Family trip to Tanegashima

It’s summer vacation! So we can either have the kids hang around all summer and drive us (mostly Kiko!) crazy, or we can ship the family off to Tanegashima.

This year, it happens to align with the total eclipse (I’ll give you a hint… rain) where the Southern tip of Tanegashima was in the 100% zone.

We also took a side trip to Yakushima, the island that inspired Hayao Miayazaki’s Princess Mononoke (Look it up) and Noa got to play with nature (touch bugs), and both Hana and Noa got to play with their cousins.

I took one week (the first one) with them and am heading back to Tokyo shortly. I have a feeling he is going to forget all his English by the time he gets back, so I have loaded him up with some Super Why! (Look it up!) and Transformers.

In the meantime, here is our week in pictures…

RumiRumi (Noa’s personal hair assistant) Dad is on the right.

Noa getting some Super Why in the mix with Hina.

Our dissapointing but still cool 100% total eclipse. (It did get really dark outside for 2 minutes!)

Hana throwing a tantrum over the fact that we couldn’t actually see the eclipse.

Noa’s friend George. I am too lazy to turn it the right way round.

Noa being cool.

Both Noa and Hana really enjoyed the ocean this time around.

Noa enjoys relaxing…

… and Hana enjoys posing.

All of these were taken with the iPhone camera so apologies in advance. (Actually they came out pretty good.)

Since I am making this post in the ghetto, you will have to squint and turn your head appropriately to enjoy the pictures.

I am going to miss everyone while they are here, but with trips to Dalian, China and Singapore coming up… will be busy.