This week in pictures | huis in tokyo

After a week in Hong Kong, I flew to Tokyo to make my family's wayfaring dreams come true.  

I said good-bye to my father-n-law at HKG.

And made one last loop around the breakfast buffet at AMEX'S splendid The Centurion Lounge.  

(Flying anxiety still creeps in when I hear "Final Call").

Four others joined us on what would be the most incredible, eye-opening East Asia trip of 2025.  There's my globe-trotting sis-n-law and her spunky bestie.  

My favorite sister.

And my Ralph Lauren model-looking nephew.  

Some are seasoned travelers to Japan while others were first-timers, like the Huis.

Staying collectively on task was challenging with so much to see. 

So much to eat.

And so little time to do on a 6-day itinerary.

Just wasn't enough hours in the day for more Toro.

Not enough room in my stomach for more street food.

And not enough mochi tasting too.

The clock was not our friend forcing us to sacrifice sleeping in...

For 18,000 steps of entertainment adventures.

Massive playfulness.

And culinary experiences.

Leg rests was needed for the teens.

Plus adult tea breaks in-between.

We barely scratched the surface.

In spite of that, I felt a deep fascination to understand Japan's rich history and culture.  

Like what's all the hype about ordering ramen through a ticket machine?

Or is the viral Famichiki and Egg Sando really the best Family Mart hack?

Presley concurred it sure was.

Lucky for him a Family Mart was conveniently located across the street from our hotel.

Whether old...

Or new.  

From stunning views...

 To endless ramen bowls.

To polka dot fantasies coming true.

Tokyo brought the little kid in me out to play.

There were so many highlights of our trip.  

Where should I begin? The Louis Vuitton x Murakami pop up in Harajuku?

On Cat Street to be exact.

Nothing but smiles.

Happy blooms.

And café rooms.

We paid homage to the cultural ambassador of Japan, Hello Kitty!

Celebrating 50 years of "Kitty and Me".

Along with her Sanrio buddies.

The Hello Kitty Exhibition was within Ueno Park.

Hosted by The Tokyo National Museum Hyokeikan.

The museum is the oldest and largest art museum in Japan!

We squeezed our way through Yokochos. 

(Lantern-lit alleyways).

Crammed into narrow basement izakayas.

And cuddled into cozy bar stool nooks...

Where black curry tasted better than it looked.

One afternoon we stumbled upon Akebonobashi-Dori, a peaceful neighborhood surrounded by modest mixed-use buildings. 

The quaint and quiet district was a nice change of pace from the neon lights and electric atmosphere of the city.

We found Tonkatsu Yamasaki, a charming katsu bar tucked away.  

Would give anything for a katsu take-out window near my house.  I'd be there everyday.

Yotsuya was another secluded community just a 20 minute walk from Akebonobashi-Dori.  

We came here to see Truman's must-visit shrine, Suga Shrine which was in the anime film, "Your Name".  

The film featured the iconic Otokozaka stairs with it's famous red handrails.

The hilltop area felt like a peaceful, family-centered retreat.  

I don't know much about the etiquette or customs of visiting a shrine.

But the sacred and holy atmosphere and watching people come and worship was so tranquil.

Unlike Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, the oldest temple in Tokyo where souvenir shops and food vendors on Nakamise Street create a festival-like atmosphere. 

And for good reason.  Everyone wants to get their prayers in to ward off bad luck for the new year.  In deed, we hoped for good luck and good fortune as we tossed coins, made prayers and bought omamori charms for protection too.  

We even received our Omikuji.  

Some of us took home good fortunes...

While others with not-so-good fortunes were tied and left on the omikuji tree.  

I hope we did enough to ward off bad luck!

Tokyo Skytree's observation tower close to Senso-ji Temple made it a great combo for sightseeing.  

Other playful must-see tourist trap attractions included finding Shinjuku's giant 3-D Cat.

Paying respect to the Statue of Hachiko.

Experiencing the Shibuya Crossing from above.

And below.

Everyone said go to TeamLab Planets.  

And we did!

It was spectacular.

The barefoot water experience was better than we all imagined.

Afterwards, we walked down the street to Toyosu Fish Market for lunch where we devoured fresh seafood supplied to most of the Endo-period food stalls.

There was something for everyone in Tokyo.  Truman didn't have to look very far for Anime.

Presley bought his long awaited Tigers.

And Portia fell prey to Gachopan and the crane machine gaming culture.

She never got tired of the loud music and endless shopping of Don Quixote.

David tried to eat his way through his favorite food influencers rec list. One of them being Taishio Soba Touka, the sea bream ramen bar.

I got to see my cousin Vincent who lives in Chiba-ken!

We gathered with him and his family at the free observation deck on the 47th Floor of the Metropolitan Government Building.

A glimpse of Mt. Fuji peaking out in the distance warmed my heart.

Wonder what Vincent's daughter Rin thought of her "American" cousins!

Before we knew it, our trip was coming to an end.  I couldn't leave without saluting my polka dot queen Yayoi Kusama.  

Her modern museum stands five stories tall and narrow in the low-key suburbs of Shinjuku.  

Being in the presence of her most beloved yellow pumpkin sent my serotonin levels bubbling over.

Topping off our experience of mega patterns and polka dots was an amazing Tokyo skyline on the rooftop.

Ironically, Tokyo dropped tears on our last day.  

The kids overwhelmingly wished they could stay.

So not surprised when post-Japan depression hit immediately on takeoff.  And some are still dealing with the effects of this condition!

Tokyo was amazing down to their people, their culture, to their powers that be.  This has been the most meaningful and transformative trip we've been on. 

How blessed am I to share this time with them and the connection we've made together.  

Can't wait to explore Japan's other magical places in the near future!