Denise and I, mostly Denise, are packing things up as we get ready for our move about 150 meters down the street into our friends’ house. They, Kazuko and Yasu, are moving to Okayama. It will be strange not living in this apartment we have spent most of our Japan-lives in. 12 years in this place! What will be even stranger is moving into our friends’ home where we have spent much of our lives also. We are looking forward to this move though. Mia and Noah will have their own rooms, desks to do homework and a toilet upstairs. Denise and I will have a room to ourselves, too. Because it is a...

Denise and I, mostly Denise, are packing things up as we get ready for our move about 150 meters down the street into our friends’ house. They, Kazuko and Yasu, are moving to Okayama. It will be strange not living in this apartment we have spent most of our Japan-lives in. 12 years in this place! What will be even stranger is moving into our friends’ home where we have spent much of our lives also. We are looking forward to this move though. Mia and Noah will have their own rooms, desks to do homework and a toilet upstairs. Denise and I will have a room to ourselves, too. Because it is a...