The picture to the left on this page shows Tony on the beach at Hagi. He wanted to carry this stick back to Boston as a souvenir, and brought it with us as far as Hiroshima, where he abandoned it.  Japan is a great travel destination for children.   Some activities that an adult might find interesting, such as drinking sake late into the night and eating lots of sushi, are not something an eleven-year-old wants any part of, but there are enough castles, video games, and gadgets to amuse any small boy.

As it turns out, age 11 and 1/2 is a good age to tour Japan; there are many discounts available for children under the age of 12 (a Japan Rail pass for a child under twelve is half price for example).  On the other hand, as Tony pointed out to me recently (January 23, 2000), he was old enough to remember this trip for the rest of his life.

 

One thing that I have never seen mentioned in any guide book that all parents should be aware of (and I wish I had known about in advance) is that everywhere you go in Japan you find rubber stamps with inkpads available to record your visit in a travel diary (or anywhere else you like).   I believe this custom derives from a similar practice for pilgrims visiting shrines, but we found rubber stamps everywhere, including such places as the train station in Hagi.