The Royston Family

Thanksgiving at Mt. Fuji

2009-11-30T22:17:00.001+09:00

This year, we decided to celebrate Thanksgiving with some friends at Lake Yamanakako, near Mt. Fuji. We all rented cabins, 5 families total, in a nice little campground next to the lake. With a bunch of of bikes to choose from, a ping-pong table, swing set, lots of trees, and a tree swing, all at the base of Mt. Fuji, there were plenty of things to do and see.

Our cabin was a three-bedroom, two story, cabin with electricity, shower, and a full kitchen...the only problem were the Japanese heaters with too many options and buttons! We just wanted them to turn on and produce heat! After a little trial and error, we got them to work.

A walk down to the lake gave us the view we have been looking for ever since we moved here! Clear days are not very frequent and seeing Fuji has proved nearly impossible! The weekend was clear, fortunately, and this is what we saw....

Lake Yamanakako is also home to ducks, geese, and swans...the swans being a little more eager to get our bread than the rest. It you weren't careful, they would take your hand too!

Besides the view of Fuji, the big hit was the tree swing. The kids found it first and then the "Big Kids" got to play!

Our dinner was excellent and we met some great new friends....

What a great weekend! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Great Buddha Trail Hike

2009-11-07T19:54:00.000+09:00

Along the ridge that overlooks Kamakura, home of the Great Buddha (or Diabatsu), is the Great Buddha Trail. It is a challenging 3 mile hike with a few hand over hand spots and a nice steep downhill at the end. It was just Dad with Alex and Devon on this one while Mom and Katie were visiting friends and shopping in Seattle. They'll get their chance soon. This hike was good enough to do several times again!

Yokohama China Town

2009-10-16T18:04:00.000+09:00

Here are a few pictures from our trip to China Town Yokohama. Lots of chinese restaurants, meat pies (kids loved them), cooked ducks, and pandas on just about everything you could imagine. It was a lot of fun.

Our niece Karrah was visiting and with her ability to speak quite a bit of Japanese (she just finished a year of teaching English in a school a few hours from us) made it so much easier to get around! Thanks Karrah!

Shinagawa Aquarium

2009-09-12T11:04:00.004+09:00

Hearing about the Shinagawa Aquarium from some friends, we decided to check it out. The tunnel through the large tank was great, sea lion show amazing, but the highlight for everyone were the "hand cleaners"...

Back to School

2009-09-03T19:00:00.005+09:00

The kid’s first day of school was Monday and it was the day the typhoon was going to hit! How exciting for all of us. There were rumors that the school would not open, because of the storm, but everything stayed open. The kids all go at the same time this year and got a ride from Mom. The wind was too strong for umbrellas if you wanted to ever use it again! As it turned out, the storm didn’t hit our area until later that afternoon, so after an early dismissal, we all made it safely back home…didn’t even lose power!

Anyway, here are a few pictures of Devon (13, 8th grade), Alex (8, 3rd grade), and Katie (6, 1st grade) dashing to the car!

Another Tokyo trip

2009-09-03T16:16:00.000+09:00

At the last minute, we decided on a day trip to Tokyo. Our plan was to have brunch at the New Sanno hotel and try to find the 59ft "Gundam"... a huge robot display that is part of the campaign to bring the Summer Olympics to Tokyo.

After brunch, we took subway over to the park where this guy was supposed to be. The concierge at the hotel gave us great directions so we set off, knowing that if we just got close, we could find the guy...after all, he is 59ft tall! There were posters everywhere for him...even on the train.

Well, it proved to be a challenge so Alex proposed we take a ride on the ferris wheel and look for him at the top...so that's what we did! And, as luck would have it, our gondola was pink with Hello Kitty!TM so you know it's safe!

At the top, we could see him on the other side of the park...if you look close, he's the guy near the water, top right of the island, next to the tall building.

Once we got down we headed in his direction as the crowds steadily got larger and larger. The path leading to Gundam was surrounded by trees, so once again, we lost sight of the guy, but we just followed the crowd. As we got closer and closer, we could hear the people up ahead "oooh!" all at once when they rounded the final corner and could finally see him...

You have probably already scrolled down...the anticiaption is agonizing, I'm sure. We felt the same way...must see the Gundam... must see the Gundam....

More people...this guy must be bigger than Hasselhoff. Can't wait to see him...

And here he is....

Yes, that's it. A long way for that. Sometimes, he shoots steam out of his helmet. Not today, though. Today, just get the eyes...

