berrysprite: Back from Japan... and it was AWESOME!

I'm back guys! I've been back from my super awesome 16 day Japan trip for a little less than two weeks... and I already want to go back! First of all, I'm really starting to crave some good ramen/ sushi like I had in Japan (oh my goodness, the food in Japan was most excellent... and we have really good Japanese food here in Hawaii, so I really mean it when I say I miss the food in Japan!). Second of all, the shopping was amazing... especially the craft and kawaii shopping (let's be honest... that's the only kind of shopping I did)! Third, all the Japanese people I met and interacted with were all extremely nice, polite, caring, welcoming, hospitable, etc. It was really, really great.

Sorry you've been waiting for this post, but on the last day of the trip I got sick... I had to work the next day practically and that only made it worse, so I've spent the last two weeks recovering (seriously, I would wake up, go to work, come home and sleep for like 12 hours, and then wake up and do it again!) I like to think I got sick because I HAD SO MUCH FUN!

It was my first trip to Japan and I went with my sister (she says I am an OK travel partner and that she would travel with me again, haha). We booked our trip through Super Value Tours, and although it was pretty expensive, they were very helpful and I would recommend them for anyone who wants to visit lots of places in Japan. We were able to fly directly from Hawaii and the tour company worked with us to make an extension on our tour. Our tour guide was very nice, and after the official tour was over, he tried to help us find our way around Ōsaka and told us to call him if we got lost while in Japan!

I have SOOOO many pictures and so many memories, and but it is a bit hard to try and sit here at my computer and think of how to best convey how wonderful everything was! So here's how I'm going to do this. I'm going to write up a post (or posts? not sure yet) about some of the places/sites that I visited, a post about foods, and a post (or posts... probably multiple posts!) about craft/kawaii shopping in Ōsaka and Tōkyō.

For right now though, here is a little preview of my trip (not really in order)!