Japan was fantastic, as expected. It was a time of learning, growing, exploring and fun. I know I said I would post updates, but our internet access was more limited this year, and when we had it we usually had to pay for it. So I decided blogging was out. I took thousands of photos in an effort to capture all of the incredible moments we experienced, and it has taken me the last week and a half to sort through them. Below are some of the highlights:
Sightseeing in Tokyo
Participating in a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony.
The ceremony teaches four principles:
harmony, respect, purity, tranquility
Rocking out to MJ with the latest technology at Sony Plaza
Casks of saki at a Shinto shrine in Tokyo
We caught a glimpse of a wedding procession at the shrine.
I love the cabs in Tokyo.
Tuna auction at the Tskiji fish market in Tokyo. It was 5:00 am.
Tskiji
Our breakfast at the fish market. It was tough to eat this much sushi so early in the morning.
Visiting a family farm.
Pounding rice to make mochi... sticky rice dough balls which we ate for lunch.
This little boy, Aaoi, captured my heart.He has grown up so much since last year. He knows his ABC's in Japanese and English!
The family's table, where lunch was served.
They live in a beautiful, traditional farm house.
Randa and Aaoi. Fun and love know no language or cultural barriers.
Taishi Foods Tofu plant. We taste-tested 10 courses of tofu and tofu based foods. Enough tofu to last me a year!
Toshogu Shrine, Nikko.
The snow made such a beautiful setting.
Kegon Falls, NikkoWe rode an elevator 100 meters underground to get this view.
Food presentation is always gorgeous and special in Japan.
Learning origami at a traditional Japanese hotel.
Our futons on tatami mats at the hotel. So comfortable.
FFJ members at one of the agricultural high schools in Tokyo.
They flew our flag at the high school that day.The Japanese are so respectful of our culture and
make a huge effort to accomodate our norms.
At the port of Nagoya we got to board this ship carrying American corn.
That's the corn!
Corn was all over the deck of the ship. Picking it up and knowing it had come from the US was crazy.
The view from the deck of the ship.
This bin was full of soy sauce fermenting. It did not look appetizing.
We spent a morning making homemade udon noodles with the homestay host school.It was quite a labor intensive process, and very fun.
Boiling our noodles for lunch!
Lindsay and I's cooking partner, Jun. He spent most of his time doing damage control and correcting our mistakes. 
That afternoon we went to a real kimono shop and got to try on kimonos!This was a very special and unique opportunity. The kimonos we are wearing
are incredibly expensive. The women in the picture dressed us.
Lindsay, Jun and I.
Sightseeing in Kyoto. This is one of the few cities we agreed not to bomb during WWII, so it has a lot of original and ancient architecture.
People come to this shrine to drink the water that is falling behind the officers. The three streams are said to symbolize money, love and good health.
We were told to not be greedy and only choose one stream to drink from.
All 8 of us chose water from the same stream... can you guess which one? :)
Shabu Shabu dinner. Those platters used to contact slices of beef.This table of three put away nine of them. They won... by far.
Linsday and I at the Golden Pavillion. Yes, the outside is real gold.
Our best samurai poses... although I'm pretty sure we are not even close to looking like samurai.
My favorite Japanese soft drink... mitsuya cider.Vending machines in Japan are awesome and have a huge selection.
While everyone else shopped for souveniers, Alex and I left the beaten path in search of crepes. It took a while, but we were victorious.
And it was worth it.
Our last night in Japan, we got to karaoke. So fun, and a different experience in a private room, which is common in Japan.
Saying goodbye to our wonderful tour guide, Chieko.
She has become a cherished friend in the last two years.