Yes, it was sad...at least we got to see the Statue of Liberty! This was outside of one of the malls in tha area.

All-American Rejects Concert

2009-08-11T21:15:00.000+09:00

Tonight on the Naval Base, the All-American Rejects came and played in the bowling alley parking lot for free. It was a lot of fun and they kept it nice and clean! There were little kids everywhere, even all the way up front...Devon and Katie loved it, but Alex didn't like the noise. We'd put a picture of Devon up, but we didn't see him all night! He was up in the crowd with some friends...

Mt. Fuji

2009-08-09T20:24:00.000+09:00

The big adventure last week was our climb of Mt. Fuji-san. Only Shari and I went on this one and it was good we did! Katie and Alex would not have been able to do it. Devon may get his chance later this month when we go again with friends. As th saying goes..."The wise man climbs Mt. Fugi once. The foolish man climbs it again!" We arrived at the mountain at 5:15 AM, at the 5th station, which is at 7560ft. We bought the souvenir walking sticks and started up the mountain at around 5:45 A.M. It was very early for us (especially since we caught the bus to the mountain at 2AM), but we were wide awake and excited to get moving.

The trail started out very easy, on a well groomed path with a gradual ascent. So gradual and easy is the first 30 min that there is natural tendency to move a little faster, thinking "this is easy." Don't be fooled though! It gets very hard, very fast...

There were multiple "stations" during the climb that were very cool. At most of them, a stamp is "branded" onto your walkng sticks for the price of 200 Yen (about $2). In all, we ended up with 14 stamps on our sticks, including one from the top, signifying our victory over the mountain. Other climbers, headed up as we headed down, looked at our sticks and congratulated us in Japanese. The sticks were expensive, but proved very useful to help us up and slow us down during the descent. 4 hours and 35 minutes later, we arrived at the top, having climbed to 12383 ft over a trail length of 3.6 miles. The top was breathtaking. The view off the mountain was poor since there seemed to be clouds all around, but the crater was visible and very deep. The mountain last erupted in the early 1700's and there were volcanic rocks everywhere.

We grabbed a couple rocks, ate some lunch, took some photos, and then headed down the mountain. It was not an easy trip down. The trail was more groomed, but very steep. It was a different path down, taking 2 hours and 30 minutes, covering 4 1/2 miles with multiple switch backs and finally wrapping back around to where we started.

Overall, this was a great experience for us. We knew going in, it would be tough, but it still suprised us. The closest comparison we could come up with was maybe 5 hours on the stair climber at the gym...with only half the oxygen you are used to! Breaks, clif bars, and lots of water are key to success. We learned after our climb that several people have died trying to climb it in the last few months. Most of them were due to very poor weather, but some were due to just pushing too hard. Towards the top, some light-headedness would let us know we were going too fast!

Now that it is done and our legs have recovered somewhat, we are eager to try it again! It was such a great feeling being at the top, even though the oxygen level was about 60% of what we were used to at sea level. Maybe in a few weeks!

We're still here!

2009-07-28T18:41:00.000+09:00

OK, after 29 long days in our two hotel rooms, we finally moved into a house. Well, it is actually a 3-bedroom apartment, but after a month in the Navy Lodge (hotel), this place feels huge! We are finally starting to settle in and actually have a few pictures up! Here are a few of the fun things we've been up to over here....

June 27-28 in Tokyo...

The place I work hooked us up with a hotel in downtown Tokyo and we headed up. Our brother-in-law Mike was in town on business so it worked out well. We met at the Tokyo Tower and had crepes and ice-cream from a street vendor. There was also a monkey show out front to watch. The trainer spoke Japanese, which we were unable to follow of course, but we tried to laugh when the crowd did to seem less "touristy"!

Tokyo is an amazing city, slightly larger than NYC. Also amazing, something we've noticed all over Japan, is that small kids manage to get themselves from home to school and back without parents or adult supervision. Trains, buses, subway, streets, everywhere! Some look to be about 6 or 7 years old. Even in Tokyo! I would never let them do this New York, but here it is the norm and very safe. We still aren't use to that part with our kids, but we still feel very safe out and about.

The view was incredible from the tower, even though it was somewhat cloudy. There was also a glass floor that you could stand on and look down at the people a few hundred feet below. This was funny to watch since few people were willing to actually stand on it. They would walk up and just peer over! A Japanese woman and her teenage daughters very slowly crept out, holding on to each other, looking almost terrified...this glass had to have been 12" thick...and then their Dad ran over to them and jumped dead center in the middle! They all screamed and lept back to "safety". Very funny...

