After literally years of anticipation, mommy finally got to accompany daddy on her first trip to Japan. After living in Japan for two years and studying the culture and language for nearly twelve years of his life, it undoubtedly holds a very special place in daddy’s heart and he couldn’t wait to share it with his best friend. Unfortunately this was a business trip for daddy, so it was by no means a vacation. I guess someone’s gotta work! I know I’m certainly not bringing much to the table! Even with daddy’s busy work schedule, they still managed to squeeze in a few side trips on the weekends and partied it up at night. While daddy was out working the market, mommy was busy taking solo sightseeing trips throughout the city and attempting to conquer the intricate and complicated Tokyo train systems that apparently even the Japanese get lost on!
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| Japanese Railways |
On their first day in Tokyo they visited Meiji Jingu (Shinto Shrine) and Sensoji (Buddhist Temple) in Asakusa. They were blessed with a very good luck fortune at Meiji, but weren’t so lucky at Sensoji. They made sure to tie up their bad fortune along with all the other unlucky readings so it could be “blown away” in the wind. They strolled through Harajuku, a popular fashion district where young individuals come out every Sunday to express their creativity and unique fashion styles. Being stuck in school uniforms six days a week, many individual's clothing choices are very "unique" to say the least!
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| Sacred Doorway at the Meiji Shrine |
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| We wish for health and happiness for our friends and family :) |
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| Sensoji Temple |
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| Mommy's luck sucked! |
While daddy was out selling wine, mommy ventured all around Tokyo. She walked the entire perimeter of the Imperial Palace hoping to get a glimpse of the Emperor, shopped till she dropped (AKA ran out of Yen) in Shibuya Square, visited Kichijoji Park where couples can rent swan paddle boats and test their love out on a cursed pond, and even took a trip to the Sapporo Factory and Yebisu Beer Museum. A beer tour by your self, mommy? Kind of pathetic to drink alone, but I probably would have done the same!
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| Nijubashi Bridge outside the Imperial Palace |
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| Security guard offered to take a picture of mommy...she must have looked lonely! |
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| SHIBUYA SQUARE!!! |
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| Kichijoji Park |
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| Mommy getting her Yebisu drink on! |
Mommy met up with daddy after work one evening to have dinner with his local importer. The food and wine was fantastic! After dinner the whole sales crew took them out for a proper karaoke experience. They sang a duet to “Party in the USA”, mommy belted out “California Girls”, and daddy rocked out to Backstreet Boys and even serenaded mommy with a few classic love songs in Japanese!!! Luckily she got it all on camera!
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| Mottox Wine Dinner |
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| PEACE! |
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| Daddy hitting the high notes at Karaoke! |
At the end of the workweek, they blasted down to Kyoto on the Shinkansen (bullet train) cruising at speeds of 300 kilometers per hour. During the day they visited Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, and Kiyomizu Temple. Both of them were absolutely breathtaking. Pictures don’t quite do them justice! At night they strolled through the streets and narrow alleyways of Gion where it’s not uncommon to see traditional Japanese Geishas all dolled up in white makeup, dressed to the nines in extravagant kimonos, and clanking down the street in wooden getas. They wandered off the beaten path dipping into small izakayas and restaurants, getting curious stares and glances when they entered the typically Japanese-only establishments. Everyone was quickly blown away when they heard daddy’s Japanese!!!
In between sightseeing mommy and daddy spent most of their time sipping sake, umeshu, and chu hi, or chugging Asahi beer while gorging on local cuisine….sushi, udon noodles, shabu shabu, gyoza, tonkatsu, okonomiyaki, soba noodles, curry ramen, a ridiculous amount of fresh seafood, daikon salad, chili tofu, basashi (Look it up! Daddy didn’t tell mommy what it was until after she ate it. He usually does this if he thinks she’ll be skeptical. The trick works every time! Surprisingly she usually likes it too!). Even the eki bentos (boxed lunches) they picked up at the train station were delicious! They probably gained a few L-B’s on this trip! I’m sure they’ll be hitting the gym hard this week!
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| Tonkatsu - Breaded Pork Cutlet |
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| Dinner with Aki and his family |
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| Sushi spread! |
They made lots of wonderful memories during the nine days they visited Japan, but there are still so many beautiful places to explore. I’m sure they’ll definitely be back soon! While they were gone I stayed at our neighbor’s house who recently moved here from Tokyo. I had so much fun running around and playing with Yuki and Pal (collies) that the nine-day separation went by really fast. I heard from Yuki and Pal that Tokyo has lots of cute mini doxies, apparently since we’re good dogs for small apartments. I’m hoping maybe mommy and daddy will bring me home a girlfriend next time they visit. A guy can dream, right? Until then, I’m just happy my parents are home and I have my two new best friends next door to play with. Until next time, sayonara!
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| She doesn't know it yet, but she's my future lover! |
