Back from the Land of the Rising Sun

Konnichiwa! I'm back from a whirlwind tour (that barely scratches the surface) of the amazing country that is Japan! It was incredible! :) Japan is so ahead of our time, they've really thought of EVERYTHING: We bought sushi at a food court-type level that's in the basement of their department stores (that are ELEVEN stories high!), they tape a cold pack to the top where the fish is; the vending machines dispense cold AND hot drinks; even the bathroom mirror in the hotels block off a rectangle in front of the sink (that is heated from the inside) so that the mirror doesn't fog up!

Being in Japan was literally and figuratively being in another world, the Japanese are so fashion-forward, everyone is always dressed very chic and put together, no matter where they're going. The older population will wear their Kimono, Zori (Japanese Sandal) with the Tabi (Japanese Sandal Sock - that even has a separate compartment for the toes!) and the adult and young adult population dress very well, a lot of the trends I saw there, mirrored what we're looking forward to this Spring and Summer: lots of Nautical trends, stripes, navy blues, reds and whites, anchors and crests. Western style cowboy boots, studded boots, over-the-knee boots and fringe boots matched with tights and little mini dresses and skirts. I didn't, however, see as much "Harajuku Fashion" as I expected, just a couple of girls dressed up like Little Bo Peep and a few people dressed in Goth style out at night - guess I'll just have to go back again sometime to catch some more crazy fashion!