes later we were here! Besides this there was a huge climbing rock with a bunch of climbers on it and a Movie Crew filming a Samari Movie. Neat Day :)

Tokyo Video Game Show

2008-10-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

Liam and Brian went to the Tokyo Video Game Show, well we all went but sperated at the entrance- I made my way to the Disneyland Shopping Area and Starbucks, the show was toooo crowded and couldn't even find a bathroom. They had fun trying the new games out that had not benn released yet. There was a special kids area and you had to be with a kid to go in, so that was nice too- they got to try a lot of games there also. The Disney area was packed too but I was able to find a cushioned chair at the Starbucks in the shopping center and then walked around looking at the Disny stuff. Tiring Day!

Lame Stickers

2008-10-11T04:56:00.001-07:00

A package of Shiny, Lame Stickers found at the 100 yen shop in Japan. Funny!

Haunted Looking House

2008-10-11T04:52:00.001-07:00

I could not find ny recent pictures that did not contain close ups of peeople so I thought this would be fun! This is a house we saw last year in Corpus Christi, I think it was turned into a Musuem. Looks like a haunted house.

Grass Slide

2008-09-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

A huge, gigantic grass slide at the park. I think it was 200 or 300 yen (about $2-$3) to use the sled and go up and down as much as you want for 20 minutes. Can we go for an hour???? no problem- how tired would that make you......

In the Floor Storage

2008-08-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

Here is something neat in our house. I wish there were more (like in every room!) the only thing weird is in our house when I lifted the floor storage thing out to clean it- you could see the dirt under the house- so it is not sealed. Since it is not sealed I only keep oddball stuff in it- not my dishes or food or anything. We keep drinks and stuff like that. Here is a picture:

Foreigner in Kimono

2008-08-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

I think that's what this was called. We saw this at the Art Museum in Yokohama and you could take pictures in it- then we saw the actual painting of this and I think it was called "Westerner or Foreigner in Kimono) they had a lady cut out too. I thaught it was interesting that the artist had an American looking person in the original and then we photograghed in it- making it just like the painting- it was kinda neat. They have a lot of neat looking classes there for kids and teachers I may look into after it cools off a little and things start to slow down. Was sick last weekend so am just starting to post again- be sure to check back often :)

Questions Answered

2008-07-30T01:04:00.000-07:00

Normally I like to post with a picture but I don't always have one available. So this post answers some questions my Gradmother wrote in a letter-

1. Do the Koiobori for the Children's Day in May represent the # of boys in the family? Yes- I beleive the Big Koinabori is for the Dad, then a smaller red one for the Mom and then the little ones for the boys- I don't know if it has changed to include girls- I will have to ask.

2. Does our toilet have a dry button for after using the spray? I don't think so- Liam has played with every single button and has not mentioned a dry button- I am sure some do though- there appear to be all kinds of styles.

3. Do we remove our shoes insid e our house? ACTUALLY- It is in the LEASE agreement. Pretty funny- even the movers took their shoes on and off while bringing in heavy furniture- pretty talanted, I have a hard time balancing on one foot just to try not to touch the part of the foor where you leave your shoes. I guess the Japanese have had a lifetime to master it :) Also we have a really big shoe cabinet at the front of our house, you can leave the shoes you are not wearing in there and a pair in the shoe floor area (picture to come later) The only bad thing is the shoe closet gets a little stinky so I spray it with Lysol every so often and leave these charcoal things in there to absorb the odors.

Lastly, I try to update every few days- so check back often!!!

Japanese KItchen

2008-07-26T18:02:00.001-07:00

With almost no usable space or cupboard- there are a few on the bottom and a few up high- I cannot reach anything in the cupboards up high- not even the first shelf- everything we use on a daily basis is out. Notice the containers attached to my refirgerator. I bought these at the 100 yen store for about 300 yen each- they have magnets on them and hold a lot, I am going to get a few more later this week. I have decided that they are perfect for holding our Tupperware that we use everyday. I am going to be putting the glass stuff up in the cupboards that I have not been using. Also notice the only counterspace- it is where the dish drainer is- we have a large title top kitchen table that we use instead, it is in the dining room. Also, pictures of the refrigerator- it has drawers for the freezer, a special area just for ice and a large drawer for vegetables, fruit, juice, etc- the top of the refrigerator is just like an American one. I like the refrigerator.

Star Festival

2008-07-26T06:01:00.000-07:00

The decorations for this festival were so pretty!! They hung at the entrance to the train station in our little town. So bright, colorful and sparkly. When I find the story behind the festival I will post it.

My teaching spot

2008-07-25T06:36:00.000-07:00

Here is where I taught at- it is a cool Starbucks. Not sure where i found this photo or I would give the photogragher credit ....

We are O.K.

