Parting shots of Japan

Originally Published on: Jul 11, 2008 

This is the last of some 16 posts about the trip I took to Japan in March. My son Jesse has been living in Tokyo for two years and he planned a great adventure for us during my stay.
You can read about the other areas of Japan that I visited, including Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakone and Himeji Castle in the posts below. It reads from the last day to the first.

Enjoy!

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I had one more full day in Japan after returning to Tokyo, so we spent it revisiting a few areas I really liked and checking out a few places I hadn't seen yet. One of my favorites of the latter was the "bookseller's district," where I found a cheap paperback in English at a used bookstore. (I read the entire book on the plane ride home.) We also went to a mega-bookstore where I found some clever children's books to take home as gifts. For myself, I bought a book of photographs of cherry trees in bloom in Kyoto...something I missed seeing in person by only a few days.

First, we went shopping, and this display of tulips caught my eye outside the store.

Mosaics in a train station.

Jesse's favorite organic food store.

A pedicab in Asakusa.

A sign on the sidewalk. (It's also uncool to eat while walking in Japan.)

The white flight of stairs leads to Jesse's flat on the top floor.

A neighbor's yard down the street from Jesse.

Much like Italy, the Japanese hang their clothes out to dry (saves energy!).

Bicycles are everywhere, and put to good use.

The ever-present vending machine.

The bath in Jesse's flat.

Jesse in his pint-sized kitchen.

The ever-present orderly queue waiting for the train.

This brings me to the end of my time in Japan. It was an amazing adventure, and I hope to return in a few years to experience more of this fascinating country.

Jesse quit his teaching job the week before I went to Japan, and less than a month later he found several other jobs more suitable to his goal of working in the publishing industry. He works as a proofreader and translator for Kikkoman and does the same for a law firm. I'm proud of him for having the courage to not only go after his dream of living in Japan, but also for having the courage to quit a sure thing (a job he hated) for the unknown, risking his ability to stay in Tokyo. His new schedule allows him more time and energy to enjoy living in Tokyo and to have a social life with his friends. Bravo!

Arigato gozaimasu

 mosuko

Thanks for making my first trip to Japan so rich!