Goodbye Japan, Hello America

Peter watching the planes, Tokyo International Airport

Well, it was finally time. Time to fly back to America, for our travels to be over, to be back in a place where we understand the language and can easily navigate a grocery store. It was time to go back to family and friends, although we had made some great friends in China and visited some friends in Taiwan. It was time to be "home". We got to the airport on one of the easiest trips yet. We had read that there was a cheap bus that went from the train station to the airport. It was a stressful minute or two from the subway to get to the bus (I was worried we would miss it and have to take a later bus and therefore have a close call catching our plane.) But once we found the bus stop, all stress fell away. The bus came within 5 minutes of waiting, we boarded and were on our way. We got to the airport with time to spare, checked in, ate the last of our jam and bread, since glass jars can't go through security, and got through everything. By this time, we were pros at the security checks and got through with no issues.

We got to our gate and started the waiting game. We found a tv that you could pick the channel to watch and we found a sumo match. We watched a couple of matches and learned that we have one regret in regards to Japan. If I ever go back, I want to go to a sumo match. It was incredibly captivating and really fun to watch. There is much more involved than just knocking the other guy down. There is quite a bit of strategy and I think it would be fascinating to go to in person. We watched some television, wandered around, changed a diaper, and ate some snacks.

Peter and the feiji.

The boys riding the moving sidewalks.

As it got closer to departure time, we could see the plane and all the cars getting it ready. This was by far the biggest plane I think I've ever ridden in. It was 2 stories tall. Our seats were on the first level (I think), and I assume the upper level is for the rich folk, but I'll never know. Peter loved looking at the plane and Jonathan was equally amazed by the size of this one. He was excited to fly in it.

Our plane

So many windows

Also, for future knowledge of flying internationally, Singapore Airlines takes care of its people. I was quite impressed by the service we received on their plane. When we got to our seats, a flight attendant came by and gave Peter a small stuffed toy to have for the ride. Each child that got on the plane got a little toy. They came around again with warm washcloths that you could use to feel cleaned up. They did this again at the end of the flight. Peter was more interested in chewing on it, but it kept him happy, and the adults enjoyed wiping down.

Nothing like a hot cloth to chew on.

Also, we had our screens back. Unlike our budget flight from Taiwan to Japan, everyone had a screen on the seat back and a controller so they could watch/listen to what they wanted. It was nice, especially with Peter to have something to occupy him during times he couldn't walk around and wasn't ready to sleep. It's also nice for adults too, because 10 hours in a plane will drive you a little crazy, especially if you can't sleep.

Television for everyone! Told you it was a big plane.

Another awesome thing about this airline was their food service. We boarded around 7pm (Japan time), and we landed (California time) about 1 pm, so we got dinner when we left, breakfast in the middle, and I think a snack/lunch before we landed. They also had a section of the menu of things you could get whenever you needed something to eat. That list had everything from biscuits to fruit to sandwiches. Peter started to get a little crazy at the beginning of the flight because he really didn't want to have the seat belt on and it was past his bed time, and he was hungry, so I asked a flight attendant if he could have some biscuits. She quickly brought a little tray over with 4 cookies on it. Oh British English, how tricky you are. Here I was trying to get my little guy something to eat before he sleeps for the next 9 hours (fingers crossed) and you bring me sugary treats. Well, small man was happy, and he shared with everyone.

Peter and the biscuits

Most of the flight went by without too much problem except for one part. So, I really hate flying. It makes me super nervous every single time. I don't like that I have no control over the vehicle I am in, and I hate that if something stops working the plane will plummet to the ground (at least in my mind). I get really anxious before every flight...which I know is ironic since we flew a lot the last year and I really love to travel and see new places. Sometimes I can give myself power talks during the flight, "Robin, you are totally fine. You are awesome. Being scared will not help the pilots nor will it take away the turbulence. Being worried does nothing but make you worried. So stop it. Breathe. You are with your family. You can rock this flight. You are the best passenger in the world. You can do this." Sometimes those internal talks shake the fear away but other times my mind just stops functioning rationally when we hit turbulence and goes straight to panic mode. I have cried on a couple of flights, something I am not proud of. Jonathan does an awesome job of keeping me calm.

