A very important part of our family culture is a love of travel. My kids and my family have been asking for a visit to Japan for several years. My kids love Pokémon, Nintendo games, Studio Ghibli movies and chowing down on a bowl of Ramen noodles.
In the past, most of our trips have been either in North America or Europe. But this year, we decided to explore this tiny part (Japan) of the largest continent on earth, Asia.
Our trip to Japan spanned over 10 days and in those 10 days we rode a lot of trains, ate a lot of noodles, bought a lot of things out of vending machines and saw many Buddhist Temples and Shinto Shrines. It was really quite the adventure and I learned so much along the way.
Does anyone out there know the difference between a vacation and a family trip?
A vacation is a trip that is relaxing and refreshing to the soul. A family trip is a journey that stretches your comfort zone by giving you the opportunity to learn and to try new things. It is also an opportunity to practice patience for the people in your group while exploring a new place which can sometimes be as challenging as the trip itself. In so many ways, a family trip is very, very different from a vacation.
Visiting other countries gives you one of the most amazing opportunities to get acquainted with the different tastes, sounds and smells of a new place and to see how similar yet different we are as a human race. For us (as a family) it is time spent learning about different cultures and appreciating where we are in our personal journey.
I want to give my grown up kids a huge thank you for being so patient with me and my love of tennis. During the planning stages of this trip, it was not part of the plan for me to bring my racket along for the fun.
I was at a drill, telling my tennis friends that I would be out of town for the upcoming trip. My teammate Jenn was so excited that we were going to Japan. Jenn and her family lived in Tokyo for ten years and she told me that she learned to play tennis while living abroad in Tokyo. She went on to tell me that the Japanese people loved the sport of tennis, and that you can find tennis in Japan easily.
That got the wheels in my mind whirling. Instead of setting my racket aside for the week and a half, maybe I could bring it along in the hopes that I could play a bit. So, after having already made a very dramatic farewell Instagram reel to the tune of Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey singing, Endless Love, saying goodbye to my racket (and trying really hard not to laugh at myself because I was joking, but not joking, in my sadness to leave it behind) I decided to carry my Wilson racket on the plane with me.
Well seasoned travelers that we are, it is just an accepted fact that “things” happen when you travel. Just plan on it. Last summer our luggage got lost, and then found. It was delayed by weeks. There was a massive luggage delay that affected everyone that had checked baggage.
It is an easy mistake to forget your charger in a hotel room, or even get lost in a foreign place. When you travel, you learn lessons along the way that make the next trip better because you learn as you go. On this trip we had only one problem, the problem was with the passports for my sons. They were due to expire, so two months ago, we had them expedited to be renewed for this trip to Japan.
Unknownst to us, there was a major backup at the passport office. A week before we were due to travel, there were two of us that did not have a passport. We called the passport office, and spent hours on hold, waiting to talk to a representative. I wish that I was exaggerating, but I am not. But the worst part is that even once I spoke with a live person, they couldn’t even get us an appointment to get our passports before our departure date.
Finally, after several phone calls, we got an appointment to have the boys get a new passport in the Seattle office, the day before our flight. Here is the catcher, we do not live in Washington.
So, Kurt and the boys left a day earlier than we did and after waiting for the good part of the day, they received their passports and hopped on a flight to meet us in Los Angeles before the long flight to Tokyo.
The lesson that I learned from this situation is that if you plan on traveling in late spring/early summer, do not count on the passport office to stick to their dates. They told us that an expedited passport would be back in 5-7 weeks. That was not the case. Do yourself a favor and keep on top of the expiration date of your passport.
If they are set to expire in the next six months, some countries won’t accept them. Yes, it is true, even if you have a valid passport, but it is going to expire in six months, some countries won’t even let you in – so go ahead and get them renewed. Source:https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-passport-renewal-cbs-news-explains/#:~:text=Be%20mindful%20of%20expiration%20dates&text=Many%20countries%20require%20that%20an,and%20not%20let%20you%20in.
While Kenzie and I were in the Salt Lake City airport getting ready to fly to LAX to meet up with the boys, our flight was delayed. While we were waiting, I was able to goof around a bit with my tennis racket. I tried to stay out of people’s way while I was having fun.
