An Amazing Light Show, Odaiba, Tokyo

What in the world is borderless art, I wondered as we approached the entrance to Teamlab in Odaiba. We had waited all day to go to see it. The lines were so long earlier in the day that we found a few other things to do since it was raining and none of us wanted to stand out in the rain waiting to get in.

The show was worth the wait. The best way to describe it is that there were rooms full of video art that flowed from one room to the other. You were not supposed to follow any particular path as it was said that it all flowed together.

As we went from room to room it was like stepping into a piece of artwork and becoming a part of it. The kids loved the interaction especially in the room that had a slight hill that they could climb and become a part of a "waterfall".

My favorite areas were the rooms with butterflies flying all over the walls and the room with thousands of LED lights strung from the ceiling and flickering in sync to create the effect of being in a waterfall of lights. (Be sure to watch the video below)

I think it was a perfect ending to our last full day in Tokyo with the family. We finished the day with pizza--or at least the Japanese idea of pizza which was nothing like Pizza Hut or even the real pizza of Italy. It was good though and the kids enjoyed it as well.

The morning would find us packing and cleaning out our things from the little house we had stayed in.

The Oedo Onsen

A long line out in the rain at the entrance to the Teamlab in Odaiba where we had planned to spend some time made us decide to put that visit off until later and find our way to the Oedo Onsen. An onsen is a Japanese bath usually fed by a hot spring. We had been to one after our Mt. Fuji climb but neither Bob or I had participated in the bath. Why you ask? Because we didn't feel comfortable shedding all clothing and showing off seventy-something year old bodies. I had briefly considered it until I saw a bunch of twenty-somethings running around with nothing on in the dressing room.

This onsen is said to be a favorite of foreigners. I can see why. It is a neat place to just walk around. When you first enter and pay, you choose a yukata from a display on the wall. There are designs for men and women and children. The girls went their way and the boys theirs and we all came back out and regrouped a few minutes later in our yukatas. Thankfully Bob left his jeans on under his as the first thing he did when he sat down was spread his legs. Whew!

We had left our shoes at the entrance in lockers but we left our socks on to walk around. You could have gone barefoot if you wanted.

The inside of the place was huge and was decorated like an old traditional village of sorts only instead of houses, there were booths with carnival type games and lots of places to get drinks and/or food. The center of the largest room had lots of tables with benches and chairs. where you could bring your food and drinks.

We claimed a table and the kids were immediately off to try their luck with the games. The most popular, and I might add the one they were quite practiced at, was a pool of floating plastic balls. The object was to net as many as you could before the thin paper net totally dissolved. Several other booths had games of chance and another that was popular was the ninja stars you could throw at a target. It didn't take long for our table to fill up with rubber balls and other toys and a grand prize of a drone.

The kids and their parents went off to the baths while Bob and I walked around and enjoyed a drink. We were also the guardians of the loot they'd won. When they returned they made another round for all the games. Each time they played their wristband was scanned and a charge was made to our son's account which he would pay when we were done. He laughed and said no matter how much they did he was still saving money over a Disney trip.

It was late afternoon when we decided to see if the line at the Teamlab was shorter. When we got outside, we found it had finally stopped raining. We found there was almost no line so we were excited. This was supposed to be quite an unusual show of artwork that moves from room to room with light displays and. . .well, I'll show you Thursday.

Modern Motor Show in Tokyo

Our original plan was to spend our last day of the kids' fall break at Disney Sea which is an off shoot of Disneyland and features rides and attractions for a little older child/adult. I was interested to see it since I think this is the only one Disney has. Instead of theme parks, it has theme ports, But alas, it was predicted to rain all day and rain it did.

Bob and I grabbed an umbrella and while the kids still slept, we walked over to a very nice grocery store we'd found around the corner the day before. It was pouring rain and when we got to the door, we found that we were too early The store hadn't opened yet. The lady we had spoken with the day before (she spoke very good English) smiled at us, opened the door and told us we had ten minutes to wait. But, she said, come in and wait in the little cafe area.

We watched as the staff quickly prepared all the stations and wiped off counters and display cases. This place was really immaculate. Finally a buzzer sounded and they all took their places as our friend unlocked the door. We went to the donut case and gathered our dozen donuts to take back to the house. They were all the incentive needed to get bodies out of bed.

