Sunday 20 April 2008

31

I'm 31!

I just had the most amazing birthday in Tokyo. Although this is the first year ever that I haven't been able to speak to my family on my birthday, the Yamadas kept us so entertained with a classic day in Tokyo that I hardly had time to dwell on it.


The first treat was a buffet lunch with Mariko, Masahiro, Hide, Yuko and Anna, plus Aki, Keiko and Shyunya. Ben went to school with Hide and Aki, so it was nice to see them reunited after 25 years - everyone seems to agree that Ben still has the "same eyes".


After lunch, we had a lovely stroll around the Imperial Palace gardens, a trip to the shrine and market in Asakusa, then monorailed to the mother of all onsens (natural hot spring) - Oedo Onsen Monogatari - where we donned yukatas (a cross between a dressing gown and a kimono), boiled ourseles stupid, in the nude ;) had our first taste of soba, and watched Ben ninja star a bullseye. Great!


Thanks to the awesome generosity of Mariko and Masahiro, I had a birthday to remember that will take some topping. I love Tokyo!


Debs

No comments: