The Carman-Franks versus Japan!

Last week, Aaron and his family visited me in Tokyo before spending a few days in Kyoto. It was great to see them and hang out with the girls. The girls are definitely growing up fast. Ruby was just starting to talk when I left the States, and now she is talking up a storm. Here are some pictures from their visit. Although they only spent three days with me, we managed to pack quite a bit of stuff into those days!

Ruby striking a pose in the sculpture garden: On Sunday, we went to the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka. I was a little hesitant at first, as everything was in Japanese, and I didn't know much about Studio Ghibli (they are an animation studio that produced "My Neighbor Totoro", "Spirited Away", etc.). Boy was I wrong about the place though! It was pretty awesome. There were lots of different displays to watch and a special exhibit for Aardman Animations (the people behind Wallace and Gromit). They also had a sculpture garden and some wacky ice cream (Aaron and I tried the black-bean ice cream, and I'm not kidding when I say it had black beans in it).

Ruby, Kiva, and I outside of Sanrio Puroland: On Monday, we took a monorail to Sanrio Puroland (aka Hello Kittyland). The train ride was great; we got an elevated view of a few towns and hills from the front of the train. Sanrio Puroland was also pretty fun, and the girls had a great time. We watched a parade that included Chinese acrobats and toured Kitty's house. We finished out the day with dinner at a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant. Aaron seemed like a kid in a candy store at the restaurant!!

Ruby, Aaron, and Kiva in the garden at Senso-ji Temple: For our last full day together, we headed to the Asakusa area of Tokyo. There is a huge lantern there, a large market to wander through, and a great temple to explore. They even tried mochi with red beans (a Japanese sweet) at the market; although, it didn't seem too popular.