Our son had done some research and found some alternative activities for us. We started with the Tokyo Motor Show. It was amazing. So many futuristic tech advances. Self driving cars that looked like a fancy limousine only it was more like a capsule than a car with every creature comfort you could imagine that was electronic.

Car charging station.

There was a rescue drone that could carry a person to help with emergencies. And one of my favorites, a charging station for electric cars where you just drive over the top of it and it automatically charges the car. It would be like the new charging stations for phones where you just put it on top of a charging station. 

We watched a model demonstrate another self driving car that had a seat with so many different positions I lost count. I think that one had a TV screen in it as well. The fascinating thing I found was that she looked like a robot the way she was dressed and moved. Was she?

In the middle of all of the techy stuff was an enterprising group taking advantage of the youngsters who were there. They had what was called Miracle Paint for face painting and other surfaces. The paint dries sort of like acrylic but actually more rubbery. It wasn't like the usual face painting materials that wipe off. This you had to pinch and peel off. It was pretty neat. They had also painted flowers on a car as well. I guess if you don't leave it on there too long it would just peel off and not leave a mark.


Our grandson tried out the virtual reality racing they had there just before we decided to seek out some lunch. There was a nice mall right next to where we were and a large food court where we found some delicious rice bowls with chicken. Our afternoon adventure would take us to the Oedo Onsen, a Japanese bath but much more.

Japan Loves Bubble Tea!

Bubble Tea

Our morning this day started our with us going in different directions. The two older grandkids needed to get their passports renewed so Mom and Dad were off with them to the US Embassy for their passport appointment. That left us with our younger granddaughter who loves a chance to go to McDonald's.

That worked for us. We needed a fast food fix and so we were off to find the McDonald's a few blocks away where we enjoyed our favorite coffee and a breakfast meal.

Once we were back at the house, it wasn't long before everyone else met us. Our son had an event at work that afternoon so the rest of us decided to make a shopping excursion. Our DIL and our grandson went off to a mall where they needed to do some clothes shopping and the two girls took us on an adventure.

They still wanted us to try the bubble tea that is so popular there. Our teenager zeroed in on her phone to a cafe that specializes in it and we followed her to the prize. Bubble tea is a Taiwanese tea drink that has tea with flavored milk--lots of milk--and bubbles in the bottom which are usually tapioca balls. You have to drink it through a wide straw in order to get the chewy bubbles from the bottom. You could order it in different levels of sugar.  It was good but a little too filling and neither Bob or I finished our small sized orders.

The girls decided they needed a snack as well and ordered from a food booth that had Japanese style fried chicken bits very much like the chicken tenders or nuggets we get at home.

We caught up with our DIL and grandson for a short time on Takeshita Street which is a very popular street with brand name stores and also boutique stores featuring some very unusual fashions.

Our teen remembered a store in Harajuku that she wanted to show us. We were off again. She was very pleased to see that it was still there. It was actually a Samsung Galaxy phone store but it was also a museum that showed the evolution of the cell phone. Sad to say, Bob and I recognized all the stages.

The best part was the virtual reality experience that was offered (fee of charge). Our youngest wasn't old enough to participate but our teen and her grandfather enjoyed their sampling of outdoor activities such as kayaking and river rapids.

Along are sojourn we passed several establishments that offered an opportunity to interact with pets such as cats, tea cup dogs and our granddaughter's favorite, hedgehogs. Grandpa gave in. and took her for a half hour hedgehog petting experience.

Meanwhile our teen and I found a neat store that featured bath bombs of every sort you can imagine. The neat thing was that they would take a picture of the bomb and with their app, it would show a video of how the bath bomb looked in the tub as it dissolved. I chose a strawberry one as a birthday gift for someone. The video showed it melting with a creamy inside that was a moisturizer.

Altogether that afternoon my phone said I'd walked over seven miles. It was good to get back and put my feet up.

Our Little Tokyo House

The alley that led to our little house.

