5/31/2025

5/31/2025

Today is moving day. Moving into a house from the apartment. Needs some repair work and cleaning. It’s going to require a little bit of an adjustment for me. But the house is very big and spacious, with a view, and is inside a gated community where many of the rich people, ex-pats and embassy workers live. 

 

So it should be really safe living here. I’m still feeling a little bit under the weather but I think I am slowly on the mend . 

 

Really hope I start to feel better soon.

5/30/2025

5/30/2025

I am still not feeling well. I’ve had a fever, congestion, and a headache. I am resting and trying to get well. Started taking some medicine for my allergies I brought with me. 

 

My fever is fluctuating around 38.2C - 38.5C. It dropped to about 37.9C just now. Perhaps the medicine and rest is starting to work. We are moving houses this weekend. I hope I can get well enough to help with the moving.

5/29/2025

5/29/2025

Today, I’m not feeling well. I’ve had a fever, congestion, and a headache. I think something here is causing my allergies to get worse. I am resting and trying to get well.

5/28/2025

5/28/2025

Today, my wife drove me to setup my phone with an eSIM and local phone number. 

 

We were going to take care of my visa application and other things too but there was some miscommunication with her sister and I didn’t have a document required from Japan. We made arrangements to get the documents to Rwanda as soon as possible. 

 

So we spent the rest of the day seeing the city and doing some shopping, Then in the evening, we met up with some other Japanese people here in Rwanda for dinner at a fancy restaurant.

5/27/2025

5/27/2025

Today was a travel day. Flew from Tokyo Narita airport to Doha, Qatar . It was about a 12-hour flight . Arrived in the morning there at about 3:45 am. I couldn’t find out where my gate was located because it wasn’t going to be shown until 4:45 am. The airport was very modern and interesting inside. It was my first time in the Middle East. 

 

I had about a 4 1/2 hours layover before my connecting flight to Rwanda . We took a bus and boarded the plane around 7:45 am, and the plane departed from Qatar at 8:45 am. By then, it was already 35C outside with a scheduled high of 40C in Doha. So hot! It was a 6-hour flight to Kigali, Rwanda . 

 

Finally, at around 1:38 pm, I arrived.

The immigration process at the airport was not too bad either. It went a lot smoother than the person at the check-in counter in Japan was saying to me making me worried about the whole process. 

 

Once I cleared immigration and customs after months apart, my wife and I were finally reunited! So happy to be reunited. 

 

Kigali is a nice city, what little I have seen, and all of the Rwandan people I have met so far have all been so kind, friendly, welcoming, and helpful!

5/26/2025

5/26/2025

Enjoyed my last day in Tokyo. 

 

Worked out the re-entry permit thing at the immigration office. Met my sister-in-law to pick up something, ate tempura for lunch, visited Tokyo Tower , picked up my stuff from the hotel and went to Narita. 

 

Ate sushi for dinner, picked up my luggage, then ran into all sorts of issues with my luggage, carry on, and the potential situation awaiting me at my destination that may be a problem too. 

 

For now I am boarding my flight and heading to Rwanda. I will have to see what happens after I get there.

5/25/2025

5/25/2025

Met up with a Tokyo based photographer friend I’ve known online for some time but never had the chance to meet in person until today. It was great to finally meet him in person. In the afternoon I rested a bit while doing laundry at the hotel and started to prepare my bags for my departure tomorrow night. 

 

I also realized that if I needed to keep my permanent residence status for more than one year without returning to Japan, it would be possible, but to do so I am required to file and apply for it at the immigration office in person. My wife and I discussed it, and tomorrow I will attempt to go and get the required documents handed in for the application approval process. 

 

However, it’s the Tokyo immigration office and if I don’t get there early enough in the morning, I may not have enough time to get my application process done and approved before the office will close and I have to go and catch my flight. If I can’t the approval process done, it’s still possible for me to go and just make sure that I return before one year. 

 

Then in the evening, I met up with my former host student and his wife and daughter for dinner. We had a great time.

 

I have to get up early tomorrow and then I have a long day of travel ahead of me as well as I will finally fly to Rwanda .

5/24/2025

5/24/2025

Today, I relaxed in the morning and got some rest. 

 

In the afternoon, I met up with my sister in-law and niece, who dropped off my other suitcase and backpack that I am taking with me to Rwanda on Monday, and then we went and had lunch together. It was nice to catch up. 

