Shrek in Japanese-English

Americans are spoiled.

I guess that could be said about quite a bit of our culture.

I am speaking about a certain field though. We are spoiled with fantastic drama! We have wonderful live theater, mesmerizing movies and music that can make the most stoic person emotional.

When the opportunity came for us to see how the Japanese would perform we were hesitate. Don't get me wrong. The Japanese are just as talented, and in most cases, seem more dedicated that Americans. We only hesitated because we do not speak their language.

How were we going to survive a two hour performance when we don't speak the same language? How would the kids handle it?

Would we be able to understand through body language? Or maybe through hand gestures?


On post a few times a year, a Japanese University brings an American play to life in ENGLISH!

Yeah! It was the perfect way to see some Japanese talent, without the stress of trying to figure out what in the world the actors were saying =)

The drama team was performing Shrek Jr. We were excited to see how they would decorate the stage, and even more excited to see the costumes!

Well, the Japanese did not disappoint!

Shrek is such a great show. The drama crew did an awesome job! Their English was quite good. Shrek and Donkey were just spot on most of the time. Their pronunciation was good. Their diction was off in several parts. It was not a lack of talent. It was just a non-native speaker trying to work out a complicated language.

There were some characters that you even forgot they were NOT English. Then, there were other characters that you could not understand a single word. The actor who played Pinocchio was trying to  keep the "high pitched" young boy voice throughout the whole play. It was really difficult to listen to.

If I had not seen Shrek a few hundred times then I am not sure I would have followed certain parts.

The costumes were original and fun. The favorite costume and character was Lord Farquaard. He walked around on his knees with fake little legs. He 'danced' and 'ran' a few times to the hoots and hollers of the audience.

Fiona was a wonderful singer. The best scene of the night was one I had never seen before in Shrek. There were three females playing the role of Fiona as she aged. The first one was very young, maybe 10, then a 14 year old and then the college student who played Fiona for the rest of the show. We watch as Fiona sang a song about being trapped in the tower. As she spun around the tower an older Fiona would come out. It was really well done.

Even in English, on an American base the vast majority of the audience was Japanese. In order to accommodate for the locals the theater scrolled the play in Japanese on a side wall.  The locals didn't seem to mind the setup.

When intermission came, only the American stood up at first. We wondered if we were 'supposed to' stand and leave. We try hard not to offend the Japanese and to follow the parts of their culture we can respect without compromising our beliefs. When they all remained sitting we were puzzled. Finally, they start to stand and take a break. We were told that since they were 'visiting our theater' they wanted us to go first. How sweet they are!

At intermission, the theater students had set up a few photo backdrops for people to pose in front of. They had also set up a few areas for the kids to color Shrek pictures. The kids thought it was pretty cool.

We went back in to watch the second act. We were all getting a little tuckered. See, you don't realize how hard it is to try and translate all the time. After an hour you are often a little tired. Two hours in, you are starting to get frustrated. With three hours of active translating under your belt, you are ready for ice cream and a bath.

When the show passed two hours I thought we would lose the kids completely. Luckily, the young ones had been given clipboards with paper and pencils. This kept them entertained. They played games, passed notes and drew pictures. Who knew I would be so thankful for a simple clipboard?

We were about to hit three hours and even I was D-O-N-E.  As I said, I really like Shrek. I think the Japanese did an awesome job. But any play that lasts that long is just plain OUT.OF.HAND!

Finally, the show ended. Thank you. Then, for the encore, the whole Shrek crew came out to see "I'm a Believer". They danced and sang and ROCKED it! Everyone had a ball. If they could only have sang that song an hour earlier.

We thought the fun was over until we stepped out of the theater. The Shrek crew has lined the hallways to sign autographs and pose for pictures. The Japanese, again, let the Americans go first. It was adorable and sweet.

Overall, we had fun. We enjoyed the show and learned a few more Japanese-English words. We look forward to seeing a few more shows during our tour. Next time I will remember a fanny cushion ;)

Enjoy Your Show~

Aggie Amy

Breath-taking Sakura... AKA Cherry Blossoms

I have seen the Cherry Blossoms in Washington, D.C.

I have seen all the online pictures of Cherry Blossoms in Japan.

