A Journey to Osaka

Today was a traveling day.  Mom and I woke up, grateful to have packed last night, so all we had to do was shower, dress and close our suitcases.  We met the guys in the lobby, checked out and went downstairs to meet the Uber Kenji had arranged to take us to Tokyo train station.  That place has to be seen to be believed.  It is organized chaos, and unfortunately for tourists, not easy to navigate.  Kenji had attached our Shinkansen (bullet trains) tickets to our Suica cards online, so we just had to tap in, like we did for the subway system.  So convenient!  Since we were taking a Shinkansen, when we swiped in, a ticket came out the other end for us to take to prove we were on the right train, in the right seats, should we be asked.  Taking the elevator down (since we didn't want to lug our suitcases down the stairs) to the mall area, Mom and I encountered a very kind Japanese woman who overheard us talking.  She spoke excellent English and helped us find the Waiting Area for the Shinkansen.  

The guys met us and we commandeered a couple of seats with all our luggage.  Mom and I waited while the guys went exploring for bento boxes (prepared meals, usually a meat, starch and veggies in a compact box) to take on the train for lunch.  When they returned Mom & I went to find what we wanted for our lunches.  There were so very many different food counters, all selling something slightly different than the one next to them.  Some were very different, like sushi, which is what I chose, a combo of salmon and tuna.  There were katsu (pork or chicken cutlet, breaded with panko and deep fried, with rice and curry as well as many other choices.  Mom chose a yakitori (meat on a stick) bento box with chicken skewers, rice and some veggies.  She enjoyed the meatballs and rice, but the veggies were odd, she said, and somehow inedible.

After we returned with our food it was time to go to the platform.  Ah, but which one and where was it???  Last we looked our train wasn't yet listed on the big board.  Now we had 25 minutes to find out which platform is would be leaving from and get there.  Yikes!!!  This place is ginormous and we could've been a 15 minute walk from where we needed to be, plus time to get turned around and lost.  We went the wrong way a couple of times, but quickly discovered our error and turned around and got to our platform with a full 6 minutes to spare!  Ah, but we had to find *our* car, #3, as we had reserved seats.  We hustled our bustles (read: walked super fast, upstairs with suitcases - thank you Kenji & Leo for carrying ours!) and got to Car #3 just as people were beginning to board.  Phew!  Shinkansens wait for no one!  We were so late I didn't have time to get a picture of the train.  Next time.

As we got on board I spotted a luggage space near the door for large suitcases (mine) that won't fit in the overhead shelf above the seats.  Mom and I both put our suitcases there as hers is heavy and lifting it up there wouldn't be easy.  The seats in our car were a 3-2 seating arrangement.  Kenji had purchased 2 seats next to each other in 2 different rows, on the right side of the train.  Weather permitting we'd be on the right side to see Mt. Fuji!  The train left precisely at 11:00 am.    We made 3 stops before getting up to a top speed of 177 mph!  I was mesmerized looking out the window watching Japan slip by and almost forgot I needed to eat my lunch.  The sushi was good, not great.  That seemed to be all of our opinions.  The meals were ok, served their purpose, but we might all make different choices next time.  No Mt. Fuji sighting today, darn overcast weather.

Arriving in Osaka we found the subway, changed train lines and got to the station we needed, carried our luggage up the stairs (carried my own this time, oof!) got to the top and found it was pouring rain!  Yikes!  I had to dig around in my backpack to find my umbrella, got it out and open and literally walked about 50 feet to the hotel entrance.  Doh!  We made our way inside and Wowee is this hotel different than the last one.  The last one was a "business hotel", specializing in small, budget-conscious stays.  This place is swanky, marble floors, a large lobby, spacious elevator and more spacious rooms.  The bathroom has a separate room for the toilet and the shower/tub in a different room.  There's actual counter space at the bathroom sink for our toiletries.  I may never leave!

