March 22: Moving to Sakura

Ah, four nights later and it's time to move on again. This time we said goodbye to our host families jumped on the bus - once again loaded to the gills with our ever growing luggage - and headed to the country.
My host family live in Sakura - which means cherry blossom. I have the most amazing family - the Nagashimas who live on a plot of land that has been a home for more than 500 years. Iyami - is their oldest child and she goes to school in Tokyo. She is studying to be a teacher - and her english is very good. There are 8 people living in their house - parents, three children, grandparents and a great-grandmother who I still have yet to meet. She apparently has some form of dementia and lives in another house on the property.
The place is beautiful a pond and a stream runs all around the the property. An old cold storage shed made out of brick is now used for all kinds of storage - a hobby garage for the grandfather and a grove with a small shrine and bbq pit in the back. I would love to live here - so beautiful and so much to do - the family even makes their own miso and grows all their own vegetables.
The grandfather has the most amazing coin collection - coins more than 1000 years old and made out of shells or carved to look like fish. He even gave me one that is 400 years old!!! The grandfather also has written his own history book - and like my own father - is a member of the Lion's club! If they spoke the same language I'm sure he and my dad would be good friends.
The family arranged for a special tour of the Sakura museum for me - I was given a personal tour by the curator who was impressed with my knowledge of Japanese ceramics (whew - thank goodness for that trip to Mashiko) The museum was built on the grounds of an ancient castle -but most that remained was the moat - and a few rocks where a building once stood. There was also a beautiful WWII memorial - the family almost apologetic about WWII.
Later that evening I had my dinner and meeting with the Uiijie Rotary club - a great bunch of men - it was a lot of fun - except as I mentioned in an earlier blog - too much beer!