Notes From: Japan

The flight was long as we passed the equator back to Winter. (Jane prepared for the return to cold with plenty of hot chocolate on the flight.)

This is my fourth time in the Land of the Rising Sun. It remains exciting and new. If you like to explore, there is something to discover around every corner. It seems every building is different from both neighbors and yet it all works. 

Once you understand the transportation, it’s so convenient to get anywhere quickly. Our first day was total Tokyo with trains, temples, and tall Trees. It was so fun to revisit all these places with the whole family. 

In our continued quest for new sports, we were very excited to see the Sumo championship. The mix of force and finesse was awesome to feel in person. There is so much history to take in with all the rules in the sport and in their lives. (For example: Sumo athletes are not allowed to drive and they must have hair. If they start balding then their career is over.) 

Awesome sport and evening together. 

Disney Days

We had two days of Disney in Tokyo. 
DisneySea was alright. While there are some fun rides for the kids, everything is spread out so far. It takes some planning and good walking shoes. 

The most important thing to know is that they have crème brûlée churros. It’s a good thing the stand is 5,526 miles from home or the addiction would be real. We spent a small fort-yen.

Disneyland Tokyo remains the most pleasant of all the Disney parks. It’s full of well-kept design and polite patrons. Beauty and the Beast definitely feels like a next generation ride and I was happy to be their guest again.

Some Japan Highlights

With a small food joint on every corner, you could go years without repeating a dish. We all loved the variety. 

The kids really loved the arcades and capsule machines. Since the US Dollar is so strong against the Yen right now, there were a lot of coins and cranes working. 

Pepper Parlor was fun as robots showed us to our table, brought to us our food, and stayed by the table for conversation and dance. 

My first time to Tokyo, I saw a slide that was too tempting to pass by without trying. 

Since that time, it’s been a family tradition to ride it when in Tokyo. If you ever visit, feel free to reach out for the location of this slide. 

Back to the Warm

Now that we’re done with Japan, we’ve completed the one cold week of the trip. Back to the warm parts of the world. 

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“Notes From” is a series where I share observations from recent adventures. You can read more of these in the “Notes From” category.