In the coming days, I'll be writing about our trip to Japan, Illinois and Maryland. I haven't been able to do so because well... I've been rather busy.
Before we started this trip, Tif warned us that what they were planning would be TOTALLY different from what we're used to. She knows that Art carefully plans each day of our trips to the hour (I'm avoiding saying to the minute), scheduling our mealtimes, where we'd eat, what historical place we're going to see and learn about as well as how to get everywhere.
Ed and Tif prefer a looser trip, deciding where to go in the morning after checking the weather and what fun thing is available. Tif warned us that they would not be focusing on historical places or... temples.
We had originally planned to stay at an Airbnb but Japan suddenly changed their licensing procedures and all reservations were cancelled. Airbnb would eventually reimburse the difference we had to pay to stay at a hotel which was fabulous.
It was even more fabulous because our MyStay Omori hotel had a great free buffet that we ALL loved.
Tif and Ed (I'll bet it was Tif) decided that the first place we'd visit would be the Tokyo City Flea Market since we could walk there easily.
Needless to say Tiffany and KC had a fabulous time finding all kinds of amazing deals.
We'd taken Tiffany to Japan more than 20 years ago along with her brother, but this was the first time for both Ed and KC.
We'd had a discussion earlier about whether a tanuki was a racoon or not and KC wondered what it looked like.
This is from Wikipedia:
The Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus, also known as tanuki (狸 or たぬき, [taꜜnɯki]) in Japanese, is a subspecies of the Asian raccoon dog.
Whatever the case, we actually saw a stuffed tanuki at the flea market.
Mom used to tell me stories about tanukis being able to change their shape and being mischievous creatures in fairy tales.
Our next adventure was to take a metro train.
At almost every train stop we went to, KC would look for a stamp to add to her little book.
People in Japan are always willing to help if they can. This fellow pointed out where to go on the train.
Trains are efficient and clean!
We always like to visit the Shibuya stop and take a photo next to Hachiko.
This is from Wikipedia:
Hachikō (ハチ公, November 10, 1923 – March 8, 1935) was an Akita dog born on a farm near the city of Odate, Akita Prefecture, Japan. He is remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner, Hidesaburo Ueno, for whom he continued to wait for over nine years following his death.
The Shibuya area was packed with people probably because of the excitement over the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Their team, Samurai Blue had just tied with Senegal.
Our first dinner was at Tonkatsu Maisen Tokyu Toyoko Restaurant which Ed had found online as having the best pork tonkatsu. It was very, very good. Perhaps it was the best one we had while in Japan.
It was amazing to us how Ed could navigate around Japan and find the best places to experience and eat at. He could even use his phone to translate Japanese words using Google.
Incredible!
Before we started this trip, Tif warned us that what they were planning would be TOTALLY different from what we're used to. She knows that Art carefully plans each day of our trips to the hour (I'm avoiding saying to the minute), scheduling our mealtimes, where we'd eat, what historical place we're going to see and learn about as well as how to get everywhere.
We had originally planned to stay at an Airbnb but Japan suddenly changed their licensing procedures and all reservations were cancelled. Airbnb would eventually reimburse the difference we had to pay to stay at a hotel which was fabulous.
It was even more fabulous because our MyStay Omori hotel had a great free buffet that we ALL loved.
Tif and Ed (I'll bet it was Tif) decided that the first place we'd visit would be the Tokyo City Flea Market since we could walk there easily.
Needless to say Tiffany and KC had a fabulous time finding all kinds of amazing deals.
We'd taken Tiffany to Japan more than 20 years ago along with her brother, but this was the first time for both Ed and KC.
We'd had a discussion earlier about whether a tanuki was a racoon or not and KC wondered what it looked like.
This is from Wikipedia:
The Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus, also known as tanuki (狸 or たぬき, [taꜜnɯki]) in Japanese, is a subspecies of the Asian raccoon dog.
Whatever the case, we actually saw a stuffed tanuki at the flea market.
Mom used to tell me stories about tanukis being able to change their shape and being mischievous creatures in fairy tales.
