Sayonara Japan!

Goodbye Japan! On our last day in Japan we took a long walk around the city to soak it all in.

We left Narita at 7:00pm & returned to Hawaii that same day at 8:00am.
Even though the nieces didn't skip school to see us they made us this nice sign.

It was such an amazing trip, we've already been researching where to go next time we are in Japan.

Tsukiji fish Market

We woke up at 4:30 & went to the Tsukiji fish market. Since I know Fonse doesn't like to see carcases I opted not to post the headless Ahi photos. The auction was busy!

We had Sushi for breakfast. I had a near death by wasabi incident here. Thanks to Josh he took one for the team & ate my uni (Sea Urchin) sushi when the chef wasn't looking.

We spent the day shopping in Ginza & Shinagawa at Toky hands. At one of the grocery stores we found 50$ mangoes & cherries!

Are you surprised this didn't happen earlier in our trip??

Harajuku

On our free day, we went to the National Art Museum near Ueno Park. The museum allowed pictures of certain pieces & I thought these guys were pretty cool.


We then went to Harajuku to eat lunch & shop! Here are some of my new H.F.F (Harajuku friends forever). Kawaii! They love to throw the peace sign.


I'd like Josh to dress more like this guy.

We stopped in Shibuya to see the famous "scramble crossing" & we had a great view from the Starbucks window. Every few minutes the intersection would disappear & in an organized manner people would make the crossing. No one pushed or looked inpatient.

Rainy day in Tokyo

Japanese breakfast, breakfast of champions!

We had one day of bad weather in Tokyo, it poured!
The Meiji Shrine...

At the shrines they sell tablets that you can write your wishes on the back & then hang up to be blessed. At the end of the year they are burned in hopes that the wishes comes true.

We went on a long river cruise up the Sumida river which happened to drop us off near the Asahi headquarters. We ran away from the group & went to the beer hall on the 22 floor & took in the city views. The Golden building is supposed to be represent a beer glass & the building to the right is shaped like a beer mug with an Asahi flame on it.

Mt. Fuji

We weren't supposed to see Mt. Fuji because the weather was so cloudy, but the skies parted for about an hour while we were up there & we were able to see the top. Here is the view of Mt. Fuji from the 5th station.

Once it got cloudly Josh & I went for walk in the snow. Josh & his sake box.



On the bus ride to Tokyo our tour guide kept us busy with some crafts. We learned how to make Mt. Fuji & a Samurai hat.

Hakone

Bye Bye Kyoto, we took the bullet train to Hakone.

Once in Hakone we took a river cruise up Lake Ashi, it felt like being in the San Juans in Washington.


Cherry blossoms never get old! This tree was huge!

Josh at the Hakone Open Air Museum. Surprisingly we loved this museum because it had interesting pieces & it was nice to take a walk in a park. The Picasso exhibit was less than interesting.

Josh taking a picture of himself.

My favorite sculpture...

Josh enjoying the foot bath at the museum.


I scream we all scream for Wasabi ice cream!

We then went to the sulfa steam fields or "Hell" as our tour guide called it. We managed to hike up to the top, it stunk!

If Josh & I were beers...

Once at the hotel we enjoyed the Onsen or hot springs, I loved it! My skin felt so smooth after & my back didn't ache.

Ise Shrine-pearl divers

It was a beautiful day to visit the Grand Ise Shrine, however we couldn't take pictures inside the shrine :( Here is a picture leading up to the shrine.


We then visited a small fishing village & were invited into the Ama divers hut for a snack of things they had caught that morning. The oysters were so good!

The Ama divers make me feel so tall. The woman on the far right is 77 & still dives, they go down 30 feet with no tank, just a mask & fins.

At the Mikimoto Pearl Island in Toba we watched a woman diver dive for pearls.

If it weren't for this sign I don't know what I would have done.

Miho Museum-Kyoto

We were very fortunate to visit the Miho Museum. It was designed by I.M. Pei, a famous architect who did the Louve. He dug up the mountain to build the museum & then covered it back up so that it blended in with nature. The building is more amazing than the art on display.
The entrance was lined with cherry blossoms.

To reach the museum we had to walk through a tunnel & over a suspended bridge. Once we got out of the tunnel the beauty that surronded us was amazing.



View from inside the museum.

On our way back to Kyoto we stopped at pottery shop & learned about Skigaraki pottery making in clay kilns & painted tea cups. Josh posing with all the Tanuki (Japanese raccoon dogs).

Everything in Japan is so perfect...the plants at the flower shop & candies at a market.

For dinner we had Shabu shabu, my new fav! We saw a kabuki performance in the Gion district & now I know why Granny crossed it off, it was boring.