This is my final post from Japan. I will continue to update ... but from the less-exciting surrounds of Utah. So I thought I should add some more photos: Fireworks (most stunning and longest display I've ever seen!), CRAZY Shopping in Shinjiku on Sunday, Asakusa Temple, Buildings in the High-End Ginza Shopping District and the Lotus Blossoms in Ueno Park. More photos and musings are coming! 
The beauties of Japan are found everywhere! The stunning skyscrapers, all lit up at night, the adorable children donning their school uniforms heading for the train station, the centuries-old cemeteries, to name a few. Then, on the outskirts of town there are the quiet towns like Hakone, Miyanoshita and Gora. These quaint towns were the next stop on our travels while Brent was in Tokyo. These are all towns surrounding the majestic Mt. Fuji! Although the mountain was a bit illusive and managed to stay hidden behind the deep cloud cover, we had an glorious time her shadow.
We arrived at our hotel, the very posh Fujiya -- a room gifted to us by Linda through some very valuable certificates -- and dropped off our luggage before beginning our exploration of the surrounding areas. We boarded a cablecar bound for Gora at Miyanoshita, but not before photographing the stunning hydrangea plants. So vibrant and lush! 
Once in Gora we discovered a western-style garden/park which was Plan B, since the moss-covered Japanese Garden and Museum was closed that day. We barely missed the Japanese garden, however, once we explored the trails and hidden tea houses of the western garden, The water fountain, flower displays and the overgrown trails were beautiful. 
Tired from our exploring and ready for some food, we stupidly thought we could find lunch back at the Fujiya. Everything on the menu was outrageously priced!! Since we were already seated ... even though severely underdressed ... we decided to order something anyway. We went with a garden tomato salad and bread ... for more than 2000 yen for both meals we got the smallest salad I think I've ever seen and a small selection of breads. Probably not the best choice, especially considering the fact that we were starving! Later that afternoon we stumbled across a bakery that also served a delicious beef stew in a bread bowl that really hit the spot! And only 600 yen!
Checking into our room was a treat. A dutiful Bell Hop escorted us to our room, indicating all the amenities -- outdoor pool, gardens, restaurants (haha), onsen/spa, museum, etc... Then we entered the room to find our luggage waiting for us. He offered a quick tour of the room and was off. The room was quite large, with a huge picture window looking out onto the green hills where the occasional cablecar would sputter by. 
The twin beds looked so inviting, but one quick bounce proved that the Japanese prefer very, very firm mattresses! Not so comforting to aching muscles ... but I guess that was what the massages and onsen (natural hot springs bath house) were for! It didn't take us long to sign up for a foot reflexology therapy session and time in the onsen!
The bath houses, onsens being those with water from a natural spring and sentos being a city version where the water is heated by fuel, were a true cultural treat! Although some foreigners often wouldn't dream of exposing themselves (literally, ha!) to an onsen, they are truly missing out on a relaxing, completely Japanese experience.
(This sign is actually advertising an onsen on the Chuo Expressway on the way to Kyoto ... earlier in the trip ... but thought it appropriate for this post.)
Hoping to catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji, we took the cablecar up to the ropeway where we boarded a gondola and floated through the clouds on the mountain opposite Fuji. But the clouds were so thick we could barely see the vegetation surrounding us, let alone get a peek at Fuji. We also passed over an area called Hell's Valley ... a sulphur mine that also has an onsen further up the mountain. At the top we shopped our way through the souvenir stores and found some lunch ... Ebi Tendon -- breaded shrimp on rice -- with Miso Soup. Quite tasty. Then back down the mountain and to the hotel to collect our luggage for the journey home. 
Enjoying the onsen so much, before leaving Hakone, we found another Onsen/Begonia Garden. After wandering through the vibrant collection of colorful flowers -- more than just begonias -- we entered the onsen. Unlike the Fujiya, this onsen had both indoor and outdoor pools! Even though it was so hot and humid outside, I particularly enjoyed the outdoor pools! The heat of the water, however, makes it awfully difficult to soak longer than 15 minutes or so. The pools were surrounded by lava rocks and the brilliant green of the gardens. I couldn't help but wonder how amazing it would be to soak outside during the frosty winter months! The onsen was a wonderful, relaxing way to end our Hakone/Mt. Fuji experience.
