Climbing Mt. Hakkyo
Mount Hakkyo isn't the largest mountain in Japan by any means, but at 1914 m (6800 ft) it is the tallest mountain in Kansai. Located in the rugged and remote Omine Mountains in the rugged and remote Ki Penninsula, its name literally means 8 Buddhist scriptures, and is reportedly the location where the founder of the mysterious Shugendo Buddhism sect--actually a mix of Shinto, animism, and esoteric Buddhism--buried a number of sacred texts nearly 1300 years ago. The 1200 climb took 5 hours with a 5 year old, and it was well past dark when we arrived at the summit and made camp--but she proudly made it the whole way on her own.
Cooking Fun
Aina cooking pastries with her friend. Her friend, from Fukushima, is also an only child and her father is likewise from the US.
Ice Bar Tokyo
There are a number of ice bars internationally. The glasses, furnishings, bar and walls are all made of ice.
Honen Matsuri
This is an older video of the centuries old Honen Matsuri in Nagoya Prefecture. The object you see is what you think it is, representing fertility and a bountiful harvest. It is carved from a single tree each year, and as you can imagine, is extremely heavy.
Obon Matsuri in Sakai
Usually on one of the hottest days of the year, Obon is a holiday similar to Mexico's Dia Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Generally, it is a time of family gathering time, and there is usually some sort of local festival: each region having its own song and traditional dance. Aina is the youngest participant in this case.
Aina at Kobe Ko-lando
This is a large jidoukan (community play center) located at Kobe Harborland. The kids get to play real instruments, make crafts, play on an indoor zip line, etc.
Aina at Awaji-shima Koen (park).
The "rope net-tube thing" continues down the side of the hill. From the start to center tower, to the loop, took about an hour and a half.