Iwakuni Port Fireworks Festival 7-20-2013

It's fireworks season here in Japan!!!! With festivals every weekend and sometimes during the week we are super busy trying to attend as many as we can in the Hiroshima area. And I say just in a specific area because they are all over the country! It would take years for us to be able to catch every single show.

Fireworks or Hanabi as they are called here in Japan date back to 1549! Starting in 1733, fireworks  were used to ward off evil spirits and comfort the souls of the dead. This is when annual festivals started and (obviously) continue to this day. They close off streets and line them with DELICIOUS food, drinks and games.

Underground Kingdom Mikawa Mu Valley 7-7-13

Underground Kingdom is based off of the lost continent of Mu. It is all inside of a cave so it has that dark and mysterious feel to it (not to mention cold!). With Indiana Jones type music you go on a scavenger hunt looking for clues to solve the mystery. From what I've heard there are a few different scavenger hunts that you can do. I guess they do this so people aren't bunched up in the same area. Ours was to locate a seven digit code. What that code was for I have no idea lol. It's a great family activity especially on a rainy day. Of course Cody took it so seriously that we had to walk back several times to make sure we didn't miss a thing! LOL

Map of the surrounding area

The Underground Kingdom

Starting our quest!

Peek-a-boo

Taking a nursing break :)

The underground waterfall

So cool but so LOUD!

The Golden Space Shuttle

We found all of our clues!!

We finished!

Time for an ice cream break

An area across the street that you can eat lunch or go swimming... though I'm not sure you would want to swim with a current like that

Had to throw this one in here... I love the way the mountains look after a good rain storm :)