Husband and I moved from Narita City (near Tokyo) to Fukushima City in April of 2006. April is when the new business year and the new school year start in Japan, so that’s why it was in April. (March and April is a VERY common time for Japanese people to move.)

That very first week my cousin visited us. The first week!!!!!! LOL We didn’t even have our computer set up yet, and that was before everybody had an iphone and ipad and portable wifi…so he was trying to find a computer because he needed to check in for his job. I remember that!

The above photos are from the horse racing track in Fukushima City. I think my cousin enjoyed it? I don’t know! Fukushima City is not really an “exciting” town, so you take your tourist attractions where you can find them…..

My son was three years old when we first moved to Fukushima City. He was put in a preschool. Most little kids in Japan go to a preschool, either public or private. (Or a daycare, if the parents work and need full day childcare.) The one in the photo was private. It was in the mountains, and considered a great atmosphere for kids. It has (had?) a pony as you can see in the photo on the right. The school has an indoor slide (from second floor the the first floor) and I asked my son recently (he’s now a teen) if he remembers the slide and he says he doesn’t remember it.  LOL There are lots of private preschools here, all competing for business.