Golden Week

and staying lowkey

Spring is in full swing here and everything is lush and green. It’s gorgeous. We have a few tomatoes and herbs in pots on our tiny patio and that feels like a little piece of home. A friend was telling me, there is a strong cultural value placed on omoiyari (consideration for others). Keeping a tidy, beautiful display of greenery is often seen as a small gift to the neighborhood and a way to contribute to the overall harmony of the street. Some homes have climbing plants like morning glories or bitter melon. She said that they can serve as a green curtain to naturally cool the house during the hotter months. It is very pleasant to walk around the neighborhood and enjoy the pretty garden pot displays. I will be curious to see how they do with the intense heat we will have during the summer months.

Last pic is of our tiny veggie and herb garden :)

I think the potted gardens or tiny garden areas are a masterclass for using every square inch of space. We got lucky on one “household items” trash day - a bag full of flower pots! We put them to good use!

The power lines we see everywhere here stand in stark contrast to the clean, minimalist aesthetic people often associate with Japan! The “sky-high spiderwebs” seem to be a quintessential part of the Japanese urban landscape. We quite like them here.

Golden Week in Japan is the longest string of national holidays, starting from April 29 through early May. Golden Week isn’t a single holiday — it’s four separate national holidays that happen to fall close together, sometimes bridged by weekends and the occasional paid day off, to create a continuous stretch of up to seven to ten days! Popular spots are very busy and people are out and about enjoying their holiday. We chose to stay close to home and enjoy what local traditions we could.

Sunday afternoon, we were getting ready to sit down for an early dinner and heard what sounded like a parade, marching right in front of our house! We hurried outside and sure enough, we had front row seats to a pretty spectacular community tradition.

Danjiri floats are pushed and pulled (with long ropes) by local participants, in traditional dress. Six young men stood on the top of the structure, connected by a rope to the roof so they could lean out at a 30-degree angle, while waving banners. Inside the float, hidden by tapestries and lanterns, are 3-4 young men playing drums, bells and gongs. They were on their way to Kogoku Shrine, just a five-minute walk from our house. It was just beginning to rain as they passed, but not long after, it really began to pour. It usually takes them 2 or 3 hours to pull the float throughout the Nada-ward. But that day it rained on their parade. The remainder of the festival was postponed until the following day, weather permitting.

This first clip is not my best effort in cinematography, but you can see how the float tips to make tight turns and avoid the power lines! We love the steeped traditions and festivals. In years past, our missionaries have helped them push this cart.

Children’s Day - From as early as the mid-Edo era (somewhere between 1600s – 1800s), these beautiful carp streamers have been used as a way to symbolize and wish success and advancement for children. The carp is a symbol of strength and success because of its ability to swim upstream. Families often display samurai helmets (kabuto) indoors and eat traditional treats like kashiwa-mochi (rice cakes wrapped in oak leaves).

An 1857 illustration from Andō Hiroshige’s Meisho Edo hyakkei (One Hundred Famous Views of Edo).

This past week we helped with an emergency transfer after one of the missionaries had to return home for medical reasons. Our time spent while driving long distances and visiting with these missionaries is one of our favorite things to do! We are all out here trying to do the best we can together.

We have enjoyed sitting in on several lessons this past week. It’s so wonderful to be a part of discussions like this. So many are just yearning for more direction and fulfillment in their lives. They are very curious to know who Jesus Christ is. We have Eikaiwa twice a week in the evenings. Last Saturday, we had a particularly large group. It’s an hour of vocabulary, games, small-group conversation, and we close with an uplifting message. Our friends who attend are wonderful! A real mix of ages, and it’s always time well spent for each of us. With parents’ permission, here is the lively little group of children we all love! These Elders had the best time with them while the adults were in class.

Earthquakes, we have felt two since we have been here. Mark was attending a Storks game this past Saturday night when there was a 5.7 centered in the Nada area. It was right after the game was over. A little crazy feeling the arena floor a little liquified. I was out walking up to the church when my phone alert went off. I didn’t feel anything. In late March, we were in our apartment when we heard the rumble and our building shook long enough that we got up to make our way outside. Japan, like Alaska, sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where four tectonic plates converge. We, like all the missionaries here, have emergency backpacks prepared and understand the protocol to follow in case of a powerful quake. We surely hope that won’t ever be the case.

For our P Day this week, we rode the train to Sannomiya and walked to see Infiorata Kobe 2026: Kitanozaka. This event features the iconic flower carpets stretching along a road on the Kitanozaka slope in Sannomiya. The theme this year was the Native dress of Kobe’s Sister Cities around the world. It was fun to be out and about the community, enjoying a beautiful sunny day after all the rain.

These displays are a long-standing tradition in Kobe, symbolizing the city’s recovery and “blooming” spirit since the 1995 earthquake. Set against the backdrop of the historic Kitano Ijinkan (foreign houses), the display turns the street into an open-air gallery for a couple of days.

We will end by sharing a few of our favorite meals this week. Gioza is one of Mark’s, and we really enjoyed our simple lunch of 3 flavors of Gioza and a shared bowl of Ramen. We sat by a family who was out enjoying their Golden Week. This is one of their sons as he exits the restaurant with a full tummy and a big smile on his face! A French twist with ramen was a real treat! Crab with Truffle Butter, complete with recommendations on how to enjoy your meal. We can’t wait to recreate this one at home. And the third is our favorite Tempura place, which we try to visit once a month. They bring out the pieces freshly cooked, one or two at a time. Not only is the food delicious here, but so affordable. These meals all range between $6 and $11 each.

Almost forgot to mention another baptism in our ward this last Sunday. Just as sweet as can be, always!! I will share a photo when I get the mission camera back. Zone Conferences begin again this week and are spread out a little more than last time. We are also gearing up for our assignment of apartment checks.

As always, sending our love and appreciation for your support and prayers. We feel it!!