In the future.

So after a nice 1 hour wait on the tarmac taxing for take off and the insuing 10 hour flight with toddler plus the one hour ride to the in laws place we were thoroughly pooped. It essentially takes one whole day to travel and that is only across the Pacific Ocean.

Our annual pilgrimage back to Japan always puts things back in perspective for me. When I was a kid and we went back to Japan we would always go back to the city, Yokohama or Kobe. It would always be hectic and people would move twice as fast. These days when we go back we go back to the countryside where my in laws live. The pace of living is much slower and this is a very different Japan. Most people think of the techie night life cutie schoolgirl anime gundam sushi cities of the semi future, but my laid back experience these days remind me of the countryside from the land of Totoro. Rice patties, trucks delivering goods, and neighbors dropping off gifts of fresh pulled from the ground edamame.

We will spend a couple days in the a Shibuya hotel to meet up with friends and take in the city life. More pics to come....