Our final days in Japan have been pretty low-key as we get ready to move on to a new country. The kids have been working hard at school. Alexis completed a paper about WWII from the Japanese perspective and Braxton just finished up a paper about cockroaches. Braxton is bummed he doesn’t get a fall…
Author: Jill
Shinsekai and Osaka Aquarium
As our time in Japan is wrapping up, we are packing in as much as we can. We lost almost a full week of exploring being sick, so we are making up for it now. Yesterday we took the train to Shinsekai, which is an area of Osaka similar to Dotonbori. It’s known for its…
Nara Park and Date Night in Dotonbori
Yesterday we took the train about 45 minutes east to the city of Nara and visited the iconic Nara Park. This is a public park that spans over 1600 acres. The park was beautiful with its vast nature, various temples, and free roaming deer. In Shinto tradition the deer is seen as a messenger of…
Everyday Joys on Our Daily Adventure
Now that our sickness has lifted I feel like I am enjoying everything again through fresh eyes. I got to savor a cup of coffee completely by myself this afternoon, which has been a bit of a novelty since our adventure started. I’ve been reflecting on things that I am thankful for right now, and…
Osaka Castle, Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street, and Our 100th Day of Travel
For field trip Friday this week we visited the Osaka Castle. The castle dates back to 1583. It was rebuilt in 1931, but designed to still look like the original. The grounds that surround the castle are breath-taking and were a wonderful dose of nature we’ve all been craving. The inside of the castle is…
Groundhog Days in Osaka – A Library Visit and Fall Fun
This week has felt a bit like we are living the movie Groundhog Day. If you’ve never seen the 1993 movie staring Bill Murray this reference won’t make sense to you. Basically, Bill Murray’s character wakes up and relives the same day over and over – which happens to be Groundhog Day. It’s a great…
Unhurried in Osaka: Finding Joy in Small Bites and Backstreets
We are still on the mend, but have slowly started to explore Osaka. The area we are in feels vastly different than our neighborhood in Tokyo. At first glance it feels a little dingy and rundown. As we walk along the main street that runs through our neighborhood, there’s grafitti, people smoking/vaping in the open,…
Quarter Turn on a Year Long Journey
Today marks three months that we have been traveling, which means our year of adventure is a quarter of the way over. Three months of wandering, learning, and finding home in unexpected places. Time feels like it has simultaneously gone fast and slow. Time seems to speed up as we age because we have fewer…
Welcome to Osaka – Bullet Train and Bedrooms for Everyone
We took a bullet train to Osaka yesterday and it was an adventure we all enjoyed! Braxton has been working on a research project about bullet trains, so it was incredible for him to experience one first hand to round out his research. The whole process was streamlined and efficient. The train was roomy and…
A Final Goodbye to Tokyo
Before we checked out of our Airbnb this morning, we took one final walk along the Sumida river. As Dave and I were sitting enjoying the view, Braxton worked on building a boat out of sticks and leaves. A local woman stopped and started talking to Braxton in Japanese. Through gestures he explained he was…