We soaked in the a/c, resting for a bit, then meeting up with the guys to walk around Tenjinbashi (pronounced ten-gin-bosh-ee), a covered walkway shopping street with stores and restaurants.  Unfortunately for us, we got there about 4:45 and most of the restaurants were closed between lunch and dinner, so they weren't open.  So we walked and walked and walked.  Finally we all had had enough walking and sweating and close brushes with heat stroke and it was past 5:30 so some places were starting to open back up for dinner.  We found an okonomiyaki (pronounced like it looks: oh-koh-no-mee-yaki) place and were seated at 2 tables with griddles in front of them.  Hmmm... I did a Google translate on a flyer on the wall and discovered it was a DIY okonomiyaki place.  Definitely NOT what we were wanting tonight, as tired as we were.  We made our apologies and left.

If you're not familiar with okonomiyaki, Osaka style is cabbage and other veggies mixed together with a batter and cooked on a griddle.  Proteins can be added such a sliced pork (think bacon, but not smoked), squid, oysters, etc.  It's flipped so the other side can cook.  Hiroshima style uses the same ingredients but they're assembled in a stack.  The batter is spread on the griddle, a large amount of shredded cabbage is added, and whatever proteins you want and after the batter has set the whole thing is flipped over, so the cabbage can cook.  Both styles spread a sauce on it that Google tells me is made of fruits and vegetables, sugar and vinegar, along with the additions of kelp, soy sauce and shiitake mushrooms.  The whole concoction is blended until smooth and brushed on top, with a drizzle of Kewpie (Japanese mayonnaise).  If you're not familiar with Kewpie, I highly encourage you to find some at your local H-Mart or other Asian supermarket.

We ended up at hole in the wall, literally, no place to sit.  The man was cooking on a griddle out front and served the okonomiyaki to go.  At that point the hotel's a/c sounded fabulous.  We stopped by a 7/11 and picked up drinks and retired to our rooms to eat and relax.  Mom and I found a fun TV channel where participants were in a cooking class learning how to make gyoza, friend gohan (rice) and tamagoyaki, which is rolled, scrambled egg. It's a technique of pouring scrambled eggs in a special rectangular pan and letting it set just enough that you roll it, like a cinnamon roll.  Then you leave it in the pan and add more scrambled egg mixture and repeat the process a couple of time til you have done this process a few times. They people on TV were very animated it was fun to watch!  I'm draining my phone's battery using the Google Translate app's camera function to find out what's going on.

I went next door to the guys' room after dinner and got a foot rub (a nightly thing at home) for my sore ankles and feet, but this was the first time I've gotten Kenji to do it for me on this trip.  In Tokyo the guys' room was on a different floor from ours, so it wasn't easy, especially with having to use the room key to operate the elevator.  Leo went to 7/11 to get some ice cream.  I asked him to get me something interesting.  He came back with bon bons.  Yum!

I came back to our room, blogged and went to bed with hopes of fresh, happy feet in the morning.

 

A Journey of Preparation and Wandering

Today started later than the past few days as we intended to do laundry at the hotel in preparation to depart Tokyo tomorrow AM.  The laundry machines in this hotel are typical for hotel laundry services in that they are a combo washer/dryer and dispense detergent, so none is needed to be provided by us,  Sweet!  They also have a setting for wash only, which Mom selected and then she hung her clothes up in the room to air dry.  The guys and I each selected wash & dry in separate machines.  Each wash/dry load cost 500 yen (less than $3.50) and took 2 hours.

While we waited for our laundry, Mom and I walked to 7/11 (have I mentioned how different they are here and how the 7/11's in the US need to get on board with this model???)  We got sweets, yogurt, juice and a couple of egg McMuffin-style sandwiches for Kenji & I.  Mom got a tandoori chicken wrap as she prefers savory items over sweet.

