Life in Miharu 2000 to 2007 Galleries

Toka's Baby Shower :

Toka's Baby Shower

Updated: Dec 29, 2007 6:56am PST

2007JeanaFarewellParties : Even though we will be coming back to Miharu at least once a month, some of my REAL friends decided to get together and throw us a kind of going away party - I guess it was kind of a "good luck in your next life" party..... Anyway, it was really nice. Kevin got to hear lots of embarrassing stories about his mom, and he also gave a nice speech. Some of us went Karaoke afterwards with some of the group, and had a nice time. Then, later that week, after the Miharu Ensemble Board meeting, the Miharu Ensemble String Quartet showed up for a surprise mini-concert for Jeana. They performed Dvorak's America! and another piece. It was pretty nice to be seranaded by a String Quartet!

2007JeanaFarewellParties

Even though we will be coming back to Miharu at least once a month, so ...

Updated: Dec 28, 2007 7:23am PST

2007 Feb Game Night : The Xmas party was such a success that we decided to try it again, one last time before we move out of the RLH. So, on Sunday, Feb. 11, we gathered 40 of our REAL friends together for a night of games and silliness. Some of the guests stayed over, so I payed for the rooms, and we paid entry fee and room rental to MIFA so they wouldn't complain. We had a LOVELY time. It was another 'night to remember' of the kind you won't see much of in Miharu once we are gone. It was heartwarming to spend an evening with people of open minds and hearts, generous spirits, young and old playing together, no politics or back-stabbing, and everyone had only ONE face. These are the people of Miharu that I LOVE!

2007 Feb Game Night

The Xmas party was such a success that we decided to try it again, one ...

Updated: Feb 12, 2007 11:16pm PST

2006 Omikoshi with Kristi : Fall Omikoshi Festival in Miharu. Oh-machi Drum group. Kevin and Kristi and ABC Kids participated. Rained the first day, but beautiful weather for the second day. My shoulders still hurt from hauling around the drum wagons!

2006 Omikoshi with Kristi

Fall Omikoshi Festival in Miharu. Oh-machi Drum group. Kevin and Kri ...

Updated: Dec 29, 2006 8:16pm PST

Kevin's Judo Meet : Miharu Shonen Sports Judo Club attended the 45th Miharu Police Traditional Japanese Martial Arts competition in Funehiki High School, Oct. 29, 2006. Kevin took 3rd place in Elementary Class.

Kevin's Judo Meet

Miharu Shonen Sports Judo Club attended the 45th Miharu Police Traditi ...

Updated: Oct 29, 2006 10:39pm PST

2004 Misc Life in Japan : Pictures of springtime in Miharu and Fukushima, Japan. Glorious, glorious spring!

2004 Misc Life in Japan

Pictures of springtime in Miharu and Fukushima, Japan. Glorious, glor ...

Updated: Jan 09, 2007 2:16am PST

Siddik's Farewell Party : In 2004, a nice young guy from Malaysia came to Miharu to study farming. He stayed with the Ouchi Family for 10 months, and came to our Wed Eikaiwa class. Yuko and Maki were his Japanese tutors. He was a great, fun guy! We all miss him!

Siddik's Farewell Party

In 2004, a nice young guy from Malaysia came to Miharu to study farmin ...

Updated: Dec 30, 2006 9:01pm PST

2006 Big Pallette :

2006 Big Pallette

Updated: Jul 20, 2007 4:02am PST

2004 Odaiba, Disney, and Fukushima : In 2004, Kevin and I spent a week in Tokyo and almost every day in Odaiba! Cool place! Lots of fun stuff to do. Check out the cool picture of Kevin measuring the electric output from his hands (way over what was normal for other people) AND walking thru a wall! Also, we visited FUJI TV studio, and our friends. We also went to Fukushima City a couple of time with Moritas (once) and with Jaime and Fumi (for Mother's Day). It was a grand year!

2004 Odaiba, Disney, and Fukushima

In 2004, Kevin and I spent a week in Tokyo and almost every day in Oda ...

Updated: Jan 09, 2007 6:01am PST

Music Festa in Miharu : The Junior Chamber of Commerce, also called the "stupid sons club hosted a Rock Music Festival for about 5 years in the fall in Miharu. I guess they had a grant or something. It was never well attended, but it was ALWAYS FUN! In 2002 they staged the thing in the parking lot next to the RLH!

Music Festa in Miharu

The Junior Chamber of Commerce, also called the "stupid sons club host ...