Please, I own every single Cherry Blossom bubble bath and smell good that Bath & Body Works makes.

I thought I knew about the flower, smell, look and coverage of the Cherry Blossom.

I have NEVER seen anything like the Cherry Blossoms here in our area of Kanagawa, Japan.

The flowers are called Sakura (saw-cur-a). Sakura Season is short and highly valued. There are national calendars to tell visitors when the trees will bloom in each geographical area. There are vacations that sell out in hours to simply go look at flowers! They have their whole school year set so they can have the vacation during Sakura season.

That is like Texas planning Spring Break around Bluebonnets.

It's nuts!!!

I thought people were just exaggerating. In my head I was going, "Come on, how GOOD could FLOWERS be?" I mean, I can go to Costco and grab some pretty flowers.

How could some flowers excite the calm and quiet Japanese?

How can a few buds on trees make people plan their whole vacation around the chance they might get to see them?

I was wrong.


The whole area is covered in hundreds and hundreds of huge, blossoming white and pink flowers. One day you go to sleep, and the next day you are assaulted by blooms.

The Sakura are tee.totally, overwhelmingly gorgeous! Just look at a few of these trees. They are HUGE!

Here's the only issue I have with Sakura season.

It is way too short! Once the blooms show, they will open completely and FALL OFF in less than 14 days! Seriously?!?!?

The locals call is "Spring Snow". You walk out and see the sidewalks and streets look like hail has hit the area.

You can, literally, watch as the Cherry Blossom "Snow" falls to the ground. You know the end is near. The site makes even those in a hurry, stop and take notice of the beauty.



I took the girls out to take their pictures on a Thursday. They were thrilled to play around in the fantastic park by post. They were even okay with posing for me, for "just a couple" of pictures. Look at that beautiful tree behind them.

Three DAYS later I went back with the boys to take their pictures are that same tree was EMPTY! I had to find another tree. It's no where near as full. How can that have happened in three days?

The beautiful park has only a few days left of Sakura season. The locals know it. There were people everywhere! It was like trying to take a picture in front of the Disney Castle, I just could not get a shot without other people in the background.

It is crazy! How can beauty fade that fast?

At least we got to see it. We will never forget it.

This is the simply beauty and wonder of Nippon.

This is Japan at it's best.

Take time today to smell the flowers, wherever you are in the world today!

Happy Sakura,

~Aggie Amy

Traffic ---> Italian and Crazy Stores!

A few days back I took the kids out to grab lunch on a rainy Saturday. Daddy was gone, so the kids and I were excited to explore a new place. Well, traffic had different plan. We couldn't get anywhere near the place. Not even close.  

So, I pulled out my brand of Cra-Zy and turned their whining complaints into a goofy song. Laughing made the standstill traffic so much easier to stand. We tried for over an hour to get closer to the place, but eventually gave up.

Out came the cellphone and into Google went "family restaurants in Japan". Wouldn't you know, there was a "Fast Food Italian" chain restaurant about 3 miles from where we were. It sounds close, right? Well, that 3 miles took us about 49 minutes, but we got there.

The place was... well it was rundown. That is putting it nicely. Most places in Japan are incredibly clean. This place was like old wallpaper and 70's decoration. But, the tables and food looked clean.

I asked the kids if we should try to find something else. They just looked at me. And all four- at the same time- shook their heads "NO!"

Yes, it is difficult to find places and travel around in Japan. The kids can only take it so long. I can only take about 30 seconds longer than they can. We stayed at Saizeriya.

The waitress was incredibly friendly, the food was pretty good and the cost was low. The kids got 'typical' Italian pasta dishes, like broccoli and penne.

Baby girl got the kids meal. It is really the only choice, other than pasta, and she was not "in a pasta mood". Whatever. The dish was sausage and meat, which my carnivore loved. But that's not why I am showing you this picture. Her dish allows me explain an interesting phenomenon that I have not seen outside of Japan. 

Clearly, Japan is known for eating a ton of rice. It is served all day long, at almost every meal.  Somewhere along the way someone must have gotten sick of plain old rice. They decided to add "shakey" flavors to their cool creations. Now, the flavors are vast and widely available. My kids favorite flavor is "egg" or "egg and veggie". They love plain rice as well, but is stick the flavor packets in their lunch every now and again to keep things interesting. 

