We are still on the mend, but have slowly started to explore Osaka. The area we are in feels vastly different than our neighborhood in Tokyo. At first glance it feels a little dingy and rundown. As we walk along the main street that runs through our neighborhood, there’s grafitti, people smoking/vaping in the open,…
Month: September 2025
Quarter Turn on a Year Long Journey
Today marks three months that we have been traveling, which means our year of adventure is a quarter of the way over. Three months of wandering, learning, and finding home in unexpected places. Time feels like it has simultaneously gone fast and slow. Time seems to speed up as we age because we have fewer…
Welcome to Osaka – Bullet Train and Bedrooms for Everyone
We took a bullet train to Osaka yesterday and it was an adventure we all enjoyed! Braxton has been working on a research project about bullet trains, so it was incredible for him to experience one first hand to round out his research. The whole process was streamlined and efficient. The train was roomy and…
A Final Goodbye to Tokyo
Before we checked out of our Airbnb this morning, we took one final walk along the Sumida river. As Dave and I were sitting enjoying the view, Braxton worked on building a boat out of sticks and leaves. A local woman stopped and started talking to Braxton in Japanese. Through gestures he explained he was…
Tokyo Through My Eyes – Little Wonders and Lasting Memories
I have always been an observer, noticing the small details in the world around me. Here in Tokyo, I have spent a good amount of time taking in the small details as we walk around this amazing city. This is my first experience with an Asian country and culture, and so many aspects have fascinated…
Schools Around The World – Tokyo, Japan
The elementary school in our neighborhood in Tokyo is called Ryogoku Elementary School. It is about a 10 minute walk from our condo and we often see kids walking there in the mornings. It is typical for kids to go to their neighborhood school here, which I love. The school is similar in size to…
Water, Light, and Wonder: A Day at teamLab Planets
We had Field Trip Friday on Thursday this week and went to teamLab Planets. This is an immersive digital art museum and we had to get tickets in advance (they were sold out for Friday). This was a crazy sensory experience. It was weird, it was like nothing we had ever seen before, and it…
Capsule Hotel and Shibuya Karaoke
Last night we spent the night in a capsule hotel and went back to Shibuya crossing for karaoke. We enjoyed some conveyor belt sushi again and then sang at the top of our lungs to our favorite songs. The kids said it was the best night yet! Tiny Room, Big Experience, Little Sleep Capsule hotels…
Field Trip Friday – Fail Turned Fun
Today didn’t go quite as we planned. For field trip Friday today we intended on visiting the Imperial Palace. This is the primary residence of the Imperial Family, and before going we read about the role of the emperor in Japan. Prior to WWII the emperor held political power, but today his role is purely…
Nakamise Shopping Street and Senso-Ji Temple
Last night we went to the Nakamise Shopping Street, which was the local place Alexis picked for her school project. She did all the research about what to expect and successfully navigated getting us there on her own. The majority of the walk there was along the Sumida river and took us about 45 minutes….