I will be honest and admit that carrying around a racket is a bit of a pain, but there are a few reasons why it is worth the hassle. One, I like that I was able to bounce the ball and enjoy my time, even though the flight was delayed and it could be easy to be bugged. Two, I am constantly in the hopes that I will come across a tennis court or a tennis wall to hit. But my favorite part of traveling with a tennis racket is that you quickly find your tennis people out in the world. The way that I was carrying my racket, you could see it sticking out of my bag, and invariably, people would stop me and want to talk tennis. I loved it! I get to talk with people from all over the world that love the same sport that I love.
Overseas flights can be long and boring, but this trip I hardly noticed it because I started watching the show “Yellowstone” on the airplane. Yellowstone made those ten hours fly by. I highly encourage you to bring a movie playlist, a list of podcasts, audiobooks, or actual books with you. Between sitting in airports and actual flight times, travel to anywhere in Asia can easily be a 20 – 36 hour ordeal.
Katri’s Travel Tip! – Snacks and Water
When I travel I really like to have a few of my own snacks packed in my carry on. I like to eat things I am used to. Sometimes on long travel days, anything familiar can be comforting. In addition to snacks, I always bring an empty water bottle that I fill up after going through security. In every airport I have visited there is a water fountain provided to fill your bottle after you clear security. I always like to have plenty of water when I fly.
After my husband teased me about bringing my racket, I had him take some pictures where I am taking a nap with my racket on the plane. I know it is silly, but after all of the stress with the passports, it was great to take a minute, appreciate that we all made it on the flight and laugh a bit.
Finally Made it to Tokyo
When we arrived in Tokyo, we picked up our one checked bag (after the shenanigans last summer, all of us carried on) and got a taxi to our hotel.
The long line for our cab should have signaled that walking, standing and waiting in line was going to be the theme of this trip. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy walking, but the step average for this trip was around 18,000 steps a day. On long days it got as high as 24,000 steps. I was really, really glad that I wore my “The Roger Advantage Sneakers” from On Shoes (link: https://www.on-running.com/en-us/products/the-roger-advantage-48adv/womens)
They are not the court shoes I use to play tennis at home, but while on the road they are great because they give support needed to move side to side, feel great on my feet, and are comfortable – even for 20,000 steps. Plus they look great with regular street clothes. I am a huge fan of this new shoe from On Shoes (link: https://www.on-running.com/en-us/products/the-roger-advantage-48adv/womens
By the time we got to the hotel, I was so tired. Maybe I should have tried to sleep on the plane, but who could sleep when the Dutton’s are trying to protect their ranch? I mean, Yellowstone really had me in its grip!
Anyway, Kurt splurged and got us rooms at the Hilton Tokyo (link: https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/tyohitw-hilton-tokyo/ ) which was a great place to start our exploration of Japan. Upon walking into the lobby it was clear that we were going to be in great hands while at the Hilton Tokyo. The staff was friendly and very helpful. For all of the many Hilton properties I have visited over the years, the staff at the Tokyo Hotel were the most friendly and welcoming of any I have encountered.
But the best part for me, was the room. After riding the elevator to our floor and using the wooden magnetic key to enter the room, I (like I always do) walked straight over to the window to check out the view. What did I see when I opened the sliding shutters to get my first look at Tokyo? I looked down and saw that the hotel had two beautiful tennis courts as part of their property!
Zero exaggeration – I got chills. I had the strongest feeling that this trip was providential. And even though I cannot speak a word of Japanese and had a lot to learn about the way of life and people of Japan – that this country had some of my fellow tennis fans was enough for me to know that this was going to be a magical trip. What a way to kick off the first day!
Day Two in Tokyo
The next day would be our introduction to the city of Tokyo. Kurt arranged to have a local guide spend the day with us. This was a great way to help break the ice in a new city, a new country, a new continent.
We spent the morning exploring the fish market. While it was interesting to see, I feel like this “raw introduction” did not help me acclimate to the food in Japan. There were huge fish eyeballs, octopus, sea urchin (my boys tried it… they said it was slimy… shocker). I was a bit jet lagged but trying to appreciate the adventure of it all, but I have to admit my stomach was churning a bit from the intense smell of fish smell which is something (living in Utah) I was not used to.
But the craziest thing we saw walking around the market was the shrimp – They were simply huge. No, seriously, they were the size of a small lobster and were crazy shades of blue, green and purple.
I looked closer at the two large shrimp that were in a clear plastic box. I was commenting to Kenzie about the beautiful color of the shrimp legs, when all of a sudden the legs moved! I jumped out of my skin as I yelped , “Oh dear heavens, this one is moving!”
