Gaming Day – Animae & Sumo

Well this is it. Our last day on holiday. Sad, but I don’t mind going home when it’s raining cats and dogs. Today we would be checking out where all the animae geeks hang out and then going to the sumo wrestling.

We started our last day of adventures in Akihabara. Akihabara is an area known for 2 things: electronic town and manga/animae. Back in the day, this area was inundated with electronics stores. But then other retailers started selling them so the area reinvented itself as a place to buy everything animae ie comic book. However today you can find (probably hundreds) of stores that sell electronics or animae. On top of that there are soooo many gaming stores. Akihabara really is a geek heaven.

I have become a little geeky myself this trip and become obsessed with vending machines that give little prizes. There are stores that specialise purely in these vending machines!

There is also a kinky side to Akihabara. There are dozens of maid cafes where the waitresses are dressed as maids and serve you. The girls all look about 16 years old. And then you can also find sex shops specialising in animae porn. Mmmmmm….

From Akihabara we headed to Ryogoku to see us some sumo wrestling. Sumo is a Japanese form of wrestling that dates back to ancient times. Getting off the train you are immediately in the sumo hype. You see sumo wrestlers catching the train and there are posters and pictures of sumo all over the station.

Once you get into the stadium there is a real excitement in the air. Especially as the sumo are just walking about it their robes.

After getting a bento box each for lunch, the Japanese equivalent of a meat pie at the footy, we head to our seats. We got to see about 1 hour of the sumo before missy told us it was time to go home. Whilst initially disappointed we had to go, we were pleased that we saw what we did and all the ceremony that goes with it.

Late afternoon we headed over to Takayasima, a department store just near our hotel. We browsed through the food hall at all the delicious Japanese foods ranging from bento boxes, tempura, tea, biscuits. One observation about the Japanese is that they package everything so beautifully. It makes sense as you do eat with your eyes.

If Gracie is a terror on the flight home it’s all at the expense of her giving us our last night to enjoy a beautiful and romantic dinner while she slept in her pram. It wasn’t easy to get her to settle but once we did we headed down to the hotel restaurant. We quickly ordered wine and a wagyu steak each. She awoke briefly so I took her for a walk and thankfully she stayed asleep. This allowed us to enjoy the most delicious steak I have ever eaten in my life.

Next stop home. Pray for a safe flight and a well behaved baby 🙏🤞

J-Pop Culture

Last stop on our holiday is Tokyo, back to where our adventures started. It was bittersweet leaving Kyoto this morning. Whilst I was excited about getting back to the big lights and buzzing Tokyo, I knew it meant we were heading home soon. Holidays ending are never easy and I definitely wasn’t ready to go home yet. We still had things to do, see and buy.

The trip to Tokyo was painful. Yep, painful. Gracie was a diva for most of the 2.5 hour train trip. As she has started to stand and crawl on this trip, she is really struggling with being confined. To make matters worse, she decided to projectile vomit down my tshirt whilst I was carrying her in her carrier. The only saving “Gracie” was that I had our suitcase with us with a spare top and some soap to wash me down. To be honest, if you have such an incident and need to do a sponge bath on a train, you want it to happen in Japan where the train toilets are pretty spotless and clean.

We were staying in Shinjuku for the last 3 nights of our holiday. By Tokyo standards, our hotel room was pretty large and we had a crib for Gracie (although she didn’t really want to use it thanks to 2 weeks of co-sleeping…). We were in a fantastic location right across from a department store and my fave shop, Tokyu Hands. Today was very low key.

After checking in we grabbed some lunch of tonkatsu, breaded and fried pork and chicken. So delicious. To the point where I think we need to go back before we go home!

This afternoon we went to Shimokitazawa, about 15 minutes west from Shinjuku by train. This is funky part of Japan filled with vintage stores and, surprise surprise, record stores. Gracie and I got some bonding time while Daddy went record shopping. Once reunited we went to a place where kids can play and Gracie even made some new friends! She is quite smitten with the Japanese as they are with her. She has really opened up whilst being on holiday.

Our second last full day in Japan was all about Japanese popular culture and soaking it in (all whilst doing some shopping!). Today we revisited Harajuku and then Shibuya to get this experience as we only made fleeting visits at the start of our holiday.

