Trip to Japan

On March 29, we flew Japan Airlines to Tokyo with our friends, Roberta and Earl.  Roberta was the maid of honor in our wedding, so we have known her for a loooong time.  They used to live in Long Beach but moved to North Carolina about 10 years ago, so we don't see them so often anymore.  We had talked about doing a trip together sometime and finally our timing worked.  The main part of our trip was a Road Scholar Tour called The Cultural Highlights of Japan, but we decided to arrive a few days early to get over our jet lag and do a few things on our own.  We also stayed in Kyoto a few days after the tour ended.

We arrived in Tokyo late in the day on March 30 so all we did that day was check in to our hotel.

The next day we took the subway to Shinjuku Gyoen to see the cherry blossoms.  Cherry blossom time is a HUGE deal in Japan, more than we had imagined.  Besides being the first blossoms of spring, it is the beginning of the school year and the government fiscal year.  Families have picnics in the parks, office workers have parties under the trees, the stores are all decorated and there is lots of special merchandise to purchase.

We were staying the Ginza area with lots of designer stores.  The Coach store had special edition cherry blossom handbags starting at $750!

The next day we went to the Tsukiji Market which is where the famous fish auction used to be held.  Now there are lots of food stalls and restaurants.  Mottled mushrooms below.

Very light pink strawberries in the center.

Our hotel had a huge buffet breakfast so I wasn't very hungry at lunch.  I asked if I could order the child's menu.  I thought it was really cute.  Even the kids eat salmon roe!

Senso-ji Temple