Honeymoon to Japan - Tokyo

We finally took our honeymoon to Japan at the end of March!  

We took a 7 day trip to Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakone, and Miyajima. An initially planned 3 city vacation became a 4 city vacation ---I haven't vacationed this hard since my early 20s!  And...it was so worth it! It was exhausting, exciting, new, fascinating...and made me remember why I love travel so so so much.  The anticipation, planning, and then revisiting with pictures brings so much joy as well.  When we got back, we felt we had been away for a month. 

We walked an average 15 miles a day and were relentless in trying everything.  Growing up in Korea, I always had a fascination with China and never was curious about Japan. The expensive Yen also kept me away.  But having now gone to Japan---I love it and I was excited to go with Chris whose life dream was to visit Japan. 

The Japan I visited in 5 words: clean, innovative, thoughtful, quiet, and cute! 

Here are pictures from our few days in Tokyo.

We wore costumes and drove go carts on the streets of Tokyo! I'm telling you...no pot holes! Extremely clean streets. I found myself smiling to myself as I zipped around the streets of Tokyo, waving to taxi drivers and pedestrians looking on with curiosity!  It is a fun and unique way to see the city. I dressed up at Stitch, Chris as Yoshi.

Akihabara is a part of town that is full of games-- buildings full of people playing video games - old and new. It is a weird and strange place.

On our way to Ueno Park to see the Cherry Blossoms!  Chris and I both wore AllBird shoes- my feet were sore at the end of the day, but not sore because the shoes weren't comfortable, just sore from fatigue.  For intense, long walks, I highly recommend Allbird shoes!

 It was a cloudy, rainy day that day, but it was fascinating to see how committed people are to seeing the sakura (cherry blossoms). Everyone was picnicking with fervor.  And there were actually trash cans available (There are no trash bins around Japan- you're supposed to carry your trash home).

All shrines have these types of prayers that people buy and hang in front of the shrine.

 This is the Kaminarimon Gate in Asakusa, North East Tokyo.  Soooo many tourists. Chris looks pretty miserable-- jet lag is kicking in and it's raining and cold!

 Japanese people love ice cream!  Ice cream is sold everywhere~

 How cute is this Totoro Banana Chocolate Creame Puff!! It was yummy too. We stayed with my friends Mari and Mario, and their adorable baby Kai. Luckily they lived close to the Totoro cafe and it was easy to trek out there.

 Shijuku Geon!! It's one of the number park in Tokyo to see sakura and Mari's friends' mom made us a lunch to pack and enjoy the flowers.

 So many beautiful lakes and flowers around this park.

 Also, so many different types of cherry blossoms! I had no idea that there were cherry blossoms that drooped down either.