 Julian was in Greece with a school tour, our house was being listed for sale, and we badly needed a vacation... so Satomi and I traveled to Japan with our friends Deepak and Vineeta.  We spent three nights in Shinagawa, near Tokyo, then traveled to Osaka and Kyoto for two nights, then traveled back east to Yokohama, where we spent five nights at the Intercontinental Hotel.  The trip was rich with experiences: We re-introduced ourselves to the incredible food of Japan. The amazing bakeries, the isekayas, the okonomiyaki, the hot soba and even the pizza... all delicious. We explored three very different cities - Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto - with their own cultures and personalities. We experienced "o-hanami", which is a tradition in Japan that involves drinking one's self silly under the cherry blossoms in Spring. We rode trains, buses, taxis, ferries, cablecars, and ropeways. We watched belly dancers perform at a Shinto shrine while sipping sake at a sakura matsuri. Though the weather was a bit cold, I think I fell back in love with Japan.  Here are a few pictures. There are many more at rudderpost.smugmug.com. 
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