Circus goes to circus

NAHA (1/11/2009) an hour b4 real circus starts.

Brushing Teeth before Bed

URASOE CITY, Japan -- (Jan. 5, 2009) -- Kou lays on the floor of the bathroom as Tomoe brushes his teeth before bedtime at our home.

URASOE CITY, Japan (Jan. 5, 2009) Kai steps on Kou's head in typical big brother nicety as Tomoe brushes Kou's teeth before the two head off to bed.

URASOE CITY, Japan -- (Jan. 5, 2009) -- Kai smiles his toothless 7-year-old smile as Kou and Ken head up the stairs to go to sleep at around 9 p.m. in our home.

My turn

URASOE CITY (1/4/09)--Ken fights with a neighbor over whose turn it is to ride a bike that is not his.

Step on the green line

TOKYO -- (Jan. 3, 2009) -- Ken stands by an automated sidewalk inside Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Jan. 3, 2009. Moments before his brothers were telling passersby in Japanese "Step on the green line, please." When these passersby didn't do as instructed both brothers would announce loudly "Brrrrhhh!" as in "you lose" the game. Only one passerby did as instructed and received a "Ping pong" -- "You win!" after stepping on the green line on the automated sidewalk. About thirty people got "Brrhhh-ed!" before the boy's Mom had had her fill. I thought it was kind of funny. Tomoe was just embarrased.

Mount Fuji

TOKYO -- (Jan. 3, 2009) Mount Fuji can be seen in the distance behind Tokyo one of the most populated cities on earth. The Johnstons were driven to the airport by Jun Kokubo as they ended their vacation to mainland Japan on Saturday.

Haneda Airport in Tokyo

TOKYO-- (Jan. 3, 2009) Grandma Kokubo helps Ken with a drink as he sits near the third floor balcony at Haneda Airport in Tokyo before heading home to Okinawa.