Hanami

Spring in Himeji, Japan is definitely cooler than Phoenix, but it is gorgeous! The cherry blossoms only lasted about two weeks, but they were breathtaking. At the beginning of April we joined our Japanese friends in North Himeji for a Hanami picnic. Hanami is the celebration of spring and cherry blossoms in Japan. People from all of the world come to view it, as it is beautiful and doesn't last very long. Here are the photos from our Hanami this spring!

Nara

At the end of March, Joe and I took a day trip to Nara...which is Japan's original capital.

The weather was beautiful! The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and the deer were really friendly. We fed them crackers sold in the Nara ...Joe even mouth fed one. YUCK!
We saw so many historic and beautiful sights, including the world's largest wooden structure and the world's biggest Buddha. It was a wonderful day!

Joe in front of the world's largest wooden structure!

Doesn't this deer look fake? Well...it isn't!