After laundry was finished, we all went to Shibuya together on the Metro.  Leo wanted to go to the Pokemon store to look for some souvenirs for a friend.  Mom and I ducked into a Coffee Cafe where we could observe the Shibuya Scramble while sipping an iced latte.  We enjoyed people-watching very much.  The young girls who dress "kawai" (cute) look like walking animae characters.  I Googled about why some people choose to dress kawai and Google offered an explanation that it's a combination of wanting to hold onto childhood  and also a coping mechanism for the stress of adulting.  I get it.  Adulting sucks at times.

We met the guys for lunch at MOS Burger, a Japanese burger chain.  Leo told us that he didn't end up getting anything at the Pokemon store as it was mobbed and he couldn't even get in!  Kenji sent me pictures of the line to get into a Pop Mart store, where I've been asked to go by someone to get Labubu items for his kids that are impossible to get in the US.  It was a very long line.  *sigh*  Perhaps when we come back at the end of our trip.  I don't want to carry multiple figures for another 3 weeks.

A walkabout in Shibuya with no particular destination in mind, led us to a grocery store with a $17 melon, $25 bunch of grapes and other expensive produce.  Yowza!  I looked up why fruit is so expensive here and learned "it is due to a combination of factors including high standards for quality and appearance, labor,-intensive cultivation, limited arable land and a cultural emphasis on fruit as a luxury and gift item.  There is inexpensive fruit to be had here, but it's not as plentiful as at home.  I would miss fruit in my regular diet if I lived here.  I'm grateful for plentiful, inexpensive fruit.  Let's hope it stays that way.

Kenji walked us into a Pachinko parlor, which is a Japanese form of gambling, without actually gambling, which is illegal here.  Kind of like a slot machine, a person puts money in and plays a sort of pinball game where little metal balls slide around.  I have no concept of how one "wins", but I imagine it has to do with how many balls one can capture.  Perhaps I'm completely wrong.  You then take your "winnings", the balls, around the corner to another place to claim your cash, thereby getting around the illegality of a gambling establishment by keeping the handing over of cash off-site.  Something like that...

We walked through an upscale food mall and looked at beautiful sweets and I had to resist and only be satisfied with taking pictures.  The it was time to go back to the hotel to cool down and have a rest, but not before a stop off at Daily for a bag of snacks.  I chose a bag of sour cream & onion corn snacks as well as pizza flavored potato chips with a waffle ice cream sandwich and cherry flavored milk/soda.  I'm not sure that's an accurate description of the drink or not.  It's a cloudy drink with cherries on the picture.  Leo bought one earlier today at a vending machine and let me have a sip.  It was good so I bought one on the way back to the hotel.  After tasting the 2 bags of chips (oishi!) I'll save them for the bullet train trip tomorrow to Osaka to share with everyone.

While we were cooling off and resting I looked up nearby restaurants and found an izakaya.  By definition, an izakya means :stay-drink-place".  It's basically a bar that serves food.  Leo perused the menu online and gave it a thumbs up, so off we went!  It was in an alley and down a steep, narrow set of stairs, so I had high hopes, as those are the best places, and I was not disappointed!  It had maybe 8 seats at the bar and enough seating for about 30 other people.  

We were given a menu in English that explained in return for charging a seating charge (otoshi), which is common, we would be receiving an "appetizer" of the cook's choice.  A seating charge is a way for the establishment to cover costs of maintaining the dining area and providing service.  Japan is a no-tipping culture.  In return for a otoshi we were given 2 small dishes each of glass noodles and seaweed.  Oishi!  Kenji and I each ordered a lemon/shochu drink.  Shochu is a distilled beverage typically made from rice, but is different from sake.  It's usually served mixed with water or soda.  It was bright and refreshing!  For the table to share we ordered edamame, both kinds of gyoza, steamed and pan fried, Kaarage (Japanese fried chicken chunks), tempura, chicken sukiyaki, cha-shu) smoked pork and yakisoba.  None of the dishes were large and we shared them all.  By the end we were all satisfied and thanked the staff profusely, telling them it was all oishi!

