The original purpose for this trip was for Alice to visit her son and his family in Tokyo. This was my first time meeting Alice’s daughter-in-law. I was impressed with her and her son’s excellent command of English with minimal accent. (I had previously met her son and grandson when they had visited New Hampshire.)
Alice’s grandson took time off from his homework to spend time with us. That’s tough for a teen-aged boy!
Alice’s son found a local hotel within walking distance of his home. Our room was tiny. We removed items from our luggage that we might need in Tokyo, packed the rest back into the large suitcases, and left them with the hotel to store for us until we checked out. The room had a small recliner with a built-in massage. We called it Alice-sized because it was too small for me. Similarly, it had an Alice-sized tub that was too small for me.
We spent most of our time with Alice’s family. We went for walks near the hotel. We walked to the Arakawa River and admired the green space, where families and children enjoyed the open area, so close to the crowded Tokyo.
Since I was still recovering from my sprained ankle, I spent a couple of days in our hotel room while Alice visited with her son. Alice visited with the piano teacher who had taught both her son and grandson, who gave them a personalized concert.
One evening, the five of us went to a tempura restaurant in a local mall. In the classic Japanese style, the meal was served in multiple separate courses.
One day, the five of us boarded a Tokyo Metro train and headed out as tourists. I was missing our bunny, Pooka, who was staying with my son in Maine during our trip. So we visited a rabbit cafe in Tokyo. We petted and fed several different bunnies. They’re adorable!
Our other tourist stop was Sensō-ji, an ancient Buddhist temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is Tokyo’s oldest temple. We toured the temple and wandered past the many shops in the area.
On our last evening in Tokyo, Alice’s daughter-in-law surprised us at their house with a special dinner followed by a birthday cake for Alice. It was very gracious to invite us into their home. They have two cats. One visited with us; the other hid the entire time.