On Conrad’s 1st birthday, we boarded a 13 hour flight to Nagoya, Japan! John’s older sister, Caroline, lives there with her husband Matt and four kids: Lydia, Silas, Ethan, and Chloe. Conrad had never met his cousins before (and we had never met Chloe), so we decided to make a family trip of it! John’s brother Steve, his wife Lindsey, and John’s sister Lucy also joined us for the adventure!
Happy First Birthday, Baby Boy!
12 hours into our 13 hour flight. Everyone looks pretty happy–WIN!
Silas and Ethan are excited to meet their new, albeit jet lagged, cousin.
Our first day there, we decided to head out to see Okazaki Castle!
Ready to take on the day! Also, jet-lagged baby.
The whole family together again (minus Lydia, Silas, and Ethan). First time since 2015!
Sampling some of the local street food.
Next stop, lunch at Sushiro for some conveyor belt sushi.
Baby’s first sushi. He enjoyed it!
One of the best parts of our trip–playing with family! This picture is pretty typical 🙂
The little man destroyed his cupcake. Thanks for the sweet birthday celebration, Caroline!
The next morning, we boarded the train and headed to Nagoya to see the Seminary where Matt is teaching.
Conrad and Chloe–playtime!
Arriving at CBI–the seminary!
The library at the Seminary.
Family photo op on top of the Seminary in Nagoya!
We had a delicious lunch before heading back to Okazaki City. We also had a chance to visit with Brett and Taylor Rayl–friends from our FU days! SO lovely to see them and learn about their life in Japan. And, to meet their youngest kiddo!
Lunch with the Rayls! Great to see you guys!
On the way back to Okazaki City, we made an awesome discover: some of the vending machines dispense HOT drinks. This tea reminded us of our time in Singapore!
Conrad enjoys train travel. Especially when Dada and Uncle Scoob are involved.
Everybody jump on Cappy!
Okonomiyaki (Osakan Pancake) for lunch! Matt was quite the chef!
For dinner that night, we had a DELICIOUS 10-course meal set up by a dear friend of Matt and Caroline’s. Paired with sake, it was delicious!!!
Conrad, the only kiddo at the meal, occupied himself under the table–most of the time!
Such a delicious treat!
Family photo post-dinner!
The next morning, we went to one of the Newkirk’s favorite places: Minami Park!
Bring on the rides!
First stop, the Ferris Wheel!
Sweet family, beautiful views!
Conrad really enjoyed his first Ferris Wheel experience.
Next stop, the carousel!
Fun for everyone!
Conrad also enjoyed his first carousel ride!
Everyone loved it 🙂
We ended our trip with a delicious visit to the ice cream vending machine.
At lunch, Silas entertained Conrad with a Japanese reading of The Very Hungry Caterpillar!
A classic in any language!
Tonkatsu. Reminded us of schnitzel in Austria, which means it was delicious.
After lunch, Caroline took us to a local farmer’s market. So cool to see what fresh, local produce you can get in different places around the world.
Different kinds of rice–you can also determine how much of the husk you want removed!
Local soy sauce
The next morning, we were off to Kyoto via the Shinkansen (aka Bullet Train).
#babysfirstphotobomb
Kisses for Aunt Lucy!
Our first stop upon arrival was the Bamboo Forest. We walked the entire path. It was beautiful!
Bamboo Forest in Kyoto
Bamboo Forest
After all of that walking, we rewarded ourselves with some Green Tea Ice Cream!
Guess who enjoyed the green tea ice cream 😉
Our next stop was the Golden Pavilion! So much gold leaf!
Gold Pavilion
Candeto siblings. Love this picture of them!
Our final stop in Kyoto was the Nishiki Market. So much food. Next time, I’m going to try to come hungrier! 🙂
Beautiful market!
All kinds of cured veggies
Catching a ride on Dad’s shoulders!
En route to Nara after a big day!
Our final stop in Japan was Nara to stay with our dear friends, the Lintons! You may recognize them from our Singapore adventures–we used to travel some together around SE Asia. We really miss them!
Good morning, boys!
Girls’ Pic!
One of the highlight of our trip to Nara was feeding the deer that roam freely in the park. They are the most polite deer on the planet, bowing before they take the deer food from you!
Feeding the deer in Nara Park.
Our next stop was the Giant Buddha.
Sweet friends!
Working on walking outside of the temple.
All six of us! Miss these folks 🙂
That evening, John and I were invited to dinner with Yoshie’s father and some of his colleagues. We enjoyed a lovely Japanese meal and good conversation in which we learned more about Nara.
Fun dinner!
Group Shot!
The next morning, Mona decided to take over feeding duties for Conrad. She did a great job. Conrad didn’t seem to mind 😉
Yum!
Then, we boarded the train and headed to Osaka!
They really love each other 🙂
With the famous Glico man!
Family photo with the giant crab.
Everything is cooler from the air!
All of this exploring is wearing our little guy out!
For lunch we ate the most delicious ramen I’ve ever had!
So. Delicious.
That evening we went to karaoke! All six of us participated.
My contribution to the karaoke efforts. You can take the girl out of Kentucky…
Group sing!
Musical family
Baby’s first karaoke
Superstar!
The next morning, we prepared to catch our flight to Korea. But not before saying goodbye to our dear friends!
These two really bonded!
Cool play area in the Osaka Airport.
We promise this will be a shorter flight, little guy! Onward to Seoul!
We has such an incredible first trip to Japan. It was wonderful to see family and to catch up with dear old friends (thanks for being such great hosts, everyone!) We ate lots of delicious and interesting food, saw some tourist sights, and got a glimpse of what every day life is like in Japan.
Now, on to our next adventure. Onward, to Seoul!
John and CB's Most Excellent Adventure 