Japan continued...

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Here we have a random assortment of stellar trip moments. This thing will only let me upload 5 photos at a time, which breaks my heart. First is Tokyo Tower, followed by maxin' and relaxin' in our ryokan. Third is a cute little tapas bar close to our ryokan where we drank the blood of the bull alongside some seriously decadent cheeses.

After that, you can see our tiny hostess at Kawase Hotel and her TINY DOOR! After asking us to sit down for tea (and subsequently coffee and tissues, which she specifically went out to buy for us, as some adorably strange little gift), she shocked us by opening what we thought was a decorative door below the counter and stepping through.

One final shot of the the best traveling team ever.

Fuji at Warp Speed

With a mid-afternoon flight, we had to make a slap-dash trip up to Fuji. Our plan: drag ourselves out of our luxurious ryokan at 5:00 AM to hop aboard an express bus bound for Hakone. Surprisingly, we pulled it off without a hitch. I'm sure we could've spent several days in Fuji/Yoshida, which is famous for hot springs, a The Little Prince museum, pirate boats, and a surely ridiculous theme park. But we were in such a happy-go-lucky Japan haze that none of us minded the quick trip at all. Especially considering we brought snacks from the Tokyo Food Show to share on the bus. We bid farewell to our dear traveling partner, Ben, and hope that he comes back to Asia real soon.

Do Not Touch Doubtful Things: Adventures in Tokyo

Tokyo has stolen my heart. The adorable uniforms (with white gloves!), the sincere friendliness, and an attention to detail that even finds a way to mask unwelcome bathroom sounds (how about installing a bubble machine in the wall? And while you’re at it, make the seat self-warming!). The biggest city in the world, yet it felt nowhere near as cramped as Seoul. The Japanese know what they’re doing. From street food and bunk beds to private dining and ryokan luxury. Laughter and awe for four days straight with the best traveling companions I could ever imagine.