We were glad to have gone early (5 pm) since by the time we were finishing the salarymen (office workers) filled the remaining tables in our room and were beginning their after work drinking.  We wandered around Akasaka one last time, looking in windows, checking out the picture menus in front of all the restaurants.  We went into a drug store and Kenji purchased some cream for his knee which has been bothering him for a week before we left.  He's been wearing a knee brace the whole time we've been here.  I bought him a wrap-around ice pack the second day here that he's been using.  I got some band-aids for my newly developed blister on my big toe (yay) and then Mom and I stopped at Family Mart to pick up breakfast so we don't have to take time out in the AM.

We bade the guys good night and went to our room and spent time packing and blogging.  Mom and I are having fun watching TV each night and not understanding a word they say, but seem to be having fun whatever they're talking about.  Mom is especially interested in the weatherperson using a long stick with a nerf-looking ball on the end when pointing at the weather map.

A Journey of Spirituality and Life

Breakfast in our room while we got ready for church was quick and easy.  We had picked it up from Daily on our way back last night.  I had a brick of scrambled egg, strawberry yogurt, peach juice and an apple pastry.  Mom had a teriyaki burger and she put sliced tomatoes on it from yesterday's salad we never ate since it didn't have dressing.

We attended a church service for the Anglican Church in Tokyo at St. Alban's, which is on the grounds of the Anglican Cathedral.  We had searched and found this was the only place offering an Anglican service in English.  We took the Metro and found our way, walking up a steep hill at the end.  I was ready to sit and have some a/c!  There is NO break from this humidity even in the AM hours.

We got there about 30 mins before the service started and found the Rector sitting in a pew talking with a young woman and walking her through what sounded like would be her Baptism during the service.  We chose seats and I inquired about where I could find the toilet.  I was directed through a back door into the community room where I saw several children and adults who were obviously part of the migrant community St. Alban's touts as their signature ministry.  

The sanctuary was small, compared to All Saints at home, but it was absolutely full by the time the service started.  We were among perhaps 15 White people and there were perhaps 20 Japanese people and the rest were migrants from, we found out, Nigeria and Liberia.  I think the 3 young female acolytes were from Bangladesh.  Mom thinks they were perhaps from India.  All in all I think there were 100 people in the church!

The service was familiar, but also very different.  The verbiage, we were told by the Rector afterwards (who comes from Maryland and has family in Pennsylvania), uses an English translation of the Japanese Anglican Communion.  Today's service was slightly modified in that a Baptism was included.  Before Communion, the Rector gave visitors an opportunity to introduce themselves and tell where they are from.  I stood up and introduced Mom and I and stated we are visiting from the Los Angeles area.

Communion was very different from what we're used to.  We're not sure if it's perhaps a holdover from Covid or if this is the way they've always done it.  The Rector sat in a chair behind the communion rail and the congregants approached one by one and kneeled in front of of him.  He dipped the wafer in the communion cup, that the Deacon was holding, and put it in the congregant's hands, and it was to be consumed at the handrail before returning to our seats.  You can imagine how long that took for 100 people to receive communion! Immediately after the service a Japanese woman approached Mom and inquired specifically about the fires in LA at the beginning of the year and asked if our homes were in danger.  We said we had been fortunate, but that my home was near the start of one of the fires.  She expressed sorrow for those we know who lost their homes. She was very kind and Mom was very touched that she had made a point of seeking us out.

We looked to go to the coffee hour afterwards but the line to get into the community hall (and the line for coffee and snacks) was very long, so we decided to leave and find the guys.  As we walked out we saw the young woman who had been baptized and congratulated her on her new journey.  She spoke English very well and inquired about us and our visit to Japan.