2008-07-24T05:02:00.000-07:00

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/4819469/powerful-earthquake-hits-northern-japan I guess I was right when I thought and earthquake woke me up right after I fell asleep- wasn't sure- anyways we are o.k. Here is a link-

English Class

2008-07-22T05:25:00.000-07:00

Short post- gotta go....... this is where I taught today-
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=YfcWBJbdqAA&feature=related

Star Wars Celebrate Japan

2008-07-20T05:56:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from Star Wars Celebrate Japan.

Funky Handbags

2008-07-20T05:49:00.000-07:00

In Japan men sometimes carry these big bags, some look like women's purses, some don't.I would love to get Brian to carry a big bag, then I could carry less- maybe one for Christmas!!!! (in mens colors)

Dinner at Roy's In Tokyo

2008-07-18T05:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.soho-s.co.jp/english/roys/tokyo_fs.html Well worth the splurge! Or cut back on something else for the month (such as fast food, junk, etc!) The view is actually better from the restaurant than it shows on the web page. We had a window table that looked right out to the Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo night sky. Champagne with fresh squeezed pineapple, appetizers, main course and dessert around 13,500 Japanese yen or around $130 no tipping required, but what was different in this Japanese restaurant was the 10% gratuity charge added to the bill- which was part of the 13,500 Japanese Yen total- not bad at all considering the food, the VIEW and the outstanding service. I would highly recommend. In addition- we forgot our camera so they took photos for us and developed them on the spot!!!!

Do It At Home!!

2008-07-18T05:07:00.000-07:00

We liked this poster hanging in the Tokyo Subway Station and in the actual subway trains. Tokyo was fun but super hot and sticky in July. A lot cooler at home where we have many trees.

Mosaic Mall

2008-07-14T06:35:00.000-07:00

http://www.mosaicmall.co.jp/ Went here today- interesting- HOT AS HECK!!!!!! I don't think I saw too many trees, just a lot of concrete everywhere- it was soooooo HOT!!! There were a lot of cool shops and a hige grocery store/food area in the basement, a Lush store, Starbucks etc. The subway stopped pretty much right at the mall- about 10 stops from the Yokohama Station- interesting adventure :)

Wave Pool

2008-07-14T06:30:00.001-07:00

This appears to be the place that Liam went to with the summer day camp. Good thing they did not go in July or August. It is amazing how crowded it is in some places....... http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=inA-36YRV0Y&feature=related (better than watching Friends!!!)

Huge Spider of the Ropponghi Hills

2008-07-04T07:10:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of the humongous spider that rules the Rappongi Hills area. Cool gigantic spider overlooks a garden with swimming fish, shopping areas, Starbucks. You can also see the Tokyo tower from the area. Lots of shopping, upscale stores and very good, inexpensive restaurants (you would not expect this from the area) a easy trip from the Tokyo subway lines.

Shopping in Yokohama

2008-07-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

Picture of the Landmark Tower at night in Yokohama. The bookstore where I went shopping for English teaching books is here, it is a nice place to shop and you an find pretty much anythingyou need in this area.

Tatami Mats

2008-07-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

What are they? They seem to be made out of straw type stuff. Our house has 2 rooms like this- the room was measured by the number of tatami mats that are in it- so for example are room is a 10 tatami mat room- to replace mats it is about $50 each. All of our heavy furniture has stuff under it to protect the mats from being dented. Cleaning is done with a swiffer and a lightly damp rag (water only).

Riding the Train

2008-06-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

Found this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XjldEzC6RU&feature=related while looking for directions for the train. Very interesting, this is exactly what it looks like- but we TRY HARD to not ride at this time of the day or if we do to take the local train instead - it is the train that stops at every stop and takes a while but you can usually get a seat!

Land of the Rising Sun

2008-06-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

I guess it is called that for a reason- The sun comes up at 4:30 in the morning. If you don't believe me look at weather.com and you can see the rainy weather for today and the time of sunrise/sunset. We have typhoon shutters on our windows- so in addition to curtains we just shut those at night. Picture soon!

Flowers and Pineapples

2008-06-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Found these cute pineapples at the flower shop. O.K. I guess you can't see the pienapples to good, I'll ahve to get another picture later. Have slowly been bringing home flowers that I find while out. I think there must be a cute little florist/garden shop on every street. Next thing to bring home- a bucket of grass- the kind for cats, it looks nice, so I thought I would make a cute centeriece from it for the table.

Trash Sorting

2008-06-01T23:44:00.000-07:00

Pictures from the festival in Yokohoma. I thought the trash sorting was interesting, even the Japanese sometimes goofed it up.... it is a little confusing and you really have to read the pictures! Our house trash is done the same way but not in as many trash cans. We have 6 sorting system at our house. Burnable, Non-Burnable, Plastics and Packaging, Recyclables, Stuff for Thrift Store type re-use, recyclable paper (milk carton - wash, dry, cut open, paper- letters and such, magazines, paper boxes, newspapers) I have not figured out the paper recyclable yet- I think each type according to our booklet has to be separated and tied with a string) It is amazing- almost everything here is recycled- the picture shows how.

