Nishiwaki Festival with Jiji and Baba

goldfish catching with Jiji

The local neighborhood festival in Nishiwaki was fun for all!

pink snow cone for the princess

more goldfish - I think there were over 30 in the end (1 left today)

Summer fireworks

fun with JiJi and Baba

White Beach - Shirahama family trip

 We joined Kumi and Kenji, Michan and Kirin, and all the cousins for a day of fun at the beach (very crowded beach) and then a nice evening at the local resort hotel.  We were supposed to go to the big amusement park/zoo but HUGE thunderstorms came in overnight. Enjoy the pix.

lots of water toys to pump up

Mayu's new bathing suit

Japanese beach on a long weekend

The view from the hotel

the cousins

out for a fresh seafood dinner

this squid was swimming 5 minutes ago - still sticking to Kotaro's finger!

can you see the rain?

Sumire and Yui

the view in the morning from the hotel

Plan B - an alternate amusement park - less than a quarter of Disneyland for more cost!

teacups with Kumi

uncle Kenji with the yummy stuff

Fun with Sumire

Some shots I took just playing around with Sumire.

 Below are shots of the clock Sumire made with Daddy

Summer Festivals in Japan - Nara's Tenposai

Heiankyo on a regular day

Transformed for the Tenposai festival

Fun for the kids

This is what Nara's (the first capital of Japan) Heiankyo looks like on a regular day but for the last weekend in August was Tenposai, a unique festival combining culture and art that attracts big crowds.  Sumire and Daddy went to check it out (Mommy had to work).

an 'interactive shadow display' put on by a local university art department

even cooler as it got darker

all hand-lit candles

lots of lights

Sumire in her yukata (like a summer kimono)

the best I could do without a tripod

a performance from traditional instruments

temples and laser shows - a combination I had never seen before

Sumire and her balloon yo-yo

my favorite photo of the night!