So on this particular flight, we had hit a couple of bumps, but nothing too bad. And, since it was a big plane and we were in the middle of it, I could almost forget that we were in the air. All of the trains we'd ridden in probably helped with that. Until one part of the flight. We were a couple of hours in, and the flight attendants were serving dinner when the pilot came on the intercom. He said, "We need all flight attendants to return to their seats and suspend the meal service at this time. We will be encountering some moderate to severe turbulence. Please stay in your seats with seat belts fastened."

My heart stopped and the only thing that went through my head was, "We are going to die tonight." Jonathan was wrestling Peter and couldn't do anything to make me feel better, and Beccah was about to say something and Jonathan must have shot her a death glare because she suddenly understood that at this point, my fear of flying was not something to joke about. Instead she slid her hand into mine and said, "Hey, how about let's watch a movie? What sounds good?" She then went through different movie options on my screen, settling on a Bollywood movie. She continued to talk with a very bright and cheery voice that did a good job of distracting me from my imminent death. We started watching our movies with my death grip on her hand.

Now, the pilot had warned us of the level of turbulence, and I don't know if it was the size of the plane that lessened it, or if it was God looking out for me and helping me get home without having a heart attack on the plane, or if the pilot was skilled in making it through the rough patch, but I have felt much worse turbulence on planes where we had no warning and which lasted for much longer. The turbulence wasn't horrible and of course we survived. Once it was clear, the flight attendants fed us. I didn't eat much because at that point I just wanted off that plane...good thing we have another 7-8 hours. Awesome.

But, as time does, it passed and before we knew it, we were getting close to landing time. Peter did sleep for a good part of the flight. He woke up every hour or two and cried for a couple of minutes before settling down again. I slept some squished on the edge of mine and Peter's seat with my head on Jonathan's lap. Jonathan and Beccah didn't sleep, but they watched heaps of movies.

American breakfast on the plane! So much food.

We landed and got through security without a hitch. We got asked a question about how we were related and if we were staying in the same house, but we passed and they let us back into America! We got our luggage after a little wait, and then went and met up with Jonathan's parents. We stayed with them until the effects of jet lag wore off (it took Jonathan and I about a week, and Peter about 2 weeks) and went on some adventures in California, but those are stories for another day.

Jonathan and Peter with our month's worth of luggage.

I remembered to take this picture on our last day, once we were in LA, California. I wanted to remember how we traveled. We have an umbrella stroller, 2 school sized backpacks (blue in the stroller and black and green on the top of the luggage cart, 1 "diaper bag"/purse (red flowered) and one camping size backpack. We sent suitcases home with friends of ours who went back to America before we did, as well as a suitcase of things home with my brother. We also shipped a box of things home when we were in Beijing and realized we didn't want to carry so much with us for the next month. We had about 2 pair of shorts and one church outfit each, and 4-6 shirts each. We bought diapers as we went and one of the backpacks was full of toys, books, stuffed panda and soft blanket for Peter. Overall, I think we did great on traveling light, but if we do something like this again, I will bring less things for Peter. I would leave the laptop and bring a tablet, and I would have just brought 3-4 shirts. Live and learn. Next post, adjusting back to America, reverse culture shock.

Tokyo LDS Temple

Peter, Robin and Jonathan at the Tokyo Temple

Our last two days in Japan were spent staying at the LDS temple patron housing. As with staying in the Hong Kong temple housing, it was a fantastic experience and an excellent way to end our travels. When we arrived at the temple, we learned that we could not check in for a couple of hours more, as they were cleaning the rooms. Peter had just fallen asleep in the stroller, so Beccah took him for a walk while Jonathan and I went in and did a temple session. The entire session was in Japanese, but they had headphones we used to hear the English version. It is the first time I had to be the one listening to a different language in a temple. It was bothersome at first, because the sound kept going in and out. But once I got that fixed, everything was fine. Sometimes I'd push one of the headphone ear pieces back so I could hear the Japanese and English. It was pretty cool to hear the Japanese. It was lovely to be in the temple again and just feel peace and calm. The Tokyo temple is gorgeous inside. In the celestial room, there was some beautiful stained glass work on one side, and the ceiling was made up of lots of little mirrors or glass squares that were tilted different ways and it created a really neat visual texture. I loved our time in the Tokyo temple and enjoyed staying in the patron housing.

