My accomodations

I immediately felt comfortable in Mune's home. I'd never met members of his family before, but they welcomed me warmly, especially his mother. She cooked a wonderful dinner, which included the best tuna sashimi I had ever tasted. I didn't feel any jet lag at all--it must have been because I was so excited to be there.

Normally, it would have just been Mune's mom and dad in the house; but, lucky for me, his sister (who lives in Nagoya) had just given birth to a baby girl (Akikho), and so she, and her other two kids (Akane and Asoto, both toddlers), were staying there. So, I had the opportunity to be around a family with adorable little kids--such a great way to experience everyday life in a new culture!

Mune's neighborhood surprised me because I'd pictured a much more hectic, densely populated area. He'd said he lived in the city of Tokyo, so my image was, you know, Shibuya Station or something like that! But it was so tranquil, with winding narrow streets and well-kept gardens. I fell asleep to the sounds of crickets outside my window.