I Want Candy!!!

So I was at the grocery store looking for treats for our upcoming road trip. (Tune in Monday for pics, it is sure to be an awesome trip). Strolling down the candy aisle is always a treat. This was the one that had me scratching my head. Normally I would have bought it just out of curiosity and I may at some point in the future, but tonight I just wasn't interested in toilet candy. Maybe it helps you poo??? Who knows but for now I will remain clueless.

We have found some candy we like.  

These are delicious little caramels. I have to buy a few bags because otherwise I end up in the closet eating them so I don't have to share.

These are also a family favorite. Hi-Choo They are chewy fruit flavored candies. Kind of like a Charleston Chew but better.

These were a major score. They taste like crunchy churros. 

Terrible Car Names Installment 1

Driving around Japan I have come across some pretty bazaar car names. I decided to start taking pictures for you viewing pleasure. 

Swedish Hellfire???

This person should be fired and the driver slapped.

Svlphy??? Did they mean selfie???

Hinamatsuri - Happy Girl's Day

     Yup, I'm going to say it again, "I love Japanese holidays!" Ok well this one isn't quite a holiday but more of a festival, but everyone decorates for it, so in my eyes it's a holiday. It is celebrated every year on March 3rd.  Also known as the Doll Festival, Hinamatsuri, is a day when people pray for the health and happiness of little girls. A great idea if I do say so myself! You can enjoy these beautiful displays of dolls, on a seven tiered stands, all over the city. There is a certain order to their placement. On the top tier are the emperor and empress in traditional court dress. Then each tier below them are various court officials, musicians, wise men and supplies for any festivities the dolls may need. 

     

     The sets are put out around the end of February and taken down no later than March 4th. If you fail to take them down by the appointed date bad luck and misfortune will befall the female members or the dolls may come to life and wreak some havoc on the household. So for those of you who leave your Christmas tree up until February, this holiday isn't for you. 

     Why do they put hina ningyo out? The tradition dates back to the 8th century. It derives from the combination of a doll (hina) play during the Heian period and nagashibina which is a ceremony where simples dolls made by paper and straw are thrown into the ocean or river after transferring bad luck and misfortune to them. Setting out hina ningyo is a family's wish that a girl will grow soundly to be a healthy and caring woman. These dolls are definitely not the ones you want to toss into the ocean. They can run thousands of dollars a piece. They are passed down from female generation to female generation and can take many such generations to accumulate an entire set. 

Miyazaki Steam-Punk Clock

There are a lot of little hidden gems in Tokyo. This one located at the Shiodome is one of my favorites. We took the kids down here to see the clock go off.  It was designed by Hayao Miyazaki and is the largest animated clock in the world. The 3 story clock has over 20 tons of copper and steel. There are robots, bucket percussion, puffing engines, cannons, bells and so much more. There is so much to take in you are never really sure where to watch. It's a little dark, sorry about that. You can see some daytime pictures of the clock here. Ghibili Clock