DAD, IN JAPAN 2017 ✦ digital photography  DAD ON THE WATERFRONT IN KOBE DAD WITH CARS: TOYOTA PASSO, SUZUKI LAPIN, MAZDA FLAIR, SUZUKI HUSTLER, HONDA N-ONE, TOYOTA SIENTA DAD & I IN A GORGEOUS GARDEN THAT MY HOFU HOST FAMILY'S LANDSCAPING BUSINESS DESIGNED.   MOM & DAD WITH BEAUTIFUL NAGASAKI IN THE BACKGROUND, AT GLOVER GARDEN.   DAD LOOKING OUT TO SEA, NAGASAKI JAPAN.   Miwa and I had our wedding ceremony on the seaside in Nagasaki Japan in May 2017 and I flew my parents in for it. Afterward, as a belated 50th anniversary present, I took them around Japan for a week afterwards and showed them the sites, and introduced them to my high school host family in Hofu, Yamaguchi-ken. Here are a few photos of my dad in Japan, checking out the sites and checking out the cute little cars. We've long bonded over cars, and he's the reason I'm a lifelong lover of all things automotive. We used to go to the Detroit Auto Show together every year from when I was four years old, missing just a few along the way. Dad really seemed to enjoy his time visiting us in Nagasaki and traveling around, and he often remarked on the beauty of Japan's nature. It's a bittersweet feeling, writing this, because just three years after this ceremony (and one month after my son was born), dad had a major stroke. He's still with us, but can't maintain new memories, nor remember old ones, and his sharp and witty personality has been diminished. It's a shame this happened to such a wonderful and vibrant man. I get pretty sad thinking of it. All the lost memories... The fact that he often doesn't remember who I am nor that he has a young grandson...  He doesn't remember the wedding or trip to Japan either, but I'm glad we were able to enjoy that time together, and I'll hold onto those memories for the both of us.     Site contents and design © Evan Hayden