Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan

So here we are, in the "small", "rural", "country" town of Iwakuni, in the Yamaguchi prefecture (like a small state?), on the southern part of mainland Japan (it's about 45 minutes from Hiroshima).

1. This town has a "downtown" area.

2. The population is around 150,000

So..."small" is relative. Everyone keeps telling us it's tiny, but..ya know...we came from Spanish Fork, Utah, so......

We spent the first two weeks out of ROM on foot. We walked everywhere we had to go. It was the start of the Japanese holiday called Obon, which we know very little about because we had just arrived, but from what I understand it is where people celebrate their families, heritage, ancestors who have passed away. So for 10 days everything was closed, meaning we couldn't look for a house or buy a car.

So. Much. Walking. Also, 95 degrees and 93% humidity. Multiple showers every day, yall. Wooooof!

But since buying a car, we've been cruising the town! At a max speed of 40 KMH, driving on the right side of the car and the left side of the road, occasionally turning into oncoming traffic. NBD.

One of the first things I noticed were these large fields growing....something with large, flat, green leaves. I learned that the Iwakuni area is well known around Japan for growing lotus plants. The root is eaten, and is really quite good. The flowers are so large, and gorgeous. And thee fields are everywhere!

But the real important stuff...the food. THE FOOD! Since we are still kinda sortta in vaca mode, and our food is still being paid for, we have been experiencing it all. First we went to a Yakinuku restaurant which is like Korean BBQ, only...it's Japanese BBQ. The kids marveled that we not only were allowed to, but were REQUIRED to remove our shoes as we entered our eating quarters, and got to sit on the ground.

Next on the To Try list was Shabu-Shabu....hot pot! It was a favorite of mine in Korea, and this did not disappoint. Again, shoe removal (SCORE, the kids can be their true selves, minus to inability to talk in an "indoor voice").

We went to a Sushi-Go-Round with the conveyor belt of small sushi items. This was probably the kids' favorite so far. I'm not sure how, or why, but they all really like sushi. So we ate, and ate, and ate, and ate some more.

When we aren't eating delicious (and quite frankly, pretty nutritious!) Japanese food...although here it's just food isn't it?....we have been having some really fun treats.

I took the kids swimming the other day and we went to Baskin Robbins afterwards. This is on the base, all encounters were in English. And still I screwed something up. I asked for KIDS CONES, and asked if they could have two flavors. Each kid ended up with two gigantic scoops of ice cream. They were thrilled. I won Mom of the Year. Everyone was happy.

Staying with the food theme, our favorite pass-time is grocery shopping. Japanese grocery stores are incredible. First of all, at least in this "little" town, they are everywhere. They have the most amazing baby seats! Indie loves shopping when she doesn't have to sit in her car seat!

Some things are quite expensive (Fruit), and others are quite inexpensive (veggies, fresh dumplings, shrimp). I don't get it. But, let me tell you, for how expensive the fruit is, it is SO GOOD. ALL OF IT! Ya know how you buy peaches from the grocery store and they may be all right, or they may be just terrible? From our experience, and from what I hear from locals, Japanese produce is ALWAYS delicious. These grapes, for example, are not only enormous, but are so lovely, and also nearly $10/lb. Our other family favorite are the peaches. I don't have a picture, but also...huge. Massive. And it's like a party in our mouths! It's $7.50 for 2 (huge) peaches. So we aren't buying huge quantities, but what we do buy, we are enjoying to the fullest!

Last Saturday was our first Saturday with a car and so we got up and got going. First we went to a well-known little smoothie shop here. All that lovely fruit I just described...in a smoothie? Really. What's there to complain about? Well, Cache insisted on a juice that had paprika and ginger in it, so it tasted like a blended up bell pepper. So, some complaints there...