Whoopee! I got published in Kansai Time Out and my article is the cover story!
You can't read it on the website but at least you can see my name there: http://www.japanfile.com/modules/news/

Flashback to Naoshima trip with Lou & Marshall-- Naoshima is an island in the Seto Inland Sea that belongs to Shikoku, even though it's far closer to Honshu. It's famous for contemporary art and architecture. Many of the public institutions and buildings were designed by the same guy. Tadao Ando, a renowned Japanese architect, designed several important buildings on the island too, including the Chichu Art Museum and the Benesse House Art Museum.

Here we are visiting the Benesse Art House.

"100 Live and Die" by Bruce Nauman, which I wasn't supposed to take a picture of.

The first pumpkin!

The one on the left is by Andy Warhol.

The view from Benesse Art House [it was super windy that day!]

Exploring the works of art outside

My favorite pumpkin by the sea!

The Benesse Art House also built hotel rooms so visitors could stay overnight. Though we couldn't get in, we managed to get a glimpse of the outside.

Gorgeous photo opportunities like this were all over Naoshima!

But my favorite one of all was definitely the pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama, created in 1994.

Post-hip hop class!!

This was also a while ago--visiting Okayama-jo (Crow Castle) and Korakuen, one of Japan's top three landscape gardens which just happens to be in Okayama City, with Marshall and his friend Chris!

In the garden with Okayama-jo in the distance...

Awww with Momotaro!

And finally, the long-awaited castle.

That night was the overnight sayonara party at Jibutei Samurai House (a real samurai house!) in Kumenan! That's right, all these JETs had to trek to my town for the party.

The lovely Jon & Marisa

The samurai house!

I had to steal several pictures of the party because I didn't take many. On the right is Bob, Ludo, and Jon dancing to Outkast's "Hey Ya"!

Watch this great video of their dance!! It's fantastic!!

With the new Fuzzy Peach editor, Richard! And then with the old editor Bob and neighbor Maricar.

The next morning, Marshall, his friend Chris, Dimple, and Bob started off from the samurai house at 6am to get to the Yuge train station in time for the 6:59am train. Marshall, Chris, and I had plans to hit up Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day so we had to get an early start. I didn't think they were going to make it but just as the train was about to leave, they rushed through the station!! Anyway, when they were walking down from the samurai house (it took one hour down the mountain), Marshall got some beautiful pictures of Kumenan at dawn.

First we went to Hiroshima. Here we are at the ruins of the A-Bomb dome.

Thousands of strings of paper cranes!

The eternal flame.

After we had explored the museum and eaten Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, we went to nearby Miyajima, where I had a great time with all the deer roaming the island!

They were so adorable!

...and also very aggressive! Marshall was eating corn and one deer started to attack him. Then some other deer knocked food out of people's hands and there was a huge mess.

The famous floating torii

More updates later! :]