Mid week.

On Wednesday night I went for dinner with my 'japanese family'. I call them that as that is exactly what they are. Kenichi and his wife Tomiko have taken care of me and shown me such kindness and help over the last six years that I know I can never repay or thank them enough. Some of the kindest and most considerate people I know I will ever meet.

The food! We ate homemade sushi, steak, gobo salad, squid ink yaki soba amongst other things.

 Some pictures of their house. The house dates back over 500 years and has been in the family for all         that time. 

   Kenichi amongst some of his family shrines.

    Lots of waving cats! 

 This is a huge plaque he has hanging over the entrance hall. It's a collection of prayers and blessings     given by Buddhist priests to his family over a period of 200 years that have been collected. The most       recent lay on top. The dark mass you can see is the layers of old paper/ prayers. 

    These beans are the original wooden beams that have always been in the house. He had them  removed, treated and restored when the house was remodeled (which took over six months).

That's all!