Today, our last full day in Japan for this trip, we visited Momo, Hiroshi, and the kids at their home in Atsugi-shi, which is a 50 minute ride (on the express train) from Shinjuku Station.
We began the day with pastries from the conbini and tea in our hotel room. I had castella cake, which is a sweet sponge cake that is a favourite here.
Momo had messaged me with the times of the express trains to Honatsugi Station in the morning from Shinjuku Station, so we planned to be on the train at 9:30 am. This is a holiday weekend here, so the train south to Atsugi was pretty crowded. Atsugi is near Ooyama, a popular mountain to visit on holiday, and there are lots of hot spring resorts there as well. Momo met us at the station and, knowing that Charlie likes to stock up on baked goods for long flying trips, took us to two bakeries! One was in the station and the other, which was also a craft beer bar, a few blocks away. We chose a bunch of yummy pastries for breakfast tomorrow and the flight back home.
Then we took a taxi from the station to Momo & Hiroshi's house. They had lived in an apartment complex owned by Hiroshi's employer for at least seven years and then, about a year and a half ago, decided to have a home built in town. Their house was built on the site of a parking lot in a lovely neighbourhood (with lots of kids for the girls to play with). It took about 8 months to build the house, and they moved in last December. The kids came out on the front deck to greet us when we arrived.
It's a beautiful home, light and airy and spacious. It has an open floor plan and lots of room to play :) Momo made tea and a delicious appetizer of roasted kabocha (Japanese pumpkin). She ordered lunch from a family restaurant, which was delivered by a young woman on a motor bike, and also made kinpira as a side dish (gobo root with carrot and sesame seeds- one of my favourites!). Everything was wonderful & we had fun chatting and playing with the kids. We FaceTimed with Brendan so everyone could say hi to him. I made some origami cranes with Aoi-chan, the kind whose wings can be flapped by pulling the tail. She showed me an outfit she'd made from paper for the Rillakuma amigurumi I'd made her- so cute! She and Mai-chan swung in the cool swing on their front deck, with Momo's help.
We stayed until mid-afternoon, then Momo walked with us to the bus stop and took it back to Honatsugi Station with us, so we wouldn't get lost. It was really hard to say goodbye to everyone! I know we'll skype with Momo & Mai-chan soon, but I don't know when I'll be coming back to Japan to see them. :(
We caught the train very quickly back to Shinjuku, and at this hour it wasn't nearly as crowded. Charlie and I went back to the hotel to rest, then went back out again for a lovely tenpura dinner on the 13th floor of Takashimaya, where all the restaurants are.
On the Southern Plaza, opposite Takashimaya Times Square, there was a food truck... selling Maine Lobster. Go figure...
We did a bit of last-minute shopping and now we're back to our hotel room, repacking the luggage and preparing, as much as you can, to get up at 5 am tomorrow to catch an early train from Shinjuku to Narita Airport and fly back home to Rochester. Wish us luck!!!
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