Alright -- final post for the day! I promise! I just have to share about Edo Wonderland before signing off for the day.

Edo Wonderland is also located in the Nikko area near the onsen. It's a theme park aiming to bring the Edo period of Japan alive (this is the period of geisha and samurai and ninjas). The buildings are all built to the specifications of the time. Staff walk through the park in period costume. It is educational (see the types of houses used to train ninja in their balance and quickness or check out the museum of traditional ninja warrior gear), while also being alive with the history. We saw ninja battles on the street, even some samurai throw a man over a bridge into the water waiting below.

Visitors may also dress up in costume. Christopher knew he wanted to dress a ninja, but Greg then talked Yuji and Kumi into dressing up as well. Cate planned to dress as an Imperial princess, but much like the flower girl experience, clammed up and got frightened when the dressers starting fawning over her and she changed her mind.

So, here are Kumi and I dressed as traditional Edo-period city girls. Yuji and Greg are dressed as ronin -- master-less wandering samurai. And of course, our little ninja.

I can't over emphasize how much Christopher enjoyed Edo Wonderland -- it was definately on his top 3 list of things he did in Japan. It also appealed to my big boy (Greg). I guess samurai and ninja remain pretty cool to boys of all ages. Christopher really got into his ninja character, trying to duel costumed staff members who were also dressed as ninja. This was a great respite for him to just be a boy and get all that testosterone out -- seriously, the kid was running through Edo town jumping and yelling and kicking and staying in complete character. And it was highly educational for him, as well.