 

Then, in the evening, I headed to Shibuya to meet up with my friend, and we caught up and chatted, and had a good time. It was raining though, so it ended up not being the best weather. I got to see Hachiko again, and then we went to the Lost Bar. The one run by Chris Broad from A Broad in Japan. It was pretty popular, and there were a lot of people there. 

 

Came back to the hotel and then talked to my wife for a while to discuss details related to my travel itinerary on Monday. Looking forward to enjoying my last full day in Japan tomorrow, before my next big, long travel day on Monday.

5/23/2025

5/23/2025

First day in Tokyo. I slept okay, but had some jet lag. I rested and took it easy in the morning, went to the post office to mail some stuff, and then I went to Akihabara to finally experience the Eorzea Cafe for the first time. It was fun! 

 

Afterwards it was time to head to my host family’s house for a visit and dinner. It was nice to catch up with them. It had been a number of years since our last meeting in Okinawa. It was very nostalgic riding the trains around my old neighborhood where I lived in Tokyo 25 years ago. It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years since that time. 

 

All in all, I enjoyed the day.

5/21 - 5/22/2025

5/21 - 5/22/2025

 

Travel day. We had homemade French toast with bacon and eggs for breakfast. Then I made my finalizations with my suitcase and backpack for the long day of travel. Went to the Eugene airport and checked in. Said my farewells to my parents and thanked them again for making this trip possible and all of the amazing memories we made together with the limited time that we had. 

 

Went through security and up to the gate, my flight to Seattle was delayed by about 30 minutes. Fortunately, when I got off the plane in Seattle, I was lucky! and my connecting flight was in the same terminal! Had a nice little layover in Seattle before boarding the plane to Tokyo. About 10 hours later I arrived in Tokyo. I’m a bit exhausted and tired. But the travel went quite smoothly and no major issues along the way. 

 

After going through immigration and customs I made my way to my hotel via the train, checked in and then grabbed something to eat at the Konbini nearby. After dinner it was time to get some sleep.

 

5/20/2025

5/20/2025

 

My last day in Eugene. Tomorrow I fly to Tokyo. 

 

Woke up and had some breakfast. Then went to run some errands. Afterwards, my dad and I had some lunch and then went to the beer garden to chat and have a couple of beers . For dinner, I took my parents out to eat at Agate Alley Bistro. It was my first time there but it was pretty good. After dinner we came home and watched some TV and chatted. 

 

It’s been a really great trip. I’ve visited 5 different states while I was here this time, while also spending time with family. The one month I’ve been here is hard to believe how quickly the time went by, but we squeezed so much into a short period of time that it almost feels like multiple trips of a lifetime all within just one trip. 

 

I experienced such a diversity of experiences and places on each day of my travels in different locations throughout my travels and had so many amazing photography opportunities as well along the way. Once I have some more time on my hands I will definitely be sharing more photos with everyone from my trip.

 

A part of me is sad to leave, but another part of me is excited about the new journey that’s going to start. I try not to let my anxiety get the better of me. New things don’t come easily to me, so I will do my best to overcome the difficulties as they arise.

 

5/19/2025

5/19/2025

Today I had a brunch at Barry’s with my mom, stepdad and stepbrother. Then I went and ran some errands in the afternoon, uploaded my photos to the cloud to make sure they’re backed up, and then rested a bit. 

 

For dinner, my stepbrother, my dad and I went to Toshi’s Ramen for dinner. It was still as good as I remembered it. It was the first time my dad and stepbrother had ever gone to Toshi’s Ramen. Hard to believe, since it had been around since before I moved to Japan over 22 years ago. Afterwards, we just relaxed and watched some TV.

5/18/2025

5/18/2025

 

This morning we went to brunch at Brail’s. 

 

In the afternoon, we went to the 5th Street market to do some shopping. Stopped by the beer stein for a drink, and then we headed back home. This evening, my stepmom made a Thanksgiving dinner for me. Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, pumpkin pie , biscuits, and carrots. It was delicious I love Thanksgiving meals. 

 

Then we watched some TV and movies. It was a good day.

5/17/2025

5/17/2025

 

Today we drove home to Eugene from Bandon. The weather was rainy, cloudy and sunny in spots all along the way. We stopped by Mo’s to pick up some clam chowder to go. The Rhododendron Festival was going on in Florence and the town was packed with people and activities going on everywhere! 

 

As we passed through Mapleton there were lots of bikers and motorcycles overflowing the parking lot on the corner by the turn off to head towards Eugene. We had clam chowder for lunch and my stepmom had baked some pumpkin pies , my favorite. 