FREAKY Bug!

2008-05-29T04:20:00.000-07:00

Not sure what I found in the house today but it sure was FREAKY!!!!!! The size was about that of a silver dollar (the whole bug) Just hope not to wake up to one of these. Now that I think about it, I had a hige bite on my ear last week and it swelled pretty big, maybe.........

Skinny Little Oven

2008-05-29T01:05:00.000-07:00

This is a skinny little oven. Actually it is an American oven that is not so wide but it is deeper- My Pampered Chef large stone dishes seem to fit in it, so that is nice. We once had an oven that none of our dishes could fit in and we could not figure out so we never used it, only the top burners. This oven is in F. temp so that is nice too.

Koinobori

2008-05-29T01:01:00.000-07:00

Koinobori! For Children's Day in May. A little late but thought they would be nice to show. These are HUGE Koinoboro decorations flying high above a river, I think there were thousands on display there. They are really pretty with all the bright and fun colors. Children's Day is part of a week long celebration in Japan known as Golden week.

Japanese Toilet

2008-05-24T05:31:00.000-07:00

The most funnest toilet you will ever use- check out all the cool features. Flushing sound button- makes a flushing sound while you use the toilet, spray/wash for - well you can figure it out and of course the heated seat. The water thing on top is to fill the toilet with clean water after flushing (I flushed it on purpose just for the picture) I can't figure out if it is for washing hands too????? there is a towel rack in there so maybe it is (we put Purell in there and then just use the sink in the other room- I don't want to break it) As mentioned in an earlier post the toilet is in a separate room away from the bath. shower, etc.

Japanese Bathroom

2008-05-21T04:29:00.000-07:00

O.K. Here is the Japanese bathroom. It is exactly that - a bath and shower room, the toilet is in a totally different part of the house, down the hall from the bathroom. The bathroom sink, vanity and laundry area are next to the bath and shower. The shower is HUGE, the bathtub is SUPER DEEP! I took a bath almost to my shoulders last night. Now I just have to get a friend to come over to show me the features of the bath, you can see a computer thing located next to it- we have figured out the top button- that is the water heater, it gets turned on about 3 minutes before taking a bath, shower or for the kitchen(another one is located in the kitchen) the other buttons we don't have a clue........ one is supposed to heat the water and circulate it the whole time you are in the bath, this also allows for reuse of the bath water for up to 2 days- just turn it on a few minutes before getting in. (notice the bath lids in the picture, for closing it up) The idea behind it is you shower before getting in- enter clean and then soak, you may also use Japanese bath scents, salts etc. but NO SOAP! It will destroy the circulation system which can then cost you around $2000 USD to replace........ kinda the reason we have not worked the thing yet, it has a few rules and we want to be sure before trying! Keep us in your favorites as we will be adding more features every few days :)

Which way home?

2008-05-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

Looks confusing huh? Not so bad since- there are tiny words in English next to the Japanese. Very interesting day. Crowded as heck! Everything was crowded, the trains looked like packed sardines - we ended up waiting for another train since we did not want to squish our way in. The Pokemon Center was a 40-50 minute wait just to get into the store to look, we decided it would be better to come back during the week when it would be less crowded- now that we know where it is it won't be so difficult to do! There were pictures with Pokemon (but it closed before we could get there :( decorated ships, Koinabori everywhere! It was the end to a mojor Japanese Holiday- Golden Week, it is a bunch of holidays all together forming a week long holiday/vacation. Probably not the best time to sight see but a very decorated time to be out!

Pictures- showing the Japanese train station sign, Some sort of add featuring a Jelly lady, Bug Sculptures for climbing!

Mushi King!!!!!

2008-05-03T05:16:00.000-07:00

These have got to be the best pets ever! We found out that the larva was going to be available for 100 Yen at the Japanense department store today- when we got there it seemed they were out but it ended up being that they were FREE! So we left with 2 stag beetle larva and about $18 of supplies we purchased for them. These are the easiest pets to take care of- just spray with water, feed them some little jellies and put a bug trap in the cage and they are good to go. Once we find out what we have then we will know if we need to seperate them or not. The one time we had a male and a female the female killed the male. I guess we know who the stonger sex is! Here are some pictures of the stuff we got- everything in Japan seems to come in sets, it is soooo cute! the beetles look like they are having lots of fun in the picture :)

Yokosa! or Welcome to Japan

2008-05-03T05:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Yokohama where we rode on the GIANT ferris wheel, went to a Bug Park filled with gigantic big sculptures you can climb on.