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I haven't posted in a while. We've been traveling to Hakone, Nara, Kyoto... I have heaps of pics and updates to share, but I am also currently swamped preparing for our trip to Malaysia and then our repatriation to Texas - oh, and taking care of a 16 month old in this tiny space!!! So I will do what I can when I can, no promises, no pressure. Hugs.

Anpanman!

Jackson is in LOVE with Anpanman - a delightful Japanese character that you too can discover here. Those of you who don't like to follow links, the short of it is:

"He is the main character of the anime, whose head is a bun made by Jam Ojisan. His name comes from the fact that he is a man with a head made of bread (Japanese: pan, a loanword from the Portuguese word meaning "bread") that is filled with bean jam (Japanese: an) called an anpan. His weakness is water or anything that makes his head dirty. He regains his health and strength when Jam Ojisan bakes him a new head and it is placed on his shoulders. Anpanman's damaged head, with Xs in his eyes, flies off his shoulders once a new baked head lands. He was created when a shooting star landed in Jam Ojisan's oven while he was baking.

He has two special attacks called: An-punch and An-kick (with stronger variations of both). When Anpanman comes across a starving creature or person, he lets the unfortunate creature or person eat part of his head. He also has super hearing in that he can respond to anyone that calls his name out in distress from anywhere in the world." Thank You Wikipedia!

What's not to like? Near our Mouse House is an Anpanman Museum Shop, with a play area for young patrons to get acquainted and test out toys while mom and dads shop. Jackson LOVES it, especially the little Japanese kiddies who are waiting for him. Here are two, okay three pics from our last visit, two inside, one outside, clearly... AN-PAN!!!







Here he is chatting to Anpanman on his An-Pan Phone, discussing (I'm sure) his new Anpanman socks and shoes. Shoes in Jackson-speak somehow has an extra syllable, "Shoe-zuh!"
(ps/ Doesn't he look like his cousin Lucas in this pic? So cute!)

Say "Damn"!

Slight panic - I thought I lost my point and shoot camera. Serves me right for cursing it so many times as I pressed the shoot button and nothing happened! But when I thought my little friend and I were forever separated, I was crushed. Not because I am attached to this little gem, but because I still had photos on it yet to upload to my laptop! Karma. That's what I get for being an absent blogger. I found it under the stroller. But I am still going to replace it! (Have any of you experienced a "worn-out" camera? I've had this one for less than a year but it just seems to be getting geriatric on me. it doesn't have fast reactions, and sometimes it just can't get going...)

So the pics are coming... Please hold.

Okay - wow that was fast, huh?
Here is Jackson after he had dumped his toy buckets and sat in one of them...


Jackson wearing his new vest and sunnies from Aunt Lisa (duh). And by the way, don't we all know by now that it is Jackson? Do I really need to name him in all these pics?

Quack!

This is pretty funny. When we were at Tokyo Disney Sea, Jackson was nuts about Donal Duck. Unfortunately, they didn't have any plush Donalds that were cute and safe for those little visitors under age three. Yesterday we stumbled upon a giant toy store in Ueno. Low and behold, a sea of plush Disney friends, and ONE Donald Duck. Of course he now has the lone Duck in his possession. Since last night we have been quacking, not as in a "quack", but as in the way the real Donald sounds. Now Jackson is trying to mimic our squeaks, and it is a riot! He will toddle over to DD and give him a hug, and then make the most peculiar noises. So funny!!

Tatami Yakitori Y'all

In case you find yourself in Japan - in the loo - and in need of instruction, here you go (click to enlarge):


Here is a pic of Eric-san and Jackson-kun having Yakitori (BBQ Chicken on a Stick) on Tatami Mats (woven floor mats) in a restaurant in Mitako. Oishii!!! Thank goodness it was only AFTER we ate that the roach cralled across the floor!! EW!! Needless to say, my rendition of "La Coocaracha" was lost on the other diners...


Japanese diners (and Ben!) fleeing the speedy roach:


Captured, at long last. Phew!!!

Fish Fotos

Even in a convenience store, you can find festive fall decorations surrounding fresh hot Japanese food. You first.


Here are some photos from our trip the the Fish Market.
First is the 5:30 am Tuna Auction.


"That poor dead kitty..."


Slaughter table:


Next to the fish market is the produce market, aka "Farm Market".
Beautiful Bumms! (aka peaches)


A lovely sunset at the park (sorry I don't remember the name of it!)