
Ahhh....Japan....where do I even start? We spent three amazing weeks there in August and it surpassed all my expectations. First off - it was hot! Between 35 and 40°C and between 60 and 70 percent humidity - so hot that the moment I stepped outside I was perspiring in places I didn't even know I could perspire!
Our trip started in Tokyo - a city of many contrasts. Modern and traditional, beauty and not, calm and activity. I loved being in a huge city with so much to see and do (kind of reminded me of home..) - I know that we barely scratched the surface..
We were lucky enough to stay with my brother-in-law who has been living in Tokyo for the last two years. He lives not far from Ikebukuro, in North-West Tokyo.
On our first day there we were proper tourists - Tokyo Tower, the Imperial Palace gardens, Senso-ji temple and a visit to a Takayama department store where we saw a watermelon for sale for 60 euros!
The next day we took it easy and visited Tokyo National Museum and a walk through Ueno Park. We came across these girls playing in the park - they were thrilled when we asked to take their photo!

And of course we couldn't spend time in Tokyo without shopping!
In Aoyama we visited the Galerie Doux Dimanche owned by Jeu de Paumes where I picked up a copy of their new book "Paris Kitchens 2" ( I am a really fan of their books - I have quite a collection now), then on to Oriental Bazaar where I picked up some bargain beautiful lacquer bowls.
I couldn't help going into a shop called "KiddyLand" a few doors down - a six floor kitsch-fest emporium stuffed to the gills with the most amazing toys, collectables, mini robots, you name it, they had it. With amazing self-restraint I managed to come away with only this little doll - a Sonny Angel Pig Baby (really I would have much rather the reindeer but it's a pot luck buy!)

On our last night in Tokyo my brother-in-law took us to a restaurant called Gonpachi in Nishi-Azabu where we ate the most sublime meal and drank my new favourite - Umesho & soda - a kind of plum liqueur, delicious on it's own but even better with soda and ice!

I must admit that our 3 days there left me with a longing to go back and spend some real time discovering the city. But the next day we headed out of Tokyo to the beautiful mountains of the Hakone region...but more of that in another post..