Birthdays in Nihon!

I spent my 21st birthday in Japan, and while turning 21 in America is a huge deal because I could finally drink, the drinking age in Japan is 20 and I didn't know what to expect at all when my day came :) it turned out my 6 year old host sister from a previous host family during my year long stay was had my same birthday. My entire host family each got me a gift, even my quite host dad got me some kitty socks.

Like any family with small children celebrating is important. We had cake, opened presents, and I shared beer with my host dad.

The next day I took a train to kitakyushyu, a city in the most northern part of the island of Kyushu. My best Japanese friend Rika invited me to spend the weekend with her family at her house. As traditional Japanese go, I was treated wonderfully and they entertained me the whole weekend. First her parents took the family (me, Rika, and her lil bro) out to a buffet where we pigged out, then they took me sight seeing till midnight all around kitakyushyu, it was beautiful!

When we got back home Rikas family had boughten plenty of beers and a cake for me :) this family was full of big drinkers and loved watching me drink because no matter how much I drank I never turned red, unlike the typical Asian gene that causes them to turn red with sometimes even a little alcohol.

Birthdays in Japan can be pretty crazy, but overall I'd say my experience was warm and loving as I got to spend my special with two amazing families that took care of me :)