This is a story about an international couple raising and home educating three young boys on a small island in Japan, half living in buses, engaged in organic, self-sufficient farming in the middle of a mountain forest while dealing with climate, cultural, and personal challenges. These pages are about pretty much anything and everything all guided by our family motto, Taking Chances, Making Changes, Being Happy. Thank you very much for joining us on our ongoing crazy adventure.

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Rocket Marathon

- This is the month of the annual Rocket Marathon, held at the Tanagashima Space Center. We also went to see the cherry blossoms in bloom. A lot of home projects were completed.

Picture - Beautiful cherry blossoms blooming in the park.
Outside Stuff

- A new dog house to keep the fighting guys separate, a bunch of wood, and a lot of bamboo stacked in the yard.

Picture - Home - A new dog house made from the picnic table.
Picture - Home - A bunch of old wood ready for the barbecue and food smoker.
Picture - Home - A bunch of old bamboo ready for the barbecue and food smoker.
Cherry Blossoms

- Today we went to Hase Park to see the beautiful cherry blossoms in bloom and to enjoy a picnic together.

Picture - Us sitting with the beautiful cherry blossoms.

Picture - Hase Park - Us sitting with the beautiful cherry blossoms 1.
Picture - Hase Park - Us sitting with the beautiful cherry blossoms 2.
Picture - Hase Park - Us hanging out with a friend
Picture - Hase Park - Shai playing with his friend Satoshi in the playground 1.
Picture - Hase Park - Shai playing with his friend Satoshi in the playground 2.
Picture - Hase Park - Us hanging out with friends.
Picture - Hase Park - A group of beautiful cherry blossoms.
Baby Coming

- Shai processed a lot of green onions today. Akiko is looking very pregnant with the baby due in a couple of months now.

Picture - Akiko looking very pregnant now.

Picture - Home - A ton of green onions from the farm.
Picture - Home - Shai processing the green onions.
Picture - Home - The green onions all processed and ready.
Picture - Home - A picture of me looking like a mountain man.
Picture - Home - Akiko pregnant picture a side view.
Picture - Home - Akiko pregnant picture another side view.
Picture - Home - Akiko pregnant picture a front view.
Sakurajima Radish

- Today we picked a lot of huge Sakurajima radishes. These things can get incredibly huge but actually taste much milder than typical Japanese white radishes.

Picture - Shai next to a huge Sakurajima radish.

Picture - Home - Sakurajima radishes picked from the farm.
Picture - Home - A Sakurajima radish picked from the farm.
Picture - Home - Shai next to a huge Sakurajima radish.
Picture - Home - Tasty Sakurajima radish washed and ready.
Huge Radish

- We picked a lot of huge radishes this week for eating and for drying. Shai was really happy spending time in the farms doing his favorite thing, picking stuff.

Picture - Shai holding a really huge white radish.

Picture - Home - Shai holding a nice group of radishes.
Picture - Home - A nice group of white radishes.
Picture - Home - Shai holding a nice round radish.
Picture - Home - Shai holding a huge white radish.
Picture - Home - A huge round radish from the farm.
Picture - Home - A huge white radish from the farm.
Picture - Home - A huge round radish washed and ready.
Picture - Home - Made a really nice barbecue with rocks from the farm.
Picture - Home - We made a nice picnic lunch outside today.
Picture - Home - A lot of tasty chicken cooking on the barbecue outside.
Found Itajikibana

- Today Akiko went for another driving practice lesson. Me and Shai decided to drive along the coast to see what we could find. We discovered a really cool place called Itajikibana, which is basically this really huge rock.

Picture - Nakatane Town - Itajikibana plaque showing the location.
Picture - Nakatane Town - A nice view of the rock and coast.
Picture - Nakatane Town - Another nice view of the rock and coast.
Picture - Nakatane Town - A few view homes close to the rock and coast.
Rocket Marathon Before Party

- This is the famous Tanegashima Rocket Marathon before party which is held at a community center in Minamitane town. This is quite a deal. For only five bucks per person, you get really nice performances, free food and all the alcohol you can drink, which usually turns out to be quite a lot. This year was no exception.

Picture - Us hanging out at the before party.

