Japan Day 13: Goodbye, Japan!
<p>It's been two and a half years since <a href="http://fridgg.com/phuson">Son</a> and I went to Japan with <a href="http://www.lafujimama.com/">Rachael</a> and her family, and it seems I never quite finished posting about the trip! Oops.</p> <p>However, since I find it helpful to refer back to the trip (especially when other people ask for recommendations), and I hope you all find these posts interesting and informative, I'm going to post about the rest of the trip anyways!
Japan Day 12: Nishiki, CUBE, so much food!
<p>It's been two and a half years since <a href="http://fridgg.com/phuson">Son</a> and I went to Japan with <a href="http://www.lafujimama.com/">Rachael</a> and her family, and it seems I never quite finished posting about the trip! Oops.</p> <p>However, since I find it helpful to refer back to the trip (especially when other people ask for recommendations), and I hope you all find these posts interesting and informative, I'm going to post about the rest of the trip anyways!
Japan Day 11: Eating Osaka
<p>It's been two and a half years since <a href="http://fridgg.com/phuson">Son</a> and I went to Japan with <a href="http://www.lafujimama.com/">Rachael</a> and her family, and it seems I never quite finished posting about the trip! Oops.</p> <p>However, since I find it helpful to refer back to the trip (especially when other people ask for recommendations), and I hope you all find these posts interesting and informative, I'm going to post about the rest of the trip anyways!
Japan Day 10, Part 3: In which we get lost, find ourselves, and then get lost again.
<p>After spending the morning <a href="http://sushiday.com/archives/2013/01/07/japan-day-10-part-1-in-which-we-end-up-right-back-where-we-started/">getting lost</a> and the afternoon <a href="http://sushiday.com/archives/2013/01/14/japan-day-10-part-2-gion-geishas-and-gardens/">satisfying our wanderlust</a>, we were hungry. Time to eat!</p> <span class="bigPic"> <img src="http://img.fridgg.com/540w_18640000_75___farm9.staticflickr.com/8495/8293901576_1882a2dd86_c.jpg" alt="Red light district? on the other side of the river"/> </span> <p>We headed across the river, and found ourself on a large, busy street full of clothing stores and fast food. We could have stopped at a McDonald's, or Burger King, or Subway (or even Baskin Robbins!), but we weren't quite that
Japan Day 10, Part 2: Gion, Geishas, and Gardens
<p>After spending the morning <a href="http://sushiday.com/archives/2013/01/07/japan-day-10-part-1-in-which-we-end-up-right-back-where-we-started/">going in circles</a>, we once again left our hotel, and walked to the train station. This time we went to the station nearest us, which - go figure - was not a JR Station. However this time, we had an actual goal in mind.</p> <span class="bigPic"> <img src="http://img.fridgg.com/540w_18640000_75___farm9.staticflickr.com/8356/8289704009_a8f568bb9b_z.jpg" alt="Double decker train"/> </span> <p>At <a href="http://fridgg.com/phuson">Son's</a> suggestion, we were heading to the Gion area of Kyoto - an area famous for its
Japan Day 10, Part 1: In which we end up right back where we started
<p>Our first whole day in Kyoto was such a jam-packed day that I'm splitting it into three posts. Looking back, I can hardly believe we managed to fit so much into one day... and yet can now totally understand why I was so sore I could barely move that night.</p> <span class="bigPic"> <img src="http://img.fridgg.com/540w_18640000_75___farm9.staticflickr.com/8479/8265716203_362ab6d180_z.jpg" alt="Kyoto street"/> </span> <p>We started the morning off walking to Kyoto station from our hotel.</p> <span class="bigPic"> <img src="http://img.fridgg.com/540w_18640000_75___farm9.staticflickr.com/8077/8320493217_4ba0a7eda6_z.jpg" alt="Curry pan"/> </span> <p>We stopped by a tiny
Japan Day 9: Goodbye Tokyo, Hello Kyoto!
<p>Our ninth day in Japan was our last day in Tokyo. We started the morning by finishing up packing (and ate a couple of onigiri), before checking out and leaving our baggage with the front desk so we could do a couple more things in Tokyo before heading to Kyoto.</p> <p>We met Rachael and her girls at their hotel, and headed to Kappabashi - the "cooking street".</p> <span class="bigPic"> <img src="http://img.fridgg.com/540w_18640000_75___farm9.staticflickr.com/8066/8223101860_7a4613f139_z.jpg" alt="Kappabashi"/> </span> <span class="bigPic"> <img src="http://img.fridgg.com/540w_18640000_75___farm9.staticflickr.com/8483/8222024653_2f59e134e2_c.jpg" alt="Chef Statue
Japan Day 8: Bowls the size of your head!
<p>On the eigth day of our Japan trip, my true love gave to me... cookbooks, udon, and sushiiii!!!</p> <p>(Sorry, now that Thanksgiving is past, I'm in a bit of a Christmas-y mood!)</p> <p>So. Day 8. This was a hot, hot day!</p> <p>Our eighth day in Japan started out like this.</p> <span class="bigPic"> <img src="http://img.fridgg.com/540w_18640000_75___farm9.staticflickr.com/8011/7534835564_6234d6ccc3_z.jpg" alt="Itch cream"/> </span> <p>If, like us, your legs get attacked by crazy biting bugs <a href="http://sushiday.com/archives/2012/10/15/japan-day-5-amazing-kate/">when you're out late at a park</a>, then you'll want
Japan Day 7: Visiting the zoo in the middle of a typhoon!
<p>This post was supposed to go up a week or two ago, but then Hurricane Sandy hit. While I'm on the west coast, and not directly affected by the storm, I felt like it would be a bit insensitive to be posting about a fairly minor typhoon in Japan while everyone on the east coast was dealing with the Hurricane.</p> <p>The TED blog has a great post about <a href="http://blog.ted.com/2012/11/05/how-you-can-help-hurricane-sandy-relief/">ways you can help</a> those