I have decided that Harajuku no longer hosts Harajuku girls as on both visits we didn’t see any. However, it does gather hoards of pre-teens and teenagers buying either cute food or cute merchandise. Or cute merchandise in the shape of cute food. The Japanese have really know how to make everything cute. Even I get caught up in the moment. Of course everything I buy is for Gracie 😉

From Harajuku we went to Shibuya. This time we actually crossed the infamous crossing, which sees over a thousand people cross each time. For such a busy crossing it was quite ordered and I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the crowd.

Glenn got some more alone time today to go record shopping. Yes, I am keeping tabs. But thankfully Gracie was pretty good so I could sneak in some shopping as well.

This evening was bucketing down but we were determined to see the lights and seedy side of Shinjuku. So we headed out with pram in tow. We only got a couple hundred of metres before we thought our experience was over. But nope, we put baby in the carrier and the stroller in a locker and we headed off again. Tokyo is pretty amazing and Shinjuku doesn’t disappoint with its lights and girl bars.

We even managed to fit in some print club which is basically a photo booth at a games arcade. It was a total throwback to my high school days. Although the machines are far more sophisticated these days with filters etc. I am surprised we could actually figure out how to use given it was all in Japanese!

As I write this, I am waiting for our pizza to get delivered. There is no room service at our hotel (which is quite common unless you are staying at a fancy smanchy hotel) but you can order pizza. However, it’s a 2 hour wait…. that means dream feeding on pizza at midnight! Wish me luck staying up for it!!

Chilling in Kyoto

You know that feeling when you have achieved the must do’s in a city and anything else is a bonus? That was our last day in Kyoto. And it’s always those days that turn out to be the most relaxed and satisfying.

On good advice from our friend Katie, we headed to Fushimi Inari temple early to avoid the crowds. This temple is known for its thousands of vermilion tori gates which run over the mountainside. The top of the path apparently gives a glorious view over Kyoto. Unfortunately, carrying a 9kg baby in a carrier in 30 degree heat is not conducive to a mountain climb. So we did not make it to the top. However, we managed to see a good portion of the gates and they are a sight themselves. The colour really pops against the green trees.

After freshening up at our hotel, we made our way to Gingakuji Temple. Now, I asked Glenn to pick a temple that had a zen garden and he picked this one for me. But only when writing this blog did I realise that I wanted to see this temple all along but didn’t think we could fit it in. This temple was built in the late 1400’s and is nicknamed the Silver Pavilion as a contrast to the Golden Pavilion. However, it was never actually covered in silver. It was definitely a zen temple and the gardens were, again, so gorgeous. It’s like the Japanese even cultivate the weeds and moss to be perfect.

We had lunch at a restaurant near the temple. As usual, Gracie awoke just as our food was about to arrive to we played handball again. I must add here that in hot weather I am a huge fan of the cold soba noodles the Japanese do. With a little tempura, its a win win dish!

After lunch we walked along the Philosophers Path. This is a stone path that runs along a canal. The path gets its name due to Nishida Kitaro, a famous Japanese philosopher, who apparently practiced meditation while taking this route to work. It is a “must see” spot during cherry blossom season. However, in the “low season” (ie when no cherry blossoms in bloom) it makes for a very very relaxing stroll with not many tourists and very cute shops along the way. I got some adorable stationery and cosmetics on our journey.

We walked all the way back to the hub of Kyoto and stopped by a park near our hotel to have a break and a beer. We then visited Yasaka Shrine which was right next door from our hotel.

This evening we had intended on getting out and doing more Geisha hunting. However, the weather had changed and we were feeling very lazy. So Glenn grabbed us some food for the nearest convenience store, Lawson, along with some beers and wine, to eat in our hotel room. This meal was probably the most relaxed meal I have had on the entire trip as Gracie was deep asleep and I didn’t have to worry about when she would wake. Plus the food from Lawson is pretty damn good!! Oh how life has changed!!

Last stop is Tokyo, where our adventures all began.

Beauty & The Bomb

Today we did a day trip from Kyoto to Hiroshima and Himeji Castle. It was going to be a long day as it was two locations and 3 trains, but we were up for the challenge. However, the started out as a bit of a comedy of errors. Firstly, we got to the station earlier than planned so we could get an earlier train only to discover that there wasn’t one. Because of this we missed out on getting a decent breakfast or coffee and had to settle for a platform sandwich and iced coffee. About 25mins out from Hiroshima (which is 2 hours from Kyoto) we discovered we left Gracie’s formula at the hotel. This meant a mad dash to the nearest drugstore once we arrived in Hiroshima to find some Japanese formula and then trying to understand the Japanese instructions (she loved the formula). Then we stupidly caught the sightseeing bus straight to the Peace Museum rather than give her a bottle and we ended up with devil child on the whole bus trip. But once we feed and changed her the day was on the up and up.

