Last week we went to Izu-Kogen for a retreat. It is on the Izu Peninsula about two hours south of Tokyo.

It borders the Pacific Ocean on the east and is known for its hot springs and the scenic coastline- both of which we enjoyed.



We stayed at the Obirin Club - a conference facility that is owned by the Obirin University here in Tokyo.

The university shares the same founder as Obirin University in Ohio.
It is known for being a Christian college.


We were able to enjoy this view of the Sagami Bay each morning- this one we particularly enjoyed.

Utilizing the chairlift we were able to venture to the top of the dormant volcano, Mt Omoro, from there we could enjoy the bay on one side and Mt. Fuji on the other. What a treat, just by turning your head!

This is one of the breakfasts we were served. Each meal was not only pleasing to the eye, but also to the palate. There was always a fish dish, rice, and sliced cucumbers. Depending on the meal, there were variants of the same food. Truly enjoyable!!


Our room not only had the western style bed, but also a tatami room where you could sleep on futons if you wished. We chose to use it for relaxing and enjoying tea.

One of the things we enjoy about Japan is the sculpting of the trees.

On the lower level, there was an onsen (hot water bath) where we could look out and enjoy the view of this garden.

We enjoyed the time away for relaxing and reflecting.

The larger parks here in Japan have acres of cosmos growing in the fall. This is at our local park, Koganei Koen.
Experiencing the beauty of the cosmos is a big attraction for school groups and family outings on the week-ends.


These blossoms on this tree had such a heady fragrance. It was like walking through a mixture of honey and oranges. Martin and I sat on a park bench close by and enjoyed the warm afternoon and the beauty of God's creation.
This is the tree that had the blossoms. The picture doesn't capture how full of blooms it was.
I don't remember the trees last year; maybe the blooms were all gone by the time we discovered this section of the park.

Chrysanthemums have a very special place in Japan's culture. The Emperor adopted it as his official seal in the 1800's. It is on the Japanese passport and at the Shinto shrines.
They are grown sometimes with just one "stalk"; and I say that because they are almost as tall as I am. (Those may be the exhibition variety with a flower nearly 8 inches.)
These are close to our apartment complex entrance.

These are some images of what I will remember about autumn in Japan.

One of the highlights of our time in Japan has been our involvement with the Ronald McDonald House. As it is with the house in Lexington, the volunteers have a heart for people; a common thread that makes us a worldwide family.
This was taken at a tea that was provided for the volunteers. This represents about a half of the volunteer force.


On this day, our volunteer team has received our assignment and now it's off to do our work; mop, vacuum, make up rooms, clean windows, do laundry....


This little boy is recovering from brain surgery. He and his mom are guests at the house.
This makes volunteer work worthwhile.This is why we as volunteers do what we do; so families can have "a home away from home".



Yuko-san is an assistant manager and was instrumental in having us form a conversational English class at the house. She speaks English and wanted other staff and volunteers to have an opportunity to improve their English skills. Martin and I meet on Sunday afternoons with those wishing to practice.

Here we are...
Our class meets in the library/conference room at the house.

The ministry focus for our remaining time in Japan has changed from working predomaninatly with volunteer groups, to working with different age segments within the population; one of those groups being retirees in North Tokyo.

A venue where we have expanded our existing involvement, is park and recreation programs offered to seniors in the community where we live. There are many retirees that play a game called gate ball and Martin and I have joined one of the local teams. Gate ball teams consist of 10 players that are divided into two groups. Each game last 30 minutes, with the two groups competing against each other. After 30 minutes of play, the team that has scored the most points is the winner. They normally play twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, for three hours.

Hirota-san (back row,left) has been very kind to us and has included us on his team. He suggested we attend a "gate ball school" to help us understand the fundamentals of the game. This picture was taken on our first day of class and includes both attendees and instructors.

Here, Martin is receiving instruction from Hirota-san.


Martin is lining up the ball and hoping he has understood Hirota-san's instruction; a mixture of English and Japanese.

Japan has one of the highest population groups that is over 65 in the world. It is estimated that 23% of Japan's population are seniors; compared to 13% in the United States.

Recently we had a free day; so we went to "experience" Mt. Fuji.

We secured tickets on a highway bus that would carry us the 3 hours to the mountain. Because of time constraints, we knew we could only "experience" a part of the climb. This was a great precursor for next year; the summit!

Seeing Mt. Fuji from the bus window got everyone's excitement level up. It is an accomplishment that every Japanese wants to experince at least once. We didn't really know what to expect but had heard from several who had made the climb this summer.

This is a poster that was in our train station. Sorry for the glare... This shows a better picture of the terrain on Mt. Fuji this time of the year. The climbing season is very short; from July 1 to August 31. Before or after those dates, you run the risk of dealing with snow.
When the summer interns went at the end of their stay in July, they experienced heavy rain and had to stop at level 6.


Martin is checking out the trail we are going to take. There are more than one to get to the summit, but once we started, most people were using the Yoshida Trail which we used.

We are at the point where we were leaving vegetation and getting into the lava rock.

The huts above me are where you can pay to spend the night in order to finish the climb to see the sun rise.

Here we are at level 7 (8,850 ft); out of the maximum of level 10 (12,400 ft) which is the summit. We bought some snacks to refurbish our spent energy for the trek back down; and we were on our way.

The loose lava rock didn't make that an easy experience. I now knew why the people we had passed coming back down were so slow and cautious.

We're glad we "experienced" it; maybe we'll go for the summit next year.