Matt's parents have arrived in Japan! Yay!

We drove all night Sunday / Monday morning and arrived at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo around 9 am. I got settled in with the boys while Matt took the metro over to Narita Airport to meet Mom & Dad. That first day, everyone was exhausted from traveling (and the strange time change!) so we just went to bed early!

On Tuesday we got up and had breakfast at the hotel restaurant before heading out to the Imperial Palace grounds. We took the metro, got off at the wrong stop and got a little lost, and walked around the garden grounds. It was a beautiful day with just a light sprinkle of rain.

Rhino liked running down all the paths and Heron was happy to just be carried. We saw koi, horses, palace guards, swans, and plenty of other tourists!

The boys warmed up almost instantly to Mom & Dad. Heron is okay with being held and Rhino is a show-off for them!

Matt discovered a Games Workshop in Tokyo and wanted to check it out for his Warhammer 40,000 hobby. They weren't open by the time we got there, so we looked around for a place to eat. (The men are happy to suggest McDonald's for every meal, but we were looking for something a little more Japanese!) We found a cramped little ramen house and had a pretty tasty lunch! The boys weren't too happy, but Heron ate some ramen and fried rice. A lot of Japanese restaurants aren't very "kid friendly" and, once away from Misawa, it's hard for us to find high chairs, kids' menus, etc. When we finished we headed back to the Games Workshop where Matt's parents got him a belated Father's Day gift — a big Tyranid guy (a hive tyrant, maybe?) He was thrilled.

We headed back to the hotel to recuperate and let the boys nap. Dad was on the lookout for a digital camera, so we went to Akihabara in the evening. He was in electronics heaven and enjoyed looking at all the gadgets and components! We didn't find the camera he was looking for with a more reasonable price tag than he could find online, but he did find an awesome RC helicopter!

We went out for a yummy dinner at an Okinawan restaurant by the hotel. Matt ordered yakisoba, which came with bonito. The thin fish shavings absorb the moisture and wiggle around, making it look like the dish is breathing or that there are insects all over it! It was really cool and tasty! Heron and I enjoyed some taco rice with an egg cooked on top. Rhino just complained most of the time for french fries!

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