Tokyo Temple at night

Some stained glass work

More stained glass, because I love it.

One of the neat things about the Tokyo housing was that it was also where the LDS missionaries stayed. The building was a couple of stories high, and one floor was for temple patrons to stay in, and the rest was for the missionaries. Your key only let you go on your needed floor within the building, but we got to brush shoulders with missionaries a couple of times. There were at least two different pairs of sister missionaries we met while we stayed there. We had some great conversations with them.

My favorite time was talking with one of the sisters about the Chinese that she had a chance to teach. We bumped into the missionaries in the metro stop that we used to get to the temple housing, and we started talking with them. I had mentioned that we had lived in China prior to our trip to Japan and I told her that it was sometimes really frustrating living there because the Chinese government doesn't allow missionaries or missionary work in China. But sometimes you would get in a conversation with a coworker or friend and they want to know what you think about God. Or, they ask what Easter is and why we celebrate it. There are people in China who want to know about God and Christ, but foreigners aren't allowed to talk about the LDS church in China. There were times that it was really frustrating for me because I wanted to share what I know and teach them, but if I did, we could get in trouble. The sister missionary I was speaking with got excited as I was telling her this and said that she had been able to teach a number of Chinese who had traveled to Japan for various reasons. You are allowed to share the gospel with Chinese as long as they are not in China. She said that there was one Chinese woman who had the missionaries over frequently and invited all of her Chinese friends to come each time to talk with the missionaries about the church. She also told me about a Chinese guy they had taught and baptized and that he went back to China and told his family about the church and later went on a mission. It was such an exciting conversation for both of us.

It made me so happy to hear that there were so many Chinese who were getting the chance to learn about the restored gospel and that we have a living prophet on the earth today and that they have a Father in heaven who knows and loves them. It reminded me that the Lord does have a plan and He is looking out for all of His children. I am so thankful for the missionaries who go all over the world and get a chance to share the gospel. I am glad I had a chance to meet this particular missionary, who reminded me that even when things seem like they are blocking the way of the gospel or leaving people behind, that the Lord finds a way, and has ways always. I am so grateful for the gospel in my life. I know that families can be together forever, I know that the temple is the house of the Lord and we can feel his love there. I know we have a living prophet who guides our church. I know that by living the commandments and the teachings of our church leaders, my life is better than it would be without it.  I loved meeting the missionaries and feeling their love of the Japanese and their love of the gospel that they were sharing with those around them. The Church is true, and I love it.

Tokyo, Japan Temple

Harajuku- Tokyo, Japan

Harajuku is one of the neighborhoods in Tokyo that I was really excited to go to. It is the place where all the teenagers who dress up like crazy go to hang out. Crazy dressed as in- rainbow hair, goth clothes, and girls dressed up like little dolls or cartoon characters. Teenagers that look like the below photos...

Unfortunately, I did not take a single one of the above photos...why you may ask. Well it's because "If it's Harajuku's youth culture you want to see, don't even bother unless it's a Sunday."  It was a Wednesday. Apparently they only come out on Sunday. Bummer. So, instead of seeing a bunch of crazy dressed teenagers, we saw...

Normal people. Drat. But, turns out, this place is still amazing even when everyone is normal. There were some of the strangest shops I've ever seen. There was a store just for socks, but since we were in Japan, the socks were fantastic. There was a shop full of crazy backpacks in the shape of animals, or with spikes or faces. There were heaps of clothing stores with the full range of "yeah I'd wear that" to "who in their right mind even thought to make clothes with that color/design." It was great. 

