04/07/2026
If you’ve seen my stories the past few weeks, you know that my family and I visited Japan for spring break. 🌸
We had a lovely time. There were six of us (in a sprinter van most days) experiencing small town and big city life in a totally foreign land. We visited temples, shrines, immaculate Japanese gardens, a tiny tempura restaurant that had been in business for 80 years and many small raman, soba, and sushi restaurants. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and set the scene as a beautiful backdrop. We were also fortunate enough to experience a Japanese baseball game, a tea ceremony (my favorite) in Kyoto, a cooking class (I’m learned how to construct the perfect sashimi bowl), Sumo wrestling (with lunch), Geisha dress-up and an anime drawing class for Henri.
Here’s what I loved most about our time in Japan:
1. The culture values warmth (finally!). The in-door temp in most establishments is about 73 degrees, which is my happy place. Unlike LA, they use in-door heating. You walk into a restaurant and gladly take your coat off (In LA you will see everyone wearing their coats while eating dinner. Not very comfortable, but necessary). Then, you are given a warm towel to wipe your hands. Ahhh. Every toilet my bottom touched was warm. An aside - it was freezing at the baseball game and I lingered in the bathroom just to warm up. 😂
2. Everyone is kind, courteous and service oriented. There’s a thoughtfulness towards others in a way that we don’t have in the US. Henri commented on how the driver would run around the van to open the door and assist us in getting in and out of the van. After a purchase, the store clerks would walk us to the door and say thank you. At a restaurant there was a friendly welcome note addressed to me waiting on our table. This is service.
3. The Japanese do French pastries and coffee very well. I waited twenty minutes for the BEST coffee of my life in Hakone. I also had the best pistachio croissant in the basement of a department store in Osaka. Good things take time and that concept is understood and appreciated in Japan.
I’m very jet-lagged but back in the studio this week!!! See you soon, M 🌸 🇯🇵
