Yatsushiro 1 - Host Family (6/14-6/16)

Okaa-san and Yoko, and the fabulous sushi dinner they ordered for me (6/14)

2009-02-22T02:46:12Z

Heather Meadows
Okaa-san and Yoko, and the fabulous sushi dinner they ordered for me (6/14)

Me and Okaa-san (6/14)

2009-06-04T09:08:06Z

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Me and Okaa-san (6/14)

Me and Yoko (6/14)

2009-02-22T02:50:27Z

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Me and Yoko (6/14)

Yoko's older brother, and his wife and son (6/14)

2009-06-03T23:42:17Z

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Yoko's older brother, and his wife and son (6/14)

Yoko, Yoko's friend, and me, out for karaoke (6/15)

2009-06-03T22:20:43Z

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Yoko, Yoko's friend, and me, out for karaoke (6/15)

Yoko and her friends (6/15)

2009-06-03T23:00:26Z

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Yoko and her friends (6/15)

Yoko (right) and her friends at karaoke (6/15)

2009-06-03T20:37:30Z

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Yoko (right) and her friends at karaoke (6/15)

Yoko's friend singing karaoke (6/15)

2009-06-04T09:04:52Z

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Yoko's friend singing karaoke (6/15)

Yoko singing karaoke (6/15)

2009-06-03T20:22:39Z

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Yoko singing karaoke (6/15)

Yoko's friend singing karaoke (6/15)

2009-06-03T20:02:22Z

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Yoko's friend singing karaoke (6/15)

Me singing karaoke--as this was my first time, and I had just met these people, I was pretty shy, and didn't try any diva songs. Instead, I sang stuff like Billy Joel, resulting in very poo ...

2009-02-22T02:51:11Z

Heather Meadows
Me singing karaoke--as this was my first time, and I had just met these people, I was pretty shy, and didn't try any diva songs. Instead, I sang stuff like Billy Joel, resulting in very poo ...

Every year, Otou-san invites local elementary school kids out to catch crabs. Yoko and I went along. Here's Otou-san getting ready. (6/16)

2009-02-22T02:48:26Z

Heather Meadows
Every year, Otou-san invites local elementary school kids out to catch crabs. Yoko and I went along. Here's Otou-san getting ready. (6/16)

Otou-san (6/16)

2009-06-03T20:24:01Z

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Otou-san (6/16)

Otou-san (6/16)

2009-02-22T02:48:58Z

Heather Meadows
Otou-san (6/16)

There are crabs here, I promise. You just can't see them. It was really unique, looking down from the dock/bridge and spotting all this movement in a vast grey expanse... (6/16)

2009-06-03T23:48:21Z

Heather Meadows
There are crabs here, I promise. You just can't see them. It was really unique, looking down from the dock/bridge and spotting all this movement in a vast grey expanse... (6/16)

The kids arrive for crabbing fun! (6/16)

2009-06-03T20:54:28Z

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The kids arrive for crabbing fun! (6/16)

Children catching crabs (6/16)

2009-06-04T09:24:13Z

Heather Meadows
Children catching crabs (6/16)

Children catching crabs (6/16)

2009-06-03T21:59:41Z

Heather Meadows
Children catching crabs (6/16)

Okaa-san, some teachers, and Yoko (6/16)

2009-02-22T02:52:08Z

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Okaa-san, some teachers, and Yoko (6/16)

Children catching crabs (6/16)

2009-02-22T02:49:18Z

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Children catching crabs (6/16)

Children catching crabs, plus me (6/16)

2009-02-22T02:48:57Z

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Children catching crabs, plus me (6/16)

Children catching crabs, plus me, take two. If you're wondering, I have a crab in my hand. Yoko took this picture. (6/16)

2009-06-04T09:17:26Z

Heather Meadows
Children catching crabs, plus me, take two. If you're wondering, I have a crab in my hand. Yoko took this picture. (6/16)

I don't know if this kid wanted to hold the camera, or what. Yoko took this picture. (6/16)

2009-06-03T21:34:17Z

Heather Meadows
I don't know if this kid wanted to hold the camera, or what. Yoko took this picture. (6/16)

I was really, really good at catching crabs. I caught like 17 of them and donated them to children. When I asked what the kids were going to do with the crabs, I was told that they'd keep ...

2009-02-22T02:46:25Z

Heather Meadows
I was really, really good at catching crabs. I caught like 17 of them and donated them to children. When I asked what the kids were going to do with the crabs, I was told that they'd keep ...

