Japan!

I have successfully made it to Japan! Hooray!! I have met up with Aiko's family. I will finally see Aiko in a couple days. They have been the best hosts! Aiko's mom and dad (Masako and Masahito) live in Gunma Prefecture, which is west of Tokyo. We took a four-hour-long bus ride from Narita airport to Maebashi, which is the city they live in. It's a beautiful area. I'm currently surrounded by mountains, and it's not ridiculously hot or humid! Huzzah!! Today we drove up to Mt. Haruna which is one of the major mountains surrounding this valley. On top of the mountain was an absolutely beautiful shrine. The path up to the shrine takes you along a small river, and through a cedar forest! These trees are around 400 years old, so they are pretty darn big. They were also this amazing red color. Everything was also very green. Moss was growing on every surface. So I am going to shut up now, and show you some pictures! (The pictures don't do the cedar forest and shrine justice, by the way.)

This is Aiko's aunt and grandmother. They came to meet me at the airport!

This is the room I am staying in. I sleep on the floor with this awesome thick cushion. It's much more comfortable than you'd expect.

This is the Japanese baseball team I have decided to support, only because they are the "Diamond Pegasus". Fearsome!

These are taken from the top of the capital building in Maebashi. This is looking east.

North

West

South

As you walk into the capital building...haha! That is a stuffed horse, which is Gunma Prefecture's mascot. 

Masako (left) and Masahito (right), Aiko's mom and dad! We stopped for a photo op. This is about 3/4 of the way up the mountain. Lucky for me, I don't get carsick otherwise that would have been a miserable ride up.

This is where we stopped to have lunch: soba noodles!

 Entrance to the shrine

 Looking back through the entrance

The moss grew on everything in this forest.

3-story pagoda. Masako told me that these pagodas are built without using any nails.

The rope with white paper hanging down indicates a sacred area.

This is the actual shrine.

You can see three girls praying to the right. They are standing in front of a large offering box. You throw a coin into the box, clap twice, and then pray. They clapping is supposed to get the spirits' attention (so I am told).

Fun little bit of info.