So my (Jono) parents (and Jodi's future parents in law) have arrived for our last lot of visitors for the year. Mum, Dad and Verity arrived Tuesday for 2 weeks of fun, frivolity, tourism and good times. We have lots planned for them, and when we don't they can nick off and find their own thing to do!!!! No, not really...
Anyways... we did make them hit the ground running. Having had next to no sleep on their red eye from Singapore we ventured to Himeji Castle on Tuesday night for the moon viewing festival. It was most spectacular to see the castle illuminated and just hanging above the city, with a large stage lit up in front of it. There was drumming, some Japanese flutes and guitars (koto), a bit of dancing... good times... There was however more twang than Billy Ray Cyrus' greatest hits, but you can't have it all I guess... The drumming was the highlight for me...
We also leaped straight into the Japanese cuisine. Dad got the chopsticks straight out, devoured some octopus balls (takoyaki, not octopus testicles, rather more like dumplings) and the rest of us ate Yakisoba. Mum and Verity provided entertainment with their creative methods of using chopsticks. Good times...
The Japanese people who we see around the place have been very welcoming... Toshi organised a castle tour for them on Wednesday and organised 5 guides to go with them! Possibly a little overkill but lots of fun had! He also took them around Himeji on Wednesday afternoon, showing them the sights and you'll never guess the 2 main topics of conversation he had with Dad... Japanese movies and ninja! Thankfully he was only discussing ninjas, and hasn't at this point donned the black suit and jumped of the castle wall to tackle those nasty enemies. Toshi and the guides showed them exactly where the secret spots for the ninjas are so if they need a ninja to repel to oncoming forces in the next 2 weeks, I'm sure Dad will enlist...
Anyways... we did make them hit the ground running. Having had next to no sleep on their red eye from Singapore we ventured to Himeji Castle on Tuesday night for the moon viewing festival. It was most spectacular to see the castle illuminated and just hanging above the city, with a large stage lit up in front of it. There was drumming, some Japanese flutes and guitars (koto), a bit of dancing... good times... There was however more twang than Billy Ray Cyrus' greatest hits, but you can't have it all I guess... The drumming was the highlight for me...
We also leaped straight into the Japanese cuisine. Dad got the chopsticks straight out, devoured some octopus balls (takoyaki, not octopus testicles, rather more like dumplings) and the rest of us ate Yakisoba. Mum and Verity provided entertainment with their creative methods of using chopsticks. Good times...
The Japanese people who we see around the place have been very welcoming... Toshi organised a castle tour for them on Wednesday and organised 5 guides to go with them! Possibly a little overkill but lots of fun had! He also took them around Himeji on Wednesday afternoon, showing them the sights and you'll never guess the 2 main topics of conversation he had with Dad... Japanese movies and ninja! Thankfully he was only discussing ninjas, and hasn't at this point donned the black suit and jumped of the castle wall to tackle those nasty enemies. Toshi and the guides showed them exactly where the secret spots for the ninjas are so if they need a ninja to repel to oncoming forces in the next 2 weeks, I'm sure Dad will enlist...