Time Travel and a Sleep Study
The Peapod Family had a 24 hour day of travel ahead of us, let the journey begin! We left the G-Parents house at 5am on Monday morning (8/5), hopped on a 45 minute flight to LAX, then enjoyed a 6.5 hour layover, followed by a 12ish hour flight, 2.5 hours going through customs, and another hour of travel via taxi to the AirBnB. When we landed we had time traveled into the future by 16 hours (Great Scott!), settling into our place around 10pm local time on Tuesday 8/6.
Although the travel adventure was exhausting, we had the benefit of a few things go our way. In the admirals club we were able to score the kids room all to ourselves. This allowed for some time to do our bible studies, school work, get some energy out without disturbing the Monday morning work commuters, as well as allowing us to eat and make a mess without the judging eyes of onlookers. On the Japan Airlines flight, we were able to score some seats where there were several vacant rows adjacent to us. Spreading out on was key to keeping our sanity!
The family only slept a few hours on the Pacific transit, which allowed the kids to settle into a rhythm somewhat quickly…for the most part. Mamma Pea struggled to sleep pretty much the entirety of the Japan visit, either waking up at 1am or 3am and having a hard time getting back to sleep, or being uncomfortable with the hard beds, which we would soon realize is the preferred sleep number of the locals.
Osaka Japan: The Big City and a Friendly Welcome
Now that we had arrived, and slept at least a little, it was time to get out into the city and get walking, something that we’d soon become accustom to.
Our first walk in the city had us encounter an old man who gave the kids each a local fruit drink. To my surprise, Mamma Pea didn’t bat an eye on having the kids sample the local sugary libation.
We visited a rooftop garden, an arcade, and enjoyed the sights and smells of Dotonbori. We even welcomed some hot and fresh soba, selecting a restaurant that offered gluten free options for Big Pea. We immediately found out that Big Pea wasn’t adverse to gluten like she had been in the states, a whole new world of food was about to open up for her (thank the Lord!).
Sunrise and Castles
Big Pea had one of those nights where it seemed like 4am was going to be the waking hour. Smart to not disturb Mamma Pea’s slumber, Big Pea decided to wake up Daddy Pea knowing that he could likely nap at any hour of the day if he so desired. Daddy Pea suggested that they go for a walk to try to catch the sunrise, after all, this was the Land of the Rising Sun they were in! So walk we did, for two miles along the Okawa River, along coves that held herons and fields of lily pads, alongside the early morning runners and bikers, to a place where the sun shone golden against the east facing white walls of the Osaka Castle. A moment that’ll hit you right in the feels.
And this is where I will divert for a second to talk about my faith. I know this subject is taboo for my secular work friends, and most of my family, but it’s important for me to get on the table. I believe that God was calling our family to take this journey. There is not one specific missional objective. We are not going to an unreached land to spend the entirety of our time trying to spread the Word. But moments like this, spent family member with family member, makes me realize that there is more to this world then the daily grind. I know that I’ll have to go back to it someday, but to appreciate moments like this is what life is about. There’s no doubt about it, we are seeking ways to directly impact the spread of God’s Good Word while we travel, but the strengthening of family is also a calling, for me at least.
Later that day we visited the castle that Osaka Castle was inspired by, Himeji Castle. Walking the grounds around the castle was a treat, even in the sweltering heat and humidity. Once entering the castle, it’s required to take your shoes off. It was amazing to feel the smooth softness of the 400 year old wood underneath your feet; the smell of the oak, amazing. Here are a few of the sights we were able to experience.
Kyoto: Biwa Lake, Bamboo Forest, and Buddhist Architecture
Time to make our way to the ancient capital of Japan, Kyoto! One of my biggest fears embarking on this adventure was having our relatively sheltered children become accustomed to the ways of public transit. However the Peapod Squad was acclimating nicely to this life change! The kids were using maps to figure out how to get from one place to another, each taking turns being the leader as we navigated through the city, and in this case from city to city. Even Daddy Pea, a former Boston native, had to take some time to get reacquainted with big city life.
