Liam is 7 years old and has been in Japan since 6-8
visiting his mother's family in the Miyazaki region. But he's basically alone in a different culture and language. I would consider him fluent in Japanese, but what do I know....other than Spanish in HS, I've spoken English my entire life.
He's enjoying himself! He went to school with his cousins and was extremely popular as he was "American". He's gone camping and to Disneyland. Best of all tho, are all the spiders in his "Ba-Ba" and "Gi-Gi's" (grandpa and grandma) yard! There's nothing Liam loves more than spiders, he always has. He does love to read books tho, which makes me proud! I'm thinking Science might be his calling. His smile and laugh are truly infectious and he's quick with witty come-backs. Just a great kid with a big heart, wouldn't hurt a flea....seriously, he loves bugs!
Liam's father, my son Seth, and his younger 2 year old brother, Kai, will be traveling to bring him home 8-16. They fly from Chicago, through Seoul, to Tokyo. Then fly down to Miyazaki from Tokyo and will spend 2 weeks there. Their scheduled departure from Tokyo, through Seoul again, and on to Chicago is 8-30.
Liam is my grandson...Kai is my grandson...Seth is my son....
The "what ifs" are plentiful and gut wrenching, to say the least...
If you're of the religious nature, please keep them in your prayers...and I thankfully, welcome any positive vibes as well, as they make their journeys in these very uncertain areas and times.
Thank you from Seth's mom, and Liam and Kai's Nana
Liam, Seth and Kai
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Please say a prayer of peace for yourself, too, as we pray for their safety and for those all around them. Try and remember something that has worked for you before that calms your nerves. You and they are not alone. 
family there. Most of my family went to Hawaii to work the sugar fields all those many years ago. If I were to ever visit Japan, the first place I would go is Miyazaki, its a beautiful place ...
I would love to visit Hawaii too... maybe someday soon.
He went to preschool for a month in Kobe during May and came home 6/6. I'm sure your family will be just fine and just realize your grandkids are having an amazing experience!
My boy in May a month before he turned 5
Thanks for sharing the story and the pic! 
and all the others caught up in these scary times.
I came to the "what ifs" in your post and wondered what you were talking about, then realized, oh yeah, North Korea, and I'm in Japan too ... So far I'm choosing to think NK is bluffing as usual and Trump won't be allowed to do anything by the military. I'm afraid to read too much about it. There's a large Japanese Self Defense Force base in my ward and my apartment is right under a military flight path and it makes me nervous when traffic picks up, but it's been quiet so far.
This is a good weekend to be in Japan because of the O-Bon festival. It's the best time to drive around the countryside because you'll run across little local festivals, some are ancient fire festivals. Fireworks. The cities empty out and the countryside fills up. I'll be at my mother-in-law's house. She died earlier this year so it's her first O-Bon and she'll be real mad if I don't get a nice fruit selection to put in front of her altar at home and clean up her grave.
Too bad Liam won't be around to see the huge autumn spiders, the Jorogumo. I used to be scared of them until I found out they're harmless and it's the female that grows so big and colorful. The males are little brown things.