While in Japan, I've had the amazing opportunity of filling in for Linda, teaching two of her weekly English classes at the Asahi Cultural Center in Tachikawa. What an amazing experience! These men and women are so amazing ... all coming from different professional backgrounds ... some are former businessmen while some of the women are retired dentists, pharmacists, and housewives. All so amazingly generous and sweet ... sharing a weekly topic with me and the entire class as they practice their conversational English.
While Brent was in town, he came along to class and enjoyed meeting these amazing people. He did a fabulous job of trying to understand their broken English that is so heavy-laden with the Japanese accent. He asked them questions and shared background on Southern Utah.
The classes were so generous, too. The morning class treated me and Brent to lunch at a Japanese restaurant where we carefully tried to select familiar items. It was a buffet, so quite difficult. What a nice gesture for the entire class to pitch in and treat us!
The afternoon class then introduced us to karaoke! After class we headed to Big Echo. Karaoke in Japan is different from the Americanized version. No singing in crowded bars to drunk people in Japan. At Big Echo we rented a sound-proof room where we ordered drinks and selected favorite songs, singing only to the small group. So much less pressure ... and so fun! Taking a few minutes to warm up -- joining in on a Carpenters song and some Madonna, I struggled through my favorite Pat Benetar song "Love is a Battlefield" and then joined in on a few other favorites.
Brent, who swore up and down that he would only be an observer and wouldn't sing, completely shocked me when he began singing along to the first Carpenters song. I was floored!! I don't think I've ever even heard him sing along to the radio!! I was completely impressed! But then ... he sang Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror." Fabulous!! Talk about hidden talents! We had a great time! I could have sung a dozen more songs, but we were running out of time. Again, what an amazingly generous gesture for the afternoon class! 
So I have a fascination with purses! I love buying a fashionable tote ... small, big, leather, canvas ... in all sorts of colors and styles. Well, I am in good company here in Japan! In fact, you might say I am in Handbag Heaven!
Because very few Japanese people have cars or only drive them occasionally, they are often having to tote a day's worth of essentials. So if you are going to the gym before work and then going to head out with friends for dinner afterward, you had better bring all your stuff with you when you walk out the door. Often I have seen teens carrying large athletic bags, along with their backpacks, ready for their afterschool tennis or soccer practices. Or mothers are often toting large diaper bags along with their slightly smaller purses. And, as Joey on "Friends" attempted to make the Man Bag fashionable for New Yorkers, the Japanese men are commonly found sporting a messenger bag or pouch dangling from their belt loop or yukata, often on top of their briefcase.
The women's purses range from big to bigger. There are very few women only carrying a small wallet on a string. These purses are HUGE! You could hide a small child in some of these bags! So needless to say, the department stores have a vast array of handbags! Did I mention "Heaven"?
So what would be in these large bags ... Here is what I would predict, based on what I have seen:
* Wallet, full of yen, credit cards, ID, and either their SUICA Train Pass or Subway Pass
* Kei-tai (cell phone) adorned with multiple dangling charms ... a topic worth it's own blog post!
* Fan, definitely a necessity, especially this time of year!!
* Handkerchief ... used for drying hands after using the restroom and for mopping off the sweat from your face. ESSENTIAL!
* A bottle of some sort of refreshment ... 99% of the time being Green Tea.
* Book ... usually a paperback wrapped in a bookcover like we used to do with our high school textbooks. My theory is that people do this (usually a service provided by the bookstore), so curious eyes on the train don't all know what each other is reading. They are very private people, and I think this is a good example ... at least that's my theory.
* Makeup ... usually applied after mopping off the first round that has been smeared from sweat.
* Umbrella ... now, there are exceptions to this ... see below!
* Hat ... again, see below.
* Set of keys to your house/apartment and your bike lock.
* And anything else that might be necessary for that particular day.
If there's no room in one purse, the women likely have many more to choose from and they can also be doubled up. A smaller purse for essentials and a larger bag for work-related things. I've been amazed at how so many match their purses to their outfits.
Now carrying these purses can often be tedious, but add to that all the shopping bags these women are often hoisting as well. A stop at Kichijoji can net 4 or 5 shopping bags, at least. Add a purse and another bag of workout gear and try and fight your way onto the train. Oh ... and all this while wearing 3-inch heels, too!
Speaking of shoes ... Japanese women must be trained in acrobatics or tight-rope walking because they manage to wear these tiny, high-heeled shoes day in and day out ... clicking up and down the stairs of the train stations, running to meet their train, and wandering for hours through countless shops in Shinjuku or Harajuku! These feet must be Fred Flintstone tough! I don't know how they do it! And the shelves of shoes in the department stores are even more abundant than the purses.