 

For dinner we had some Newman’s fish and chips and then I had some pie for dessert. It’s been a very busy time traveling so I’m going to get some rest for now.

 

5/16/2025

5/16/2025

Today we went on a jet boat ride up the rogue river. It was a fantastic experience. We got off at Agnes and ate lunch before the boat turned around and headed back down river. 

 

Then we drove up to Bandon making a couple of stops to see some viewpoints along the way. For dinner, we went to the wheelhouse seafood grill. The food was delicious and probably the best meal we’ve had so far on this trip. 

 

Each day of this road trip has been so diverse and unique. Having this opportunity to do a road trip together with my dad has been very special and meaningful to me. 

 

As we wrap up our trip together we are going to be heading home to Eugene tomorrow. We’ve been fortunate with the weather, but it’s looking like rainy and overcast tomorrow.

5/15/2025

5/15/2025 

Today we traveled from Crescent City to Gold Beach. We stopped along the way to photograph at various locations along the coastline. Today’s goal was the photography. The conditions were better at some places more than others. I’ll share some iPhone photos for now, and eventually share my Nikon photos once I have more time and energy to process them. But everything has all been new to us. 

 

It’s the first time my dad and I have ever traveled the Southern Oregon coast. It’s also the first time we’ve been on a road trip together, just the two of us. It’s been really nice and very special. 

 

The sunset tonight was spectacular! 

 

I’m really looking forward to the Rogue River Jet Boat tour tomorrow. I think it’s also going to be a great experience.

5/14/2025

5/14/2025

Today we started our road trip and drove from Eugene down to the Redwoods National and State Parks. It was a bit of a long drive. About 5 hours. We hiked the Grove of Titans Trail. It was beautiful, refreshing and amazing! I love the forest so much. It is my happy place, so today was a great day! I took a lot of photos, but will need some time to go through them and process them. So for now I’ll share some pictures from my phone. 

 

We are staying the night in Crescent City and got some dinner at the Fisherman’s Restaurant. I had some clam chowder and fish and chips. It was pretty good. 

 

We hiked about 5.3km today so my legs are a bit sore and I’ll sleep well tonight.

5/13/2025

5/13/2025

 

Today my dad and I spent the morning preparing for our road trip that we leave on tomorrow for the next 3-4 days. We are going down to the California redwoods and then making our way up along the southern Oregon coast to Gold Beach, where we will take a jet boat ride on the rogue river, and then head up towards Bandon before eventually heading back to Eugene. I am hoping to get some photographs along the way too. 

 

For lunch, we went to Barry’s Deli. It’s always a treat to eat at Barry’s. Unfortunately, I was so focused on being in the moment that I forgot to take a photo of it. 

 

In the afternoon, my mom picked me up on her way home from an appointment because today we went out to celebrate Mother’s Day together. I got her some flowers and a card that she really appreciated. Then, we went out to eat at Cafe Soriah’s for dinner. I got the coconut-curry eggplant. It was really delicious. For dessert I got the Baklava and a cup of earl grey tea , also fantastic. Great evening out with my mom. 

 

Came home and chatted with my dad for a while until bedtime. Another great day spending time with my family.

5/12/2025

5/12/2025

 

Had a cinnamon roll for breakfast this morning. It was delicious. Had some honey nut Cheerios too. Went to the beer stein with my dad in the afternoon and chatted for a while. It was great to spend time together and just chat. Then we had leftovers from dinner yesterday tonight. It was so good. 

 

After dinner, it was time to go to the WNBA basketball pre-season game. It was the NY Liberty vs. the Toyota Antelopes from Japan. It was a very big deal because Sabrina played at the UO for the first time since she joined the WNBA. The arena was packed with over 12,000 people. The game was great and very exciting! I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to be there at the game. Absolutely loved every minute of it.

5/11/2025

5/11/2025

 

Happy Mother’s Day! To all the mothers out there. 

 

Today we went to Brail’s for breakfast. Then we spent some time at home and out running errands before we went over to my stepbrother’s to celebrate Mother’s Day with everyone. He grilled and BBQ’ed a variety of food for everyone to eat for dinner and it was all delicious . 

 

We had a lot of fun chatting and talking about various topics. It was a great time for everyone. Then we came back home and just relaxed for the rest of the evening.

 

5/10/2025

5/10/2025

 

Today was my neice’s last Kidsports soccer game of the year. We went and watched her team play. They did a great job . 

 

Then we came home and had some lunch. I had a quesadilla and some tortilla chips with salsa sauce. It was delicious . 

