A few things I learned in Japan

1. Selfie sticks can be dangerous 

2. There is a lot of rice grown in Japan.  Along all our train journeys we saw lush green paddies on any bit of flat land - from vast fields in rural areas to tiny corner allotments in towns and villages. 

3. Traditional culture and the modern world seem to comfortably co-exist in Japan 

3. We met some lovely people on our trip. The locals  were delightful - polite and kind, and genuinely appreciative and forgiving of my attempts to speak the language. 

4. My attempts to speak Japanese improved over the trip - I could make myself reasonably well understood but understanding what was being said to me continued to be very difficult. I wished I could have had more conversation in Japanese with the people we met.

5. Ohashi (chop sticks) are good way to eat - you kind of have to slow down a bit and so you enjoy your food a little more - particularly the more traditional Japanese meals where each food item is served on its own little dish rather than just piled onto one plate. We all got pretty proficient at eating with ohashi. 

6. Train travel in Japan is easy to use and the best way to see the country. 

7. I love spending time with my family! Ok, I already knew this but traveling together in Japan will hold lots of special memories for each of us. I am sure we will be reminiscing and telling our stories about this amazing trip for years to come!