Our next adventure was to take a metro train.
At almost every train stop we went to, KC would look for a stamp to add to her little book.
People in Japan are always willing to help if they can. This fellow pointed out where to go on the train.
Trains are efficient and clean!
We always like to visit the Shibuya stop and take a photo next to Hachiko.
This is from Wikipedia:
Hachikō (ハチ公, November 10, 1923 – March 8, 1935) was an Akita dog born on a farm near the city of Odate, Akita Prefecture, Japan. He is remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner, Hidesaburo Ueno, for whom he continued to wait for over nine years following his death.
The Shibuya area was packed with people probably because of the excitement over the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Their team, Samurai Blue had just tied with Senegal.
Our first dinner was at Tonkatsu Maisen Tokyu Toyoko Restaurant which Ed had found online as having the best pork tonkatsu. It was very, very good. Perhaps it was the best one we had while in Japan.
It was amazing to us how Ed could navigate around Japan and find the best places to experience and eat at. He could even use his phone to translate Japanese words using Google.
Incredible!
What a wonderful trip to have with your family and your son in law is a gem for certain!, Your granddaughter has grown so much, a young lady!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great trip! Thanks for the wonderful photos!!
ReplyDeleteWe travel more like Ed especially when we were in Scotland last fall. KC is getting tall.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this auspicious beginning. No Airbnb but a fabulous hotel instead. And yes, KC is definitely getting very tall, growing up very fast. :-)
ReplyDeleteHow enjoyable! Our kids really enjoyed Japan. Our grandies, well one girl, did really well with chop sticks, too!
ReplyDeletehow fun to go with family, food looks yummy, i remember that show about the dog who waited for his master for years-very touching...i went to japan in 2003 with my son daniel to pick up my youngest son jeff from his mission in hiroshima-loved the trip and traveling on our train pass.
ReplyDeleteLove hearing about your trips, what fun to be along with Tif and Ed and KC!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a wonderful trip and it is always good to try something new -- like being a bit more spontaneous. What a special experience for your granddaughter as well.
ReplyDeleteStartling to hear of your AirBnB being cancelled. but it seems that it all worked out for the best - and then some...Wonderful to get to be in Japan with your daughter, granddaughter and son in law. We were always very flexible with our traveling and it led to some surprising adventures, but my husband was very clever at figuring things out. I might have liked to be a bit more into planning ahead! That stuffed animal you found looks as if it could be rather mischievous.
ReplyDeleteMy mind simply boggles. How great the youngest generations just blended in.
ReplyDeleteWe like to travel easily too, but we visit temples, churches, and museums too. This trip looks like a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat to see those new places and be part of the local life. Glad the AirBnB problem worked out.
ReplyDeleteFlea market!
ReplyDeleteHope Art enjoyed letting SIL take care of all the planning. Wasn't the story of Hachiko turned into a movie with Richard Gere? I loved it and sobbed along with the rest of the audience.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking us along! KC is definitely not a little girl anymore! Are you giving Art Xanax to be able to travel in a more laid-back mode? I love those translating apps: used one for Hispanic patients and their families as a hospice nurse. Very comforting to take the time to speak into the phone and everyone understand by audio and speaking-activated printed words on the phone. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteYou are having another great trip to Japan.
ReplyDeleteAnother fun and different way to travel. I'm more like Art, having almost everything mapped out, except perhaps meals. I don't know how easy it would be to let go, but if I could, it would be nice to just relax and go along.
ReplyDeleteThey had a pair of tanukis at the atlanta zoo
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely trip!! Can't wait to see what you visited in Maryland!!
ReplyDeleteFunny to see a Tanuki! I love to play the game Animal Crossing. In it a tanuki runs the shop. I thought they were fictional! Are they similar to raccoons? They look like it,
ReplyDeleteI didn’t think it looked that much like a raccoon except for the face. They call it a raccoon dog which is a species onto itself.
DeleteEnjoying reading about your trip and seeing your photographs …
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
It is always more exciting to visit places with first-timers. What a lucky girl KC is to experience Japan with her family!
ReplyDelete