Parents do Japan - part 1

Golden week was pretty golden - my parents came to Japan for the first time and I was pretty excited to show off this wonderful country I call home.

I picked them up in Osaka and we came straight back to Hiroshima on the shinkansen to rest and get over their jet lag. The first week and a bit we spent in and around Hiroshima prefecture taking in the usual sights - Miyajima, Atomic Bomb dome when it also happened to be the annual Flower Festival weekend, spending hours in Don Quihote and shopping in Hiroshima city, eating real sushi, okonomiyaki and ramen, exploring Naoshima on bikes, visiting one of my schools and watching my lesson, coming to my koto lesson to watch me and my teacher play, going to baseball with my dad and taking them to the top of a mountain to see the beautiful view of the inland sea. They became pretty local at the supermarket near my house, and dad became addicted to Japanese ice cream, yogurt and chips!

It was nice to have them at home, although it did make me realise a few things - living with my parents when I move home for 6 months or so is going to be a real test of my sanity. I'm so used to living alone, not being accountable or responsible to anyone but myself and I've just gotten used to doing things my way. As much as I enjoyed having them over on this trip, my mother drove me insane, demanding, attention seeking and loud...just to name a few but it did get better when we left my house and Hiroshima for Tokyo. Aside from all of that, they had a great time and I did enjoy showing them around, despite being constantly tired.

Miyajima bell ringer

Ramen time

koto lesson

Hiroshima okonomiyaki time

pumpkin at Naoshima

My students playing the shakuhachi for my parents

peace-ful mounter climbers 

baseball selfies and matching carp t-shirts

Hiroshima Carp GET UP!

Don Quihote fun

Part 2 Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto coming soon!
xx