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-Chris and Erumi

難波 Nanba City

Mario Kart! Chris is evil...

... and Erumi is good ^_^
Incidentally, evil won this time. ---Chris

Tasty Ramen

鶴橋 (tsuruhashi) ramen - the specialty of this restaurant. Full of kim chi and spicy goodness.

例の鶴橋ラーメン

あの...文化は文化やし、別に批判などしようとも思わないけど、このようなサービスはやっぱり . . . （でもやってもらいたいかな）
↑だめです。ひざ枕耳かきその他同種のサービス一切禁止。
クソ。

Translation of sign: "Don't piss here!"
For some reason, there is a little shrine gate at the top; a warning of dire consequences from the gods should some foolhardy salaryman ignore the prohibition?

Random stuff in Japan!

三蛇酒："Three snake liquor".
Chris ordered a glass of this stuff at a restaurant in Kobe's Chinatown.
There are three quite poisonous snakes in there, and drinking it is supposed to make men vigorous. Well, Chris couldn't drink more than a few sips of it, so Erumi finished it for him. At first she felt pretty great (vigorous?), but then the poison seemed to kick in, and she got really hot and felt sick. Erumi does not recommend three snake liquor :(

A cicada (Japanese semi) --- symbol of summer (and ephemerality) in Japan

Kobe (Hyogo prefecture)

Chris and dad eating yakiniku

Eating yakiniku (grilled meat) at the Korean town with my parents. We had tongue, stomach, beef, kim chi, and more.

Chris and I began learning the sanshin (a type of stringed instrument) this summer. Getting together at our sanshin teacher's house after Sunday practice

Osaka Night

Eating takoyaki with ponzu sauce and leeks in Amerika-mura (American village)
Cultural note: In Japan, you can drink beer on the street, while walking around. Oh, and you can get it in vending machines. Yes, Japan is truly a land of liberty. ---Chris

Going on a boat tour !

Dotonbori Street

Dotonbori Street

Dotonbori street

Famous blowfish (fugu) restaurant

Takoyaki is a famous Osakan food. It's octopus inside of a fried ball of dough, topped with mayonnaise, tonkatsu sauce, dried bonito flakes, and seaweed. Yum!

Eating Takoyaki :) We took a boat tour on the river in the night.

Guriko (Glico)

Chris+Meat

Osaka Castle

Chris excited---In front of my parents' apartment

After having nice lemon-flavored snow cone, we went to explore the castle.

Sakura Gate

Chris's amazing self-photo skill 1 (Taken by holding the camera in his right hand)

Chris's amazing self-photo skill 2

View from Tenshu-kaku

Chris with Shachihoko

Getting stamps! In Japan, many places (especially historical sites such as castles and also other local places like train stations) have their own stamps. You can create your own collection of these stamps :)

Chris having fun in front of the castle 1

Chris having fun in front of the castle 2