Our last day in Tokyo

On our last day in Tokyo, we finally got to spend some quality time with Renna.



We started the day at a conservatory outside of the downtown area. They had a cacao tree with green cacao pods on it. We've never seen these in person before.



There was also a really cute pineapple. It was about three inches in diameter (5 cm).

Next we went to some of Renna's favorite hangouts in Shibuya.

They had some interesting beer coctails including the beer margarita that Matt is having.


After drinking and eating a lot, we went for donuts. We got a doughnut afegadro along with a bunch of other delicious rings of fried dough.

Hamburger! ハンバーガー

As usual, Takashi and Matt have to have their hamburger together. The two of them are smiling at Mos Berger, a In-N-Out like place, near Kappa bashi, the Restaurant supply district in Tokyo.
いつものように父とマットは一緒にハンバーガーを食べに行きました。河童橋のモスバーガーで笑顔の二人。

Kappa bashi is famous for the plastic food found all over Japan.
河童橋にはもちろんプラスチックの食べ物がたくさんあります。
　

Waketokuyama 分とく山

The final dinner with Takashi was at Waketokuyama, a early Valentine's day present from Matt for both Nile and Takashi. Nile has many books written by the chef, Hiromitsu Nozaki and has been super excited about it for weeks. She called to make a reservation and asked for a counter seat because she is a giant fan of the chef. They reserved the counter right in front of him for us.
父との最後の外食はマットが奮発して分とく山バレンタインのプレゼントに連れて行ってくれました。野崎洋光さんの本が大好きだからすごく楽しみしにしてました。大ファンですといって予約したら野崎さんの前のカウンター席を取ってくれました。食べ物大好きなふーこと徳ちゃんも食べにきました。

Half way through dinner, we were talking and mid-sentence, Mr. Nozaki went away we were wondering what had made him mad. He came back with his first English book to give to us. On our way out, he gave us another book, this one in Japanese.

ご飯の途中でいきなり野崎さんが話の途中で裏に行ったから何が起こったかと心配してたら最近出版された英語の和包丁の本をプレゼントしてくれました。帰る前にさらにもう一冊本をプレゼントしてくれました。

Duck for Matt and Takashi, Tai fish for Nile

鴨、鳥を食べない私には鯛

A collection of appetizers, spring vegetable clear soup, Fugu (for one person!)

前菜、春野菜のお吸い物、ふぐ（一人分！）

Abalone, collection of sea food including shrimp sushi made with potato rather than rice.

あわび、前菜の後だから中菜（？）えびのすしは米じゃなく芋です。

shiokara, more fugu (fried two different ways for two different cuts)

塩辛、ふぐ二種類の揚げ物

Tai rice.

鯛ご飯

Dessert. Thank you for a special night!

デザート。おいしくて楽しいご飯をありがとうございました。

Cookingschool restaurant 料理教室レストラン

Our first night in Tokyo, our family friend, Hisako took us out to dinner. It is a small place run by a husband and wife couple, who run a cooking school during the day. It was very good.

東京についた日、寿子さんがおいしいレストランに連れて行ってくれました。夫婦がしてるレストランは昼間は料理教室です。

To Tokyo! 東京へ

After a week in Kyoto, we went East to Tokyo. We had ekiben on our way.
京都のあと、駅弁を食べながら東京へ行きました。

　
Ever the fan of small spaces, Matt loved the tunnel he found on the plantform.
小さなスペースが大好きなマットはプラットホームで見つけたトンネルが大好きでした。

Ofcourse, we went to Matt's favorite Akihabara.

もちろんマットの大好きな秋葉原も行ってきました。

Horyu-ji 法隆寺

After Toudaiji, we went to Takashi's favorite Horyuji.
東大寺の後は、父の大好きな法隆寺へ。

The octoganal Yumedono was a radical modern acetechure when it was built in the 600's.

8角形の夢殿は建築当時 (600年代) 斬新な近代建築物だったらしいです。

Toudaiji 東大寺

After feeding the deer, we went to Toudaiji famous for the big Buddha .
鹿せんべいのあと、大仏で有名な東大寺へ行きました。

Matt made a panorama of the front. Use the mouse wheel or the + button to zoom in.

Inside there is a hole (the size of the Buddha's nostrols) in one of the the big column where we were told that if you can get through, then you're going to be happy. Matt, tried it and was successful.

中の柱にある大仏様の鼻の穴の大きさのある穴を通れると幸せになれるらしいです。マットが挑戦して成功しました。

There are deer at the temple too. もちろんここににも鹿はいます。

Wildlife in Nara 奈良の自然

We went to Nara. 奈良へ行きました。

In Nara, there are deers everywhere: (from teh left) one is eating a tag off a bag at the bus stop, shopping at a store, waiting for someone to come by and feed them the cookies the ladies are selling.

奈良には鹿がたくさんいます。（左から）バス停で鞄についている名札を食べる鹿、買い物してるしか、鹿せんべい待ち中の鹿。

Matt excited to the oppunity to feed "wild" animals, got cookies. Then he was surrounded by them. At point, he wasn't feeding the deer fast enough that he got bitten on the bottom.
奈良の自然の鹿にせんべいをマットはうきうきしながら買いました。そしたら囲まれました。早く配らないからと鹿にお尻をがじられました。
　 　　　　　　　　
　
　　
At the end, there was nothing to do for Matt except the universal symbol of there is none left. The deer were fast to move on to the next prey with cookies.
最後は世界（生物？）共通のもうないシンボルをするしか有りませんでした。シンボルを理解した鹿は次のせんべいを持った獲物を探しにさっさと去っていきました。

Don't forget to floss after snacking. おやつの後はフロスを忘れずに。