Japan: The Alvarez clan left Japan and the Yoshidas arrived, May 2015

Hello Yoshida clan

Today was a sad, yet happy day. The Alvarez’s were taking off, but the Yoshida’s were on their way. It actually worked out that the Alvarez’s needed to be at the airport at the same time the Yoshidas were arriving. We all (well, some of us) jumped on the train and headed to the airport. We first went to the departures to drop off Lourdes and Victor. We said our good-byes, and since it was getting close to arrival, and we didn’t want Auntie Patty arriving without us there, my mom and I walked over to arrivals, while Javier stayed back with his parents. I was already tearing up saying good-bye to them, and knew it was only going to get more emotional. Mom and I waited anxiously for the Yoshidas to arrive. We half-expected to see auntie Patty rolling out in a wheelchair (to put it lightly, she doesn’t like to fly). We were pleasantly surprised to see all the Yoshidas on their feet bouncing along with auntie Patty looking the most excited and lively of them all!! By the time we were all together, Javier had joined us. He was obviously very sad to have left his parents, but leave it to a large and crazy group to help your sorrows by forcing you to deal with the madness at hand, specifically, getting us back to Tokyo in one group, but not before validating everyone’s rail pass. This herd moved quite easily. Much more so than when my family first arrived. I have to say, after all was said and done, the Yoshida clan was the most easy going group to travel with. Being family, of course there were trying times, but all in all, they were a breeze and a blast. It was so refreshing. 

too much to eat.

When we arrived at the apartment in Tokyo, the Yoshidas were ready to hit the town! They didn’t have much time in Japan, so we had to squeeze in as much as possible. We hopped on the train to Shibuya, had dinner at the sushi restaurant, and walked around to enjoy the sights. The group was so lively in the beginning, but quickly tired after dinner. Almost everyone was dozing off on the train, but they were such troopers!

No time to rest! We were already on the train to Fuji early the next morning. Sota had booked us a couple of houses in Kawaguchiko. They were so nice! Simple, modern, nicely decorated- very zen. We all slept on futons on the floor.

Mount Fuji from lake Kagawuchiko

The owner picked us up from the train station. She had a van, so some of us jumped in with all of the luggage, while others walked to the grocery store to pick up barbecue dinner and took a cab home. From our houses, we had a beautiful, clear view of Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi below. It was gorgeous. Javier and I went for a little run down and along the lake. The others went for a walk. The area was beautiful. The town is very small, with very few cars. It is lush with greenery, small farms, and gardens. I only wish we stayed here longer.

BBQ dinner in Fuji

Back at the house, we barbecued and spent the rest of the night sitting and spending time together. It was perfect. 

Before heading out in the morning, a few of us went for a bike ride before catching the train back to Tokyo. We ended up having to go back and forth because of poor planning. We had booked sumo tickets thinking it would coincide with our schedule. It didn’t, but still worked out anyway. 

The next morning, Javier and I split from the group to go to the eye doctor. Javier’s eye was red and had a bubble that was progressively getting worse. After a quick search on english-speaking opthomologists in the area, we set out. The doctor visit was so quick and efficient. She said Javier had an infection and prescribed drops. Conveniently, the pharmacy was right next door. The whole process took an hour, and we left armed with drops and peace of mind.

Fish Market

We met the crew back at the apartment, and found Megumi wandering the streets on our way. Together, we grabbed the rest of the family and hopped a train to the Tokyo Fish Market. Our group opted to skip the auction, which Javier and I were grateful for, and instead had sushi lunch at one of the many restaurants. I have to mention that most of us ate at the restaurant. Jonathan and Yasmin were MIA, and Joe and Sota had made it their mission to eat at as few establishments as possible, and instead snack their way through Japan. I would also like to mention now, that Joe made it a point to buy a different drink at every single vending machine he came across. Vending machines in Japan are EVERYWHERE. 

With full bellies, we made our way to sumo. That’s right…more SUMO!!! We had a group of 11, so we purchased 3 boxes and invited Megumi. We split our groups into three. Our box started with me, Javier, Megumi, and my mom. A little while later, my mom switched with Jeff (my cousin), and that’s when the mayhem started. Javier had the great idea to bet on the fights. The teams were me and Megumi versus Javier and Jeff.  The bet, sake shots. I thought I had advantage being on Megumi’s team. After all, she was the only one who could read the program and therefore, the stats. Well, after losing about four matches in a row, Megumi realized she was reading the program wrong!!! Needless to say, Megumi and I were plenty toasty, and Javier started taking my shots for me. 🙂 At the end, the Yokozuna lost. This is a big deal. When the Yokozuno loses, the people stand up and throw their seat cushion. You’re not supposed to, but they do anyway. So, sure enough, when he lost, we all stood up, started yelling with the rest of the people and chucked our cushions, much to the displeasure of some of the people sitting in front of us. Not to brag, but we had the best box. Now, THIS is how sumo should be done. 