You can also see on her plate a small almost jelly-size packet that has an apple on it. That is a cross between a fruit cup and jello. You open the package and swallow the whole thing at once. What? Wouldn't that be a chocking hazard you ask? I thought so the first time, so I tested it. It dissolves so quickly that chocking is jot an issue. Taste, however is a tad questionable in my opinion. 

We also ordered "corn pottage". Miso soup is the most common here, but several places carry corn pottage. The interesting thing about this one, besides the random swirl of cream, was that the soup is served cold. Yep, cold. I was surprised, but we liked it.

Another new found favorite of the kiddos is Melon Fanta. It is less carbonated that some of the drinks here. I think they get it because it looks cool to drink bright green liquid? (I have no idea why, but most of the sodas here knock you down they are so overly carbonated. And don't get me started on the tragedy of coke zero here. Dreadful what has happens to that taste translation!)

All in all Saizeriya was an average, fast-food Italian joint for these Americans in the heart of Japan. Wow, that's a weird sentence. Wow, that's my life :)


There were a few store fronts I wanted to tell you about. Japan has some pretty good shopping. It is not all really exciting to me, but the names of the stores crack me up! I just had to share a couple of them. 

Here we are walking towards the shopping center. It is officially 'outside' under the awning in the middle of the picture. It is a little rough to truly shop when you are freezing in the winter and burning up in the summer. Somehow, if I need something bad enough, I can manage.

Welcome to "Wants". Hubby says they need a store next door called "Needs". Then, we could teach our children- and the rest of America- how to use money responsibly!

There are more and more American companies moving over to Japan. I had never heard of "Mister Donut", but our friend from CT said she had one growing up. Their donuts aren't that great in general, but they give us a little taste of home.

You don't like Mister Donut? Well, feel free to to walk next door to grab a slimy squid!

 Or, do you need a massive ET? You can have this one for about $500! 

You know you have ALWAYS wanted to go to the "Yellow Submarine"! Now you can and while you are there you can book a trip with this crazy named travel agency.

There apparently is a massive run on Australian Jean Stores? Why else would you name a store "Jeans Mate"?

Then there is the ever.so.random clothing store name "Womb". My only problem with it is it is a store for MEN? Seriously, do men want to shop at a 'womb'?

We have some amazing friends with the last name Amos. Low and behold I found THEIR store! "Amos Style" would be a sure hit with the man of that house!

Finally, another couple of very wild burgers served at McDonalds here. Right now it is the Hawaiian season. I have no idea why. Here is what the eatery.com says about the new fare, "Hawaiian Barbecue Pork Burger, which features a pork patty topped with pulled pork "slow cooked for four hours," plus coleslaw and pickles. The Loco Moco burger will feature two burger patties, a cooked egg, lettuce, and a gravy sauce.

I enjoy seeing new places to both shop and eat. I giggle at the names, and cry a little at the tiny sizes :)

Have a blessed day in your world- where ever you are!

Sippin' on Sweet Tea,

~Aggie Amy

Hiroshima & Miyajima

Our crew has been traveling a bit. We just left Kyoto and headed west to Hiroshima on the fabulous Shinkansen. I could get used to traveling this way!  The train station is impeccably clean and safe. Once you go through the 'turn stalls' there is a 'waiting room' where you can watch local TV (clearly not too helpful for this English- speaking American, though it's strangely 
entertaining.) or you can watch the board for information regarding your train. 

We have never had a train be late in Japan. Not once.  I hear it does happen, but we have not had that issue. We all really enjoy the train stations. I enjoy the shopping and people watching. Everyone else likes the trains and finding out where to go next. Go figure! 

On the road train again....The seats on the Shinkansen are comfy and large enough for even our big crew. The train is remarkably quiet. There are bento boxes- adult and kids versions- available for purchase. Who wouldn't want to eat those adore things?!? Please don't ask me what is in there. I have no idea. The food is good though and we eat well.

We arrived in the gorgeous 'river city'. Yes, Hiroshima is clearly a city with a tough history. However, we wanted to see some fun stuff first. 