Hiroshima is famous for being hit by a atomic bomb by the USA in 1945. The bomb detonated in the air in the middle of the city and basically destroyed the city and killed approximately 140k people either on impact or the years to follow due to radiation effects. The museum details the history and Japan’s commitment to peace following this attack. It was quite timely to visit Hiroshima given current world events with North Korea and its nuclear bomb flying straight over Japan. The whole museum was strangely sombre and peaceful, except for Gracie who thought the museum was a good place to practice her speaking.

After the museum we strolled through the Peace Park to the A-Bomb Building. This was one of only a handful of buildings that “survived” the attack. The city decided to keep it as a reminder of the attack rather than to destroy and rebuild. The remains serve as an strong reminder of the impacts of war.

On our way back to the train station we quickly stopped for a photo at Hiroshima Castle. We had no time to kill before our train to Himeji so it was a Seven 11 lunch for us today.

Himeji Castle is halfway between Hiroshima and Kyoto. It is a majestic white hilltop castle that looks over the city. I had wanted to visit this castle ever since we started planning our trip to Japan and was fortunate we could fit it in.

Himeji Castle took 200 years to build and was completed in 1609. It has survived 400 years and has never been destroyed by fire, earthquake or war. It recently completed a 4 year restoration to its full glory. The castle is absolutely beautiful and I am so grateful we visited (despite the heat and millions of steps I had to climb carrying Gracie!). It was  definitely worth the visit.

Back in Kyoto we freshened up as it was super hot. This evening we went for a stroll through downtown and were lucky to get about 25 minutes of adult time over dinner at a cute restaurant before Gracie woke. But, of course, she woke when the food arrived so it was a matter of passing her back and forth so the other person could eat as there were no high chairs or seats we could ergo her into #parentlife

Tomorrow, our last day in Kyoto.

Geisha Spotting

We arrived in Kyoto late afternoon after driving back to Kanazawa to catch the Shinkansen. We got caught in some traffic heading back to Kanazawa as there was a serious car accident on the way. As we sat patiently watching the wreckage and ambulance drive past (no siren) it made me reflect on how lucky I am to be healthy and have my amazing healthy little family.

In Kyoto we were in awe at the size of our hotel room. Our room had 2 double beds, a futon and a massive bathroom with separate toilet and wet room. I must admit it was nice to have our own bathroom again. And having a shower was one of the first things I did before we headed out to stroll through Gion, the historic part of Kyoto.

This evening we had our first ramen in Japan. It was spicy! But delicious. Unfortunately, Gracie decided to stay awake through dinner so it was a relatively quick affair!

Our first (very hot) full day in Kyoto was jam packed with sightseeing. I really am proud of us for pushing Gracie while we can. We know this may not be possible in a year or 2.

We started our day at the Bamboo Forest. This is a really pretty walk through tall bamboo trees that leads to various temples and gardens. It’s also a nice cool relief from the heat!

At the end of the Bamboo Forest is Okochi Sanjo Villa which is the former home of the Japanese film actor, Denjiro Okochi (1898-1962). The gardens surrounding the villa are sublime with twisting paths that offer different types of viewpoints. At the end of the circuit path you get a free cup of green matcha tea which was delicious.

Next stop was Kinkakuji (the Golden Pavillon). Kinkakuji is a zen temple whose top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf and in front of which is a massive zen pond. This shrine has to be one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen. It is hypnotising and you can’t stop taking photos!!

But I eventually did stop so we could stroll around the rest of the park and grab some ice cream – green tea for Glenn, black sesame for me. And a bit of both for Gracie. Don’t judge us for giving our kid a taste of ice cream. It was 30 degrees after all!

This evening we had a Japanese pancake from a kitschy restaurant. It had an interesting flavour (or maybe too many flavours) but the setting was very fun. You can even have a mannequin sit with you if you request!

And we even spotted real geishas on the way home! (Although it’s hard to capture on camera!). Geisha spotting actually became a bit obsessive and you have your eyes peeled for them trotting down the street to their “house”.

Day three in Kyoto was raining so it was designated shopping day! But as shops don’t open until 10am and we were up at 7am we walked over to Kiyomizu-dera temple. This temple is famed for its view over Kyoto. However the temples main building (and the famous photo shot) is under construction. Nonetheless it was a gorgeous temple and was magical to visit early morning in the rain.

