What’s weirder than pulling into a Japanese rail station and seeing a giant golden Goddess of Mercy?

Maybe it’s going to your cousin’s house and seeing 3 cousins and various kids of theirs for the first time in 16 years! We weren’t going to stick around, but they invited us for dinner and told us we could meet our cousin’s kid’s fianceé. So we stayed for seafood pizza from Domino’s and sushi. Check out the squid and shrimp.

Here’s a picture of my two eldest Osaka cousins (brother Kimikazu and sister Kyoko). That’s Kyoko’s son on the left, and her grandson (the son’s nephew) on her lap. The son was telling us how he did absolutely nothing in college and how his mom wrote his final paper. We asked why it didn’t have his mom’s name on the diploma. He’s a butcher now at a supermarket and works horribly long hours wondering why he went to college at all.

Next is a blurry picture of my aunt, my youngest Osaka cousin Maki, and my mom. My aunt is my mom’s older sister. I finally figured out I had the flash turned off later in the day.

Proof that my sister is in Japan with us: a picture of my sister and my uncle (big brother to my aunt and mom, and father to all my Osaka cousins).

And finally, my Osaka cousin, his son, his kid’s fianceé, my cousin’s wife, his middle daughter, and my aunt. Last time I saw them, the son was 12 and the daughter was 9. Now he’s getting married?

I forgot to take a picture of my cousin’s youngest daughter who is 21 now. There are also no pictures of me and everyone has told me that I’ve gotten fat. EVERYONE. That’s not going to keep me from eating. Takoyaki is still on my list of things to eat, and I may have to get more Beard Papa pumpkin cream puffs. I’m going to be even fatter soon!