The guys had gone to "Creepy Vending Machine Corner" while we were at church and suggested we meet for lunch at Tokyo train station.  Kenji texted me the name of a restaurant that we could use at a meeting spot and decide to go from there.  Let me tell you, not only is Tokyo train station a train station, but there are like 3 different malls there, too!  Getting off the Metro and navigating to find the meeting spot was a huge challenge and quite frustrating at times, but thank goodness for Google Maps we made it!  We ended up choosing a curry spot next door and waited a short time for a table for 4.  It gave us enough time to peruse the menu.  Mom and I decided to share a set (read: combo) of pork cutlet curry with rice that came with a small side salad and a bottle of lime soda.  The salad was crisp and fresh with a light and yummy dressing and the soda was bright and refreshing!  The curry was warm and yummy.

I was in need of a change of clothes at that point.  (Let's be honest, I was ready for a change of clothes before we even got to church)  The humidity is brutal.  I know I've said that before, but seriously.  I will never complain about the the wimpy humidity we have at home again. So Mom and I came back to the hotel and got into comfy dry, lay around the room clothes (jammies) and had a little rest.  

The guys came back about 4 pm and had a rest and then we all went to Shinjuku together for dinner. The Metro was very crowded!  We went to a place I had seen on YouTube for Gyudon.  Think: Yoshinoya Beef Bowl, it comes with rice.  Rice is life in Japan.  The word "gohan" means both rice and meal. The restaurant has about 14 bar stools around the kitchen and the owner was a lively gentleman who was amused at my attempts at Japanese.  His English was much better.  We ate and left.  Mom said she enjoyed the meal, but it went too fast. That's how most places are here.  Eat and leave.

We walked through Shinjuku and Kenji took us to see the Godzilla Hotel since I didn't see it when we were here a couple of days ago.  Mom commented how she has never seen so much neon!  I told her to wait til we get to Osaka.  We had to pass the 3D cat video screen again.  So cute!  Kawai!  I suggested we have shave ice for dessert, but we were unable to find any in the area so we went back to our iced coffee restaurant where we could all sit in a booth together and talk.  Kenji and I shared a large strawberry shave ice with condensed milk and soft serve ice cream.  It hit the spot!  It was cold and melted in my mouth and soothed all the heat.

After investigating the laundry facilities at the hotel, and making a plan to do laundry tomorrow (Monday) in anticipation of leaving Tokyo on Tuesday, we retreated to our respective rooms.  I showed Mom a YouTube video I'd seen on how to use hotel laundry machines and we both blogged.

Here's to hoping for more than 6 hours of sleep at some point soon.

A Journey of Art and Lights

Today was the only day we actually had firm plans for.  We had tickets for teamLab: Borderless.  We bought breakfast at the local Family Mart and ate together in the girl's room and talked about the day ahead.  I had the fried chicken patty Family Mart is famous for.  It was a thigh that was very moist and tender and had been friend fairly recently as it was still crunchy.

We convened together downstairs at the appointed time and walked to the Metro.  After a train change we found ourselves eagerly anticipating the experience!  If you attended the Van Gogh exhibit in Los Angeles, or any of the other cities it visited, you remember the projected images of his works on the walls as they moved, ebbed and flowed through the different rooms.  That's sort of what this was like.  Each room was a different projection and sometimes we came back into a room we'd been in and the projection was different.

There were also rooms with "exhibits" that we were asked not to touch.  One room was filled with LED lights hanging from the ceiling that had coordinated patterns to create a light show.  Many rooms had mirrors on the floor and ceiling, and in this room the mirrors created the illusion of thousands more strands of light than were actually in the room.  One room reminded me of the "core memories" from the movie "Inside Out", with spheres moving along tracks.

My favorite room was the one I called the "lily pad" room.  There were circles of a spandex-like material on a stick at about knee-height that gave way as I walked around the room on a pre-determined path.  The projections gave the appearance that I felt was lily pad-like.  I felt so serene in this room.  The music was very spa-like and I wanted to spend more time here, but there were no seats or benches to sit and stay and absorb the atmosphere.  

We spent 2 hours at teamLab and got lost easily, passing through many rooms several times trying to find places and projections we hadn't seen yet.  We lost each other many times and crossed paths with each other a few times.  It was an amazing experience and I'm so glad Kenji & Leo found it as something to do while we were in Tokyo.  It will stay with me the rest of my life.

