Never Say Sayonara

 After 7 long years, we are heading back to our favorite place on earth! Heading back to Japan was a sudden opportunity that fell in our laps this summer, and we couldn't say no. I'm excited to experience what we didn't get to previously,  and add more memories to this blog! 

We Shall Meet Again!

Sorry for the huge lapse in posts! Over the past 2 months we've been busy moving literally around the world! Our time in Japan was absolutely wonderful and we plan on visiting as often as we can throughout our lives. Due to certain life circumstances, we felt it was best to move closer to home. We lived it up a bit during our last few months in Japan, and one of the last things we did was dress in kimono and walk the streets of Kamakura! We enjoyed spending time with friends, eating all of our favorite foods (7-11, we miss you!!), and just taking everything in and treasuring every moment.
We will always miss Japan, but thankfully we can always visit, and we have addresses of people we care for so we can keep in touch and send special gifts back and forth. It's not sayonara, it's until next time!

Exotic Tea and Coffee

We found a great coffee and tea shop in Tokyo called Maruyama. Huge selection! I got a rare Chinese tea called mitsurankou; the tea leaves are only found in a small Chinese village named Shi Gu Ping. Only small amounts are made, and although it's popular locally, it's not really known outside of China. It has fruity undertones of mango and lychee. The dry leaves were in a small glass jar and came on a tray with a tiny pot, 2 thermoses of hot water, and a timer. You steep it yourself at your seat, which is a fun experience! It really gives you the opportunity to appreciate the rare tea leaves.

What System?

This shop is near our home. Global Pimp System. Despite what you may think, this place is nothing more than a bicycle shop.




Or is it?

Shiba Cafe

We popped into a shiba cafe in Kamakura. It was really nice and the dogs were well taken care of. They had about 10 adults, and 2 puppies. I had one jump in my lap and start licking my face!

This puppy was mid-lick

Coffee!

We found a wonderful coffee shop in Kamakura last week. Delicious roasts from all around the world. They even have coffee flights! The place is called Verve, which we had never heard of before. We thought it was a Japanese business, but they are actually based out of California. Fun fact, Verve only has locations throughout California and Japan! I highly recommend them!

Coffee flight

Toby Trolly

Here in Japan, we use the train a lot. In order to bring animals on the train, they must be in an enclosure, like a carrier. When we first moved here, we got a doggy stroller for Toby! It's a lot easier to handle than a carrier that is bulky and heavy. In his stroller, Toby can be safe and warm and we can also put bags and other things in the storage area underneath, plus there are cup holders on top. We ordered ours from Amazon for next to nothing; pet strollers in Japanese pet stores are hundreds of dollars! The other night we decided to take an evening jaunt, and brought Toby along!