I don’t think I have ever jumped that high at a haunted house. There is something about reality that is way more scary than a skinny teenager chasing you with a chainsaw with no chain.
After the fish market adventure, we got to visit, and learned the difference between a Shinto Shrine and a Buddhist Temple. We wrote a card of good will to hang on the shrine. On my card, I wrote my wishes that Rafael Nadal would heal quickly and return to tennis. No one in my family was surprised my wish was tennis related.
We tried the most amazing white and red strawberries, and saw a mango that was for sale at what equated to $160 US dollars! It is hard to pick a favorite part of our first day, but here are a few photos to show some of the lush sites that gave us the perfect introduction to Tokyo.
Day 3 (Technically) in Japan – Games of Tennis Played for Katri – Zero
The next day, we braved the city without a guide. We had learned from Kumiko, our guide from the day before, how to get around the subway system and with Google maps ready to go, we were feeling brave and hit the pavement.
The sun was not to come out that day. It occurred to me that maybe ‘the powers that be’ were helping me stay present with my family and not run off to go play tennis. I was tempted though. The kids were excited to visit Akihabara, the area that holds venues that specialize in manga, anime, and video games. None of these things hold interest for me, but my kids were very excited to find exhibits and souvenirs and go through floors of toys, trading cards, and collectibles.
Kurt and I left the kids with some Yen to spend and we went to a local McDonalds to wait out the rain and have some familiar tasting fries and a coke. The local food took a couple of days for me to get used to (and some distance from the fish market helped my appetite as well).
While we waited for the kids, Kurt and I checked out a local cat cafe where we got to pet some kitties and play with them and their toys. That was a fun way to wait out the rain.
But the highlight of the day was when we went to a Yomiuri Giants Baseball game. Because we purchased the tickets the night before, we were in the nosebleed section (I don’t think you can sit any higher than we were), but it was a fun experience to watch the game and to watch the crowd. There were girls dressed in cute outfits who ran so quickly up and down the stairs and poured drinks for the fans in the stadium.
After a long day with loads of walking, it was great to sit and watch the spectacle. They even gave all fans entering the stadium an orange jersey to wear to help cheer for the Giants. The stadium was ablaze in orange. This is the thing about sports, whether it is tennis or baseball it is fun to be part of the excitement.
Day 4 – Tennis Played by Katri – Zero
The next day we had to pack our bags and get ready to leave Tokyo. We barely scratched the surface in Tokyo and I can’t wait to get back.
While waiting for the train at the train station, I had the opportunity to get my racket out for a bit of bouncing the ball. It is not the same as actually playing, but since the weather didn’t cooperate, I made myself happy with what I had. Does hitting the ball in the train station count?
We had so many modes of transportation to get to Hakone. We took a shuttle, to get to a subway, to get to a train, then to a bullet train, to then another series of trains. When we finally arrived in Hakone, we dropped our bags at our hotel and ventured out.
We used the Hakone Free Pass, which took us in a complete circle using a train, cable car, ropeway, boat and bus. We could see Mount Fuji from our hotel in Tokyo, but the views using the Hakone Free Pass were the best.
After a long day of travel and riding more modes of transportation than I have ever done in my life, we called it a day at our hotel. This hotel was a ryokan, a Japanese traditional styled hotel. Upon checking in, they give you yukata robes to wear, the rooms were matted floors with the bed mat on the ground. There were also communal baths but we elected to use the private baths for a Japanese bathhouse experience.
We enjoyed a hot pot dinner that was included as part of the “ryokan experience” and after dinner, we took advantage of the opportunity of exploring the other public areas in the Japanese style hotel. Kurt, Kenzie and I wore the yukata robes that are provided and dipped our feet in the hot springs. Kenzie was really excited to find a cute reading space and there were cakes and candies for the guests to enjoy. We only stayed at the ryokan style hotel one night, but it was a highlight of the trip and I can’t wait to explore more of this new found indulgence.
I carried my racket around all day, and even though I did not get to actually play, it was really fun to have the opportunity to play around with it and the ball that I was carrying around. Walking though beautiful forests and viewing Mt Fuji is extra fun with a racket along for the ride.