And what to do with all of the time spent on the trains? Seats facing each other was a substitute for a school desk, and beeswax helped provide the conduit to mold a flower from a little artist’s mind. I am so proud of these guys, their adaptability, and their smarts, they amaze me every day!
We had been spending a bunch of time in concrete jungles, it was time for some nature and to get out of the heat! Mamma Pea suggested that we visit Biwa Lake for the day. So after a brief stop at Kyoto Station to stuff our bags into coin lockers, off we went to the lake. What a relief! The day was beautiful, the waster was clear, and it was even the right temperature to convince Daddy Pea to enjoy a swim.
The next morning lead to more travel, and of course more walking. But it also lead us to a place that I honestly never thought that I would experience, a bamboo forest. What a sight to see! Each bamboo tree towers over this group of explorers, gracefully swaying in the wind with deliberate swings to the right, and back to the left again. Looking up really puts life in perspective, how small we are really are in the grand scheme of things.
The forest is home to several temples, this one the Nison-in Temple. The quiet ancient grounds of the temple and its possessions were breathtaking to see. Afterwards another hike lead us to a field of sacred lotuses and its budding flowers. And then stairs, and more walking, where a cliffside view was in our midst. Such a grand Kyoto experience!
Later that day we visited another temple, Kennin-ji Temple. The artistry was again amazing. Although the statues of their buddhas were beautiful, I found the ceiling and wall paintings stunning. The dragons on the ceiling are relatively modern paintings (the dragon with its mouth open reminds me of our dog Pepper when he yawns), however the wall paintings are several hundred years old. You can see a recreation of those flowering lotuses from the bamboo forest, as well as an artist’s rendition of me being Daddy Sherpa centuries later (how did the artist know?).
For dinner we found a quaint little ramen restaurant where, aside from just one other patron eating at the bar, we were the only ones there. And since the temperature was still hovering in the mid-90s with over 50% humidity, we figured that hot soup would be the proper nourishment for the evening.
With the temperature cooling and the sun setting, we enjoyed a walk around a city park. The kids got to be kids, we didn’t have to conform to the structured quiet behavior that the temple staff, and Dad, expected them to be.
Tokyo: The Littlest Feet in the Biggest City
On the morning of our journey to the biggest city in the world, Tokyo, we enjoyed a local Christian service in Kyoto at a small church called Mustard Seed. What a delight it was to worship in both English and Japanese. Well, at least we tried to sing in Japanese by following along with the Kanji words on the song slides. The service was first spoken in Japanese, then translated into English. The congregation was in the middle of studying the book of Ephesians, today was specific to Ephesians 6:5-9. This struck a rather familiar chord in my heart, a quite fitting sermon. The pastor spoke about how we should each serve wholeheartedly in our secular jobs, as if we are serving the Lord. And that while we are subject to our earthly positions, that there is a greater meaning in the work that we do. That we should not form our personal identity based by our job titles. This is one of the specific reasons why I am on this journey, it really is amazing on how God can speak to you. Before we left we were given restaurant advice from one of the church elders; a fav of Middle Pea’s: udon! We were able to see the chefs making the noodles while we waited in line to place our order, a family favorite for our trip thus far!
We then rode on a bullet train, a first for all of us, the Shinkansen! Another opportunity for schoolwork, allowing us to make the most of our time. Tokyo itself was probably the third favorite in our personal rankings at of the three cities that we visited in Japan. I certainly enjoyed the city, I am a city boy at heart. However I’ve received my fill of the city life with time spent in Boston, and more recently in New York City on a recent project. Tokyo is unique for sure, the kids got to play in a natural looking splash pad while Daddy and Mamma Pea relaxed and read, Mamma Pea’s dream!
What’s Next?
Overall we visited three cities of Japan, two of which are in the top ten cities in the world. We walked just under 55 miles, averaging 7 miles a day, wow! Navigated 3 different train systems and didn’t get lost…too many times. Sleeping was a challenge but that’s going to happen on this trip. We are still figuring out the wash/dry machines but are managing to do some laundry along the way. I’m excited to see what the next leg of our journey will bring, and what adventures lie ahead!
Peapod on Purpose 