Japan 2024 Part 1

This was my first visit to Japan. All my life, I never wanted to go to Japan, because everything that portrayed Japan showed ridiculously crowded streets and trains. Even restaurants were tiny and cramped. However, as I did more research on the nature side of Japan and more and more of my friends and coworkers kept going and raving about how great the food is, I relented and decided to go. We landed in Narita and caught the train to Asakusa for one night. Then rode the Shinkansen to Nikko, which was my favorite part of the trip. Nikko, a UNESCO Heritage Site, was absolutely stunning. With the foliage just starting to change color and the temperatures hanging around in the 60's/low 70's, I was in heaven. A country town with powerful waterfalls, gorgeous lakes, towering mountain ranges, and some exceptional food, ranked this place tops on my list for the trip! After 2 1/2 days in Nikko, we took another Shinkansen back to Tokyo for the rest of the trip. This is where i snapped back to reality. The crowds were real and the spaces were cramped. To make things more uncomfortable, the weather was miserably humid. I must apologize to my wife & friends as I was a grumpy old man the last 4 days. However, the food made up for it. No matter where we ate, it was absolutely perfect!! We visited the Unko museum in Divers City in Odaiba, Team Lab Borderless in Minato CIty, ate at Tsukiji Market, visited various places with cool street vendors, and shopped like crazy!! Japan is a country of limitless innovation, thoughtful creativity, a conscientious people, and did I mention, exceptional food!! I'm definitely coming back, but looking forward to seeing the countryside a little more. Thanks Aprille @TheHIEscapade, Marilou, & Darren for a memorable trip!!