The next day, we took the subway up to Ueno park to a museum. The kids loved the interactive displays and exhibits. We also ate at a cool little place that had little grills on our table where we cooked our own food. It was a little pricey, but worth it!

July 4th

The base had lots of events for the 4th...a live band, kid games, lots of food, and fireworks in the evening.

July 12

We got word on July 7th that a house would be ready for us on July 10th! The moving company was able to move our stuff in the same day, so it all came together. This is a picture of our view out the back, building (Sakura Heights), and the family room and dining/kitchen before our furniture was delivered. We put the flooring down to offset the dorm-style white walls and white tiles... :)

July 26th

Last Sunday, our cats arrived on a plane from Seattle. The trip up to Narita airport, NE Tokyo, was not bad...about $45 in tolls, each way!!! We spent about 2 hours at the airport getting them through the animal quarintine and customs. The airport was giagantic and extremely busy, but luckily a security guard saw our obvious confusion about which of the many buildings to go in to and volunteered to be our tour guide. This made it much easier! We followed him around from place to place, getting all the paper-work signed and endorsed. It is a real challenge to get animals into Japan and we now know why! It is great to finally have them here....

Other random stuff...

One of our favorite places to eat is Pepper Lunch in downtown Yokosuka. You start by putting Yen in a vending machine and it prints a ticket, which you hand to the waiter. They then go prepare it for you on a hot plate (like fajita cast iron skillets), where we get to add sauces and stir it while it cooks. We all love it.

Another great place we found a couple nights ago. Thank goodness there was one waitress who spoke English to tell us what some of this was. Never ate raw crab before...and probably never will again! It wasn't bad, just strange texture.

Apparently it is legal to own owls in Japan. Notice the price on this guy! This works out to be about $2000!

Lastly, we spent an afternoon at the pool with our neighbors. Alex, Katie, and her friend Marissa jumping in on another hot and humid day!

Kamakura and the Daibutsu (Great Buddha)

2009-06-21T17:00:00.000+09:00

Yesterday's adventure was to Kamakura. It was Shari's birthday (Happy Birthday Shari!!!) so we celebrated her 29th (wink, wink) in one of the coolest places we've ever been. Kamakura is located just a few train stops from Yokosuka to the North West and the train ride there was easy for a Saturday morning, with a few tourists getting on along the way. We decided to take a smaller local train across town to get closer to the Daibutsu and a few Buddhist temples. Apperently, we weren't the only ones trying this tactic! We knew we were in for an experience when the train pulled up and there were people jammed into this thing. We, being new here, were somewhat tentative and polite as we entered, which resulted in people jumping in front of us. I was the last guy in and I felt one of the train attendants pushing me in so the doors could be shut! At first it was a little 'different' but then you soon realize this is just the way it is done. Katie was a little freaked out and couldn't see anything. Poor kid! We know now to get on quicker and try to get to a window or at least away from the door!

Once in town, we made our way to the Great Buddha and paid our entrance fee. Right when you walk in was a place to wash you hands. We were told that the idea is to cleanse yourself before coming and paying your respects to the Diabutsu. The kids' thought it was cool...

Next was the Diabutsu, or Great Buddha. He is huge and stands about 35 feet tall and weighs in at over 21 tons. He is made of bronze and for the incredibly low price of 20Y (about 20 cents) you can go inside. We had heard that it stunk in side the Buddha, but we didn't think so but it was very hot. It was awesome here and a must stop for visitors to Japan.

Lastly, here is Katie and Alex trying to imitate the Great Buddha. We couldn't get Devon to do it...

After the Diabutsu, we headed towards the Hasedera Temple. This one also had an entrance fee and another cleansing station. I got a better video of this one...

The temple was amazing with several areas of worship or Buddhist rituals. Some places were off limits to cameras, including the Yakuyoke Amida Buddha statue which is a shrine commissioned by the first Japanese shogun, Yorimoto, in 1194. It is about 10 feet tall and is the Protector from Evil Spirits. When we pictured Japanese Buddhist Temples, this is what we pictured. Yes, Katie likes her picture taken...the boys, not so much! They all enjoyed the cave. Inside, you could purchase a mini wooden Budhha for 300Y and place it wherever you want. It is supposed to bring you good fortune. The cave video is a little dark and grainy, but you get the idea! I'll try to post that video later...it's about 5 minutes long!