Arriving at the Ishigaki airport a bit early for our flight back to Tokyo, we settled into a few tables and spent some time with devices catching up on social media as well as playing games. Starbucks is a popular place in Japan as it is most anywhere and some of our group took advantage of its availability including one very interesting raspberry flavored Halloween drink.

Our flight to Tokyo was uneventful but after our landing the weather became cloudy threatening rain. We opted to take a couple of taxis to our Airbnb from the airport. It was quite a ride in my taxi. We seemed to go a long way in one direction and then it appeared we were making a left turn. The left turn became a u-turn which went across three lanes of traffic with our taxi beeping it's horn and waving to those who were forced to let him in. When I told our son later, he laughed and said, "Welcome to Tokyo."

Our taxi caught up with the other taxi on a very narrow road of apartment buildings and small houses that had little or no space between them. We unloaded our luggage and wandered down an alley barely wide enough for two people abreast. We stopped at the corner of another alley and our son tried the lock box that was attached to a pipe on the outside of the house. When it opened, we knew we were at the right place.

Stove top and fish grill/oven

We entered, removed our shoes and tried to fit our luggage inside the tiny kitchen which barely held the seven of us. Quickly we determined Bob and I would take the bedroom on the first floor off the kitchen and our youngest granddaughter would sleep on the futon in our room. The rest of our group made their way upstairs to where there was a little larger room with places to sleep. I never made it up the stairs so I can't say what it was like but since there was an outside balcony (we would discover the washing machine was out there) there couldn't have been much space for the four of them.

The kitchen table wasn't much bigger than 4X3 and had two chairs and two stools. In a little alcove there was a television which I don't believe we ever turned on. Perhaps some of the pictures tell how small this little house was. It's typical, especially in Tokyo since there is such a great population and little space for living unless you are wealthy enough to afford larger accommodations.

A little stove top sat above a small grill/oven that is usually used for cooking fish. Little if any baking is done at home. I've never seen ovens like we are used to in our kitchens. There was a small under-counter refrigerator. The bathroom was the usual Japanese style with a small room for the tub and shower. The shower is used primarily to get clean before using the tub. The toilet (toto seat included) was in a separate room but still connected to the shower room by a small area that could be closed off for privacy if you were showering. The sink was across the little foyer from the bath/toilet area and al of it just inside the entrance from the outside.

After we were settled we went to a restaurant we had been to once before. It's one of the kids favorite. The restaurant is near the area where they used to live in Tokyo before they moved to Sapporo. I believe what they feature is called Kushikatsu. Basically it's meat and vegetables on a stick dipped in flour, egg and panko and deep fried. They have fun with the kids. If the kids can win the paper, rock, scissors game they get their soft drink for free. There is also a self serve ice cream machine in the back corner of the very tiny restaurant that is on the second floor of the building it's in.

My oldest granddaughter does not like mushrooms (and she's half Japanese!) but she knows I do. She offered to order a stick of mushrooms for me. I eagerly agreed. When it came I noticed I was being watched but went ahead and took a bite anyway. It was extremely sweet but the texture almost seemed like a large mushroom. When she asked how I liked it, I commented that I never had a mushroom that tasted like chocolate.

Laughter erupted from all the kids. "She always does that to people," said our grandson. "It's a deep fried Oreo cookie!"

I laughed too and finished the Oreo. It was very good.

Only In Japan

While we were exploring the mall in Odaiba in Tokyo, we were fascinated with a very lifelike robot who manned the information booth. There was a monitor that allowed you to choose one of three languages including English and ask your question.

 She would respond in the language you chose and direct you to the area you were interested in.

 It was amazing.

Japan Visit -- Reunited And It Feels So Good

View of Tokyo Bay from Red Lobster

The plan was simple. The three of us, our son, Bob and I, would get to the Haneda airport about the time that our daughter-in-law would arrive with the kids from Sapporo. We would all meet up in the airport lounge and spend a couple hours together before our flight to Ishigaki where we were spending a few days of their fall break from school. But plans are always subject to the weather and in that part of the world a nasty storm is called a typhoon.

As we tried to check in for our flights (we had a connection in Okinawa) we were told that the flight was delayed. We would miss our connection but could try to fly stand by for the next one. That wouldn't have been bad except there were seven of us and the chances of all of us flying together were next to none. At one point the girl behind the counter looked at me and smiled an apology. I said all I really cared about was seeing my grandchildren.

