さようなら日本 for a third time...

Our first trip to Japan in 2010 was sheer culture shock. I will never forget it.  And I think because of the incredible slap in the face that is going to Japan for the first time, I can say that the first trip was the best trip of the three. We returned two years later, to really soak ourselves in all the cool stuff we discovered during the first trip. We spent a full three weeks there in 2012. We both lost about ten pounds, and we did and saw more on that trip than any other trip we have ever taken.  So in a way, the second trip could also be considered the best. For the third time in 2015, it was like a reunion of sorts.  The four of us really wanted to do it all again. Experience that same feeling we got from the first trip, and even the second. Was that accomplished? I would say, for the most part, yes.  But, at least for me, the third trip landed right in the middle of several very stressful and tiring months.  So even by the time we arrived in Japan, I was ready for a long rest. But Japan is not a relaxing place to go for vacation. You're on your feet bulldozing through the days as hard as you can manage. And it is exhausting, albeit, exhilarating. We spent two weeks in and around Tokyo for the third trip, and I definitely feel that if we ever return to Japan, I would really want to visit the Northern and Southern regions rather than return to Tokyo again.  But how does one spend all that money, endure all that time on airplanes, arrive in Japan, and NOT visit Tokyo, at least for a few days? 

Fuji-san!

Like the Statue of Liberty, like the Eiffel Tower, Mt. Fuji is the symbol of Japan.

Special Report: Owl Cafes and "the" Robot Cafe :\

OK, so, cat cafes, cool. Rabbit cafes, cool. Owl cafes. Not so much. To be perfectly honest, seeing these owls tethered and placed on display was pretty much not enjoyable. Yes, owls are awesome. But not in this way.  These birds were clearly under stress and NOT enjoying their captivity and lives spent strapped to a log so people can come in and pet them and look at them. I guess I expected the owl cafes to be more zoo like, with a few cages containing owls that were hopefully under good care and supervision. But I was definitely kidding myself there.  I can't help but wonder, where the hell did they get these poor birds?  How are these birds treated when they are not on display?  I dunno, it was very hard to not be a curmudgeon about the owl cafe.  Cats and rabbits are domesticated animals that are more or less used to people. They can thrive as human companions. But owls are a different story. Anyway, we came, we saw, and obviously, not everything in Japan is wondrous and cool. 

They almost look fake.

Hiking and Monkeys

There's something about monkeys that bring out your inner 12 year old.  I think it is just that they are so human like, and they are basically running around naked doing all sorts of familiar human things, but in a completely monkey way.

Special Report: Usagi Cafe

Cat Cafes are awesome. This is a well known fact.  And in the wake of the cat cafe craze, several other animal cafes have sprung up all over Japan.  On this day, we visited a Rabbit Cafe....and it was delightful.

Meat and Craziness

Craziness

Wake up! It's time to go to Jogasaki Kaigan!

Linda and I branched off to Jogasaki Coast one day to see something different.  We had never really gone to the coast of Japan, so we decided we should see it this time. About two hours outside of Tokyo you can get to this place on the Izu Peninsula.

Ain't that the truth!

Cool graffiti, you are bound to find it in Japanese cities.

Supace-u Apeman: Gori!

People always ask us, "why are you going back to Japan again?"  The answer is simple.  Because we miss it!  Just like anywhere you have been that you really enjoy being, when you leave, you long to return. There are many places like this for us.  Places that we simply enjoy, like the Mendocino Coastline or Puerto Vallarta.  They are just places that make you happy, entertain you, and never get old.  There are so many things, if you are the right kind of person, that Japan offers that you can't find anywhere else in the world. It's these things that keep us coming back.

At the bookstore I ran across a mook with one of my all-time favorite Japanese characters on the cover.

The quest for banana milku!

During our last trip to Japan, I consumed a good amount of Japanese banana milk.  I love this stuff and it's pretty much impossible to find outside of Japan.  Unfortunately, I had a mildly difficult time finding it again in Tokyo.  This one seemed to be the most common type found in just about every other conbini.

This one is decent, but I remember one I drank in 2012 that came in a larger carton that was really, really good.  I failed to find it on this trip. :(  I'm thinking maybe I was finding it in Osaka.

Turning 40 in Tokyo!

After an exceedingly busy and stressful fall, it was time for a break, and time to roll over to the big four-oh. There really is no better place that I can think of than Japan, when it comes to just hanging out, having fun, and partying with your friends. So the four of us met up for a third time on the opposite side of the world.

I hate stupid out the plane window pics, but whatever, it does mean something.

Fall Cell Phone Dump

No real trips to report on for Fall 2015, however it was an eventful fall nonetheless. But eventful in a crazy busy, stressful and utterly non-stop way.  The following pics are my favorites from the past couple months of blur.

Not Thanksgiving, not a turkey.  Whole chicken.  This is the best way to make chicken.

Dog Valley

One weekend we went up dog valley for a night to give the doggies some adventure time and just get away.