Mie one last time

Where has Jason been? i've had the most stressful week of my life thusfar and looking forward i don't know what could top it. But first i have to post items from before this week. The Sayonara Japan tour began but never really had time to bloom because of a the most massive project i've ever worked on and ever will probably and an earthquake and nuclear crisis or two. Fumika's mom wanted to see me before I left Japan 2 weeks later so I had to oblige because they are my Japanese family in Japan. I didn't have any time for this visit because of this advertising project that is insanely laborious with a super tight deadline but i had to do it anyway and boy did I pay the price later. Me and fu-ballz went to Kyoto for one final time too.



My Japanese parents



my japanese family and a sushi chef. fu-ballz brother does construction and drinks a lot. even though he has to go to work at like 6 am he often drinks with his buddies at night.



this place that her parents wanted to take me for a long time was awesome. their specialty was putting a raw quail egg in different pieces. the salmon eggs and egg, uni and egg, and this sweet shrimp egg was amazing. It also ended up being like $100 per person, i feel bad, thanks for dinner Sugimotos!



her brother has never said more than 3 words to me but this night he was drinking and talking and wanted to hang out and drink more at home. so we drank random drinks and a bottle of shochu and this new drink, Calpis Makoli, makoli is korean rice wine and calpis is my fav japanese soft drink so the combo was good of course, but its only 3% alchohol



buses in japan are soooo nice. this one even has airbags!



in the crapper in kyoto early in the morning. this is literally so your kid can watch you do what he is doing in his diapers right now. maybe you can hold hands and if you're lucky, go in one glorious heartfelt father/offspring moment.



I am going to miss Japanese girls so much. the country is bursting with girls that look like street walkers and most of it is because of the extreme variety of stockings available. it goes way beyond fishnets to somewhere way beyond hooker to a land that guys love. single tear for no more of Japan's ultra stocking culture. we wont even get into socks and other things at this juncture.



Byodo In, Kyoto. its pretty south, past fushimi inari 1000 gates shrine. this temple is on the the 10 yen coin. I would only recommend this if you have exhausted all other Kyoto options because there are like 5 days worth of other must see stuff. I've been to kyoto 6 times so this was an option.





down at the shoe docks to go see the old buddah inside the middle building.



this art is cool. but its 10,000 yen



glimpse at the tech ticket gates. about a billion parts and 5 million rotating things.



streets of gion one last time. what a place.



i dont know what this is but the art looks awesome.





fu balls had these cool tights that had digi pixel roses on them.



i've walked by this shrine so many times but never went in. Its called Yakasa Kyoshin Do and its near the pagoda. the thing here is these hanging guys. I always thought they were people in pajamas but they are monkeys with their hand and feet bound. In Kōshin belief, it represents the control of the playful and desire-driven creature everyone has inside his body. To have a wish granted, you must sacrifice one desire and put it inside one of the monkeys. so the monkey is tied up and your desire can't get out. I wanted to get one of these for bob but didnt have time. these things represent Bob so much don't they??!!, denying yourself pleasures and being a good monkey. im kicking myself so hard right now for not just buying an overpriced one at the temple, its perfect light hearted reminder that bob can put on his desk.





high tech toilet, engrish sign.



one last amazing dinner by fumika's mom. she made my favorite, shisho cheese chicken katsu, oden, some kind of dark miso soup, fresh veggies, and more. Thanks to fumika and her family for being so kind to this dirty hobo. Thanks for taking me to the mountains, the beach, the tanuki town, the half marathon, and more. Thanks for showing me a real Japanese family, and bob says thank you for that too. I will miss this part of Japan! Up next, earthquake fun.