"That can be arranged," she said with a sweet smile and went to the other side of the security line where they were waiting for us. A few minutes later, she had pulled the kids and their mom through the line and we were together at last. From then on, while we loved on our grands, the counter ladies had to deal with our son and now our daughter-n-law. They couldn't get away with saying that their English wasn't that good. Our daughter-in-in-law dealt with them in Japanese. By the time we were done, the decision was made to spend another night in Tokyo, at the airline's expense, and take a direct flight to Ishigaki in the morning. I'm not sure if it was my son's status (he's a diamond member with ANA) or my DIL"s persistence but the result was good. They make a good pair.

The hotel at the Haneda airport was very nice and once we were checked in, we were off again on a bus into town where we ended up at Odaiba which is a shopping and entertainment center on a man made island in Tokyo Bay. The mall was bustling with people. It was time for lunch so we asked the kids what they wanted--it was after all, their fall break holiday. Red Lobster won out.

Now a Japanese Red Lobster is nothing like back home. Not a lot of fried and greasy dishes swimming in butter. Lots of fresh seafood choices and portion sizes are a bit smaller. Two of the kids had shrimp cocktail followed by sharing a small plate of crab legs. By the way, you know how you walk into a RL at home and see maybe four or five live lobster in the tank? Their tank was overflowing with lobster--and there were two tanks!

We meandered through the mall trying to find the place that sells bubble tea. Our oldest granddaughter wanted us to try it. The line was too long and we passed. We spent some time outside wandering the boardwalk and enjoying the view of Tokyo Bay. There is a smaller version of Lady Liberty along the way that was put there to commemorate the "French Year in Japan." Along the outdoor mall area there were several street entertainers. We took some time to watch a magician who also tried to be a contortionist. It turned out to be an illusion in the way he turned his boot and pants' leg.

Inside again, we wandered through what was an arcade full of old time video games (think Pac Man, Asteroids, etc.) and lots of candy and trinket booths that light up a young child's face. In the back was a food court and our kids encouraged us to try some fried octopus that were like fritters.

We made our way back to the Haneda airport hotel on the train and refreshed for dinner. There were a lot of nice restaurants in the airport and we found one that offered soba (noodles in hot broth or cold noodles with dipping sauce). Bob and I were still reeling from jet lag so we called it an early night.

Considering we were going to have to be up at 5:00 to check in for our flight the kids were encouraged to call it a night as well. It would be another interesting start in the morning.

Japan Visit -- Start With Sushi

The good news--our bid to upgrade our flight to Tokyo was accepted. The bad news--our credit card company wouldn't let the charge go through because it thought it was fraudulent. We lost the upgrade. The good news--when Bob went to check in, an upgrade was offered for $50 less than what we'd bid. Yay!

Our flight from Toronto to Tokyo was in Air Canada premium economy. It was a cheap version of first class. Yes, there was more leg room but we were against the bulkhead which meant we couldn't stow anything under a seat. And we were in the middle section of seats. The odd thing was people who wanted to get from one aisle to the other would step over our feet to cross to the other side. Thankfully it didn't happen too often. My only other complaint was that the bathroom was really bad. The toilet bowl looked ancient and corroded. (Turned out it wasn't any better on the return flight even though it was a different plane.)

When you are traveling to see grandkids you haven't seen in a year, all of the discomfort takes a back seat to the anticipation of being with them. We were due to meet up in Tokyo on the day after our arrival as they arrived from Sapporo. Our son met us at the Haneda airport and we all traveled to our hotel, the Shinagawa Prince. We had stayed there once before when we came to Tokyo for his wedding.

We decided on sushi for dinner and our son who has lived in Tokyo for four years now knew a great place. It was a tiny little restaurant but very nice and I regret not remembering the name. I'll blame it on jet lag. The sushi arrived in several courses, each more beautifully presented than the previous. It was artistry as well as pure delight in taste. I even ate part of my oyster which was the largest I've ever seen and was said to come from Hokkaido. My favorite was the eel that was flavored with a Japanese BBQ sauce. I was sorry there was only one piece of it.

