Good evening from Grand Hyatt Fukuoka in Kyushu! I hope that all is well and you are finding a way to enjoy each and every precious moment of this holiday season!

Yesterday my wife and I boarded the 6:50am Shinkansen (Nozomi) at Tokyo station and traveled to Hiroshima station. After about a three and one half hour ride we arrived at Hiroshima Station. There we boarded a local train (4 cars) and headed off to Miyoshi-shi. Two hours later we arrived in Miyoshi-shi where were picked up at the station by my wife’s father.

First, we had lunch at “Joyfull” family restaurant. Next, we visited my wife’s grandfather’s gravesite located on the side of a mountain near a temple. After lighting “sanko” we said a few prayers for the departed. Then, we visited the elementary school my wife attended the first six years of her academic career and took a few photos. It was located high up on the side of another mountain about a five-minute drive from the gravesite. About 20 minutes later we arrived at my wife’s family home where we relaxed and looked through some of my wife’s old photo albums.

About an hour later her parents dropped off at the Alpha One Hotel where we rested about 45 minutes before we were joined by one of my wife’s high school classmates and we practiced conversation English, in a positive way of course! #0 minutes later we were picked up by another one of my wife’s classmates and headed off to “Ranya” isakaya. Once there we enjoyed good food, good drinks and enjoyable conversations. About two and half hours later we were dropped off at our hotel and were soon off to sleep after a very long and enjoyable day!

Early the next morning my wife’s parents picked us in her father’s new car and we began our next adventure after a most I enjoyable stay in Miyoshi-shi, Hiroshima-ken!

 Our next adventure began first with a two-hour drive through the picturesque, snow filled mountains of Hiroshima-ken, shortstop at Iwakuni Park, through Yamaguchi-ken and ending here at the Regency Club at Grand Hyatt Fukuoka in Hakata! However, that is another story for another time! Oyasumi Nasai (Good night)!