On this day, it was just me and Beccah going out and exploring. Jonathan had opted to stay home with Peter because his leg was hurting him, and the idea of going shopping and walking around for a couple of hours didn't appeal to him. So, it was a girls' day out. This was also our last day in Japan, the next day we would be flying home. This meant that I had this day only to buy anything that I knew I would regret not buying. There was one big thing on my list. Japanese pajamas for Jonathan. He'd mentioned them a couple of times as we would pass them, but each time he would insist he didn't need them. But, he kept talking about them. So, I was on a quest. A quest for pajamas. 

There was a store I had found in my research of this area that was said to carry anything a tourist in Japan could be looking for. Luckily, we found that store without too much struggle. There were 3 floors and on the bottom floor...success. The pajamas were found. But, then we had our first stumbling block. The sizes were small, medium, and extra large. But the medium only had a really boring pattern. So, my options were small, boring medium or XL. Now, my husband is a slim man, but also a tall man. We'd learned from experience in China that Small and Medium are too small for him. But, we were in Japan. I didn't know how things would fit, and these pajamas were meant to be loose fitting, so maybe a small would work. The XL pants would have for certain just fallen off of Jonathan, so the small seemed to be the best option, but I wasn't sure if they would fit because of our time in China trying clothes there, and we wouldn't have any time to return them or buy some anywhere else. I was stuck.

Then, a brilliant idea hit me. Why don't I just find a man in the store about Jonathan's build, ask if he would be willing to try on the jacket part of the pajamas and then I would know. So, I did a quick scan of the men in the store and found one that was close to Jonathan's size. I approached him and his wife and asked if they could help me. I learned that when you say, "I want to buy this for my husband, he is home with the baby, can you help?" then people are super willing to help. The man tried it on and gave me a pretty detailed analysis of how it fit, and if my husband was bigger/smaller in the shoulders, waist, arms then it would be good/too snug. I thanked him for his time then went back to deciding. For some reason, it was terribly hard to decide if I should buy the small interesting ones, the medium boring ones, or go for the XL. I talked about it with Beccah, and went back and forth trying to make up my mind. I finally decided....to ask another person. This time, with the medium. We went through the same thing, and after he tried it on, I decided to go with the medium. It was boring, but it would fit. 

I got to the register, still uncertain with my decision. The woman started folding up the pajamas when suddenly, I remembered that I had seen something earlier in the store, before the pajama decision started, that I thought would be great for Jonathan. I'd seen a BBQ apron with a mountain and Japanese characters, and it was awesome. I'd thought about getting it for him, but then had been distracted once I saw the pajamas. I knew what I had to do. I asked the cashier to wait for a moment, and I ran over to the aprons. As soon as I saw it, I knew it would be better than the pajamas. For one, I knew it would fit, and For two, it just looked cooler. So, I swapped out the pajamas and got the apron for him, then made Beccah hide it and take it back to America for me, so I could give it to Jonathan on his birthday. 

BBQ Apron

 While we were at the store, I also found a lovely robe that I bought for myself. The flowers give it a feminine touch, but the blue kept it bright enough to make it perfect for me. It was a great find.

Japanese robe

It was fun to get out our last day in Tokyo and just wander around one of the neighborhoods that the city had to offer. I found some good things that are great to have now that we are back in the States, and it was nice to go shopping baby free. When we got home, Jonathan's leg was doing much better from a day of rest and Peter was in a good mood too. So, everyone wins!

Dark Alleys, But Totally Safe Ones

When we were walking back to the metro the night we walked around Tokyo and saw the cool skyscrapers with their bright signs and all the people, we found a really interesting area and I want to take a second to write about. Beccah saw a little area selling some things down a side street and since we didn't have to rush home, we turned and went down the street to check out the shirts and other touristy things the man was selling. We weren't super impressed, so we went on our way. But, instead of just going back out to the main street, we continued down the small side street and it took us to a narrow alley way. But, the cleanest alley way you have ever seen. It felt a touch claustrophobic, but not scary. It felt safe and clean. 

Neat little alley way

All along the alley, there were openings, about the size of a storage unit, that were actually really small restaurants. They had the "kitchen" on one wall, a skinny bar down the middle and the customers sat on stools on the other side. It was very open. It could fit about 8-12 people. Some of them had a bench at the end for more people to sit at.

