May 14, 2005..... Kotomi and I have a new edition to the family. We don't know if it is a boy or a girl, but its birthday should be sometime soon. I am not going to tell you what it is, we will all wait for the big day together. Until then, post-up with your best guess!! P.S. Its about the size of a Tube Steak sausage and weighs about as much as a mandarin orange.... for now.

The dramatic serenity of Mount Fuji...... AND THE BEST PREMIUM OUTLET SHOPPING THIS SIDE OF THE PACIFIC!!! Gotemba - May 7, 2005

Reason I Love Japan (Number 13,983) - EBINA SERVICE AREA.... Kotomi, her sister Manami and I headed off to an outlet mall near Mt. Fuji. We kept wondering why so many Ferraris were passing us on the expressway. When we got to the Ebina Service Area, we found out why. This place was a FREAK SHOW of super cool cars - about 50-75 Italian beauties when I counted. It was also a fabulous FREAK SHOW of Japanese mania. Motorcyclists dressed up as cops and motor-cross champions (minus the mud, of course). All of this AND a fabulous place to stop, shop and eat.... all before 9 AM!

Dunno about you, but I think Scott is trying a little TOO hard to be all Zen.

Kotomi at Matsushima.

I tried for 30 minutes to get this shot. Kotomi got it on her second try.

Matsushima, bird, and Shrimp

Scene from a Hitchcock movie? Nope. Boat cruise at Matsushima.

Up at 4:30 am for this picture!!!

Matsushima... A series of tiny, oddly shaped islands with beautifully crazy pine trees growing on them. Also the sight for this picture (Scott's vote for best pic 2005 thus far).

Kotomi chowing down on her scrumtious dinner at the Century Hotel in Matsushima.

Scott enjoyed dinner too...

Scott prays at the site of the legendary Benkei (cool Japanese dude). Learn more here : http://www.artelino.com/articles/benkei.asp

Number 2 in my series of Cool Animal Pics Taken on Golden Week.

A Noh actor exiting the stage at Chusonji.

Another cool shot from Chusonji.

Procession in front of a temple at Chusonji (Iwate Prefecture).

Japanese Beauty

Maybe I was meant to be a Medieval Japanese Lord?

Forget Jaws, these little buggers are more scary... and slimy.

Getting the Wedding Portraits done and out of the way... you can catch this FABULOUS couple LIVE, August 21st at the Aomori Oirase Keiryu Grand Hotel.

Scott in Kawauchi... Why do I look like I'm in High School? Must be the hair.

Kotomi lost in thought in our old Kawauchi stomping grounds.

GOLDEN WEEK ROAD TRIP!!! Kotomi and I decided to travel into the very heart of the Beast: Golden Week on the Japanese Expressways. We prepared ourselves for a courageous 3:00 AM start, and were mildly surprised to find the rest areas almost full by 5:00 AM.