Japan Adventure

At breakfast, I see Ariel, Julia & their Grampa John, who is visiting from the US. I've seen him in the pool when I've gone to swim the past week or so, and I was glad to see him with his family on this trip. I think he said he's leaving next week to return to the US.


We've started walking toward the castle from our hotel - just a few blocks. Look at this amazing mural painted outside a store in Kumamoto.


Stan near another painted mural. This was some kind of a doorway.


It started raining, and we've stopped at a festival on our way. Maybe we can wait out the rain here. I've seen this on TV, but never seen rice being pounded into mochi in person. Very cool! It's been done this way for thousands of years . . .


Something green was added to the mix for flavor & color, and the pounding continued.