Christmas Here and Gone

Christmas cheer at the JMTC

This past two weeks have been a blur. We have been busy making goodies, gifts and celebrating the holidays. The lights in Tokyo were lovely, but the Spirit of the season was not so obvious on the streets. Christmas is not celebrated here as it is in the States.

Making gingerbread houses in FHE
(our good buddies, the Markers)

Although the lights and trees go up and assuredly the purchasing increases, nothing was even closed on Christmas day. Japan is not a Christian country. Christianity only comprises about 2-3% of the population. The really big deal here is the New Year. Many stores, banks and other businesses will be closed for several days. Even the church office building is giving the employees a week off. Of course they were also closed Christmas day, but the greater celebrations will be for the New Year. People return to their ancestral homes and it is a time for family and food. It is called Shogatsu. Our Japanese friends are planning to do a traditional celebration so all of us "gaijin" (foreigners) can see what it is like. (I refuse to eat anything that is still moving!)

Twenty of us got together for a multicultural Christmas!
Pictionary was agreat game to span the language gap!
Most of the Japanese couples are
serving in the nearby Tokyo temple.

We had a good time with all of the temple and other missionary couples; eating, playing games and even watching a movie in Japanese with English subtitles! Although we missed having our children and grandchildren with us, we are grateful for the technology that made it possible to both see and hear them!!
Added a few pictures we thought you might enjoy...

The Japanese use every square inch/centimeter of ground.

This building is only a foot wide at this end of the pie shape!


The camelias are blooming everywhere.
They are so lovely! Elder Brown adorns the hedges!