The Rest of the Story...

After our weekend in Kyoto, we stayed in the Tokyo area for the rest of my parents' visit. Here are some more pictures from their visit:

On Wednesday (the Vernal Equinox holiday; yup that's right, a day off for the first day of spring), we explored the Ueno neighborhood of Tokyo. This is a lively area that was fun for the whole family. We started out looking around the motorcycle shop area for my dad. Then we headed to Ueno Park to sample some Japanese street-vendor food, see a temple, and watch people pedal swan-shaped boats around the lake. Although, the cherry blossoms haven't really started to bloom yet, we did find three trees in bloom among the more than 1,000 cherry trees in Ueno Park.

On Friday and Saturday, the 'rents headed off to Yokohama and Kamakura to explore on their own while I worked. On Sunday, we spent the day wandering around the Asakusa neighborhood of Tokyo. This area is known for its massive red lantern hanging at the gates to the Senso-ji Temple. The street leading leading to the temple is filled with little shops to explore as you walk. This is area is also known for the Asahi Brewing Co. building (they make beer and assorted beverages). The building on the left is supposed to represent a mug of beer, and "the flaming ornament" on the right-hand building (the Asahi Super Dry Hall) represents Asahi Brewing's dynamic heart.

Lastly, we headed to Mt. Takao near Hachioji for a little nature and hiking this past Monday. This is a park area with a temple (yup, there are lots of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in this country), a monkey zoo, and some great trails and views. Mom and Dad even chatted up Kitty (as she is called here), while she popped them some popcorn.

Finally, Mom and Dad ended their trip with a little farewell party at my apartment with the Bruces. All in all, I think it was a successful trip/visit. Now, I have T-minus ten days before the Carman-Frank family invades Japan. :)