Minnasan — Konnichiwa!  I am so excited to have the chance to get a blog in tonight!  🙂  Here in Tokyo it is Wednesday the 17th, around 7p.  We decided to take a few hours of rest this afternoon before dinner, so I’m ready to drop a sneak peek at our travels for all of you!
 
Tokyo has been INCREDIBLE so far.  I cannot over-emphasize how I have come to adore this place!  The city is sprawling… skyscrapers as far as the eye can see in every direction.  Yet punctuating the urban jungle are the most tranquil, elegant public parks.  Fall foliage here is stnning and I feel so fortunate to be here this time of year.  It is cold and crisp, but not unbearable.  Low/mid 50’s fahrenheit has been average since we arrived.  We’re also seeing a bit of rain, but I don’ tmind it too much since it’s generally light, and we do have some sunny days forecasted in the week ahead.
 
Food has been amazing, as you could guess. So far we’ve had delectable hire katsu, kake udon, chashu-men, and interestingly enough, one of the best burgers I’ve ever had (at the quirky Zest Premium Burger in Tokyo Dome City). Still left on our hitlist: delicate tempura at Ten-Ichi, sushi breakfast at Daiwa (at the Tsukiji Fish Market) and tonkatsu at Maisen.
 
I could write pages more about this place. To sum up, I LOVE TOKYO! Here are some highlights of our trip so far, and of course, the pictures you all came here to see. 🙂
   
 
We are lucky that our friend Brad happens to conduct the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra this time of year.  🙂  He hooked us up with these great seats of a wonderful show at
the Tokyo International Forum.
 

 Us on stage post-concert, wearing our all access passes 🙂

We spent that night exploring Ginza, known as the “Beverly Hills” of Tokyo.

A fun find in Ginza: the first international Starbucks location.  We have made Starbucks our daily bit of Western indulgence.  As a compromise, however, I only order drinks you can’t get stateside.  🙂

Another shot of Ginza at night.

Us outside the torii gate at Meiji Jingu Gyoen (park + shrine).  Lucky for us, our visit coincided with “shichi-go-san” (7-5-3), a date when parents bring their 7, 5, and 3 year-old kids (decked out in traditional garb) for dedication at the shrine.  Cute overload!!

Me and a kokeshi doll that I may be adopting and bringing home to the states with me.  🙂

Us at the entrance to Takeshita Dori, a shopping street in Harajuku where you can find all sorts of funky clothes + accessories.

A stunning view over Shinjuku & beyond from the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

A gorgeous shot in Koishikawa Korakuen, one of the most beautiful gardens I’ve ever seen.

On a lovely bridge in Koishikawa Korakuen.

The maestro, his beautiful wife Karen, and us, also in Koishikawa Korakuen.  🙂  They have been our personal tour guides around Tokyo for the past few days and they truly showed us the ropes here.  What a blessing (and so much fun!!) to spend time with them here, halfway around the world.  🙂

That’s all for now, friends!  Uploading, choosing pictures, and resizing them takes quite a while, so my apologies for the abbreviated photo post.  We have taken well over 400 pics so far, though, so expect much more to come later!!  Matane!  <3

xoxo, angel

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Comments (10)

  1. Michelle: November 17, 2010

    How FUN! You’ve seen so much already! I can’t wait for the next installment 🙂

  2. thetreasuredpetal: November 17, 2010

    such a fun post! i miss having you around here, but i’m so glad you’re having a blast!

  3. weezermonkey: November 17, 2010

    SO AWESOME! (Yes, caps needed.) 😀

  4. jac kaiser: November 17, 2010

    love it! wish we could be there 🙂 cannot wait to hear all about your adventures!!!

  5. michelle: November 17, 2010

    oh angel!! it looks like a blast!! miss you tons…can’t wait to see you when you return! xoxo

  6. anna: November 18, 2010

    1. i miss you! a LOT!
    2. ruby misses you too! she text me. 🙂
    3. if your red scarf is from tokyo, bring me one. or three! 😉
    4. don’t forget about my jade bracelet!
    5. tell my brother i dig his new do. 🙂

    wuv you sitter pie. have fun, and call me if you get a chance.
    xoxo gossip girl

  7. BootsandCateyes: November 18, 2010

    Your trip looks amazing!!!!!

  8. Nina's Sweet: November 21, 2010

    Blog muito criativo, parabéns!

    Beijos, Mayara.

  9. taylor perry: February 27, 2011

    Hi there, just came across your blog and discovered we had the exact same trip through tokyo except mine was a few years prior. also, i cherish my kokeshi dolls, one of which we share, the one in your picture.
    thought this was to coincidental to not write something

    -victoria bc canada

  10. loveandsplendor: February 27, 2011

    thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a note! i miss tokyo so much and hope to return very soon. 🙂 take care!

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