Follow the adventure: The Tokyo Toddler I’m not talking about the bicycle. Eugene has those like a forest has mushrooms after fall rain. I’m talking about the suit. You just don’t see those kind of clothes in Eugene. But in Japan? Even the salarymen wear suits when they ride bicycles. This, though, you would see … Read more
Tokyo with an American Expat Follow the adventure: The Tokyo Toddler Travel is a chance to reconnect. That’s why, on our last full day in Tokyo, we saw the city with a high school friend of Jodie’s who has now lived in Japan for 8 years. The thing about a city on the scale of … Read more
Follow the adventure: The Tokyo Toddler When seeing the big sights of Tokyo, you also need a big lunch. So our guide made sure to whisk us to the special upstairs room of her favorite sushi restaurant, where reminders of cultural differences awaited. “My mom found this place a few years ago,” Brooke explained, “and … Read more
Follow the adventure: The Tokyo Toddler I’m a sucker for quirky signs. Yes, they have their function. But different signs in different countries can also just look different and interesting to those who are new to them. Such as this wonderful wee sign, seen throughout Japan and first spotted by me in Tokyo. What could … Read more
Follow the adventure: The Tokyo Toddler As Connor and I wandered Noborito on an early Tokyo morning, we each kept marveling at the gardens in the neighborhood. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we’re accustomed to fascinating gardens. They make you wonder about who lives in a house, what they’re like, how their personality is expressed … Read more
Follow the adventure: The Tokyo Toddler Americans love napkins. We go through reams of the things every day. The Japanese, however, favor the moist towelette. Individually wrapped and given to you pretty much anywhere you get food or drink, these handy little buggers clean up far more thoroughly than napkins. Which makes sense, because they’re … Read more
Follow the adventure: The Tokyo Toddler In addition to dealing with a 16-hour time change, 3 molars are cutting their bloody way through Connor’s gums. This made for a rough night. We warned our homestay host and fellow couchsurfers, and apologized in advance in case Connor had some middle-of-the-night wakeups. He did better than we … Read more
Follow the adventure: The Tokyo Toddler Sunrise in Noborito’s Neighborhoods “Dad, I want to go exploring,” Connor said. At least, that’s what Connor would have said if he could speak like that yet. The meaning was clear enough though. After a good night’s sleep till 4:30 a.m., then an hour of tossing and turning while … Read more
Follow the adventure: The Tokyo Toddler When getting ready for our trip, we put a big call-out to pretty much everyone we knew: any tips or contacts in Japan that you could share with us? Our friend Pam came through big when she introduced us to her friend Kiyomi, who lived just outside Tokyo. They … Read more
Follow the adventure: The Tokyo Toddler Our first morning in Tokyo dawned bright, warm and lovely. Last night’s wind and rain were a memory, a story to tell when we got home. We chatted briefly with our host, a young Japanese man who works both in business consulting and as a musician. We also chatted … Read more