Dessert was a small scoop of ice cream sprinkled with green tea and accompanied by a spoonful of fruit.

It was probably the most expensive meal we've had in a long time though: $400 for the three of us. Hard to complain when the experience and the food was absolutely topnotch. What a great start to our trip.

We went straight back to our hotel after dinner and climbed into bed hoping our body clocks would readjust quickly.

So You Want To Climb Mount Fuji

Are you crazy? But seriously, though it was something I'd never do again, I'm glad I did it. I tried to research as much as I could before we went. The trouble with the results was that it was age and experience dependent. The younger and more experienced the information giver the less time it took for them to climb. The less it seemed a challenge. And while I heard a lot about obaasans (grandmothers or old ladies) climbing no one said how difficult it might be for them.

Still those who say it only took them four hours to reach the top are either exaggerating or the altitude affected their watch. For one thing you need to adjust to the changes in altitude as you go. One of the best explanations our guide gave was that your lungs are sort of like a potato chip bag that you take on an airplane. As your plane gains altitude the bag inflates. He said to make a point of breathing out in long breaths to make room for the intake of the next one bearing oxygen. The slower your adjustment to the altitude the less chance there is of altitude sickness which includes nausea, dizziness and headaches.

While you may feel in great shape, it will still challenge your physical limitations beyond your imagination. Mountain climbers who take on even greater challenges must have to train very hard.

And if I haven't talked you out of it yet, let me give you some ideas about what to take.

Gear rental.

Backpack - We only had our regular travel backpacks with us. Mine got a little damp because my granddaughter carried it and I had nothing to cover it with. I had planned on just putting my poncho over it. My son purchased a really nice backpack that conformed to his back more and actually had a little open space that allowed air to circulate some between the pack and his back. It also had a rain guard you could easily pull up to cover the pack. On our way up to Station 5 we stopped at a gear rental place where I saw the same backpacks for rent along with shoes and other gear. That might be the way to go if you don't want to invest in a backpack you may not use again.

Trekking boots/shoes - This was the best investment we made. You need something with a good sole that will not slip on the wet rocks (you will have some precipitation, guaranteed).

Rain gear - DO NOT USE A PONCHO! Our biggest mistake. You couldn't see your feet when the slightest breeze whips up the poncho. Get pants and a jacket. Make sure the pants are big enough at the ankle to be able to slip them over your boots. You may not be in a place where you can sit down and take shoes off to put on rain gear.

Layers of clothes:
Light weight clothes -At the start of your climb it will be warm at the very least. If the sun is shining brightly, you will be hot and sweaty five minutes into the climb. The air is humid because you are nearing the cloud base and at times passing through it. The humidity coupled with the effort of climbing will have you sweating. Use the light weight clothes as your first layer.

Heavier clothes - We were comfortable with heavy sweatshirts with hoods. Again, the effort of climbing will help to keep you warm as well. I took jeans which usually keep me warmer and I actually changed into them to sleep in during the night since my light weight clothes were damp and sweaty. I also had a long sleeved T shirt I wore at night and for the climb down. The morning started out chilly but warmed quickly.

Change of clothes - There are lockers at Station 5 and I would suggest putting a change of clothes and shoes in a small bag and leaving them at the station to change into upon your return or to take to the onsen if you choose to brave the public bath.

Gloves - A pair of work gloves would do. I would not take any good gloves as you will be using them when you climb the rocks. You might even take two pair in case one gets too wet.

Head lamp - You will need both your hands for climbing so don't count on holding a flashlight. The predawn climb according to Bob was very dark and except for the lighted area at your feet, it was hard to see anything else.

Walking Stick -  I was really glad I bought a walking stick that was collapsible. It helped to be able to make it smaller during the rocky climb. The big wooden stick you can purchase at the souvenir shop at Station 5 is okay if you want to get it stamped all the way up (stamps cost from $3-5 and by the time you are done could total $50). It was a bit cumbersome but better than nothing.

Water - While the suggestion to carry a lot of water with you is prevalent, I would offer this: Water is available at the huts as you climb. Of course the higher you go the more expensive it gets. I believe near the top it was up to $5 for a 12 oz bottle. Weigh the cost against the weight of the water you want to carry. You may decide to buy as you go.

