my new japanese family (updated with pics!)

It feels like things have been pretty non stop for the past few week, but I finally have an opportunity to write about last weekend. since i'm at work pictures i can't put pictures in, i'll add those soon.

Saturday I did a home stay with a Japanese family. I had communicated with Reiko (the host ‘mother’) a few times over email the past few weeks and we planned to meet at Mito train station at noon (Mito is a city about 30 miles from Itako). We met there and then headed to lunch, where I met her daughter, Junko, and son-in-law, Ryutaro.

A little about the family… Reiko and her husband (who was out of town on business) have 3 daughters, who are all grown and married. The oldest daughter actually lives in Hong Kong, the other 2 both live in Tokyo, but the youngest daughter came home to spend the weekend with me. Reiko owns a music school and her husband is an auditor (? or something of the sort, it was never completely confirmed). Reiko has a very strong interest in English, so she spoke English fairly well. Her daughter and son in law spoke a bit.

Reiko, me, Junko, and Ryutaro



For lunch we had a fabulous traditional Japanese set meal.



After lunch we drove around Mito and they pointed out all of the ‘interesting’ things to do in Mito. But unfortunately it was very rainy so we were unable to enjoy the beautiful parks that the city has to offer. She had also heard me mention eventually wanting to find a kimono to buy, so she took me to a kimono store where I was able to see the different styles, and just educate myself a little more about kimonos. They are all so gorgeous!

We then went to their home, which was quite large and quite new. It had a gorgeous garden in which she grew many different vegetables (which were all used in the dinner that she made later). It was an interesting house because it was still very Japanese but done in a much more modern way.




After getting to the house of course we had to have tea! Over tea we looked through Junko and Ryotaro’s wedding photos as they just got married in July in Hawaii. We then went to an amusement park where there were batting cages, and such activities. The rest of the evening we spent at home, talking, watching a bit of Japanese tv dramas, and eating dinner. Then I headed to bed, I slept in a traditional tatami style room on a futon.



The next morning we headed to the 2nd largest park in the world (after central park) that is located in Mito. It was still raining but we ventured through the park anyway, and made it to an old shogun house, that we were able to walk though.

view from the top, it was gorgeous, will defiantly be going back in better weather!


we braved the downpour...


shogun house


shogun house


shogun garden


Then we headed to an old samurai school, which we were able to walk through, it was really interesting. And because of the rain, there were very few people out at these two places, it made them incredibly peaceful.



They then parted ways as they dropped me at the train station. I had a wonderful time with the family, and am sure that I will stay in touch with them. I have already received an email from the daughter Junko, because she wants to send me emails to practice her English, and I will send her ones back in Japanese to practice my Japanese. She also lives in Tokyo so I will be able to meet up with her and her husband there. Reiko, wants me to meet the rest of her family, especially her grandchildren who are 2,3 and 4. So hopefully I will make it back up there to meet them. It would be great to play with the kids!

Got home Sunday evening Tamae invited me out to dinner with a few other assistant language teachers that are not part of JET that she knew. It was nice to get to meet a few more people in my general area.

Monday, I didn’t have school so I used the day to get things done. Went to quite a few hotels looking for places for my parents to stay when they come in 2 weeks. This made me feel pretty incompetent in Japanese! But I persevered through and found them a ryoken, a traditional Japanese style hotel. I was also supposed to get rid of the mounds of junk from my apartment with my supervisor but instead; he just came and took everything for me! My apartment is feeling so much better without the mounds of junk ☺.