Tomodachi

Our friend John Mark is out here in Japan this week. He came at a perfect time, Ben and I have been here long enough that our town is no longer exciting, but it's his first time to Japan and reminds us of all the things that were exciting when he first got to Japan. I think having someone to remind us why we love this country is exactly what we need.
Ben and John Mark have been friends since they took Japanese together freshman year (6 years ago). John Mark was also our roommate for three years. It feels right having him stay with us here in Japan. In a lot of ways it feels like he's been here with us the whole time, it's great to have him here with us.
Ben and I weren't able to take any time off, but John Mark has been having fun adventures without us. Yesterday he checked out our town's main temple and shrines, hiked Yaeyama, and covered most of the town on foot. Today he went to Kofu to check out the Daimyo Palace, and then in the evening we went to an awesome izakaya in Hachioji, and checked out the Don Quixote, and malls in the area.