Ishizuka Farm in outside Nagasaki

Our sweet Toyota hybrid van made it to Kawatana, outside Nagasaki City, where Minoru grew up and his family still runs an orange farm. Since we are here in December this year, the cold weather kept us from enjoying the usual relaxed walks around the rice fields and orange vineyards; but that did not stop us from enjoying some great meals and company under heated tables called kotatsu.

For our wedding week in St. Louis in 2005, Michiyo's cousins the Yoshidas came over with her parents. At that time, Hana and Shiki were ages seven and nine, respectively. This weekend, we met two grown teenagers who like to play volleyball and watch a ton of TV. How time flies!

Hana and Shiki`s Mom, Tomoko, LOVED Amane.

Amane was introduced to the custom of visiting the in-house shrine of deceased relatives. As pictured here, the protocol is to kneel, light two sticks of incense, fan out the flame with your hand, set them in some ashes, ding the gong (that's the technical description), clasp your hands together and say a little prayer.

This year's visit was a little emptier. The man of the house, Minoru's brother Kanji, passed away in January 2011. He was full of life, and is now featured on the family mantle next to the shrine (in the picture, second from left). I wish I had known him earlier.