OK, back to umbrellas. So it rains a lot over here, so umbrellas are everywhere! Even when it's not raining, women commonly open their umbrella for a break from the sun. And the majority of these umbrellas are not the light-weight, compact, fit in your back pocket kind. They are Mary Poppins umbrellas, but with a very, very useful crooked handle rather than the ornamental duck's head. That crook is perfect for dangling from your arm, purse, or even pants pocket, while you balance other purses, totes and shopping bags.
Hats ... Oh how I love hats! I wish I could wear hats, but they just look goofy on me! But the Japanese wear hats on a regular basis! It all begins as they enter Kindergarten ... hats are part of the school uniform. But even before then, as I think about it, mothers are commonly protecting their baby's head with a cute bonnet. So hats are a very common accessory ... shielding from the sun, wind and rain or snow ... all while being very fashionable. The styles and varieties are endless. So, wanting to look as fashionable as the Japanese I bought a hat ... but I'm pretty sure I look just as goofy as ever!
So, with the purses, hats, umbrellas, fans and shoes, Japan is a dream for one who loves to accessorize! I've already bought 2 purses, several fans and one hat ... good thing my trip is nearing the end ... otherwise I could go broke just buying accessories!
After 2 weeks in Japan, learning how to navigate the train system and becoming familiar with the area, Linda left for the states. The next day my friend Brent came over for a week-long stay. On his first day here, we were off and running ... only 9 days to see everything Japan had to offer!
Brent's first day was a great way to start his adventure. We headed out on the train that Tuesday morning to Odiaba -- a popular shopping area. To get there, we took a boat across the bay and could kind of make out Rainbow Bridge through the cloudy sky. We then went to the sphere of the Fuji TV building where we got a sneak peek at a new Japanese movie coming to theaters and then we enjoyed the scenery from the sphere's windows. 
In Odiaba they have a replica of the Statue of Liberty. Not exactly sure why, but apparently France gave them the smaller version as a gift 10 years ago. 
We followed the visit with Ms. Liberty up with a quick lunch at McDonald's and then headed to Pallette town for some shopping. They have a very large Ferris Wheel at the shopping center, but because of the heat, we decided to pass on the ride. Instead we enjoyed browsing the shops that were extremely similar in design to the Caesar's Palace Forum shops -- cobblestone walkways, blue sky muraled ceilings, even Romanesque statues. Very familiar ... kept hoping for a Cheescake Factory, but no such luck.
We found a pet store that had some adorable puppies for sale. The prices on these pooches, however, was astronomical! They had an adorable little Yorkie, that I think was worth close to $2000! An adjoining store had an entire collection of designer clothing and accessories for puppies ... some sporting some serious bling. Very cute stuff, but so extravagant.
After shopping, we decided on a whim to check out Tokyo Disney. We found a bus that took us to the park and we enjoyed a discounted fare after 6 p.m. So Brent and I enjoyed the park which is just like Anaheim's Disneyland, but on a smaller scale.
Our trip through Pirates of the Caribbean, however, was marred when the ride malfunctioned. After waiting more than 20 minutes we had to exit the ride before the end. It was funny knowing that something was wrong, but not understanding the information that was announced. 
The Light Parade was great with it's mix of English and Japanese being spoken and sung by the cast of familiar characters. And the fireworks display was just beautiful. It was a lot of fun, but we were completely worn out by the time we made it home late that night.
In Kyoto the first night, we saw the floats on display for the Gion Festival which was Monday. The floats were all lit up and on display for everyone to see. Good thing, too, because on the day of the festival, it was raining like crazy. It was more a sea of umbrellas as people struggled to see the plastic-covered floats being pulled down the streets.
After our night's stay in Kyoto, Linda and I spent three nights in Hikone ... as Linda described it ... a quiet little castle town. It certainly was quiet ... and rainy! It rained most of the time we were there. We did manage a good day do visit the castle. It was quite a hike to the main building, but the trek was worth it. Beautiful. And the views from top floor of the castle were pretty amazing too.
The hotel we stayed at was pretty fun. One of the smallest rooms I've even been in. Just a twin bed in a tiny room with a super small bathroom. Pretty fun and cozy, though. Too bad the TV was all in Japanese. I did catch some good Sumo matches, though. Too bad I couldn't understand what exactly was going on.
The restaurant at the hotel was quite nice. Our first night we ate dinner there which was so tasty. I particularly loved the pumpkin soup!
