Swords and Such

We took a break from the rain to go to Ueno Park to see the Tokyo National Museum and eat some good shushi in Ameyoko (at least one of us ate sushi)

Entering Ueno Park

You can write your prayers here and leave them

Just walking along through the park

Gary with Tim Ricks, who is the area associate legal counsel

Here's one of the buildings that makes up the Tokyo National Museum

The kimonos are so beautiful

My next Halloween mask

This was a scroll that showed how the people should position themselves for the different acts in a play.

Stirrups for your horse

And of course you need a saddle--doesn't look very comfortable but I'm sure the horse said the same thing

Mighty suit of armor (actually more like straw) that would probably stop a speeding BB

Check out the mustache (actually I believe this came from a Star Wars movie)

There were many wooden carvings from around the 10th to 12th centuries that were once covered with gold leaf that has worn off

Tim and Betsy Ricks from New York City--our area associate legal counsel and the newest arrivals

Here's a Japanese family that we talked to who were from Colorado who don't speak Japanese but wanted to come to see Japan.  We told them who we were and what we are doing here in Japan, too.

Dave and Barbara Hansen, Area Medical Advisor

These remind me of the Native American turquoise jewelry

Notice any similarities?

The children are so cute and so sweet.

Elder Chandler under the gate to the Yasukuni Shrine, largest such gate in Japan.

This is Raul who came to church on Sunday.  He is here from Barcelona, Spain on business. We invited him over for lunch after church.  He and his girlfriend are getting married and baptized on July 11.  He told us a wonderful story about how the gospel changed his life.  His girlfriend wasn't very excited at first but when she saw the great change that came into his life, she decided to learn more.