Snack shack at one of the huts.

Small Change -  The toilets cost between 100 yen and 300 yen. You need to carry coins for this as each one has a box to deposit them in as you use them.

Hand Sanitizer - There is no water to wash with on the mountain. Some of the huts have sanitizer and others do not.

Snacks - Again many lists tell you to bring protein bars. I did. They tasted awful. It would have been better to take along some mixed nuts and raisins. Each hut had a little refreshment stand. Many with hot soup and noodles. You don't have a lot of time when you stop to rest but at least something is available--again, the higher you go, the more things cost.

Extra batteries - Your phone and your camera will drain the batteries more quickly at a higher altitude. (I don't know why. Haven't researched that yet). Take an extra set of batteries. You can also get an extra battery for your phone that will recharge it if necessary. We turned our phones completely off when not in use. I still managed to get the pictures and internet time I needed by doing that.

Small Trash Bag - You have to bring down all the trash you accumulate with you. Nothing stays up there.

Bob's dinner at the hut.

Those would be the bare essentials. You might find a few other things that you absolutely need depending upon your personal requirements but remember, anything extra gets carried up the mountain on your back and comes down the same way. That backpack can get heavy.

Here is a link to a good site which might be helpful as well: Japan Guide

I would suggest getting a tour or at the very least a guide to go with you. You can climb on your own but if you do, make sure you have a reservation at one of the huts. During heavy climbing times, they can fill up quickly. I was lucky to have found a spot when I was forced to quit my climb. Just days before was the end of Obon holiday when climbers filled the trails. It was estimated that 5,000 a day climbed to the top.

I leave you with a Japanese saying I found: If you come to Japan and don't climb Mount Fuji, you're a fool but if you climb it more than once you are a bigger fool. I leave it to your discretion.

Through My Lens - Japan

The boys went to the Tokyo Ham Radio Fest one day.
No,Bob, the antenna will not go in our carry-on.

Tokyo - The Typhoon

Nearing the end of our visit it was time for the grandkids to start school. All of a sudden we kept hearing a buzz about a typhoon. While I couldn't understand all that the news had to say, the weather pictures were quite clear. The track of the typhoon was heading dead on for Tokyo.

Now I was a little concerned. When a hurricane heads for Florida you batten down the hatches so to speak and make sure windows are boarded up, etc. It was not the case here. While there was the threat of school closing and activities being cancelled, there didn't seem to be any other concern other than taking notice of whether there might be some flooding.

We awoke early enough on that Monday to walk the kids to school. By the time they were dressed and about ready to go out the door, the email came through from the International School. Cancelled!
My son delivered the message to the kids. Two cheered. The other one threw his hands in the air.

"What?!" he said. "I even put on deodorant!"

It didn't take long for them to change out of uniforms and get comfy with electronics since it was beginning to rain. The wind kicked up a little and my son said that was probably going to be it. That typhoons were overrated and quite common this time of year. Not too different from the attitude my Florida son has about hurricanes. Everyone always predicts the worst and it usually doesn't turn out that badly.

I watched the skies and waited for dark clouds and thunder and lightning. It never really looked dire although there were some times of heavy rain. According to the weather apps it appeared the typhoon's worst would be over in the early afternoon. With that in mind, my son planned to go into work and we took the kids by taxi to the nearby mall where there is a cinema.

We enjoyed the afternoon viewing of Ghostbusters and then headed from the cinema to go back inside the mall. It was a short walk but outside and down some steps. We no sooner took the first step down and a huge gust of wind turned all our umbrellas inside out. We scurried down steps and under cover but were fairly wet by the time we made it. The wind was really whipping around. The typhoon was not done yet.

Note the neat trays that held 2 drinks and popcorn
and fit into the cup holder.

When it became obvious after some time walking in the mall and getting a Starbucks break that we were not going to be able to walk home (especially without umbrellas) we looked for a taxi stand. Thankfully there was one undercover and plenty of taxis to be had. Our granddaughter gave the driver the address and we headed back out into the weather.