Explaining to our young children all about World War II and the atomic bomb was going to be tough. We decided to save that for the next day. Delaying gave us a chance to catch our breath and enjoy our first stop.

Hiroshima sits on a breathtaking bay. It is known for the amazing views and rivers throughout the city. It is a town of about 2.5 miliion people. It's climate is close to that of North Carolina. Hiroshima is respected for it's education, cultural events and yearly Peace Summit. 

Enough background, time to get our tourist on. Our first outing was to the Itsukushima, which is more commonly known as "Miyajima" or the 'shrine island'.

In order to get to Miyajima we had to take another short train ride and then hop on a ferry. (The kids are going to know every single type of transportation in Japan when we finish our tour here!) 


Most people recognize
 Miyajima for its "floating" torii gate. The floating torii is the third most 'recognizable' symbol of Japan. (How do they figure that stuff out?) It is said to have been built to honor three female sisters, who became deities of the water, tides and sea life. 

The torii was first built in the 6th century. Wow, that was a LONG time ago! It has been repaired/ replaced several times since then. This sea is affected by strong tides. Most of the year the torii is sitting on island mud.  At low tide, the bottom of the sea is exposed. At high tide, the sea covers all the previously exposed mud and fills the areas underneath the shrine. To view the torii floating is considered such a blessing that there are online maps to predict the days you should visit. We didn't consider any of that. We had to travel when we did. It was pretty cool that it was floating when we were there though. We were "blessed". I'll take it :)

The island of Itsukushima is considered a sacred place. This is a very serious belief. No one is allowed to give birth or die on the island. If a woman is pregnant and close to her due date she has to return to the mainland. If someone is eldery and feeling poorly, they have to return to the mainland. Talk about pressure! You are not allowed to cut down trees or encroach on nature in any way. 

Deer and monkeys roam freely on the island.(The monkeys must have been on vacation when we were there. We didn't see a single one.)  Deer are thought of as sacred in the native Shinto religion because they are considered messengers of the gods. They walk the streets of the city, not afraid of the tourists. Actually, the deer are not afraid of anything! Look at this one we caught trying to get into a restaurant! He kept trying to push the 'open' button with his nose. Poor guy didn't understand why the people inside where holding the doors closed. 

AJ just had to take selfie with some of the deer. It looked like the deer was actually posing! (We didn't touch the deer or feel threatened by them, in case you were wondering.) There were- no joke- probably 75 of them roaming around as we toured the island. It's a little weird. They walk around the tourist and don't seem to bother the many open shops. (The shopping here is similar to most of Japan. It is long rows of three sided buildings with a large garage door-like side that faces the street. When you go from shop to shop you never have to open a door, because the shops are all 'outside'.) 

What is your town 'known for'? This town has a unique claim to fame. The "shamoji", or "rice paddle" in our house, is a style of wooden spoon used to serve cooked rice without impairing the taste. It is said to have been invented by a monk who lived on the island. The shamoji is a popular souvenir- we should know since we bought a tiny one for our Christmas tree. Here is the world's largest Shamoji. Don't say you never saw anything nutty on my blog!

Being a tourist destination there is bound to  be a Hello Kitty store. (Don't ask me about the whole she is really a girl, not a cat thing. I don't get it.) This Hello Kitty had some of the elements of Miyajima: the Torii, the rice paddle and the bell from the shrine. Carson was taking this shot, so hubby took the 'artistic version' with us gals looking away. Whatever. I have a picture. I'm happy.

Here's the little miss with ALL of the elements of Miyajima Island: The Torii, the rice paddle, the deer and dressed in the traditional clothes of the Emperor who established the sacred island. 

She wanted to know what kind of warrior would wear flip flops into battle. I didn't have an answer for that one! Anyone have a clue?

We enjoyed our afternoon on the island. It was a really relaxed, easy way to learn about Japan. Plus, where else will we get to have bacon wrapped, fried lotus flower and fried asparagus with cheese? You never know what you are ordering when you can't read the menu!