The walk back to our hotel was also very quiet and peaceful which allowed us to soak in the area and take some photos without masses of tourists in them!

It was a very productive shopping day. Lots of art supplies got me and records for Glenn. One of the art shops is over 130 years old.

Tomorrow we head on a day trip to Hiroshima and Himeji Castle.

Soaking It Up

Our second day of ryokan living had us immersed in nature. We started the day with a dip in the communal outdoor onsen. Again, I was lucky to bathe alone so it was such a zen way to start the day bathing outside in the natural hot springs. After breakfast we started our car trip to Matsumoto, about 2 hours north of our ryokan. As we were staying in the alps we had to take the alpine way. This meant lots of very curvy roads with lots of sharp turns on a (mainly) one lane road. I was slightly (very) stressed out for part of it. In reality the roads weren’t too bad except that the bends are very tight as the Japanese drive skinny cars.

Matsumoto is known for its castle which is still original and built in 1592. It is built from wood and shows the signs of its age in a beautiful (not rundown) way. There is also a lovely red bridge in front which makes a perfect Kodak moment.

After the castle we walked through the old town. Matsumoto is filled with more artisan and bespoke stores compared to Takayama. Takayama felt like it was catering more to tourists in its old town. We splurged on a handmade sake bottle to decorate our house.

After a lunch of burgers and fries we made our way back to our ryokan as we had booked a private onsen in the afternoon. We made it back just in time. We had decided to each take a turn holding Gracie so the other could enjoy a dip. However, Gracie thought that Glenn and I bathing was so hilarious that she was happily amused in her stroller watching us bathe and drink beer. The experience of bathing in the onsen alongside the flowing river was so incredible. Definitely a highlight.

Finally, I wanted to close off on our ryokan experience. It is worth explaining that our ryokan was a bit dated. It would have been grand back in the day. Notwithstanding it appeared to be fully booked with Japanese guests. At first you wonder why? Especially as the price to stay is not cheap. However, once we had dinner we understood. The food was far better than most restaurants in Australia and the presentation phenomenal. You are basically paying for a degustation of fresh local Japanese food including a generous serve of Hida beef (ie like wagyu). The dining room is also traditional with low tables and you are encouraged to wear your kimono. They even had little chairs for Gracie! I can now understand why Japan has the most Michelin restaurants.

Next stop Kyoto.

Living Like a Local

This morning we were greeted with glorious sunshine. The next two days would be spent driving around the Japanese alps and soaking up traditional Japanese life in this fantastic weather. But before we picked up our car we quickly squeezed in a visit to Kanazawa’s Castle Park as we missed out yesterday due to the rain. It turned out to be a good thing going at 7:30am as we were one of the few tourists there.

We had hired a Toyota for the next 2 days. The car hire is a bit different in Japan. Rather than hire through a car rental company which stocks a range of brands, the norm is to instead hire through the “brand” of car ie Toyota, Nissan etc.

We got our car very easily and, as usual, opted for no additional insurance. Risk takers! The service was impeccable. The person who served us even walked us to the parking lot and to another person who would help set up the car ie GPS and the baby seat.

Before long we were off and on our way to Shirakawa-go. Declared a world heritage site, Shirakawa-go is famous for their traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. The thatched roofs are made without nails and are designed to withstand time and snow. The village was gorgeous and still quaint despite the tourists.

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After the village we drove up to a viewpoint where you can see the entire village. It was like a fairytale and had a European feel to it.

Whilst we were at the viewpoint, two young women came up to Gracie and I and asked to take her photo as they thought she was adorable. Awwww….

Next stop was Takayama, another small town famous for its old town with teahouses. It was sooooo cute and had the cutest little shops where we bought lots of stuff (mainly for Gracie)!

Last stop was our ryokan located about an hour from Takayama and situated bang in the middle of the Japanese alps. So you can expect there were lots of curvy tight roads to get to our guesthouse as well as an unexpected waterfall.

So a little about our ryokan. The setting was something that will stay with me forever. It was perched in the lush green mountains with water cascading in front of it. The ryokan also had a number of onsen to soak in the natural hot springs.

The next 2 nights were all about enjoying the setting and having a true Japanese experience. We were sleeping on the ground on hard mattresses (this was great, especially for Gracie with her crabbing – coz she crawls like a crab).