Sumo

We tried to find dinner, but finding a dinner place within walking distance from sumo right after a fight, proved to be impossible. We decided to head back home to Ginza for dinner. By the time we found a place and finally got our food, we were all falling asleep. We didn’t realize our day was going to be this crazy when we planned everything, and Sota had booked a capsule hotel for those of us who wanted to try. So, at around 10pm, we walked home, grabbed an overnight bag, and myself, Javier, Joe, Sota and Jeff hauled ourselves to the capsule hotel. I have to say, the capsule was nice. I slept very comfortably. My only complaint, the noise. 

Sleeping pods

We walked back to the apartment early in the morning. It was really nice to be walking the streets of Tokyo before most of the people were out and about. Back at home, we gathered the rest of the troops and headed to Osaka!

On the way to Osaka, Auntie Patty, Jeff, and Sota didn’t make the train. As we pulled away, there was auntie, waving and laughing. My mom and I were afraid she would panic, but our saving grace was Sota. When we arrived at our connecting station, we frantically ran to connect to wifi, send a message to Sota, and wait. Not 5 minutes later, Sota, auntie, and Jeff come sauntering up. They were not the least bit concerned about being separated. Meanwhile, I was trying to come down from my little panic. 

Our Osaka apartment was in a sketchy neighborhood, but had an amazing lunch place right around the corner. We walked around the neighborhood, and eventually ended up in the underground mall. My mom and auntie went shopping for gifts, while the rest went up to the Pokemon floor. 

The Todaiji Temple in Nara

We spent the next day in Nara, Ugi, and Kyoto. It was a long day. We started early and visited the Todaiji Temple, with its big bronze Buddha. The entire structure, except for the foundation, is made of wood and has only burned to the ground 3 times. There are deer roaming the grounds around the temple. You can buy deer crackers from many different sellers, and the Japanese people have taught the deer to bow in order to receive a cracker. No joke, if the deer wants your cracker, they stand right in front of you and repeatedly bow until you give them the cracker. I don’t know what I enjoyed more, the Buddha or the deer. We opted for a free tour guide when we entered. We lost Joe and Sota to some Japanese school children, and all of the young boys stared at Javier with his Barcelona jersey. Some of our group, namely Joe, Sota, and Margo, were in love with the deer, and while they fed and played with them, the rest of us relaxed in the shade.

Jeff took us to a famous tea shop

On the way to Kyoto, we stopped in Ugi. Ugi is where Jeff gets all his green tea imported. He wanted to go to the actual shop and meet the owner. The city of Ugi is green tea paradise. You can even order green tea soba!  We weren’t there for very long, but Jeff was able to go to his shop, where we all tried the green tea soft serve. Yummy!

We arrived in Kyoto in late afternoon. Sota was really the only one who had an agenda. Everyone else was along for the ride.

Fushimi Inari Shrine, and Buddhist temples

There was only one thing she wanted to see, the Fushimi Inari Shrine. There are hundreds of orange shrines, one after another, for miles up the mountain. We only walked a short distance, and when we realized we were going to be committed to a one way, decided to head back. Joe and Sota were going to Kobe to meet with Sota’s cousin for dinner, so the rest of us slowly made our way back to Osaka for a quick dinner and bedtime. 

Now this turned out to be a fun time! Javier and I had booked a hotel/ryokan for my family. It wasn’t as traditional as the ryokan we stayed in with his parents, but I think this was even better. There was more to do, which was good for everyone. We also needed reliable wifi for Jonathan, so it all worked out. We left Osaka and headed to Takarazuka. To a place called Hotel Wakamizu.

footware

This place was big and modern. On the top floor were the onsens, and they were lovely, well at least the women’s, I can’t speak for the men’s. The women’s had a large indoor stone pool, and a much warmer outdoor pool. The rinse stations had so many different products from head to toe, I tired them all! Once in the changing room, there were even more products for face and body. I tried them all too! That was probably my favorite part. All the fun products!!

We randomly had Indian food for lunch, as was recommended by the guy at the desk, and several of us wore the hotel ‘outside shoes’ to the restaurant. Although, they weren’t all that comfortable. Once back at the hotel, we had our welcome tea and mochi, and everyone put on their yukatas, which they wore for the remainder of the evening. Almost everyone enjoyed the onsens, my mom and aunt stopped at the massage chairs in the changing room, and didn’t get any further. We all sat together for another fear factor dinner. Although I have to say, this one was much milder than our previous.

Family Dinner

Jonathan and Yasmin showed up at the end of dinner. They almost didn’t come out, but made the trip at the last minute. After dinner, the girls went back to the onsen, and I think the guys did too. I want to soak in an onsen every night before going to bed. It is so relaxing, and the perfect end to any day. 

 I would like to take a moment and say that at dinner we tried this violet soda. It was very yummy. So much so that auntie bought 13 bottles of it. Glass bottles. She didn’t ship it home in a box, she put it in her suitcase. When we started teasing her that she was going to get stopped by customs, she started stashing bottles in everyone’s bag. 13 bottles!!! 

After a not-so fear factor breakfast we headed back to Tokyo where we said good-bye to Joe and Sota.