We got back on the ferry, to the train, to the hotel. We fed the troops and retired to our rooms exhausted. Well, wouldn't you know it? The kids weren't that tired. They were excited to find the famous "hotel shirts & slippers" we had been hearing about. All the hotels have their own version. The minute they saw the nightshirts and matching slippers, they just had to see why the Japanese loved those things so much. What ensued was a good 30 minutes of nightshirt wearing, picture tasking goofiness. Oh to be young and silly. Wait, I am!

The next day was going to be a doozie. We had all day to tour Hiroshima's historical sites before we got on the late train back to Tokyo. 

We started out the day by telling the truth of war, as best we could, to our military brats. 

We believe in honest conversation. We knew the museum would have pictures and stories that our young kids would be bothered by. Here is the jest of what we said. 

"Countries do things in war that have to be done in order to end the war. People get hurt. Children get hurt. Innocent people die. It sucks.(We never say this word in our house. This was said to enforce how strongly we feel about the subject.)  In the end sometimes the only way to have peace is to face war. "

Then, we gathered our kids and went to one of the most well-done museums I have ever seen. 

Welcome to Hiroshima, Japan.

Walk with me. See what I saw. 

The museum is quiet. You don't hear another soul.  You are forced, due to the small space, to take a solo walk down a long and windy hall. 

For the first 45 steps or so you don't see anything except the walkway. 

It is silent, and hallow. 

Then you come upon the first plaque. It sets the tone for the entire interaction to come. 

I had to pause. Did I read that correctly? I read it again. 

Japan- in it's own museum, in it's own country- just took part of the blame for the tragic history of this town. I was in awe. 

I have been to many, many museums. I have been to Dachu, seen Auschwitz, stood silently at the World Trade Centers, Oklahoma City Memorial, even the Aggie Bonfire Memorial just to name a few. For some reason the tone that was set by this simple plaque touched me. I'm not exactly sure why, but it is a different feel. 

You continue to walk around the circle and read a few more plaques. Then you round the corner to a massive diorama.

On Monday, August 6, 1945, at 8:15 a.m., the nuclear bomb "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima by an American B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, directly killing an estimated 80,000 people. Within the next few months, another 80,000 people died. The city's population at this point was about 350,000. That means half the city perished in a matter of five months.  At least those are the numbers the Japanese believe perished. A strange effect of blowing up the town was all the records were destroyed, whole families perished and diseases never seen before were taking the lives of people faster than the survivors could keep track of. 


The bomb exploded about 2,000 feet above the city. The famous mushroom cloud soared up to over 40,000 feet before returned it's poison to the ground. For comparison's sake, most commercial airlines fly at about 30,000 feet. Anyone outside within 3 miles of the blast was said to be 'instantly vaporized'. The image on the left is where a person was sitting on the steps of the Hiroshima bank. There was nothing left of the person. Not ash or clothes. The temperature at the time of the blast was said to be about 1500 degrees F for approximately 2 seconds. 

92 % of the buildings with 4 miles were incinerated instantly. Some of the reinforced concrete buildings were of a far stronger construction than is required by normal standards in America, because of the earthquake danger in Japan. This exceptionally strong construction explained why the framework of some of the buildings in the center of  the city did not collapse. The concrete buildings were only shells though, their insides instantly burned or collapsed killing all inside. This phenomenon explains the most famous surviving building, the "A-Bomb Dome". 

Those who lived through the initial blast were in various stages of injury and shock. 94% of the doctors in Hiroshima died the day of the bombing. They had been in town for a training session and were very close to the epicenter. The lack of doctors left those who did survive without anyone with medical knowledge to help them. 

The survivors were tested again when 20 minutes after the explosion the typical summer rains started. Only this time the rain was different. It was called 'black rain'. The 'black rain' reached ground level as sticky, dark, dangerously radioactive water. It not only stained skin, clothing, and buildings, but also was ingested by breathing and by consumption of contaminated food or water, causing radiation poisoning. The picture is from a building 7 miles from the epicenter with the stains of black rain running down the wall.

Inside the museum, there is a circular shaped room that is covered with 140,000 tiny tiles. The tiles are each only 2 inches square and show the remaining town of Hiroshima. Each tile represents one life lost due to the atomic bomb. It is an overwhelming eerie and heartbreaking display.