We had a shared toilet (this was ok – they had seperate men’s and women’s and were super private). And we had a shared bath (this was interesting). The bath was super traditional. Men and women had their own “bathrooms”. When you entered you were in a room where you strip down. Then you enter the bath area which is totally open and use one of the 4 showers on the wall, after which you can soak in the onsen with the other ladies or men. First time I used it I was super lucky as I was alone. The next 2 times I was showering nude with the other ladies. Whilst I was initially out of my comfort zone, by my last shower I was at ease and showering like a local.

Next post I’ll share more on the ryokan and our alp adventures.

Kanazawa – When It Rains, It Pours

Goodbye Tokyo. Today we left the big smoke for Kanazawa. Kanazawa is about 2 hours west of Tokyo and has a population of 500,000. Much smaller than the 40 million which populate Tokyo. However, during WWII Kanazawa was the second largest city after Kyoto and was subject to bombings. Today it’s a peaceful town with lots of cultural sites and one of the best landscaped gardens in all of Japan.

As usual, our journey would take place via the Shinkansen (ie bullet train). Gracie was amazing on the trip. The first hour she ate and played. Second hour she slept. Sometimes it is better to expect the worst.

Arriving in Kanazawa we were hit with the heat and humidity. Not a good combo when lugging 2 suitcases, a stroller, backpack, handbag and baby along the streets to your hotel, which was about 15 minute walk from the station. Fortunately, when we arrived at our hotel, our room was ready so we could check in despite it only being 12 noon.

As we only have 1.5 days in Kanazawa, after quickly freshening up, we hit the pavement. We headed to Omicho markets to check out the local produce. Seafood is a specialty in this area as there were fresh fish, dozens and dozens of crabs and the most monster sized oysters I’ve even seen!

All the seafood made us hungry so we grabbed some lunch at a restaurant in the market. I had my favourite Japanese dish of seared salmon on rice with salmon roe. Soooooo delicious and fresh. Glenn’s tempura wasn’t bad either!

In the afternoon we walked to the Higashi Chaya District. During the Edo Period of the 1600’s to 1800’s this area was filled with little tea houses where geishas would perform. The old buildings have been preserved and make for a lovely walk.

Our second day in Kanazawa greeted us with rain. Not one to be held back by the weather, we got ready to go out. Actually the “PG” (Pre-Gracie) Erika and Glenn probably would have slept in, lounged around etc. But getting caught in some rain is more appealing than being locked in a hotel room for a whole day with a 10 month old.

Off we went on local bus to the Nagamachi Samurai District. This area was where samurai and their families lived. It’s got narrow streets with cute little houses.

The highlight in this area is Nomura-Le, a restored samurai house. The house is so gorgeous and has the most zen garden. What I loved most was a bunch of middle aged Japanese business coming to visit in suits as we were leaving and them all going “ohh” and “ahh” like teenagers over the house.

Lunch was at the Museum of Contemporary Art. We didnt actual go visit the exhibition. We just enjoyed the free art and their amazing buffet lunch!! That’s the best way to visit most museums for Glenn and I.

After lunch we ventured to Kenrokuen one of Japan’s best landscape gardens. The name “Kenrokuen” means “Garden of the Six Sublimities”, referring to spaciousness, seclusion, artificiality, antiquity, abundant water and broad views, which according to Chinese landscape theory are the six essential attributes that make up a perfect garden. Well. The garden was stunning. What we got to see of it because about 5 minutes after buying our ticket it started to pour. Like bad. So bad we had to get a taxi back to the hotel.

That was us done for the day! Well almost. Anyone who says you can’t go to a bar with a baby is wrong. We managed to have a wine and whisky with Gracie at a jazz bar before she bacame too bored/hungry.

Asakusa Antics

Today’s adventures took us to Asakusa, an area that retains some traditional Japanese charm (as much as it possibly can with the thousands of tourists that visit daily).

We started our day with breakfast at a cafe called Muji, about 10 minute walk from our hotel. We were lucky to enjoy our breakfast in peace while Gracie napped but we woke her at the end so we could feed her. She absolutely loved the cafe and it’s awesome high chairs “breakfast rice” and brioche buns. The poor kid is on a carb diet at the moment.