Me and a kid! For some reason I didn't want to pick up the crabs with my bare hands, so I wore gloves. Yoko took this picture. (6/16)

2009-06-04T09:08:59Z

Heather Meadows
Me and a kid! For some reason I didn't want to pick up the crabs with my bare hands, so I wore gloves. Yoko took this picture. (6/16)

Me and Yoko and some of the kids. It's times like these that I really wish I had packed better clothes to take to Japan. (6/16)

2009-02-22T02:47:33Z

Heather Meadows
Me and Yoko and some of the kids. It's times like these that I really wish I had packed better clothes to take to Japan. (6/16)

Children catching crabs (6/16)

2009-06-03T19:42:02Z

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Children catching crabs (6/16)

Children playing with their crabs (6/16)

2009-06-03T20:20:41Z

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Children playing with their crabs (6/16)

Children playing with their crabs (6/16)

2009-06-03T19:53:05Z

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Children playing with their crabs (6/16)

Children catching crabs, and Otou-san (6/16)

2009-06-03T22:22:01Z

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Children catching crabs, and Otou-san (6/16)

Otou-san and his niku-ya (meat shop, or butcher shop). He often stayed there until 2 in the morning, then returned to open it at 4 or 5. I'm not sure when the man actually slept. (6/16) ...

2009-06-03T20:07:39Z

Heather Meadows
Otou-san and his niku-ya (meat shop, or butcher shop). He often stayed there until 2 in the morning, then returned to open it at 4 or 5. I'm not sure when the man actually slept. (6/16) ...

Yoko took me down to a canal that night for fireworks. Here we are with a bunch of her friends. (6/16)

2009-02-22T02:46:02Z

Heather Meadows
Yoko took me down to a canal that night for fireworks. Here we are with a bunch of her friends. (6/16)

No, I don't know why this guy is wearing a horse mask. (6/16)

2009-06-03T21:15:46Z

Heather Meadows
No, I don't know why this guy is wearing a horse mask. (6/16)

Fireworks! (6/16)

2009-06-03T22:07:25Z

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Fireworks! (6/16)

More fireworks (6/16)

2009-06-04T00:57:15Z

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More fireworks (6/16)

Yoko and her friends with sparklers (6/16)

2009-06-04T09:09:29Z

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Yoko and her friends with sparklers (6/16)

Yoko and her friends with sparklers (6/16)

2009-06-03T23:41:35Z

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Yoko and her friends with sparklers (6/16)

Here I tried using the flash, because I knew all the other pictures were blurry. That's Yoko on the far left. (6/16)

2009-06-03T19:54:43Z

Heather Meadows
Here I tried using the flash, because I knew all the other pictures were blurry. That's Yoko on the far left. (6/16)

A mess of people stand around as a firework spins on the pavement. (6/16)

2009-06-03T19:58:43Z

Heather Meadows
A mess of people stand around as a firework spins on the pavement. (6/16)

Yoko (right) and her friends with sparklers (6/16)

2009-06-03T20:16:20Z

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Yoko (right) and her friends with sparklers (6/16)

One of Yoko's friends. This may or may not be the guy who asked me, in English, "Do you have a lover?" Unfortunately I don't remember ;> (6/16)

2009-06-03T21:09:33Z

Heather Meadows
One of Yoko's friends. This may or may not be the guy who asked me, in English, "Do you have a lover?" Unfortunately I don't remember ;> (6/16)

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Two of Yoko's friends. Maybe it was the other guy who asked the impertinent and hilarious question. (6/16)

2009-06-03T23:04:34Z

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Two of Yoko's friends. Maybe it was the other guy who asked the impertinent and hilarious question. (6/16)

Yoko's friends (6/16)

2009-06-03T19:41:34Z

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Yoko's friends (6/16)

Time to break out the larger, more dangerous fireworks! (That's Yoko on the right) (6/16)

2009-06-03T20:55:01Z

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Time to break out the larger, more dangerous fireworks! (That's Yoko on the right) (6/16)

This guy was swinging around a string of fireworks that were all going off at once. (6/16)

2009-06-03T21:50:30Z

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This guy was swinging around a string of fireworks that were all going off at once. (6/16)

Then he proceeded to jump rope with them. (6/16)

2009-06-03T20:08:49Z

Heather Meadows
Then he proceeded to jump rope with them. (6/16)

People with sparklers that you can't really see (6/16)

2009-02-22T02:45:35Z

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People with sparklers that you can't really see (6/16)

Me and Yoko's friend (I wish I could remember people's names...) (6/16)

2009-06-03T21:14:50Z

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Me and Yoko's friend (I wish I could remember people's names...) (6/16)

There's that crazy jump-roper again. (6/16)

2009-06-03T20:27:17Z

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There's that crazy jump-roper again. (6/16)

Yoko and her friends and what I assume is a pile of discarded fireworks... (6/16)

2009-06-03T19:51:55Z

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Yoko and her friends and what I assume is a pile of discarded fireworks... (6/16)

You really can't see anything here, but this is a picture of the road on the way back to Yoko's house, and Yoko's bike is ahead of me. (6/16)

2009-06-03T21:16:13Z

Heather Meadows
You really can't see anything here, but this is a picture of the road on the way back to Yoko's house, and Yoko's bike is ahead of me. (6/16)