A peek into one small kitchen

I imagine that they are family run establishments and most likely have regular customers that they come to know better as the weeks and months pass. Jonathan said he had read about these places and that their food is really good. But we had a tired baby, and places like this are a bit intimidating when there is an uncertainty about any menu being in English as well as Japanese. So, we passed this trip.

A packed place

Slow business night

It was a neat little alley, and it was neat to imagine what your life would be like if that was your source of income. I'm glad we took that side road and did a little more exploring before we went home for the night.

Food We Ate

It's time to write a quick post on some of the foods we ate while traveling. This is by no means comprehensive, because then it would be pages long, and I probably don't have pictures of the most delicious things we ate, because sometimes when you are eating a delicious thing you don't stop to take a picture of it. But, here is an idea of what we ate for about a month...we ate similarly in China. 

One night in Japan, I think it was our first night in Tokyo, we wandered the streets looking at the menus and pictures of food until we found a place that looked good. We got some noodles, rice and dumplings...the usual. They even brought Peter an adorable rabbit bowl and utensils. Peter could have cared less about his cute kid things, but he devoured his noodles.

Jonathan's noodles and Peter's bowl.

Noodles with cabbage and carrots- pretty delicious. 

Tragically Beccah ended up ordering cold noodles with meat and cold vegetables. The were straight from the fridge and rather salty. She reordered and got some dumplings on round 2. There were many times we wished we spoke/read Japanese in Japan, this was one of those times.

Robin and Beccah with all our empty dishes...kidding, some of those were Jonathan's.

Peter sucking the noodles down.

A different day, a different city. I think this was a meal we had in Puli, Taiwan. We had gone to church and the guesthouse owner picked us up from church. We asked her to recommend a place to eat and she took us to a good restaurant. She left after dropping us off. Upon entering the restaurant, we learned that there was an hour long wait. People would have died if we waited that hour. So, instead, we left and wandered some streets until we found a place that looked acceptable. It was delicious. And, added bonus, Peter fell asleep in my arms within 5 minutes of getting food. It made it a little awkward to eat, but way easier than a lively running toddler. After eating, we got a taxi home, because my arms would have broken trying to carry sleeping baby home. Also, we weren't sure where we were at that point, so taxi was a better plan than walking. 

Jonathan's egg burrito of sorts. 

Can you tell he's about to crash?

Robin's rice, chicken and veggie bowl.

Beccah's noodles

Train food! This was on a Taiwan train ride, I believe. At this point in our traveling, we were done with 7-11 sandwiches and fruit for the trains, and we found some little boxed lunches. I forget their name (and Jonathan's sleeping, or I'd ask him), but Jonathan said he had eaten them a number of times and they aren't the most delicious meal ever, but they aren't bad. He was right. It was a little box with rice, overdone broccoli, meat strips and tea boiled eggs (hard boiled eggs, but instead of just water, they are cooked in tea, which gives them a slight flavor). Overall, it was a pretty good meal. Peter loved the rice, like always, and would eat as much egg as you gave him. It wasn't delicious, but it was a nice change.

Train food

While we were in Japan, I knew we had to get sushi at least once. We had it on the day we got lost coming back from Minji Shrine, and it was heavenly. The flavors were perfect, and each bite was a beautiful balance of everything good. So one of the nights we were in Tokyo, we asked for a good sushi place and were led to a place that looked pretty good. We had squirmy baby with us, and a menu that only had the names of the sushi, but not what was in them. So, we took a chance and started off with two rolls, not entirely sure what would be in them. When the sushi arrived, we both ate one piece and nearly died. Turns out, they had so kindly put wasabi IN the sushi rolls. So each bite cleared your sinuses out really well, and I almost had tears leaking out my eyes. It literally took our breath away. We gave Peter a piece before we knew what was up, and either his had no wasabi in it, or he has the strongest tolerance for that flavor of anyone I know. He gobbled it up and wanted more, but we were hesitant, we didn't want him to die on the second piece. You can't explain to a small child, "Just breathe slowly, the burning will go away soon." We ordered sushi that was raw fish on top of rice to go, because when you are in Japan, you have to try it even if it seems scary, but this time were sure to tell them, no wasabi. We also stopped by the 7-11 on the way home for some yogurt and sandwiches in case the sushi part two was a bust. I cannot honestly say I was impressed with this. None of the fish had any real flavor to it, and I wasn't totally keen on the texture. But, we tried it, and no one died, so, I guess it's a win. I still like sushi, and I'll still eat it again, just not at that restaurant.