Picture - Minamitane Town - The before party tickets.
Picture - Minamitane Town - The before party food pancakes.
Picture - Minamitane Town - The before party food potatoes.
Picture - Minamitane Town - The before party alcohol beer.
Picture - Minamitane Town - The before party alcohol liquor.
Picture - Minamitane Town - Us hanging out together.
Picture - Minamitane Town - Shai in front of a couple of characters.
Picture - Minamitane Town - A before party performance taiko playing girls.
Picture - Minamitane Town - A before party performance tropical girls.
Picture - Minamitane Town - A before party performance young girls.
Picture - Minamitane Town - A before party performance Tahitian girls.
Picture - Minamitane Town - Shai is being funny as an astronaut.
Picture - Minamitane Town - Shai is being funny as a businessman.
Rocket Marathon

- This year was the 29th Annual Rocket Marathon, held at the Tanegashima Space Center, located in Minamitane Town. This was the second year for us to join this event which turned out much better this time. Today was a beautiful, sunny day, as opposed to last year, which was cloudy and mega rainy. This year was even more special, since Akiko was competing while seven months pregnant, as you can see from the picture.

Picture - Us ready to compete with our cool shirts.

We always do the family run which is only two kilometers total. The other events include a three kilometer family run, a ten kilometer run, a half marathon, and a full marathon. The entry free is only about fifteen bucks per person. Quite a deal considering it includes free food, tee shirts, and towels.

Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - The beautiful venue for the rocket marathon.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - Us hanging out together.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - A picture of the crowd.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - Us hanging out together close up.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - A picture of the crowd close up.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - The free food coupons.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - Us showing off our towels vertical picture 1.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - Us showing off our towels vertical picture 2.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - Us showing off our towels vertical picture 3.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - Us showing off our towels 1.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - Us showing off our towels 2.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - The rocket marathon at the beginning 1.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - The rocket marathon at the beginning 2.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - The rocket marathon at the beginning 3.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - The rocket marathon at the beginning 4.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - Us hanging out together eating lunch.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - Shai with a character 1.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - Shai with a character 2.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - A friend finishing picture Oyabing.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - A friend finishing picture Oyabing.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - A friend finishing picture Oyabing.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - A friend finishing picture Oyabing.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - A friend finishing picture David.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - A friend finishing picture David.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - Shai playing with a group of friends.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - Us hanging out with a group of friends.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - Shai hanging out with a group of friends 1.
Picture - Tanegashima Space Center - Shai hanging out with a group of friends 2.
Picture - Minamitane Town - Crazy friend in the farm working.
Rocket Marathon After Party

- This is the famous Tanegashima Rocket Marathon after party which is held at a community center in Minamitane town. This is quite a deal. For only five bucks per person, you get really nice performances, free food and all the alcohol you can drink, which usually turns out to be quite a lot. This year was no exception. Um, this seems a lot like the post for the before party. lol.

Picture - Us hanging out with friends at the before party.

Picture - Minamitane Town - The after party tickets.
Picture - Minamitane Town - An after party performance taiko playing guys.
Picture - Minamitane Town - An after party performance belly dancing girl.
Picture - Minamitane Town - An after party performance kid group.
Picture - Minamitane Town - Hanging out together with friends, me, Akiko, Keikosan.
Picture - Minamitane Town - Hanging out together with friends, me and girls.
Picture - Minamitane Town - Hanging out together with friends, me and Oyabing.
Picture - Minamitane Town - Hanging out together with friends, me, girls, and Oyabing.
Picture - Minamitane Town - Hanging out together with friends 1.
Picture - Minamitane Town - Hanging out together with friends 2.
- Facebook Post - After pic and we placed 29 in the family 2k run.
Space Drink

- Shai played a game at the Tanegashima Rocket Marathon after party and won a case of space drink, same as the astronauts use.

Picture - Home - A whole case of space drink from the after party.
New Desk

- New bunk beds and desk made from sugi, Japanese cedar.

Picture - New desk made from sugi wood.

Picture - Home - New bunk beds made from sugi wood.
Picture - Home - New desk made from sugi wood.
Bunk Bed

- New bunk beds, this time with the mattresses, and closet shelves made from sugi, Japanese cedar.

Picture - Home - New bunk beds made from sugi wood with the mattresses.
Picture - Home - New closet shelves made from sugi wood.
Kitchen Table

- New kitchen table shelves made from sugi, Japanese cedar.

Picture - Home - New kitchen table shelves.
Hanging Out

- New shoe rack made from sugi, Japanese cedar. Shai was playing with this friend on the bunk beds.

Picture - Home - New shoe rack made from sugi.
Picture - Home - Shai playing with his friend on the bunk beds.