Mom and I headed back to the room as my ankle was bothering me and I wanted to get off of it.  We picked up a veritable feast of a lunch at a little grocery store in the building over the Metro.  We went back to the room, pleased with our choices and eager to try our choices.  As we unpacked the bag we realized we had no silverware other than demitasse spoons in the room meant for the coffee/tea.  We laughed and made the best of, taking very small bites and stretching lunch out quite a while.  

Full and not eager to get back on my feet, I decided to take a nap and Mom did, too.  After we woke up and reconnected with the boys, we decided we really didn't want to eat anything more at the moment, but instead headed out in time to get over to the Shinjuku Government Building for their nightly Fun & Light show.  On Saturdays & Sundays the 15 minute shows are Pac-Man and Godzilla.  We joined the good sized crowd gathered in a courtyard across the street from a very tall building and we managed to find seats on the edges of flower beds and a couple of minutes later the Pac-Man show started.  I smiled as I saw the classic images of Pac-Man and the ghosts chasing him.  Images of Tokyo made appearances.

After a short break, the main event, Godzilla, appeared and began terrorizing Tokyo.  It was a uniquely Tokyo experience and a lot of fun!  It started to sprinkle near the end, but brought with it a cool breeze that was most welcome and a good trade off for the coming rain.

We found a close Metro entrance and ducked inside.  Mom and I shared a Pocari Sweat (a lightly flavored Gatorade-type electrolyte drink) while we waited for the subway.  When we got back to our station we all went into a Daily store and picked up items to have in our rooms for breakfast at our leisure tomorrow AM. The rain was more than sprinkles as we came out of Daily and the parts of my shirt that weren't yet stuck to me from the humidity were now pressed onto my skin with the rain as I had left my umbrella in the room.  *eye roll*

Mom and I have decided to go to St Alban's Anglican Church tomorrow AM for the only Anglican service in English in Tokyo.  Yet to be seen is if we'll make it to the 7:30 or 10:30 am service.  We've been waking up early enough we could make the 7:30, but might take our time and go to the 10:30.  We shall see.

We now only have 2 hours left in July 5 and no earthquake yet.  

A Journey of Separation and Togetherness

After not going to bed til 9:45 pm last night I managed to sleep all the way to 4 am today.  *eye roll* 

Mom, Leo & I had breakfast together while Kenji did some work.  The restaurant served sandwiches.  Mom had a chicken sandwich that tasted distinctly like teriyaki chicken with shredded cabbage on toasted white bread.  Leo had a pork cutlet (read: friend pork chop, no bone) sandwich and I had, wait for it, pizza toast with plenty of egg.  Yep, that's how Google Translate translated the menu.  You know I had to try that!  It turns out "plenty of egg" is egg salad.  It was an egg salad sandwich on thick cut bread that was toasted with marinara, cheese, tomatoes and a small slice of green bell pepper on it.  When we were here the day before for an iced coffee we had commented on that item.  You know I had to get it!  It was, well, different, that's for sure.  It wasn't awful, but I doubt I'd order it again.  Kenji wanted to try it so I used Google Translate and asked the waitress if I could take half back to the hotel for my husband.  She happily brought me t to-go box, despite Google saying take-out generally isn't done in Japan.  I know I embarrassed Leo by even asking for a box.  My job was done.  Achievement unlocked!

We went back to the hotel and gave Kenji the half sandwich and then we went our separate ways.  The boys went to an exhibit called Small Worlds, which was a display of miniature models of cities and other places.  I don't know. I didn't go.

Mom and I figured out how to get to the Imperial Palace so we could wander around the Gardens, as we didn't buy a ticket in time for a tour of the Palace.  As we approached the Palace I wondered why the gates were closed and the front had barricades.  As we got up to it we saw signs saying the Palace and Gardens are closed on Fridays.  *groan* We hadn't done our homework about it enough to know it's closed on Fridays.

