How do you say goodbye?

And in the blink of an eye, three years have passed and it’s time to leave Japan. How do you say goodbye to a place that has become such a part of you? I started this blog to document our…

A family ‘staycation’ in Odaiba

With our time in Japan quickly coming to an end, we decided to take one last opportunity to spend time in amazing Tokyo. We headed to Odaiba for a short family ‘staycation’ to take in the beautiful views of Tokyo…

Yes, real-life Mario Kart, on the streets of Tokyo, is a thing

Tokyo is known for some wacky and wild things, but I think that real life Mario Kart on the city streets ranks right up there amongst the craziest. Not to mention the most fun! I know absolutely nothing about the…

Our last springtime in Japan

Springtime in Japan is a glorious thing to behold, and something I will dearly miss. The girls and I decided to head to the nearby Shiofune Kannon Azalea Festival on one beautiful spring day last month. As a desert dweller,…

Cousins in Tokyo- Part Two

Part Two– My sister Pam, along with her two young kids, came all the way from Italy to pay us a visit. Most of our activities included having four kids in tow, but we did manage to get out one…

Cousins in Tokyo- Part One

Who would ever guess that the cheapest flight to anywhere in the world from Italy, was to Tokyo? Well, that is exactly what happened when my sister Pam was randomly searching airfares one night. Pam had just moved to Italy…

Fukubukuro- “lucky bag” shopping, 2016

Another new year in Japan, means another stab at fukubukuro, or lucky bag shopping! The gist of fukubukuro is heading to the mall on New Year’s Day, and buying a bag with unknown contents for a set price. The contents…

A visit with Grandma and Grandpa

We were so happy to find out that grandma and grandpa (Matt’s parents) were planning to visit Japan! It was their very first trip out of the United States, and we couldn’t wait to show them more of this wonderful…

Gonpachi, A.K.A. the "Kill Bill" restaurant?

 Gonpachi is a restaurant in the fashionable Roppongi district of Tokyo, and is apparently best known to westerners, as the “Kill Bill” restaurant. I’ve never seen the movie, so I wouldn’t know, but many famous people have also eaten here,…


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