Blessed to have gone back to Tōkyō during fall break! Enjoyed the sites, the food, and especially meeting up with friends. I was worried because of the recent bad weather, but the weather was nice. Would have liked it to be a bit cooler (it was mid-60s to mid-70s) but I’ll take sunny & clear anytime.
Some of my highlights included meeting up with my Kumamoto fam, going to izakaya with my friend エマ, and taking a day trip to Hakone with my cousin Val & Patrick.
I also attended church in Japan for the first time! I went to New Hope Yokohama for Sunday service. I got to meet Pastor Tantan and his wife Ai. I also introduced myself to the worship leader and shared that her worship video appeared on my YouTube algorithm. I told her that her video made me want to visit and gifted her a bag of Hawaiian Host chocolate macnuts.
Two new things:
1. I never go shopping on my Japan travels, mainly because I only fly with one carry-on. However, I finally, finally realized that my daypack wasn’t a good fit. Now I really, really love how compact and light it is. It is perfect for travel, but not for Tōkyō travel. The reason is that in Tōkyō, it’s all about catching trains. I realized that putting on and taking off the day pack repeatedly (and having it get caught on my watch or cuff) was mendokusai (a hassle.) So this is what I picked up…
This is the Porter Flash Sling bag. If you’re “in the know,” Yoshida Porter is a luxury brand. However, the Flash (nylon) product line is not sold at their stores but can only be found at department stores like Hands. Still, it was a pricy investment. I took advantage of the ¥en exchange and tax-free shopping.
2. Something free! I recently discovered on YouTube that eki stamp collecting is a “thing.” Train stations (and popular tourist spots) have stations set up with their stamp and stamp pad.
This is the Tōkyō (東京) Eki stamp. I mentioned to my friends that I was unable to find it earlier in my trip, and that it wasn’t a big deal. But they were determined to help me, and it became a fun night’s challenge. Another great memory…
Another great trip, 楽しかったです☺️ So blessed, and so thankful.
