Tenjin Matsuri festival in Osaka 2009

Here are some videos I took of the Tenjin Matsuri festival, so you can see how it's celebrated here! :)

Nara

Nara...had a thing for the lanterns

Nara

So cute!

No longer cute...stealing from my bag

Babies in a basket

Went to the park with the class the other day, saw babies in a basket, and the cutest nursery school uniform I've ever seen!  Bloomers and hats on 2 year olds ;)

Turtles sunbathing

She was trying to find a pretty flower

This little girl found one!

Picking the perfect one ;)

Tokyo

I headed to Tokyo for the Leeland Concert.  I got to ride the bullet train, stay in Shibuya (which is craziness!), and go to the most amazing concert!  I can't even put into words how fantastic Leeland was and then Brandon Heath comes out to sing a duet with Leeland!!!  It was a song that I've never heard before, but it was so honest and impacting! I don't know where to buy it either...Anyways, here are some pics from the trip:

Messages of Hope 

No, they are not in costume, they are in their "regular" clothes

Takeshita Street - shopping here is not for the faint of heart

Rainy day, but the view from my hotel room in Shibuya

Rainy night - taking pictures from under an umbrella is tricky

More Tokyo

Not costumes...street wear :)

Meiji Jingu Shrine

Japanese Bride 

The wedding processional

Wishes of hope and good luck in every language are written on wooden blocks