the kids at Manza

Enjoying the snow at Manza Onsen Hotel. Jaden loved getting out in the snow with daddy during our trip to Manza. He wasn't too excited about sledding, but he loved running and climbing snow piles. Ethne made progress in her mobility during our time away. She gained proficiency in crawling and in moving from her tummy to sitting up and back down again. She especially enjoyed all the extra attention she received from our friends and from other hotel patrons. Japanese onsens are frequented by retirees so you can just imagine what happens when you show up to a hotel full of grandmas and grandpas with two cute little kids!

Manza Onsen (hot spring)

As part of Alan's 12-week Japanese "immersion" class, we visited Manza Onsen Hotel along with Alan's teachers, classmates and their families. We traveled five hours by bus into Gunma prefecture's snowy mountains. The hotel, where we spent most of our time, was very cozy. Alan and I enjoyed soaking in the steamy, sulfury Japanese baths, supplied by the natural hot springs. (Public baths, of course, both men's and women's.) One morning we went on an excursion to another local onsen, where many tourists, Japanese and foreign, shop for gifts, take photos by the billowing steam and soak their feet in the spring water. (Jaden and Alan soaking their feet, at Jaden's request!)