We had a later start today. The plan was to get a take-away breakfast from the bakery next door to the cafe we had breakfast at yesterday. But as we saw the line build so early, we knew we had to get there early. We had seen that they only allow 8 people in the store at a time, and we make half of that! So while Michael and Leila checked out, I rushed ahead and held a place in line. They were only a couple of minutes behind me, so it wasn’t a probem, but another minute later there were 4 people behind us, and 10 minutes later there would have been about 15 people behind us! So lucky we got there early! We bought some food from there, including some to take to Nasu.

We then said goodbye to Michael and Leila who went to Tokyo, and Kaoru and I went back to the hotel, to do our teeth and check out. We caught a bus at 10.15 from across the road from the hotel (convenient), back to the safari park. Traffic was building already, and the 15 minute bus trip took at least 35 minutes. We started the walk to the bus stop. We saw Kaoru’s parents car – they were in the traffic coming down to get us so we didn’t have to walk so far. It meant they were in the really heavy line, and must have been in it for a long time. Luckily where we met them, there was a shop on the right hand side of the road (to them) so Otosan could pull in to there, and easily turn around to take us back to the house. That was an easy run as we were against the traffic now. We got to the house and relaxed for a while before lunch. We had cold noodles for lunch – a much simpler meal than yesterdays! After lunch we all had a bit of a sleep. Kaoru and I have the bed in the old main house. So after an hour or so I came back up to the house, where Kaoru was working on her computer. I got mine out and started some things. In Japan, it seems people die in the bath after drinking….so I was encouraged to have an early bath. I did that, and then put on a Jinbei – a type of summer yukata. Being loose, it’s supposed to be cooler than the clothes I was wearing.

Because it was the start of the Obon, it was time for an omukae-bi ceremony. At the front door of the old main house, we lit a small fire, from which we lit incense, and then walked once over the fire towards the door, once back, and once again over, in to the house, and then at the mini-temple we put the incense down, rang the bell and prayed. This is to welcome the spirits of the ancestors to come to the house and visit us for the Obon holiday.

It was then time for dinner. Okasan and I had a beer, and Kaoru and Otosan had some red wine Mio had sent. I had a glass of red as well, as it was a good Australian Shiraz. Dinner was yukitori, with lots of vegies, and some beautiful meat that Mio had sent down. After dinner I showed Okasan and Otosan the video I had taken of Kaoru being interpreter for the Mayor of Hobson’s Bay, and the President of the Hobsons Bay International Friendship Association, while Kaoru had a bath. Then it was time to call it a night.