The trip home was not bad. Rainy but not treacherous. We would later learn that the typhoon had hit some other areas of Japan a lot harder. But still, the damage and flooding we saw on the news didn't look much worse than a wicked summer storm back home. Just know that all weathermen and news reporters seem to be the same. Their reporting was just as intense as back home, standing in the rain and wind, showing pictures of toppled trees and downed power lines. The reporting didn't really need translation.

Just one footnote. The typhoons aren't named in Japan so I don't know where the names come from in the US news reports. They just count them there. This was #10 and 11 was forming out over the ocean. Their season would be just a little longer.

Tokyo - The Food

Sukiyaki on left. Lemon sauce on right.

Eating in Japan is always an adventure. From slurping noodles to cooking your own food in a pot or on a griddle you can be sure some of the enjoyment is in the preparation and execution of consuming your meal.

There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of little restaurants in Tokyo. They are squeezed into little nooks and crannies or on a second floor above a store. My son has an app that helps him decide which restaurant to choose. He doesn't rely on TripAdvisor as heavily as we do. We would decide on what type of food to eat and with a few clicks he'd find the best place to get it nearest our location.

We enjoyed rice bowls with meats and sauces, yakitori, bowls of ramen noodles in broth with mushrooms and veggies, shabu shabu and sukiyaki, bento boxes, sushi, and Big Macs. Oh, that last one was with the grandkids only. After all they were born in the states and still like a taste of home.

Here's a list of some of the types of food you can get in Japan and what it is:

Our youngest granddaughter cooking her
own Sukiyaki.

Rice bowls - usually served with a meat topping that can be beef, chicken or pork and has a light sauce over the rice and all in one bowl.

Yakitori - think kabobs. It is chicken meat and/or chicken parts on a stick. I've seen everything from breast meat to chicken feet, liver and crispy skin. My granddaughter loves the crispy skin. It's really flavorful.

Ramen - noodles usually served in a broth but it can be served cold on a plate with sauce for dipping. On a cold day I prefer the hot broth but this last time I tried the cold noodles with the dipping sauce and really enjoyed that as much or more. The hot broth often has vegetables and some meat in it and some dishes are served with an egg cracked on top of it.

An unusual cheese plate included
tomato, peach, caramel and kiwi cheese. Yum!

Shabu shabu - we had this at the request of my husband. He loves the hot pot cooking. The restaurant we chose had several sauces to cook in. Our daughter-in-law ordered three different ones for our two pots that were divided in half so you had two sauces in one pot. The pots were placed on a center burner (kind of like going to a fondue restaurant) and the sauces heated to boiling. Paper thin slices of meat are dipped into the hot pot until cooked to taste. Vegetables are also put in the pots and picked out as they finish cooking. Did I mention it's all cooked with chopsticks? The other unique feature of this restaurant was that it was all you could eat but you had to finish within 90 minutes.

Many restaurants are set up for you to cook at the table.

Sukiyaki - This was also done in the hot pots but the sauce is unique. It's soy, dashi (a flaked fish spice), sugar and sake. When you cook your meat or vegetable in the sauce you dip it in a beaten raw egg before eating it. The egg cooks around the hot meat and gives it a nice smooth flavor.

Bento box - these we had when we visited the onsen. A bento box is like a tray with dividers and into each cubicle is something different. Always one with rice and then the others are filled with vegetables, fancy bean dumplings, thin sliced pickled lotus, and all sorts of delicacies. Some recognizable, some not.

Sushi - this is usually thought of as a roll of rice with a chunk of fish and vegetables in the center all held together with a skin of seaweed. It's not always the case. Sometimes the fish can be resting on top of an oblong cube of rice but it always has some rice with it as opposed to sashimi which is just slices of raw fish. We had some tuna at the sushi restaurant that was so tender it was like biting through butter. I don't like all the raw fish offerings but several do appeal to me. The sushi restaurant we were in had a conveyor belt that took the offerings past your table and you chose what you wanted. They charged by the plate, from $1 for the white plate to $5 for the brown checkered plate. At the end all the empty plates are added up for your bill.

No need to tell you what the Big Mac is but it does seem to have some popularity in Japan as does Starbucks.