Day 5 – Tennis Played by Katri – zero
Although I did get my racket out a lot the day before, the same was not true for our departure day from Hakone. Our scheduled time to depart on the train wasn’t until the early afternoon, so we left our luggage at the hotel and we walked down the street to visit the Hakone Open Air Museum. https://www.hakone-oam.or.jp/en/
I was unprepared for the absolute joy of visiting this museum that is almost entirely in the open air. At the entrance gate, the lady made me check my racket in a locker, so no racket for me in the open air museum. I did have a lot of fun carrying around my tennis ball which I like to think of as a type of talisman of good luck.
Inside the gates there are beautiful statues made out of all sorts of different materials but my favorite was the Symphonic Sculpture which is a tower measuring 18 meters tall and 8 meters and constructed out of stained glass.
You can climb up the tower where the light from outside penetrates the glass to create a beautiful, magical feeling world. Guests of the park can climb up the spiral staircase to look out on The Hakone Open-Air Museum (link: https://www.hakone-oam.or.jp/en/ ) and the mountains of Hakone.
Art is meaningful when it makes you feel something special and that is how I felt being inside this tower made of stained glass formed from 2 to 3-cm thick glass fragments that were broken with a mallet. Truly a great experience. I was kind of tempted to drop my tennis ball from the tower just to see what it would look like, but then I thought better of it. My family might have left me behind if I got myself kicked out of the park.
Upon leaving the Open Air Museum, we walked back to the hotel, picked up our luggage, and walked to the train station to take more trains.
We got very familiar with riding trains on this trip. Again, another day with no tennis except bouncing the ball in the train station while waiting on the train to arrive (which got a lot of love on Instagram – link to Instagram feed – https://www.instagram.com/tennisyellow/
After several trains, we finally arrived at the Kyoto train station. Over the next several days, we got very familiar with the Kyoto train station. We used Kyoto for home base as we explored Kyoto and the neighboring cities of Osaka and Nara and the easiest way to get around is by train.
We stayed at the Kyoto Garden Inn by Hilton https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/itmkygi-hilton-garden-inn-kyoto-shijo-karasuma/?WT.mc_id=zLADA0APAC1GI2PSH3GGL4INTBPP5dkt6ITMKYGI7en_&epid!_&ebuy!&&&gclid=Cj0KCQjwj_ajBhCqARIsAA37s0zoZR-HKxUuHgPE94DMhBXZ3n0p5NoRCBHyZwrRiBbpKQ7FhZ8v6BoaAkTlEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
That night after we placed our bags in our rooms, I looked out the window (like I always do) to see if there was a view of anything interesting… like maybe another tennis court? Sadly, no. There was no tennis court, indeed there was no view at all.
Our room, while clean and the staff very friendly, had no natural light. Kurt and the kids went out for Japanese dipping noodles. I picked up a bit of familiarity – McDonalds fries and a coke and then I bounced the tennis ball a bit before I called it a night.
After a lot of time spent on trains, it was nice to be in a spot that was still and take some time to relax before another action packed day.
Day 6 – Tennis Played by Katri – zero
The next day, we woke up and enjoyed a very extensive hotel breakfast. After an evening of scant nutrition, a meal with fresh food was so welcome.
After breakfast we went to meet the English guide Kurt had arranged for the morning. We linked up with our tour guide for my favorite part of our morning tour – visiting a traditional Japanese home and the zen garden that was there.
Our guide explained how the rocks in the garden were raked to represent the waves of the ocean. As I sat there and looked at it, I saw the beauty in how rocks were aligned.
We went on to see some other beautiful sights, but the truth is, we were all so tired, and there were throngs of Japanese and western school groups that were visiting that day – it was a relief when we decided to find a place to land for lunch.
We found a very authentic Japanese restaurant that served tempura. What I know about Tempura is that everything is breaded and fried, so I thought that would be a great choice to allow me a reprieve from some of the raw food that is very common in the Japanese diet.
But that isn’t quite how it worked out – I opened the bowl of white rice that accompanied our lunch that was served in bento boxes and the white rice had a huge pile of tiny fish with their eyeballs intact on top of the rice. I had to stop myself from laughing out loud.
I recognized this type of fish from the trip to the fish market the first day, and remembered our guide explaining how this was a great way to flavor rice. I tried some of the food, but I was grateful I ate a good breakfast. I enjoyed the time that I had to sit on the floor and just appreciate the atmosphere of the restaurant.
