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In Japan, it is custom to visit a shrine after newborns turn 31 days old for a ceremony. Our boy was blessed by a Shinto priest and given a bag of souvenirs to use in upcoming ceremonies.For example, he was given sake, chopsticks, a rice bowl,etc.the shrine was Kugenuma Fusimi Inari Jinja near our home in Fujisawa, so that was very convenient.


This was my first time to see my wife dressed in a kimono (she wore a Western dress for our wedding)so what a special treat it was for me. Leo is wrapped in a family treasure kimono passed down from Masami's mom. I felt a bit too casual not wearing a suit but Californians don't need suits!

Our first child, Leo Todd Lenkowski, was born on Nov.25, 2011 at 2:45a.m. weighing 3428 g (7.5 lbs. )and 51.5 cm (1.6 feet).
He's a healthy and happy boy. We're looking forward to raising him in Tsujido and improving our lives here.
I was pleasantly surprised to find the hospital system wonderful here. They stayed in the hospital 4 nights and 5 days with great service and hospitality, all covered by the Japanese Medical Insurance system.
When my boy was delivered, I watched him appear and my wife's first words were, "Is he cute?" I was glad to say that he was cute and most importantly, healthy.

Here is the little bugger in the rainforest!

Here we are in Tsujido coast park near our home.It's Japanese style and very well kept. We always walk (or I jog) around this park for exercise. From this spot in the photo, you can see Mt. Fuji and the Shonan Coast. I hope our baby likes it.

This ceremony is very important and customary for Japanese women and families. Dogs have large litters so somehow the dog became a kind of symbol to pray to for a healthy birth and baby. I was very surprised by this custom and found it fascinating. Masami attended a Shinto ceremony with about 50 other women while her mother and I waited. Then she was given a good luck girdle to wear that protects the unborn child.
This shrine was the same her mother attended in Tokyo near Nihonbashi. After that we ate lunch at Tokyo station. My favorite part of the day!

We had a great adventure when we stayed at the Mira Costa Hotel inside TDS.After entering the park early, Pinocchio characters were waiting for us,so we decided to use the chance to take a photo. The hotel was fantastic where we ate dinner in a buffet restaurant overlooking the new light show. However, due to the Tohoku earthquake, the hotel indoor pool was closed, the entrance fountain was off, and the lobbies and hallways were hot. Next time,I wanna take our baby.

2011.05.04 CBEC spring vacation lunch

Please disregard previous "Spring Vacation Lunch" This is updated version:
This Golden Week, I treated  my wife, staff, and their husbands to an Italian restaurant, Siciliana, in Kamakura,
for their hard work and dedication to CBEC.  My wife and I had to wait for over 30 minutes to get on the train to get there, (due to holiday crowds), but it was worth the wait. 
There, I announced the pregnancy of my beautiful and sweet wife, Masami.We're expecting our first child on November 25Th.My staff was astonished at the thought of me being a Dad, and  we all enjoyed the food. 
The lunch menu included appetizers, seaweed pasta, fresh salad, and your choice of tasty  meat. 
The meal and atmosphere was splendid indeed, with asensational view.  You can find Siciliana  on Route 134, next to Sangosho.    

It's a bird....!
It's a plane...!
No, it's "Superman in Japan" here to save the day for Japan from the triple disasters!
Never say die, Japan!   
(note: I got the costume from Rakuten, Japan version of Amazon, for ￥10,000).

I decided to visit my students, the Higutchi's, who studied at my school in preparation for
their relocation to Seattle.  I flew into Seattle, took the subway to my hotel and went straight to  Mariners game where I saw Ichiro and Matsui get many hits. 
I attended 3 baseball games, actually, and bought all kinds of souvenirs for my wife, students,and staff,including Ichiro bobble heads, T-shirts, baseballs,
baseball cards, pens, golf balls, and even an Ichiro action figure. 
Then I drove into Canada from Seattle for a few days for a little adventure, where I stayed at Whistler ski resort and Vancouver overnight. It was fun, but my wife couldn't get time off, so it was lonely without her. 



from top to bottom: in front of Higutchi's home blueberry farm in Bellevue, Washington ( a wonderfulsuburb of Seattle)
winery party in Woodinville,WA
Red Hook Brewery in Woodinville,WA (tasty beer!) scalping tix in front of Safeco Field (I got ripped off!) "the Moose"-Seattle Mariners mascot.

Tsujido Coast Park Summer Bon-odori Festival

Everyone knows about Bon Odori in Japan, when communities come together in the steaming hot midsummer  to dance around a stage on which large "taiko" drums pound out the catchy rhythms,
but   Tsujido Coast Park Summer Bon-odori Festival is a new festival,starting  last year, 
and we enjoyed it for the first time.
I ate traditional Japanese food,including  BBQ corn,beer, even pizza hut pizza!). Then after it was all over the staff allowed me to get on the stage and strut my stuff on the drums.  I was a natural, as you can see.   

Japanese people are crazy about Duffy.  Many Japanese woman carry Duffy cell phone straps and collect Duffy goods, including my wife. 
She has Duffy cups, glasses, hot cocoa set, assorted outfits,and different versions of Duffy. 
I like Bears, so Duffy is cool too but I prefer California Bear!
At our annual summer B-day trip to Disney, my wife and I met Duffy for the first time. 
We saw his show and had a good time staying at the Disney Ambassador hotel.  TDS is a lot of fun, but the California version is much better! (It's called, "California Adventure").