Plan B was hatched and we were off to the Meiji Jingu Inner Garden at the Meiji Shrine. It was beautiful and peaceful and we sat for a while looking at the lily pads.

We went back to the hotel for A/C and a rest.  We were told later that the guys went to Tokyo Disneyland Ikspiari, which is kind of like a mall with restaurants and shopping.  They rode the monorail (which actually requires purchasing a ticket, since it's part of the rail system.

After they came back and had a rest, we all had dinner together.  We went to a restaurant on the corner near the hotel that serves ramen, gyozas and fried rice.  the guys had had the ramen last night, so they had friend rice.  Mom and I each ordered the gyozas which came in an order of 5.  They were steamed then lightly fried.  Oishi (pronounced oy-shee)!  It means delicious.  We sat at the counter and had a view into the kitchen, which is usual for small restaurants in Japan.  We spoke with the cooks and had some fun with exchanging English and Japanese words and smiles.

After our quick meal, we were off for our excitement of the evening and found ourselves at the Shibuya Scramble, which is the busiest intersection in the world.  Every time pedestrians cross during rush hour there are 3,000 (yes, three thousand, NOT a typo!) people crossing in all directions all at once!  We watched then jumped in and participated!  So much fun!  While we weren't there at the height of rush hour, there were A LOT of people there nonetheless as it is Friday night and Shibuya is a busy area for nightlife.  After the Scramble we wandered around Shibuya and took in the neon lights and folks in line for popular restaurants and bars.  It started to sprinkle so we headed back to the subway.  

The train stations are no joke in regards to size and extensive walking required to get up and down escalators and stairs.  Google Maps is a necessity to know which exit to use to get closest to your destination.  You don't want to go above ground in the wrong spot or you could be very far from where you want to be.

On our way back to the hotel we stopped at a 7/11 in the Akasaka train station for snacks.  7/11 in Japan is VERY different than in the US.  There are freshly packaged prepared meals, truly fresh fruit, bakery items that don't stay on the shelves more than a day, so you know they won't be stale.  We got a pancake sandwich with butter and syrup in the middle, which is one of the items they are famous for. The guys got drinks and Mom & I got lattes for the AM to save time.

We came back and had a dessert-tasting party in the girls' room.  The pancake was soft and yummy!

Fingers crossed for longer sleep for me tonight. And fingers crossed the Manga (Google it) prediction for a large earthquake in Japan tomorrow, July 5, doesn't actually come true.  Yes, it's real.  Google it and pray for us.

A Journey of the First Day

When one goes to bed at 8:30 pm, one should not be surprised when they wake up for good at 2:30 am.  Too bad my roommate slept til I got out of the shower at 6 am.

The boys were showered and out of their room at 5:30 am to explore the neighborhood. We met up and found a local spot for breakfast.  You order using a machine-ticket system. I saw the plastic food in the window and decided I wanted #39.  Mom and Kenji got the same thing.  Leo got melon bread at Family Mart.  Our dishes were a super oishi (yummy) bowl of soba noodles, seaweed, a soft boiled egg and a veggie nest-pancake item.  Such a very different breakfast from back home, but was perfect and held us all over well til lunch.

We went to the local Akasaka Shrine, Hie, and paid our respects.  The Tori gates on the staircase down were sublime.

Then it was time for our first foray on to the Metro.  We got our Suica cards ready and made our way downstairs into the subway system.  When we got off we found ourselves in Shinjuku, where Leo was looking for the, wait for it, Disney Store.  I know, I know.  Apparently a few new Tsum Tsums (Google it) were released a couple of days ago.  We found them and wandered the 3 story store extensively.  I could've easily bought several items there, but resisted.  Nothing grabbed me enough to be willing to drag it around Japan for 4 weeks.