There were teenage school kids slurping their noodles and having a great time at the neighboring table. I was not interested in finishing my food, but I had a great time taking off my shoes to give my feet a well deserved break while drinking in the ambiance.
Later that night, we joined a walking tour that was themed around maiko and geisha.
The main differences between maiko and geisha are age, appearance, and skills. We learned from our walking tour guide that maiko is a girl, usually younger than 20, that is in training to become a geisha. Maiko means “dancing child” which refers to apprentice geisha who are in training.
The training is extensive to become a geisha. The girls that choose this path are not allowed to have a cell phone, carry any money, or have a boyfriend. It was interesting to learn a little bit about this world of mystery and eastern style beauty.
While on the tour, I heard others talking of a show on Netflix called, The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House. I started watching the show as soon as we returned to our hotel. How I wish I would have started watching this show before I left on the trip to Japan. It would have really helped me acclimate better to the food, or at least would have prepared me better.
Day 7 – Tennis Played by Katri – zero
The next morning, we woke up in Kyoto, but planned to take the train to Osaka.
From the train station in Osaka we had to take two taxis to get to the Osaka Castle. In hindsight, there was a way for us to avoid the taxi, but sometimes it was hard to understand exactly how to use the trains.
To me, it was not a big deal, because we didn’t use the taxi a lot, so if we needed to… so be it. Because a taxi can only accommodate four passengers, we split up. We met up at the huge gardens that surround Osaka Castle.
A castle in Japan is not the same as what you might expect in Europe. But we waited in the long lines to see inside (family vacations often include standing in long lines). Once inside we saw some beautiful artifacts and detailing of a lot of the war that occurred in the area in the past. The favorite thing that I saw in the castle were the gold dragon/fish that were on the top of the building (they were placed there to chase away evil spirits).
After the tour was done, we walked through the park. There was live music playing and it was a treat to hang out and people watch. Knightley decided that he wanted us to try a burger place, so we checked Google Maps and made our way to Burger Lion.
I have to tell you, that burger was the best burger I have ever had. It was so fresh and tasty.
Kenz and Knightley ordered burgers and a dish called Jesus Fries. Jesus Fries are a unique dish that are crinkle cut French fries, topped with gorgonzola cheese, cheddar cheese, with a drizzle of honey topped with clumps of cream and walnuts. This might have been the most unusual combination for fries I have ever seen, but it was really good.
We walked to the train station after our meal at the delightful Burger Lion and caught the train back to Kyoto.
On our walk back to our hotel, we picked up some delightful strawberries with red bean paste and tried some melon pan. I know that the kids were excited to try the sweet balls on the stick because of the shows that they watch that come from Japan.
For me, while they were cute, they did not live up to the hype. Japanese desserts are generally not very sweet, so to our American palate, they take some getting used to.
As for the strawberries with red bean paste, I was a fan, and would get them again in a heartbeat.
Day 8 – Tennis Played by Katri – zero
On the 8th day of our trip, we planned on spending the day in a city called Nara. We walked to the train station (again) to start our journey.
According to the tradition and lore of Shinto, the Nara deer are thought to be sacred messengers of the gods. In ancient times, if a person killed a deer, it was punishable by death!
In modern times, the deer are still protected and considered to be national treasures. These deer roam free and it is possible to purchase deer crackers for 200 yen and feed the deer.
Many of the deer will bow to you to try to convince you to give them a round cracker. It was so fun!
Nara is also known for being home to the second largest statue of Buddah and for having a delightful area for tourists to shop and relax. I found a hammock and had fun swinging back and forth.
But my favorite part of the whole day was the trip to the pet cafe. While in Tokyo, Kurt and I visited a cat cafe. But while swinging in the hammock, I got out my phone to search if there were any other pet cafes.
There was one nearby and after our time petting and feeding the deer, we visited the Hana Hana Small Pet Cafe https://hanahana-nara.com/
I absolutely loved getting to hold the animals and getting to pet them. There are small dogs, ferrets, bunnies, birds, hedgehogs and my favorite, owls. They had so many owls and of all sizes! I loved getting to hold an owl on my arm and the people that worked there were so fun and kind. They were able to talk a little bit in English and they really made our hour with them so great.
We did not have a reservation, but I would definitely recommend making one if you are interested in going.
Kurt, Kenzie and I had a great time but the boys didn’t want to join us, so they went back to Kyoto on the train by themselves. It was kinda crazy to have my two boys strike out without us, but between Kiefer’s four years of high school Japanese and experience of taking a lot of trains over the last week, they managed just fine.