Asakusa

The rest of us continued on to Asakusa where we were just in time to buy some parasols we had seen earlier. It was already evening and just for kicks decided to see an act of kabuki theater. We were in the standing room only, and left after 45 minutes or so. There were two problems. First, it was all in Japanese, and none of us actually speak Japanese. Secondly, we were starving. We would have been willing to stay if it were an interesting act, with lots of action, but we caught it at a time of nonstop dialogue, and it just wasn’t worth the hunger pains. Margo and I were getting hangry, and the family couldn’t decide whether to stay or leave.

Kabuki Theater

We kindly excused ourselves from the group to go eat, and we had my mom and Javier right behind us. The four of us ate at the nearest restaurant to the theater. We didn’t care what kind of food it was, we just wanted to eat! Not more than 15 minutes later, the rest of our group walked in. 

It may seem ridiculous to some, but not to others, that we went to Disneyland while in Tokyo. Actually, we went to DisneySea. I learned from my mother that DisneySea was originally created for Long Beach, Ca. When Long Beach decided against it (too much traffic or something like that) they took it to Tokyo. Disney Anaheim seems so close at 20 minutes from my house, but to have had a Disney in my backyard!!! The possibilities!! BUT…it’s not in Long Beach, it’s in Tokyo. 

Cappuccino Pop corn at Disneyland Tokyo

Needless to say, we had a blast! Outside of the US, this is by far the nicest Disney to visit. Some of the things I love about Disney is its cleanliness, and attention to detail. Sadly, the other Disneys don’t necessarily have these same standards, but they sure do in Japan! It was like being home. It’s all water themed, and true to the Long Beach spirit, has a Queen Mary. We stayed all day, went on as many rides as we could, and one ride twice. It was crowded, but compact enough to quickly navigate. DisneySea has different popcorn flavors than at home, and we made it a point to try them all. We snacked, we played, we had so much fun!

Sengakuji

We spent our last day at the Ronin warrior temple and cemetery. The Yoshidas can trace their ancestry to one of the Ronin warriors, so we spent the day learning about their grrrrreat uncle. We saw his headstone, statues, and read stories about all their lives. The Yoshidas also learned about their family crest. It was a special time for them, and an educational time for us. 

Back at the hotel, it was madness. The whole clan was leaving later in the afternoon, and there was some last minute shopping, which caused everything to be rushed. Yasmin took us to a department store, where we could buy Japanese beauty products. It was a duty free store and was absolutely packed with people. While my mother and I were in line, I told her to brace herself. Almost all of the shoppers were Chinese, and sure enough, to her displeasure, my mom was able to experience a Chinese line. 🙂 

Subway metro japan fun

We had to split into two taxis to get to the train station. Our taxi was the second to leave, which meant the first taxi should have been there by the time we arrived. No such luck. We didn’t have an actual ticket yet, just an open ended return. We didn’t want to confirm a departure time until we had the rest of the group. Our group waited in front of the ticket booth, while Javier and Jeff started walking all over the station to try and find the rest of our party. It was getting late, and we were getting nervous. I had sent Jonathan several messages as to our location, thinking he would connect to wifi. Minutes passed, and we were cutting it close. Finally, Javier showed up with the rest of the group. Apparently, their taxi driver took them to the wrong entrance, even though Javier specifically told him where to go. It was a rush to exchange our tickets and we ran to the train. As we waited for our train to arrive, auntie pulls out a box of Tokyo Bananas. Apparently, Margo’s dad wanted some of these little gems as a souvenir, and while I was panicking that we weren’t going to make our train, auntie was shopping for Tokyo Bananas. 

Joe and his vending machines

We made it to the airport with only a few minutes to spare, which in hindsight, was probably a good thing. Once everyone had checked-in, they didn’t have time to linger, but had to head straight for security. We said quick good-byes, and I started balling. I was doing okay until I saw Auntie Patty crying. That girl gets me every time. Then my mom started, and we were all one big blubbering mess. Like I said, I’m glad it was quick, and once I couldn’t see them anymore, it hurt a little less, but I had this big gaping hole that left me feeling empty. 

Margo and Ryan Japan

Javier and I weren’t leaving until the following day, so we took the shuttle bus to our hotel. We were staying close to the airport for convenience, and when we arrived, realized it was a predominantly Chinese hotel. After leaving China, and spending 3 glorious weeks in Japan, we were spending our last night listening to people yelling and pushing us. Sorry if that is culturally insensitive, but it’s the truth. Not really the way we would have liked to end our Japan experience, but hey, what can you do?

In the morning, it was back to the airport. I feel like I know the Tokyo-Narita airport better than the ones at home at this point. We arrived early and blogged for a bit. Thanks to Auntie Patty’s Tokyo Banana snack, we decided to buy a box for ourselves, which lasted us two more countries. It was sad leaving Japan, but after all the wonderful memories we created there, I couldn’t imagine being there without our families. That being said, I have a feeling we’ll be back 😉

To see more pictures of Japan, click HERE.