Our take home fish. Jonathan and I each had a bite of each one.

Last food story. We stayed at the LDS temple housing our last night or two in Tokyo. When we went in to get settled, we found two amazing things. Number One, and not pictured, was a food vending machine, but not just candy, chips and granola bars. It vended meals- hot dogs, fried rice, french fries and chicken strips. Beccah and Jonathan were like kids in a candy shop. I don't think I'd seen them more excited about any other food we'd come across during our entire trip. The meals came out in a small box, similar to our train food boxes, and you had to microwave them to heat them. Jonathan was a touch disappointed with this. I think he wanted it ready to go when it came out. The food was mediocre, but I think the novelty of the machine made up for its taste. The second thing was a root beer vending machine. Root Beer is hard to find in Asia. It could be found at international markets, for a price, but never at regular grocery stores. It was a pretty exciting find. So, Jonathan's first meal at the temple housing was a hot dog and root beer. To say we were ready to be back in America at this point would be an understatement. We loved the food we ate (most of the time), while we traveled, but I wanted nothing more than a home cooked meal that I knew what to expect when I bit into it.

Robin and Asian A&W.

Bright Lights, Big City

We had many people tell us that we would most likely enjoy our time in Kyoto over our time in Tokyo. I don't entirely agree with that. I really liked both cities, but they were quite different from each other, so I can understand why most people would have a preference. Kyoto is calm, small, and fills more history filled. Whereas, Tokyo feels like technology, movement and change. There were lots of really neat looking buildings throughout the city. One night, we went to the downtown area to see all of the bright city lights. That was a fun adventure. 

We left when it was still light, because when you are traveling with a small one, you don't get to stay out all night long because small ones get cranky when they don't sleep, and even though adults also get cranky, they don't throw fits of the same volume. So, the goal most nights was to be home around 8-9pm, earlier if possible. I'm pretty sure that Jonathan's sister, Beccah, who traveled with us, would have loved to stay out much longer, but Peter rules the house. Anyway, so we headed out and started towards the main city area. 

Love the green and yellow on the back building.

We got to where we were trying to go without much problem. It was a straight shot on the metro, nice change, and we didn't have too much of a plan when we arrived. I take that back. I didn't have much of a plan, I just wanted to walk around. Jonathan wanted a plan, a direction to travel to. It took us a bit to get on the same page, but once there, I think everyone had a good time. This area of the city was very busy feeling. There were people everywhere going somewhere. It was just constant movement.

Just outside of the metro

Buildings of Tokyo

Some of the architectural designs were quite interesting. Other times, it was the color of the buildings or signs that caught my attention. There was always somewhere to look. This was city life. I love to visit it, but I have no desire to live in it. I think I could completely love it if I was a single lady, working in Tokyo. Actually, I know I could love it. But with Peter, I have a much greater desire to have a home with a lawn or nearby park and room for him to play. It is interesting to see how life changes with kids.

Interesting entryway.

As we were walking around and checking out buildings, it was made known to me that food needed to be found or there would be a mutiny. We found a burger place, got some pretty tasty burgers and fries and everyone was much happier afterwards. Usually when I travel, I try to find food that it specific to the country I am in, but other times, when you have been abroad for almost a year, you just go for anything that looks like home. This burger place did a pretty good job of filling that want. Then, we were ready for more exploring. We checked out a couple of stores, but mostly just walked around, taking turns choosing the direction to go next.

Peter and Jonathan and the lights of Tokyo.

Family Picture in the city.

