Favorite Things About Japan

This trip has been amazing. I feel so privileged to have an insider view of Japan. At most of the places I visited, I was the only Westerner:

1. on bullet train to Kyoto

2. at 5 out of 6 temples visited

3. at every restaurant in Kyoto

4. At Kusatsu (the entire town)

5. On all busses and trains to and from

6. On the Tokyo cruise boat

Even though I speak no Japanese and can't remember words like "good morning," I still was able to enjoy thanks to kind Japanese people around me ---Naoko, her friends, and her family. Thank you!

Other favorite things about Japan:

1. clean, abundant public restrooms

2. vending machines on every corner selling coffee, tea, water

3. sliding doors -- most doors slide rather than open out or into the room. Many doors in America are designed to slide, but it is my experience that these are frequently broken, making the doors an inconvenience. Sliding doors save space! I love them.

4. food - I had so many wonderful meals in Japan. It is truly a foodie country.

5. The slurp of ramen eating -- love it!

6. Japanese rice - so delicious, I realize it is my favorite kind of rice

7. Onsen - wow, what a wonderful resource. Naoko says the onsen make up for the earthquake risk. This may be so. And of course the abundance of onsen are because the country is so active geologically.

8. Peekabo - it's always a party when peekabo is happening.

9. to be continued, but it goes on and on.