Ahh! I’ve been waiting so long to share the pictures from our honeymoon in Japan and now it’s finally here!

We flew out early the morning after our wedding for the insanity-inducing 13 and a half hour flight to Tokyo. From the airport it’s about a 45 minute train ride from Narita, where the airport is, to Tokyo. I stared out of the window the whole time trying not to miss a single thing.

We stayed one night in the Shibuya part of town before heading on to Osaka the next afternoon. I’ll get to what we did on that first day later when I show you the rest of the Tokyo part of the trip.

Osaka was about and hour and a half south on the Shinkansen high-speed train. We ordered a bento to share for lunch while we watched the mountains and rice fields roll by.

It had 2 kinds of rice along with both boiled and pickled vegetables. Most of it was really good, though I don’t think Jeff or I will ever get the hang of eating umeboshi (sour pickled plums.)

We stayed at a really cool hotel called Hotel Ichiei which had very traditional Japanese room arrangements done with a modern flair. I loved how our sleeping area was separated by these curtains, it was like sleeping in a tent.

And we were provided with yukata, typical house robes for lounging in.

I loved getting up each morning and making tea with this pretty little set.

We ordered the traditional style breakfast just once and it was amazing! There was rice, miso soup, pickled vegetables, seaweed salad, boiled vegetables, tamago omelet, grilled salmon, and fish cakes. It was so much food! I wanted to eat all of it but there was just no way.

One of the first things we did was visit Osaka Castle. The whole thing is a museum inside and it’s surrounded by gardens and a complex of other buildings.

From the top you can see the whole city.

On our way back we passed a cute little fair for kids. Domo-kun was out shaking hands and being creepy and cute at the same time. He’s the mascot for the NHK television station.

We had a delicious lunch of sushi, soup, tempura, and noodles.

The next day, we skipped the extravagant breakfast and opted for donuts and coffee. Truthfully, pastries and coffee were our breakfast for all but 2 days of the entire 2 week trip! I loved the kinako (toasted soy flour) flavor best.

We did a bunch of window shopping down Shinsaibashi and Ebisubashi streets. That’s not a mall we’re in, it’s a covered outdoor street you can drive down!

We had a bit of a hard time in Osaka with getting access to cash. If you ever go to Japan, don’t use MasterCard credit or debit cards, only a very few ATMs take them whereas Visa is accepted everywhere. I can’t tell you how much frustration and lost time was caused by this one fact. We did manage to have a great time though, regardless.

Later, we headed a few blocks north to the famous Dotonbori Street. This street is packed to the ceiling with restaurants, junk food vendors, novelty shops, bars, clubs, and all sorts of entertainment.

As it got dark out we looked for a place for dinner with one thing on our minds: takoyaki! There were at least a dozen takoyaki shops lining the street, like this one with a giant creepy octopus looming overhead.

We settled on this one though because they also sold okonomiyaki, a type of half omelet half pancake filled with shredded vegetables and topped with salty sauces.

We both got shochu to sip on and proceeded to get a little tipsy.

The takoyaki we had in Japan were so different than any that we’ve had in the states. They were always barely cooked so that the inside is still liquid and lava hot.

They gush everywhere when you bite into them!

The okonomiyaki was cooked right at our table and topped with lots of Kewpie mayo and shredded bonito. Sounds gross, and normally I’m not a fan of mayo, but I assure you it’s amazing.

We spent most of our time in Osaka doing more of the same: window shopping, walking, and stuffing our faces. I think we had takoyaki 3 times! We were really excited to move on to the next leg of our trip though…

Tomorrow: Kyoto!

Today marks one year that Jeff and I have been married. As you read this we’re in Seattle, hopefully getting ready for a nice anniversary dinner.

When I think back on our wedding, what sticks out most in my mind is how fast it went by. I know everyone says that, but it’s true that all those months and months of planning boil down to what seem like only a few moments.

Our relationship has had that kind of distorted perception of time too. It’s strange for me to remember that Jeff and I have only even known each other for about 3 and a half years. We marvel now and again at how despite that short span of time we both feel like we’ve been together for years longer. We’ve managed to fit so many wonderful experiences and memories into our 3 and a half years that it has seemed to go by more slowly.

We had a small informal ceremony at Wahoo! restaurant in Decatur. It really is a great event space with it’s casual garden-like feel.

I got ready in a back room with my mom, Jeff’s mom, and my sister and her children. I wore a casual shirtdress from Anthropologie that I plan to wear again and again throughout the years.

When the time came I didn’t really feel nervous, but when I get nervous I tend to become very calm and organized and focused on the task at hand. So because I didn’t seem nervous to anyone else, it’s fair to guess that I probably was.

We never rehearsed any of the ceremony, and luckily it all went perfectly. Dad walked me down the aisle, my sister took my bouquet, Jeff and I held hands, and everything fell into place.

That’s when the nerves kicked in! I had been keeping my composure for so long that once we were married and whisked away to a back room, I needed a drink!

Jeff and I shared a plate of food and endless kisses while we waited for everyone to be served from the buffet, then we rejoined them for our first dance and dances with our parents.

Then it was time for cake! Only we didn’t exactly have one….

I have always wanted donuts in lieu of a wedding cake and I got my wish! Everyone loved our whimsical wedding “cake.”

There wasn’t much time to visit with family before many of our out-of-town guests had to head out, but we had to get home to pack for the honeymoon anyway.

This year together has felt like 10, which is not at all to say that it has dragged by but that it has been so full and rich that I can’t believe I could love so much in such a short amount of time. Thank you Jeff, at this rate you’ll give me my dream of living a 1000 years together, if only in the depth and breadth of our memories.

On to the honeymoon!

We are packed and ready to go!

I just finished getting all of our clothes fitted snugly into our suitcases, leaving some room for the things we need until tomorrow of course.

I even packed a few snacky type things to keep in our hotel room for when we’re about to gnaw an arm off and dinner is still a few hours away. I’ll get some more munchies when we get to Seattle too.

I have been so frantic all week planning for this trip. It’s completely because last time I was planning for a vacation it was to go to Japan, and for that I had to study a new language, new customs, print maps of how to get to places, pack two weeks of clothing, learn how to use our new camera, and just figure out how to get around in another country, all while planning a wedding! So I’ve been under a disproportionate amount of stress this week for no reason simply because my brain won’t accept the fact that it’s really not going to be that hard this time.

And I am really gonna miss these guys…

Sweet chocolate bunnies.

They have the memory span of goldfish and aren’t even going to remember who we are when we get back. We have some friends taking care of them daily though, so they are in good hands.

I have a week full of fun posts lined up for you for while we’re gone. Since our anniversary is Sunday I’ve made a post of our wedding as well as tons of stuff from our honeymoon in Japan. And look out for some guest posts to appear towards the end of the week just before we return.

See ya next weekend with Seattle pics!