The sickness and death would last for not just days or months, but years. The most well known story is perhaps that of Sadako Sasaki. Sadako was 2 years old when the atomic bomb was dropped near her home. She was at home when the explosion occurred, about one mile from Ground Zero.  She survived the initial explosion. Ten years later, when Sadako was 12 she developed swellings on her neck and behind her ears. Purple spots formed on her legs. She was diagnosed with leukemia (her mother referred to it as "an atom bomb disease" since so many of the survivors developed this condition). 

Sadako spent her time in the hospital folding origami paper cranes. She was inspired to do so by the Japanese legend says the person who "created 1,000 origami cranes would be granted a wish". She spent months on end folding cranes. Her wish was simply to live. 

Sadako died on 25 October 1955.

In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was unveiled in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. At the foot of the statue a plaque reads: "This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace on Earth." You can see the cases behind the statue that holds just a small portion of the paper cranes that are still collected each year. On the right, an up close image of the tiny paper origami  cranes. These are about the size of an American dime. They are combined with other cranes to make incredible pictures. 

Her older brother Masahiro Sasaki, who speaks on his sister's life at events, says Sadako died having folded approximately 1,300 paper cranes. Mr. Sasaki and the family have donated some of Sadako's cranes at places of importance around the world at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and in NYC at the 9-11 memorial. I know because years ago when I was working with wounded warriors I walked under 1,000 paper cranes at that same 9-11 memorial. Being in Hiroshima now is like making a full circle to me. What an blessing to see these pieces of art on two continents. 

Paper cranes from all the world still pour into Hiroshima. They can be seen throughout the country at shrines and temples everywhere. The simple paper crane is seen as a wish for peace and a prayer for longevity. 

On the peaceful grounds of the Museum complex burns an eternal flame. The flame will burn "until the last atomic weapon has been destroyed and the threat of atomic warfare no longer exists." Above the flame, there is an arc that hold the ashes of survivors who died in the years following the bombing. When you look from the museum, through the arc, you see the flame and then the A-Bomb Dome. It is striking. 

We walked away from the museum with heavy hearts and tons of questions. 

Some of the questions we can answer. 

"Why was Hiroshima chosen?"

Hiroshima was selected for a bomb site for many reasons. It was was a city of considerable military importance. It contained the 2nd Army Headquarters, which commanded the defense of all of southern Japan. Also, Hiroshima was a communications center, a storage point, and an assembly area for troops. It held a military manufacturing center that was considered key to the success of the Japanese. 


"Could it happen again?"

 Yes, it could happen again. This graph was updated in the museum, but my picture did not turn out. These were the figures in 2011. 

"Why do people want to remember such horrible things?" 

There are over 1.5 million visitors to the Hiroshima Peace Museum every year. Only 200,000 visitors are foreigners. The vast majority of visitors are Japanese. We visit to remember. We visit so we never forget, and our children's children never forget. For we know,  'those who forget history and are doomed to repeat it'.

"Will we offend the Japanese by visiting the site of so much death and destruction?"

They visit Pearl Harbor. The Japanese did that to Americans. They brought the war to our country and we still let them visit Pearl Harbor. We are not offended when they visit Pearl Harbor. 

"Does that mean we still don't like each other?"

Well, everyone has a right to think what they want to think. We "like" the Japanese and they "like" us-- officially. We, as a family, adore Japan and it's amazing people. We honor the fallen by repairing our differences daily as we make new friends with the local Japanese. 

Some of the questions we could simply not answer. 

"Mom, why did it happen?"

War is brutal. It doesn't care the age of it's victim, or discriminate based on race. War is living hell.

I don't think our older children will ever forget the images, sights and sounds they saw in Hiroshima. I know I won't forget. Ever.

I combined this museum with our lighter visit to Miyajima on purpose. 

You see, life has moved on. 

Friendships have been forged. 

The Japanese are not only our allies, they are looking to the future with us as their partners. 

They want peace more than anyone else I have ever met. 

Now my children understand the "silly" hand gesture every Japanese make when they have their pictures made. We see this gesture all over Japan, by all ages of Japanese.

Peace. 

How fitting. 

Peace be with you my Friends,

~Aggie Amy