Yes, we went to Japan! Tim has been traveling there for a few years now with his job, and we've talked about how neat it would be if I could join him. The opportunity arose, and I jumped aboard. He traveled there a week ahead of me to attend meetings and complete some tasks at Nissan. I joined him at the end of his work week, and we spent a week of vacation traveling all over the country. It was a very fun adventure, and I am so thankful I got to experience such a lovely country with my husband.
The first night was spent in Yokohama which is outside of Tokyo as well as the headquarters of Nissan. Tim took me to a restaurant that served ramen and it was delicious. When I thought of ramen, my mind went to the cheap bundle of noodles wrapped in plastic. The ramen in Japan is so different and so tasty.
After Yokohama, we traveled by train and then bus to a mountainous region called Kamikochi. It is in the "Japan Alps", and the scenery really was breathtaking. We spent a night in a ryokan which is a tradition Japanese inn. They served us an interesting dinner and breakfast in traditional Japanese style. I can't say that everything was overly delicious, but the presentation and attention to detail was striking. After I spent a week in Japan, I really appreciated how Japanese people take pride in how they present things, meticulously defining each detail in a way that is very attractive. The country is very clean which is amazing in that it is such a populated place. No one throws trash on the ground and everyone does their part to keep things clean.
While in Kamikochi, we enjoyed a morning of hiking which was highlighted by seeing several monkeys up close on one part of the hike. What a great way to start the week!
practicing my use of chopsticks while waiting for a train
a sitting area in our room in the ryokan
We slept on futon mattresses on the floor and could hear the rushing waters from a river outside our window.
the beautiful but not as tasty dinner
We celebrated our anniversary on this evening. Happy 13 years together!!
outside the ryokan in Kamikochi
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