We then headed to the station to catch a train to Ueno and then do a 30 minute walk to Asakusa. A quick explanation of the trains. There are several trains that run through Tokyo. We had JR passes which effectively gives us unlimited travel on all the bullet trains, airport trains and the local “JR” lines. The Asakusa line is not covered by our JR passes and we were determined not to have to pay for other train lines unless critical. Well that happened today. For a country which prides itself on efficiency and punctuality the JR lines were down. Yep halted to an incredible stop. This all happened as we sat on a train that had already gone 2 stops. So we had no option but to get off and pretty much walk back to where we got on originally and pay for a different train. Surprisingly the Japanese stayed calm even though there was no end in sight for the significant delays. In Australia people would be cursing and have their angry faces on almost immediately.

Upside to all this was that we finally found nappies and other baby supplies on our way to the station. Baby supplies are not easy to come by and the main place to buy them in Tokyo is department stores. Quite bizarre really! Downside to this was that we had to carry the nappies all day. Thank goodness for pram storage.

Once we got to Asakusa we headed to Hoppy Street which has little restaurants with outdoor seating where you can get pub style Japanese food. Gracie had another carb meal of noodles.

We then strolled along the streets where we saw a range of sights including owls, harajuku girls, locals feeding their Japanese dogs ice cream and geishas.

We finally made our way to the main gate, Kaminari Gate. However it was all covered up as it is getting restored for the Olympics. From the gate you walk up Nakamise street which is essentially a shopping street with lots of vendors selling food, souvenirs and handmade crafts. Gracie was very popular again getting lots of love. One elderly Japanese man even stopped us to take about a dozen pictures of Gracie. So cute!! Now I wish I had taken a picture of him!

At the end of the street is Sensoji Buddhist Temple built in the 7th century and one of Tokyos most popular temples. The buzz of the people makes the temple feel quite alive.

At the temple we got our fortune. Mine was a good fortune. Glenn’s was a bad one (even though it was the fortune for number 88). When your fortune is bad you tie it onto these posts so it doesn’t come true.

After the temple we headed back to the hotel for a rest. We tried to visit a nearby park this afternoon but it was closed by the time we got there. However, we were lucky to get an hour to have dinner without a cranky baby using last nights routine. Go Gracie!

Tomorrow we leave for Kanazawa.

Nikko

Today we ventured out of Tokyo on a day trip to Nikko. Nikko celebrates the extravagance of the Edo Period dating back to the 1600’s and is filled with temples all set in a national park.

Nikko is about 2 hours north of Tokyo by express and local trains. We headed out early to catch the bullet train to our first stop. From here we changed to a local train which was filled with tourists. Gracie was pretty good on the bullet train as she slept in her carrier ie me standing at the end of the carriage. On the local train she was very restless. I don’t blame her! As a side note, I must say that the toilets on the trains are immaculate and clean. The only thing that’s a bit too much is that they have a heated toilet seat.

When we got to Nikko we made our way through the town to the main temple.

On the way you pass Shinkyo Bridge a gorgeous red bridge flowing over crystal clear water and green mountains in the background. The bridge was built in 1636 and until 1973 was off limits to the general public. You can now walk over it if you buy a fortune.

We then headed up to the main temple, Toshogu Shrine. It was a bit of an effort to get to with a pram. We had to push Gracie up a steep hill and then the complex is a series of steps and soft rocky earth. We were lucky a guard could mind our pram while we explored. Notwithstanding, it was worth the hike as Toshogu Shrine is a lavishly decorated shrine and mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu who ruled Japan in the early 1600’s.

This shrine is also famous for a series of paintings depicting the three monkeys that “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”. It is kind of poignant this temple has the three monkeys as Gracie was born in the year of the monkey.

After the temple we headed back towards the station to grab some lunch. Most Japanese restaurants are small and the tables tightly packed. A challenge for a family with a pram. They also don’t normally have high chairs. We were lucky to find a place where we could sit on the floor and put the pram next to us. Another win as we wanted to have this dining experience. The room was empty when we arrived until a group of about 6 hipster Japanese guys arrived who were smitten with Gracie. Gotta love this country!

On the way to the train station we were lucky to see some wild deer grazing in someone’s yard!

Back to Tokyo by train and a rest at our hotel. We decided to do something different tonight with Gracie and feed, bathe and bottle her first. And then put her in the pram asleep so we could (hopefully) get a meal in peace. And, it worked!!! We got about an hour to eat our “cook your own” seafood meal, have a few beers and watch the drunk Japanese business people stumble down the streets.

I was even treated to some alone mummy time to have a few wines at the hotel and blog. Awwww bliss……