Then it was time for a surprise for mom and one of the things I've been looking forward to a lot, the Shinjuku 3D cat.  It was so much fun to see in person!  What I wasn't prepared for was all the other videos on the screen between appearances by the cat.  From what I've seen on YouTube it was all cat all the time.  Oh well.  We hung out there for a while and got some fun photos and videos.

It was about 1 pm and we were all ready for lunch.  I saw a Tourist Information office and went to ask for a recommendation for something nearby that is yummy and inexpensive.  We were directed to the elevator going downstairs and were told there were several restaurants down there.  We found a place where we all decided on different dishes and were looking forward to trying a bite of each other's meals.  As we ordered we were told that they had just run out of the fish dish I wanted and another one Kenji wanted.  Bah humbug!  The Lusters all ended up getting a fried chicken nugget meal with a tartar sauce.  Odd sounding, yes, but oishi nonetheless.  It was too bad our salads didn't have any dressing.  I would've liked more pickled daikon (Japanese radish).

After lunch the boys went to go explore and Mom & I wandered through a stationary store. I then had my first bidet experience.  Well, first of *this* trip. Boy, howdy, I forgot what deadly aim that stream of water has!  then walked to the Shinjuku National Garden.  It was lovely an green. but only a couple of patches of hydrangeas and no other flowers.  The humidity got the better of us and we headed back to the hotel.  The boys had already been back at the hotel about an hour before we got back.

I changed clothes when we got back and having put on my jammies, sort of made up my mind that I was in for the night.  My feet were throbbing and I couldn't imagine putting my shoes on again.  Mom and I weren't interested in eating again today, so the boys went out and got ramen without us, then returned to the hotel and were in for the night early, too.  A muffin I brought from the plane will serve as my dinner.

The humidity is wiping the floor with me.  I could easily change clothes every hour.  

I'm hopeful to stay up til 10 pm, my usual bedtime, to get onto a better sleep/wake schedule.  

A Journey to Japan

Today started dark and early.  I picked Mom up at 5:45 am and we were all picked up at our house at 6:15 am for a drive to LAX.  After getting through TSA we made our way to Delta Lounge and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before boarding the plane for our estimated 11 hour flight to Tokyo.

The flight was smooth and uneventful.  I watched 4 movies, 3 I hadn't seen before.  We got through Immigration & Customs with only minor hiccups and got to an ATM and got cash and found the Suica card machine and purchased 3 Welcome Suica (pronounced swee-ka) cards (Kenji will be using his on his phone).  A Suica card will get us around Japan on the local trains, the subways and can even be used at convenience stores like 7-11 (a totally different and MUCH better store than in the US), Family Mart and Lawson.

Kenji found our driver and we loaded into his van for the approx. 30 minute ride to our hotel.  After checking in leaving luggage in our rooms, we departed for a walk-about in our Akasaka neighborhood.  We found a Family Mart next door and all purchased cold drinks.  In Japan it is considered rude and walk and drink at the same time so we sat outside the Family Mart and drank then walked to a 9 story Bic Camera store for Leo to look for film for his camera.  Yes, actual film!  He bought a film camera specifically for this trip.  Mom was amazed that there were soooo many floors of electronics and so many other items all for ONE store!  Yes, we explored all 9 floors.

We continued exploring the main street in Akasaka on foot after we left Bic Camera.  Mom and I wandered into a Daily convenience store and found they have a more extensive selection of freshly prepared, ready-to-eat foods.  We all selected some items and went back to our rooms.  We have 2 rooms the whole trip, with each room having 2 twin beds.  We are bunking girls with girls and boys with boys.  Mom and I watched some Japanese TV while eating our dinner, which cost about $5 each.

It is very humid here. My new battery-operated neck fan doesn't seem to be able to keep up with the humidity unless it's on the top speed.  Yikes!

Everyone seems to be winding down early, with none of us sleeping on the plane (well, Kenji cat-napped a couple of times, and I closed my eyes but never fell asleep).

Hopefully we'll all get a full night's rest and be on local time and ready to go in the morning!