Part 2: Kyushu here we come.

We start with 'Part 2', because part 1 was some business in the city and the pictures there were not altogether interesting. So, first we thought we'd start with pictures from our time in Yoko's furusato in southern Japan (Kyushu) and then our day in the town of Narita, where we let ourselves be total tourists for a change: We discovered a lovely cosmopolitan little town which we'll now visit each time we pass through NRT --Narita International Airport.

To see large pictures, please click on each thumbnail. Enjoy, Dana & Yoko, November 2004

The next set of pictures below were taken at the sheltered workshop for developmentally delayed adults which Yoko's sister and brother-in-law started this last year on their land above the Onsen. They also have a small store there which we supply and Yoko's sister Yuki owns and runs. Yoko has donned the traditonal 'okusan's' daily working apron to help Yuki with display. The workshop clients are shown packaging the hand-made fu ( a special rice cake/cracker for soups) which they made earlier.

That's Dana standing behind "Otousan", Yoko's father,the patriarch and second generation art and antique expert who taught Yoko much of what she knows about such things. We were standing outside the sheltered workshop buildings for this picture.

The next set of pictures are from our venture into the town of Narita. Due to some changes in our domestic flight we arrived at Narita (Tokyo's International Airport) early in the day preceding our return flight so had some time on our hands. Funny, but in all the times we've been through Narita over the years we'd never gone into the town, presuming it was still just a typical farming town. Well we were wrong.

We were looking for a place to eat (to avoid those amazingly expensive hotel restaurants) and so took the hotel shuttle into the town of Narita. What a delightful place! As soon as we got off the bus in front of Narita station we took one look around and decided to don our tourist hats and go to the shrine (Narita-san), hit a few shops, and find someplace for our last dinner in Japan. It was getting dark but we managed to it all. A thoroughly enjoyable day!

We loved the town, and were impressed with the size of the shrine. What appealed to us most was the cosmopolitan flavor of this airport town (much like the port towns of old), with folks from many lands and languages mixing with the locals, and with shops and signs made obviously to accomodate the international clietele. Yoko found some great clothes and we found a marvelous restaurant with a fusion menu of Japanese and continental dishes -- our best meal by far this trip-- and NOT expensive(for Japan). See the details about Hero's below. English is spoken there and it is less than 10 minutes walk from the station; So if you're making that trip to Japan, leave enough time for an afternoon-evening in Narita; And if you go to Hero's grill, ask for Henry and tell him "YokoDana recommended us".

I just love those Japanese neon signs(DL)