Kōtōbashi

We arrived to Tokyo in the pouring rain and settled into our tiny apartment in the Asakusa neighborhood. Our week in Tokyo was busy (unlimited choices of sights to see) but since we didn’t plan ahead, we missed out on many of the common tourist hotspots and kept hearing “reservations only” (e.g., robot café, Sky Tower, airline museum, trampoline park, multiple restaurants). But, with good attitudes (we are in Tokyo!), even in the rain, we found fun alternatives.

Everett:

Experienced real ninja training – e.g., threw shuriken (ninja stars), shot blow darts, and learned katana attack moves

Easily mastered all the outdoor courses at Heiwa no Mori Park

Enjoyed the hustle and bustle of Harajuku with all kinds of wild fashions and waited forever in line at his favorite Singaporean boba tea shop

Ken:

Strolled around every neighborhood (some unbelievably crowded!!!): huge crosswalks, well-maintained public areas, neon lights… like New York but without the chaos

Ate unlimited sushi, bought cake from a vending machine, gawked at electronics stores galore, appreciated the bidets, and marveled at Team Labs (the one and only reservation we thankfully made in advance! – an immersive art museum).

Navigated the subway (extremely clean, on time, and functional) – we did get lost a few times though. It puts USA transportation to shame.

Hillary

Loved Japanese etiquette – respectful, orderly, kind, and calm. Japan, you are her efficiency soulmate.

Appreciated that prices were reasonable – at least relatively cheaper than expected. Don Quijote sold everything you could need. Favorite hobby: inspecting every item of packaging at the Drugstores (all in Japanese) with Google Translate.

Had a washing machine at our apartment. Also, the shower turned into a dryer. Instead of an air vent to get the steam out, the bathroom fan had a heat mode. We hung our clothes in the shower and they dried after a few hours. Magic!

Laughs:

Ken became a huge fan of the “shoehorn” – every hotel supplied them. Made putting shoes on easy… but aren’t they for old men?

We spent a month looking for “sakura” cherry blossoms (unfortunately, we were too early in March). News headline on our last day: Cherry Blossoms Season has begun!

“Ja Ne” (see you later) Japan:

We are saddened to depart Japan, as we could easily explore for another month or two. It was an exceptional cultural experience, unlike any country we’ve visited: sensory overload, modern yet traditional, simple but delicious foods. We wish everywhere we traveled was as warm and friendly as Japan. It’s an excellent place to be a foreign visitor and we would confidently recommend it to anyone. So, it’s “Ja Ne” for now, but we will return someday.Read more