One of the great things about Japan is that it feels like a very safe place. It is very clean and a great place to let my teenagers spread their wings a little bit.
It was another day of no tennis though, and when I tried to show the deer my tennis ball, they were soundly unimpressed. My kids were convinced that I was going crazy for tennis – maybe just a little crazy?
Day 9 – Tennis Played by Katri – zero
There seems to be a theme here – trains and no tennis for Katri.
Our time in Kyoto was came to an end and it was time to return to Tokyo, and prepare for our trip home to the United States.
We packed up and rolled our luggage to the train station. I was glad I used smaller carry-on luggage for this journey. I had purchased the hard sided small suitcase from Vera Bradley for a prior trip and it remains one of my favorite bags to travel with. https://verabradley.com/collections/carry-on-luggage/products/hardside-small-spinner-luggage-2813416320?variant=40922519109676
My favorite shoulder bag (to go along with my hard suitcase) is the Never Full bag from Louis Vuitton. It is so durable and fits all of my stuff. It is easy to throw extra stuff and fits great both on my shoulder or balanced on top of my suitcase. Best of all, it allows me to carry on my racket without being much of a bother. https://us.louisvuitton.com/eng-us/products/neverfull-gm-monogram-007652/M41180
We got to the train station prepared to ride the bullet train back to Tokyo. Riding on the bullet train was one of the best parts of our trip. It is a beautiful train that is so comfortable to ride.
The Japan Rail (JR) network is extensive and the trains reach a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph). It doesn’t take long to get places at 199 miles per hour. The trip to Tokyo was just a little over three hours but it seemed to go by very quickly.
Back in Tokyo, it was another sojourn on their vast network of trains, but we eventually made it to our final hotel stay before our trip was completed.
Day 10 – Tennis Played by Katri – zero
We woke up for our last morning in Japan at the Hilton Tokyo Odaiba Hotel. https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/tyotohi-hilton-tokyo-odaiba/?WT.mc_id=zLADA0APAC1HI2PSH3GGL4INTBPP5dkt6TYOTOHI7en_&epid!_&ebuy!&&&gclid=Cj0KCQjwj_ajBhCqARIsAA37s0xBB5Dmo4FlrsdRpkrI7a5LgETAPPD-cVy459_09Bi29JtG_aA8U_oaAhZ1EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds Our flight was not scheduled until the late afternoon so we had a bit of time for some last minute fun in Tokyo.
At that point, I was resigned that this was indeed a family trip, and not a vacation – much less a tennis vacation. I tucked my racket in my bag, and made ready to fly back to the US.
Then, a tennis oasis appeared!
I realized that there was a huge tennis park, called Ariake Tennis Park, less than a 30 minute walk from our hotel. Kurt, Kenzie and I put on our walking shoes for what would be our final walk through Tokyo for this trip.
When we arrived at the park, I was stunned at how large it was and how many courts there were! There are a total of 49 tennis facilities at Ariake Tennis Forest Park, with a 39 outdoor courts (23 outdoor hard courts, 16 sand-filled artificial grass courts). I have never seen anything like the Ariake Tennis Park, https://www.tptc.co.jp/park/02_03
And, happy accident when we were there the qualifying rounds of the Hashimoto Sogyo Tokyo Ariake International Women’s Open were underway.
No, I did not get to play, but I got to watch some very good tennis, and that was a great consolation prize.
As far as the trip went, there was zero tennis actually played but it was still fun to bring along my racket. After all, you never know when an opportunity to play might present itself. Plus, carrying around my racket and even just the action of bouncing the ball, gave me several opportunities to talk to people that were either curious, or just a fan of tennis and felt a kinship with me quickly because of a shared interest in the sport we love.
On my next trip, whether it is a family trip or a vacation, I will schedule some time at the Ariake Tennis facility to hit.
Japan was a fascinating country and a place that I would look forward to visiting again. There is a learning curve with anything that is new, so I think that a round two with Tokyo and the surrounding areas is definitely something that I would like to plan on.
I don’t know if I will ever be able to eat anything that still has its eyeballs attached, but if in a pinch, there is always McDonalds or the buffet at the hotel to help get you through until the newness is not as uncomfortable.
The beauty of the country, the style of the people and the warmth of their customs make Japan a place to look forward to traveling to.
