J Camp

Just back from J-Camp, it was a nice 3 days away from the city and even though it was work of all the camps that we go to this one is usually fairly laid back and there is usually time to even grab a nap in the afternoons.



The Picture is of Joren waterfalls, the teachers usually hike there it takes about 15 minutes to get there from Amagisanso the place that we stay, it is a nice excursion and refreshing at the same time. On the way back we ate horseradish ice cream, yes it seems that they will make any flavor ice cream in Japan. I will admit that it is not that bad and much better then the corn ice cream that I have had while at tennis camp

和華

It has been a long time since I posted so I thought that I should at least put something up. My drum group, Nagihana, had their annual apperance at the festival in Jiyugaoka. This year I had PTA and wasn't able to preform, so I just went and said hi got a couple of pictures then hurried off to work.

This would have been me. Athough this guy, a high school student that is in one of our teachers other groups, looks better in the uniform than me. Remind me to lose weight and get a tan before I go on again.

Kusatsu Hot Spring

I did mention that my trip was on motorcycle right? Anyway after seeing another rider take a picture of his bike, I thought that I should do the same. I just wish the back ground was a little better.

Over the mountain just 20 kilometers away was Kusatsu. I went with my friend Hitoshi here last year, so I really didn't need to stop, but hey. I had to steal a picture because in my hurry I forgot to take one of the public free bath on the square. I really wanted a picture on the inside but it is so small and it is hard to find the right time to get a picture. The best time to bathe here is when it is freeze your butt off cold. The water is so hot that it is really difficult to get into. There are two baths and one has to be at least 45°C, and the other is probably 44°C. I did manage to get in both but the hotter one for only about a minute. When the Japanese man came out beet red I can just image how red I must have been when I got out. At least the drive had been cool but I would have prefered to have been freezing cold before I got in.

Then I was off and headed back to Tokyo, I promised myself that I would take some pictures of the rice fields that I had seen on the way up. On Friday there were alot of old people putting the rice out to dry. This is very labor intensive work, and most of it done by old people.

Below is how the rice is stacked and left to dry.
I saw some places had but plastic over the top to protect it from rain.

The fields were beautiful, and I passed many, mostly small and probably all run by families that have been doing this for generations.