 

Afterwords, I ended up taking a nap. After I woke up I arranged to meet up with my friend's mom and catch up on things after 30 years or so. It was wonderful to see her and to catch up on things. 

 

Lost track of the time and by the time I realized that it was time to go to dinner. So I met up with my family at Cornucopia for dinner. I had a burger. best burgers in town. 

 

Then we went home, watched some TV and wound down for the night. It was a great day.

 

5/9/2025

5/9/2025

 

This morning we had a nice brunch, pancakes, bacon, and berries. Then we talked with my wife to see how she was doing. 

 

In the afternoon, we went to the Sweetcheeks winery for some wine and food platters. It was a lovely day out at the winery. Then for dinner we had some leftovers which were delicious as well. I have been fortunate here so far and the weather has been great pretty much the whole time I’ve been here so far.

5/8/2025

5/8/2025

 

Lazy and relaxing day today. Didn’t do much of anything special. Ran some errands, hung out and chatted. Made some plans for the upcoming days. It was a good day.

 

5/7/2025

5/7/2025

 

Today was a more relaxed day. Finished unpacking from the trip, edited a couple of photos, Went to lunch at Cafe Yumm! And moved to my Dad’s house for the remainder of my trip. Chatted, ate dinner, and watched some TV.

 

5/6/2025

5/6/2025

 

Today we drove home to Eugene from The Dalles while stopping along the way to sight-see and do some photography in the Columbia Gorge area. 

 

We ate breakfast in Hood River. Then we went to Panorama Point. After that, we stopped by Multnomah Falls. Then we went to Crown Point to a Vista. Then it was time to drive the rest of the way back home. 

 

We hit Portland during rush hour and got slowed to a crawl for a while, so we ended up eating dinner in Woodburn before continuing on to Eugene after the rush hour traffic had passed. 

 

It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of long hours driving. Time to get some rest.

 

5/5/2025

5/5/2025

 

We drove from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to The Dalles, Oregon, today. We drove for about 4 1/2 hours on this leg of the trip. 

 

We ate dinner by the water at the Bargeway Pub. The food and drinks were pretty good. I had a Wagyu burger and an Irish Red. Pretty tired after a long day of driving on the road. 

 

Tomorrow, we plan to do some photography in the Columbia Gorge, Hood River area, before continuing back home to Eugene, Oregon.

 

5/4/2025

5/4/2025

 

After three jam-packed days of photographing wildlife in Montana, we are on the road again for the return trip to Eugene, Oregon. 

 

It is hard for me to describe in words how amazing my experience was. Being so close to a variety of animals and photographing them, I really felt like I got to know each of the animals and their individual personalities as well. From curiosity to playful, they were all wonderful. I felt so much energy, and it was really revitalizing for me to be surrounded by such beautiful nature and recharged by the energy of the amazing animals. It has really been the experience of a lifetime. I am so grateful and fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience this, and get some great photos from it too! 

 

We drove back to Idaho today and are staying in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho tonight. Tomorrow we will drive to The Dalles, Oregon, and plan to spend a night there, then head back to Eugene the following day.

 

5/3/2025

5/3/2025

 

I had another busy day today, shooting. I got some great photos today, but I need time to go through them more to select and process them. 

 

Tomorrow, we have to start our drive back home, so I need to get some sleep soon. I will share a few photos I shot yesterday that I thought were pretty good as a sample of the amazing photo opportunities I have been fortunate enough to have. 

 

The experience of having this opportunity to photograph here has been unbelievably amazing so far. Looking forward to processing more of the photos I have taken over the last few days. I am so grateful for this amazing experience.

 

5/2/2025

 

I had a busy day today shooting. I'm pretty sure I got some great photos today, but I need time to go through them more to select and process them. 

 

Tomorrow, we have an early start with some more shooting, so I need to get some sleep soon. I will share a few photos that I shot today that I thought were pretty good as a sample of the amazing photo opportunities I have been fortunate enough to have. 

 

The experience of having this opportunity to photograph here has been unbelievably amazing so far. Looking forward to processing more of the photos I have taken over the last few days. 

 

I am so grateful for this amazing experience.

 

5/1/2025

5/1/2025

 

We started the photography workshop today. Pretty exciting to have such a great opportunity to photograph some wildlife up close. We also visited Glacier National Park today in the afternoon. It was amazingly beautiful. Never seen anything quite like it. Then in the evening, we met up with my cousin and her family for dinner. It was so wonderful to catch up after not seeing each other in person for about 30 years. We've got an early start in the morning, so I'm going to call it a night.