Updated: Dec 29, 2006 10:33pm PST

2002 Jeana's Birthday and Violin : For my birthday, we had a dinner party and a mini-concernt. It was fun!

2002 Jeana's Birthday and Violin

For my birthday, we had a dinner party and a mini-concernt. It was fu ...

Updated: Dec 29, 2006 10:18pm PST

Xmas 2006 : Photos of Kevin opening his presents Xmas of 2006 and our fabulous game night party.

Xmas 2006

Photos of Kevin opening his presents Xmas of 2006 and our fabulous gam ...

Updated: Nov 05, 2007 5:11am PST

Expo in Fukushima : In 2001, the Fukushima Prefectural Government sponsored an Expo in Fukushima called the Utsukushima! Utsukushii = beautiful! Get it! Anyway, the Rice Lake House and MIFA participated, and we had a great time. MIFA made dream catchers for 500 yen and sold other stuff. The whole thing was a LOT of work, but very cool and fun.

Expo in Fukushima

In 2001, the Fukushima Prefectural Government sponsored an Expo in Fuk ...

Updated: Dec 19, 2006 6:43pm PST

2006 Eikaiwa Graduation with Jenna and Alaine :

2006 Eikaiwa Graduation with Jenna and Alaine

Updated: Jul 31, 2007 5:30am PST

Omikoshi 2002 : Omikoshi 2002 with Kevin and Jaime

Omikoshi 2002

Omikoshi 2002 with Kevin and Jaime

Updated: Nov 26, 2006 3:47am PST

2006 Aki Matsuri in Miharu : These are pics of the 2006 Fall Festival in Miharu. This is the 3rd annual Fall Festival. The local town government and the Chamber of Commerce puts it on. All the different organizations in town put up booths - kind of like an American "Salute to Industry" event, I would guess. There are games for the kids, the school bands and choruses all perform, and lots of "good" food. I put "Good" in quotes, because Japanese festial food, unlike the American stuff, really is GOOD FOR YOU! as in HEALTHY! They serve stuff like GRILLED Rice Balls (seasoned only with soy sauce - no fat added), and ROASTED SWEET POTATOES (without butter or sour cream), sweet bean cakes (steamed, not fried) and TOFU donuts! and buckwheat noodles in a fat free sauce, and stuff like that but it's REALLY GOOD! The most fattening thing in the whole festival is the little bit of Mayonaise they put on the Grilled Octopus Balls! Yummmm! Amazing! If only Americans would learn to eat like this! The beer was good, too. And there was crepes and cotton candy for the kids!

2006 Aki Matsuri in Miharu

These are pics of the 2006 Fall Festival in Miharu. This is the 3rd a ...

Updated: Nov 26, 2006 2:49am PST

Kids Eikaiwa Graduation : Saturday Eikaiwa kids graduation Spring of 2006 (Before MIFA cut the legs off the program!)

Kids Eikaiwa Graduation

Saturday Eikaiwa kids graduation Spring of 2006 (Before MIFA cut the l ...

Updated: May 21, 2006 6:23am PST

Kev's 8th Birthday : The Harry Potter birthday party fiasco. Miharu's first themed birthday party for kids. We all dressed up in robes and played HP themed games. I thought it was very successful - other moms said "thanks for raising the bar so high we can never reach it!". Not my first, but probably my biggest public cultural faux paus. But Kevin had an unforgettable birthday party, and that is all that matters to me.

Kev's 8th Birthday

The Harry Potter birthday party fiasco. Miharu's first themed birthda ...

Updated: Nov 26, 2006 3:27am PST

Miharu Fall Festival 2005 : Fall Festival - anniversary of Miharu combining with area villages to become a town 50 years ago. RLH and MIFA had a booth. Oh, what fun!

Miharu Fall Festival 2005

Fall Festival - anniversary of Miharu combining with area villages to ...

Updated: Feb 17, 2006 10:40pm PST

Miharu's 500 Year Anniversary : Photos from the 500 Year Anniversary Celebration in Miharu! It was really cool!

Miharu's 500 Year Anniversary

Photos from the 500 Year Anniversary Celebration in Miharu! It was re ...

Updated: Dec 30, 2006 4:39am PST

Xmas and Thanksgiving 2007 :

Xmas and Thanksgiving 2007

Updated: Dec 31, 2007 8:05am PST

Tripod Photos Backup :

Tripod Photos Backup

Updated: Dec 28, 2007 11:33am PST

Tokyo Game Show 2007 :

Tokyo Game Show 2007

Updated: Dec 28, 2007 1:58pm PST