Imperial Palace East Garden

This place was great! Really HOT though! September is maybe not the best time to do sight seeing in Japan.
One of the most beautiful things about Japan is that in the midst of the modern world there are amazingly preserved historical places. You will be walking through skyscrapers and then all of a sudden BOOM there is an old shrine or temple...or there is some really old house that has been maintained. It is wonderful!
You can see that is some of the pictures here...we were in the middle of the court districts and financial districts I think, and right smack in the middle is the Imperial Palace...which you can't see, but you can enter this public garden that is part of the Imperial Palace.
The buildings are a tea house, guard shack (small), and big guard shack.

Sofia is now 1!!
We had her birthday in Tokyo...she didn't like the cake! Surprising considering Tom and I have a serious sweet tooth!
This week she decided to start dancing! It is the cutest thing! I am going to try to film it.
She also started copying me...I was putting on hand lotion, and she started copying me rubbing my hands together...it was so cute! Sorry for the excessive cutes...but she just it!! It is amazing this week how her comprehension is growing. She is really starting to get things!
Am going to work on Tokyo trip blogging now....

I now like futons

In the continuing "I like" series, we all have found that we like traditional Japanese futons.  Not just because we don't worry about Sofia rolling over and falling three feet to the floor in the house, but its easy to make and seems great for the back.  This may be in our future when we get back to Oki...

Did I mention I also like Pickles?

The more mess the better...

And yes, when in Tokyo where do you want to go for dinner? Why the US hotel fast food diner....

Tokyo

We've arrived in Tokyo and with minimal fuss managed to jump a bus for the hotel.  We ended up going back to the airport the following day to meet up with the last of the group coming in and took the train.  The train was by far faster and pretty quick, even with a short cab ride to and from the monorail terminal.

Here we are after meeting up with Bobbie-

Melissa and Ed- here's one for you...

On the bus (followed by a short taxi ride) to the hotel.

Back on the monorail the next day back to pick up Mel and Ed