As we were heading back to a metro stop, we did encounter a slightly scary situation. We must have just missed something that had happened, but we came upon a man with blood running down his face, screaming at a man who was walking across the street. It was all in Japanese, so I'm not sure what happened. But, it was clear that the injured guy was more angry than hurt and that the girl with him just wanted him to stop screaming at the other guy. She kept trying to pull him back to the sidewalk. I was sure a fight was going to ensue, and maybe it did, but we made the decision to get away from that crazy crowd as quick as we could. We could hear the guy continuing to scream as we walked down the block. It made me really grateful for the husband I have and that I've never had to pull him away from a fight or anything like that. Also, even though it was loud screaming, I never felt like we were in danger, so that was good. Overall, I had a great night walking around and seeing this side of Tokyo with its bright lights and tall buildings. It was fun to be in a sea of people all going different ways. Tokyo is a pretty cool place.

We ain't city folk, but it's nice to visit.

Getting Lost and Other Stories

The Menji Shrine, it was nice, but not memorable. But, trying to get home from the shrine on the other hand....that adventure will stay with me forever. I believe I have mentioned a time or two already that we found the public transportation systems of Japan to be difficult to manage. Turns out that our experiences in Kyoto were nothing compared to the metros and trains of Tokyo. 

In Tokyo, there are 12 subway lines, the JR (Japan Rail) lines and private railway lines. They don't all use the same rails, so you have to switch lines always to get from one place to another. Also, sometimes the lines connect on the map, so you buy metro tickets and when you try to switch lines, the machine refuses to take your ticket and you have to buy a new ticket for the rail line you are switching to. We maybe had one trip our three days there that we didn't have to rebuy a ticket mid-trip. It was slightly obnoxious and I feel like there has to be an easier way than what we did. If we go back, we will buy a rail pass for the city so we eliminate the ticket machines and constantly having to rebuy tickets. But seriously, look at the picture below and tell me if that isn't intimidating. 

Rail map of Tokyo, Japan...crazy.

Anyway, on this particular day, we'd already experienced the switching of lines, machines refusing our tickets and paying more money for another ticket to get to the shrine. When we looked at the map for how to get home, we saw that when we switched lines, we only were on the second train for one stop. So, we decided that instead of switching lines, we would just get out at that station and walk the rest of the way home. It seemed quite simple and straightforward. Leave the station, go straight until the river, turn right, continue until the road comes to a T intersection, then a left, and then we'd be home.  Easy.

We took the JR 6 stops and got off. Then, instead of switching lines, we got out at that station and started our walk home. We started straight and then turned right...only to notice we were walking parallel to the JR line, and we needed to be going perpendicular to it. So, we turned around, tried bringing Google Maps up on one of the smartphones with us, to no avail, and got back to the intersection and decided to continue going straight for a bit. We turned up various streets, and backtracked. Nothing felt right, nothing looked right, and people were getting hungry and cranky. We finally happened upon a metro station and decided to get on...only to realize that it would take a switch in lines. We walked for a bit more and saw some really cool buildings and tons of pink lanterns...and then we realized. We were back at the station we left from. We had literally gone around in a circle, making no progress what so ever. Ridiculous. Luckily, this metro station was connected to a little shopping center, so we bought some sushi- it was fantastic- to keep people happy and murder free. We were all able to laugh at our lack of directional skills, and we got on the train, went that last stop and made it home. It took us about three times as long to get home, but we did see some cool buildings and ate some fantastic sushi. 

Metro stop we left and came back to.

When we were in Tokyo, we found this one little plant shop/cafe. It was an amazingly designed building. The shop was built behind a big tree and they used the tree as part of their building as a tree house on top. It was really neat. I wanted to buy a plant from the shop, but as a traveling life, that just doesn't work, so instead I photographed this little guy...mostly because I loved how they phrased the warning sign.

Best plant caption ever.

Another really cool thing we found in Tokyo was a restaurant named after my husband! We saw two different Jonathan's while traveling the city, and we ate at one of them. Who would have guessed we'd find a restaurant with his name in Japan of all places!

Maybe Jonathan can get a job here...

The sign says, "Welcome to Jonathan."