That was our day! Of course there we stops along the way in little shops, a giant bus that moved down the crowded street we were on, and vanilla/sweet potato swirl ice cream cones (yum...you just gotta try it. We thought "gross!" at first too).

Love to all!!!

Ramen!

2009-06-18T19:53:00.001+09:00

OK, so the kids couldn't wait to try Ramen so we ventured out and found a great little place ride outside the Navy base. We were worried that they wouldn't be willing to try some non-American food, but they LOVED it! Take a look at what Alex got...and he's our picky one! Thank goodness for pictures! You basically point to the meal you want and they bring it to you. They also bring them out as they are ready instead of bringing everyone's order out together. Since Shari's came out first Katie couldn't stop eating it! They all agreed it was the best restaurant ever!

Konichiwa!

2009-06-18T16:37:00.000+09:00

The last few days have been very interesting and exciting. This week Shari and I are attending the Area Orientation/Intercultural Relations class. Parts of it are the standard briefs I always get when reporting to a new base/command, but the ICR portion is all about living and enjoying the country. Much of the class is on basic survival and local customs, so it is fun. Today was the "practical" portion of the class where we were guided around downtown Yokosuka. If you come to church with us, this is where we will go... :)

Right off the base is Mikasa Park where a Japanese Battleship, built by Great Britain in the 1800's is parked. There are many areas like this around Yokosuka and areas in Japan we have been too so far. Mikasa park is also an evacuation area for the local public where they have a giant fresh water tank that looks like a Train, holding enough fresh water for 10,000 people for 3 days. It is also a nice park for photo shoots, apparently...

After the park and downtown area, we boarded a train and traveled about 15-20 minutes to Kamakura, Japan's capital from 1185 until 1333. There are many Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Our tour for today did not go through any of these, so we will be going again in the next few days with the kids. We did get to do a little shopping and eat some amazing Ramen. Speaking of Ramen, it is a big deal over here! For Americans, Ramen would bring memories of Top Ramen or Cup O' Noodles as a kid. The same thought that comes to our minds when we heard of it. There are many restaurants in Japan that specialize in Ramen and it is delicious! Alex, our Top Ramen lover, can't wait to go. They also love Hello Kitty. We liked the shirt that said I Love KT! since that is what we use for shorthand for Katie's name...

The trains are the main way to get around. We did discover that there are luxury cars. They cost an extra 1000Y (about $10) to ride in and are nice and comfy. We didn't intend to ride in this but we stepped into the wrong car and just kind of rolled with it... :)

Another 20 minutes on the train from Kamakura is Yokohama, 2nd largest city in Japan. The train station opened into a shopping mall, where we stayed and looked around for about an hour. We got to sample some corn and peppers on a stick and see some interesting food items. Of course, lots and lots of Sushi...just tough to tell what's in it! It all seems very fresh...like it was prepared that morning and probably alive a few hours earlier!

After Yokohama, we headed back to Yokosuka unaided. As part of the exercise, Shari and I had to navigate back to the base on our own. This wasn't too difficult, but warranted a treat and a a Diet Pepsi for Shari.. Unfortunately for her, they can't be found off base...so she switches to Pepsi "Nex" which is their zero cal version. She was so happy when she found a 'big one'. There was also a nice little desert shop we couldn't pass up...

What a day and such a great experience. We are having a great time and absolutely love it here! The people are sooooo polite and kind. I can see why people who have lived here loved it here. We certainly do! Lastly, I have to show you the car we were given yesterday. Tom and his family, after living here for 7 years, are moving to Germany and gave us this one and sold us there van for $1000. Not bad, huh?!? Two cars for $1000! I'm dying to try to lift it up...maybe tomorrow!

Love to all!

2009-06-12T19:58:00.000+09:00

We've arrived in Japan! The flight was extremely long...11 hours...then a 2 hour drive from Yakota Air Base to Yokosuka Naval Station. We are living in two adjoining rooms here at the Naval Lodge (Navy Hotel) until a house comes available. We are expecting a very long wait, but we may get lucky!

Little things become interesting here...take the vending machines, for example. Devon went out to get his Mom a diet Pepsi and returned with Yen (he exchanged it at the hotel desk) and this little Pepsi Max. He was very proud of himself.

I also added a "Japan Time" widget for my Mom (and anyone else) so she can call us with the confidence that it is not 2:00 AM!