vacation recap: japan

It's taken me awhile to blog about our Japan trip...but I'd love to share some photos with you if you'd like to see...

Above is my beloved Totoro, from one of my favorite childhood films. He stood behind a glass display (in a ticket booth!) so I was a little sad that I wasn't able to give him a hug. 

One of the best things about Japan is the incredible food. Here I am about to eat some tasty soba noodles. If I look a little ghastly, it's because I was battling the beginning of what would soon be a two-week long cold:(

Of course, the sushi was top-notch. We traveled to the famous Tsukiji fish market to sample the best sushi of our lives! I'm very thankful that Kyle loves sushi as much as I do...can you believe he hated it before he met me?? Unacceptable!

Oh Japanese ramen, I love you.

During one of the nights, we were so tired after a long day of walking around the city that we bought a bunch of different breads and pastries and ate them for dinner in our hotel bed. Yes, there were crumbs everywhere, but it was so worth it. 

Here, Kyle poses with his large Japanese beer. 

My friend, Chiharu, took us to the beautiful Yoyogi Park. It was so peaceful and relaxing. 

We were really hoping to see some fall foliage but sadly that didn't happen...

And she also took us shopping! I heart Harajuku.

I bought myself a pretty souvenir. 

Kyle and a baby Buddha statue he found during our shopping excursion.  

The day before we left Japan, we rode the Shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) to Kyoto for the day. We joined a tour and our first stop was Nijō Castle, where the first Tokugawa Shogun lived. I know it's cheesy, but I couldn't help but think of The Last Samurai :)

Such gorgeous, intricate details on all of the buildings...

While walking around the beautiful garden, our tour guide, Mariko, told us an interesting fact. She said that back when the samurai ruled, they hated seeing trees in the garden because whenever the leaves would change colors, it signified a change in power. So most of the trees were actually planted later on. 

We also visted the famous "Golden Pavillion" (Kinkaku-ji), a Zen Buddhist Temple. Doesn't this look like a postcard?

On our last stop, we visited the Tokyo Imperial Palace, where the Emperor and his family currently live. 

Overall, it was a very memorable trip and both Kyle and I would go back in a heartbeat. Actually, we would probably go back for the ramen alone...so I'll end this post with a photo of my favorite bowl:)

P.S. A little video of our trip...