"I loved the quiet places in Kyoto, the places that held the world within a windless moment. Inside the temples, Nature held her breath. All longing was put to sleep in the stillness, and all was distilled into a clean simplicity.The smell of woodsmoke, the drift of incense; a procession of monks in black-and-gold robes, one of them giggling in a voice yet unbroken; a touch of autumn in the air, a sense of gathering rain." ~ Pico Iyer

We left rainy Tokyo behind...

and took the bullet train (Shinkansen) to Kyoto...

where the skies cleared enough to 

provide a passing glimpse of Mt. Fuji in all its splendor.

If traveling to Japan, the Japan Rail Pass makes perfect sense

 but needs to be purchased outside of Japan.  

Plan ahead and an 'exchange order' will be mailed to you before you leave.

Although, we had to wait until we arrived in Tokyo

 to get the actual pass and reserve seats on a specific train. 

Necessary if you want the assurance of seats together.

All very organized of course.

Japan's ancient capital, Kyoto,

 was spared any large scale destruction during the war...

 and still has pre-war buildings standing.

Our group of five opted for a tour...

meandering about...

with the energy of these guys...

who of course now know how to "Hook 'Em Horns"!

A glimpse of Japan's culture...

both old and new...

were observed as we rickshawed through

 the peaceful streets of Kyoto.

The 'Foodie' reprimanded me for snapping a photo 

of this beautiful, bashful, bride and groom.

I know.

I am sorry.

Our guides tried to describe the life of a geisha...

and the years of training they receive before beginning their career.

When we commented on the number of ladies...

we noticed walking around in traditional geisha dress...

we discovered many were tourists who have rented their kimonos

 or others who have experienced the special dress up experience at Maica.

How cool is that?

Our day-trip to Kyoto was a peaceful escape from upbeat Tokyo

 and we enjoyed exploring with my parents and 'the foodie'.

Japan is always a good idea.

"...and all at once, summer collapsed into fall." ~ Oscar Wilde

This post is two seasons late!

 Pardon my beautiful pink spring flowers

 as we prepare for the oranges and yellows of fall.

Many moons ago,

my dad was stationed in Tokyo 

during the U.S. occupation of Japan,

until being sent to fight in the Korean War.

As a tween and teenager,

his fondness for Japan was made embarrassingly clear 

everytime he would answer the phone with 'moshi moshi'.

My friends in small town Texas were unimpressed. Ha!

Anywho...

when choosing the itinerary for my parents and 'the foodie' 

to visit this side of the world,

a stopover in Tokyo made perfect sense...

especially since their visit coincided with the last few weeks of March.

Even the birds perched patiently...

 waiting for those cheerful pink buds to appear.

Fortunately,

there was one overachiever...

to provide the perfect backdrop for our generational photos.

When the guide heard my dad practicing his Japanese 

and mentioning areas of Tokyo he remembered...

she thoughfully catered our tour

Shibuya Flower Project

to offer him a glimpse of Tokyo today... 

and how it has held on to its past...

 amidst inevitable change.

Hamarikyu Gardens offers a stroll 

through an old duck hunting ground...

and is home to this 300 year old pine tree.

 As the others meandered about...

'the foodie' and I savored a casual DIY tea ceremony...

 in a teahouse used to entertain senior samurai 

and imperial family members in the past.

A few months earlier,

when Ren Man and I explored Tokyo on foot,

we were able to walk around... 

one of Tokyo's largest graveyards...

so big in fact, it has its own police station.

Most days, a stroll through the twenty five acre garden like property 

offers complete solitude,

with the exception of two days of the year 

when family members spend the day cleaning around the family gravesite.

Spring, and the fast approaching, Autumn equinox.

Being familiar with Spring cleaning 

 any connection with equinox never occurred to me.

Meanwhile...

next stop...

Kyoto.

"And how did Tokyo welcome the hand off? With a nod to Super Mario Bros, of course. Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe arrived at the closing ceremony dressed like the video game plumber, and popped up out of a large, green pipe in the stadium. " ~ People.com

Japan has become one of my favorite countries on this side of the world.

When mulling this post over and over in my mind,

the idea of condensing all of my feelings into a short list seemed daunting.

But, I am brave that way.

So, this post will include the 'Top Five Reasons I Love Japan' 

(in no particular order) 

and then embellishments will follow in another post.

There is too much goodness 

and I have only visited two cities in the Land of the Rising Sun.

The Prime Minister, at the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympics,

provided the perfect support for Reason #1.

.  

So.creative.

This creativity spans every aspect of the culture.

From fashion, to food, to music, to theatre, to technology, 

to art, to electronics, etc., etc., etc.

Underneath the reserved demeanor, 

imagination and curiosity has been fostered and nurtured 

through parents' respect for the high standards of education in Japan. 

Ren Man and I first visited Tokyo 

during the hot sweltering month of July...

where we enjoyed returning 'home'

to the Hotel Claska each evening...

and began our day with an amazing Japanese breakfast.

Of course,

Ren Man enjoyed his 'common' breakfast of muesli 

while I savored every morsel on my tray.

This introduces Reason #2...

the food...

which will be featured throughout this post and the next.

Hotel Claska also provides insight into my Reason #3.

The toilets.

My personal favorites are the ones providing music 

for your personal comfort.

I actually look forward to public toilets in Japan.

When I read about the cultural significance of the Japanese pub, 

or Izakaya, as it is known locally...

I searched for one near us.

Of course, it was no surprise 

when we were invited to follow-up karaoke from our...

and this cultural hangout is #4.

Sake and new friends go together.

My #5 is moving location soon, 

so don't wait for the 2020 Olympics to visit this one.

Our walking tour with The Backstreet Guides,

included a visit to the infamous seafood market in Tokyo...

where 60,000-65,000 employees

 fillet fish, sell at wholesale, and auction off the catch in the inner market.

Future sashimi.

Meanwhile,

the outer market...

is where we found...

'the foodies' Christmas gift.

You can also find more of reason #2, the freshest sashimi and sushi,

 in tiny 'mom and pop' cafes throughout the outer market.

And there you have it!

My top five of many reasons I love this country.

More of Tokyo and beyond in the next post.