Leaving Japan

The next morning we were up early but had some time to kill before we had to be at the airport.  We stopped in at a little cafe for breakfast, the kind where they have the one menu choice set outside for you to see.  We went in and the waiter didn't even wait for us to speak Japanese, he started speaking to us in English (although he wasn't fluent).  He asked us if we wanted coffee or tea.  When I said water, he very firmly said, "no!"  I was taken aback at the tone and abruptness, although Emily and I had a good laugh about it later.
 I got my water (along with tea), so Emily and I think that coffee/tea is included in the price of the meal, but he didn't have the English vocabulary to explain it to us.

The food was really good, but there was a guy smoking not too far from us, and by the time we left the cafe, I had a headache and reeked of smoke.  

We made it to the Narita airport and as we were waiting to get through customs, there was a sister missionary in front of us in line.  She was on her way home (going solo--not sure where her companion was) to the United States.  We chatted with her for a few minutes before going on our way.

Once through customs, Emily and I headed to our gate, only to discover that our flight to Amsterdam was delayed--indefinitely!  What?  There was some mechanical error that seemed to take forever for them to fix.  We were given updates in 30 minute increments, and we never knew exactly when we were going to board our plane, so we stayed close to our terminal. 

We went on a hunt for a treat that grandma really likes (only found in Japan) but we couldn't find it.  Other than that, we passed the time chatting and writing.

My sojourn in Japan was a whirlwind adventure.  I was able to do and see so much in such a short time, but I barely even scratched the surface of that beautiful country.  I would very much love to go back and be able to see more.  I definitely fell in love (well, even more so--I have always had a soft spot for Japan) with the country and her people.  I would also like to visit where Emily spent the last couple of years.  Due to distance and time constraints, we didn't go that far north, but it just gives me a reason to go back!

An Afternoon out with Kimie in Tokyo

Emily really wanted to go to the Pokemon Center, so we hopped on the train to the nearest one.  Emily found something she liked, and I bought a small stuffed Pokemon character (I have no idea which one--it was purple) for Zuri.  She had recently gone through a Pokemon phase.

Tokyo Station

We explored the mall a bit before getting back on the train to the Tokyo Station, where we met up with Kimie's husband, Bret, and went out to dinner.   We went to a Korean restaurant in the building where Bret works.  We had bibimbap, which was really yummy.  Emily really wanted me to try it--it's one of her favorite dishes.  It comes out in a bowl all sizzling and you stir your egg, cooking all the food as you stir.  The rice gets all cooked and crunchy, but was surprisingly the best part.  I should have let mine sizzle a bit more.  :-)  

They have fun characters on some of the trains

I took more pictures of Tokyo as we wandered about:

 The Mall with the Pokemon Center.  Kimie told me later that Tom Cruise had come to the very same mall two hours after we had been there.  Tom Cruise is pretty big in Japan due to him playing in the Last Samurai

Such a strange sculpture

I thought this was really pretty

 Tokyo Station:

You know those stories you hear about people being packed like sardines in the subway in Asia?  Well, I experienced it.  Since we weren't in a hurry, we waited for the next one, which was still pretty packed, but not nearly as much as this one.  Funny thing is, this was the JR line, which is the line I had the pass for, but the other line wasn't as busy.  Since I paid so much for the JR pass, we tried to utilize it as much as possible while in Japan.

Some pictures of Tokyo right outside the Tokyo Station.  

Dinner Time!

Before it's all stirred and cooked

After!  Despite it's bland appearance, it was very flavorful and delicious!

 More shots of the city:

Owl Cafe

Before I went to Japan, I had read an article about the top ten things to see in Tokyo.  One that stood out to me was an owl cafe.  The article talked about being able to dine with the owls.  I thought that it sounded really neat, so Emily, Kimie, and I found one to go to.

I had different expectations of what the cafe would look/be like.  The owls were kept separate from the diners (for health code reasons, I suspect), and you had to have one of the menu items before you could go in and pet and hold (yes, hold!) the owls.  Additionally, we only had a five minute time limit to be in with the owls, and there were certain owls we could not touch or hold.  We had to sanitize our hands before and after being in with the owls, and they were very strict on how we were to touch the owls.

Rules and time limit aside, it was a lot of fun!  I got to pet and hold an owl!

My treat--it was a pudding, but thicker, and very yummy

Emily's treat--the cookies weren't too bad

The owls:

From inside:

Petting the owls:

Holding the owls:
Since Emily was the Japanese speaker, she was the one communicating with the owl handler (Kimie didn't want to hold or touch the owls so she stayed in the cafe area).  Emily indicated which owl I wanted to hold (so I could go first), but the lady had Emily go first, with the owl I wanted to hold (you can only hold one owl).  Consequently, we both held the same owl, even though Emily had wanted to hold a different one.  From the look on her face, I don't think she was too disappointed, though. 

 My turn: