Ryugashi-do Cave

On Sunday, we went to Ryugashi-do cave. It took us about one hour to walk through the whole thing.  Inside the cave there was a place called the Grand Golden Waterfall.  It was 30 meters high and was not like a regular waterfall. Instead, the waterfall was rapid dribbles of water coming from the celling. Past the waterfall, there was a little tunnel into Phoenix hall. It was sooooooo cool. there were stalactites and stalagmites that had fused together. There were stalactites that formed a rim that looked like teeth. There was a very small pool. Outside of the cave, in the entrance way, there was an exhibit with bats in it and a turtle. Later, we saw a bat flying in the cave! What was really sad about the whole cave was that people had thrown money everywhere, especially in the pools, and had broken the stalactites and stalagmites and curtains, even though it takes about 100 years for it to grow a centimeter. Afterwards we went to the museum and gift shop. At the gift shop, we bough chocolate rocks! Chocolate rocks are hard candy on the outside, but chocolate on the inside and they look like rocks of all different sizes, colors and shapes. But the biggest were only about an inch. I love weekends because we explore new places.

The leaf dragon who breaths mist guarding the entrance to the cave.

A bat in the bat exhibit.  

Jane and I in the cave.

A passageway to a underground pond.  

curtains. 

phoenix hall. I think the stone that makes stalagmites and stalactites looks like drippy nacho cheese. 

Looking at stuff in the museum. 

Rubber band shooter Will, Jane and I each got. They are sooooooooooooo awesome!

Nakatajima Sand Dunes

Will and I at The Pacific Ocean!  

On the rocky beach of The Pacific Ocean. 

                                                      

A picture of me and if you look closely to the right kind of in the background Jane is holding up her skirt so the whole  World can see her underpants!

Me huddled in my coat because I was cold.

Hamamatsu Castle Park

Some armor for the 1500's !

Hamamatsu Castle

My dad and Will in the big field under
 the castle.

Big fish

Leg/ squid

On Saturday, we went to Hamamatsu Castle Park. A giant model of a castle that is so big you can go inside it. Inside, there was a whole bunch of armor and pictures of the castle before they rebuilt it. Before we went up to the castle, we played in a big field and we found Totoro acorns in the woods! We got some drinks from a vending machine and I got sparkling grape juice. Earlier I saw a big turtle in the pond. At a different pond in the park, we saw 4 huge fish. In the park there was a statue of a leg mixed with a squid, with its tentacles all tied up.

My Neighbor Totoro is a movie about a two girls and their father who move to a new place with a big forest. Their mother is in the hospital. One day the little girl Mei goes into the forest and meets O Totoro. Later, they meet the Catbus, O Totoros bus. Near the end, O Totoro helps the older sister find Mei who is missing.  My Neighbor Totoro is a great movie, you should all watch it. It is even dubbed in English. We have some stuffed animal Totoros!

Me looking at the big fish from
a bridge.

I miss you all soooooooooooooo much!

Different things

In this post I will tell you 11 things that are different in Japan from Connecticut.

Me at the end of the school day

Part of the playground      
equipment

Another climbing thing at
school

1. Here in Japan we have to walk to school. 
2. We have a special hat we have to wear to school and another hat for gym.
3. Some schools have uniforms.
4. Inside the building you have to wear rubber shoes that you never wear outside. 
5. Everyday about 6 children have to go and get the food for everyone else for lunch. 
6. We don't lockers, we have hanger to hang up our hats and cubbies for our backpacks.
7. There are two different school buildings that you can walk between on a little bridge like thing.
8. The school's playground is like a huge ropes course that the no one has to wear a harness on!
9. Dollar stores have only new things that in the U.S.A would cost about 4 or 5 dollars.
10. Japan is really clean!
11. In Japan Elementary school is first through sixth grade.

School

Hirosawa Elementrary School. There are about 900 students
in grades 1-6

I am going to Hirosawa Elementary School. I have to be in 2nd grade here. There are a few kids in my class that can speak English and they are helping me. Everyone wants to be my friend and play with me on the playground. They follow me and touch my hair. It is kind of creepy, but I know they are just trying to be nice.
I like my teacher, Aiko. There are 33 kids in my class. I eat the school lunch because no body brings there lunch from home. It is pretty good.

We have a good play ground at our school.

On the way to school. Kids at my school
don't wear uniforms, but they all
wear grey hats and have similar backpacks.

The second day I was scared because my mom said she would be there to meet me, but she didn't come. We didn't know that in Japan, the school day ends at different times on different days for different classes. The kids all walk to school by themselves and come home by themselves. Even little kindergardeners.

WHAT YOU CAN BUY FOR 100 YEN!

100 yen is about one dollar in U.S.A currency .You can buy a lot of things for 100 yen like school supplies and cards. In Japan a person can also buy chopsticks, hats and books. But, I think the most interesting things in Japanese dollar stores are soap and toothpaste , toys , and costumes. Somebody can also get thread and interesting erasers . They also sell gloves, masks, chairs, and bolts. Japanese dollar stores are all over the place, they sell a lot of stuff, and that is why I think they are important to Hamamatsu, the capital city of music in Japan.