It’s been 3 plus years since we travelled as a family. The kids were super excited to get on a plane after so long. This time, they had the chance to try out many new things!

Visiting a lounge is one.

They had so much fun eating airplane food after so long.

We arrived into Haneda close to 11pm and the queues at the immigration needed about 2 hours, we had some onigiri and oven from Lawson’s before finally getting on a cab at midnight.

The kids were so excited yesterday after a 6 hour flight , having onigiri at midnight from Lawson’s then finally exiting the airport to the cold

We all slept past midnight but woke at 7 to be here

Whilst waiting for the collection of the car, we saw the remnants of autumn on the golden yellow gingko trees.

We got an upgrade from a sienta to a Mitsubishi Delica! And the kids were like saying they want to drive throughout.

Driving on the expressway towards Hakone and Mt Fuji came into sight

Tears came and they warmed me

Blissful ones and grateful ones

Grateful to the blessings and love I received along the way to get this far

I have come- I heard myself say looking at this beauty 

Thank you. I m here.

Bliss is to have bf driving , me seating beside him and the kids asleep behind.

幸福，就是你在开车，孩子在睡觉，我看着富士山

I love having us in a car, cosy together . It kind of makes us feel the bond we share as a family- tightened.

We drove to a lake and the kids fed some mandarin ducks, swans and carp

Then headed to our accomodation for the night. Opened by a couple, the hotel or more like a pension, was run by a man, he was from Kanagawa but his wife is from Hakone and he likes it here.

The kids had a taste of wearing the yukata and most of all, the japanese hotspring bath, which they soon grow to enjoy!

A precious find here was a pizza restaurant, New Mid.

The restaurant seats maybe just 6-8 pax and is converted from a trailer. The inside is cosy and warm. The playlist inviting and relaxing.

It’s a one man show. Run by a young man perhaps no more than in his 30s

We discussed why he might not want to work for others and headed here to open shop. In a place where there are no clear signs in the midst of nowhere

We might be his only guests for the day

And it’s a meeting of a lifetime in this way. We might just meet this once

And he’s doing a pizza in a fire wood oven with Sakura and Nara wood as fuel

The ones we chose was a vegan tomato based vegetable pizza, with sweet potato and potato . Another one had cheese and shirasu or whitebait and the last one was scallops and potato 

It could be this meeting in a lifetime for us both and he showed us how dreams matter, and how living one’s passion mattered!

Its interesting how travel allows us to see the most beautiful things in life.

The next day, we drove to a water park at Yamanakako and saw Mt Fuji in all its glory

And I m so so so happy to be here

To see this in front of me – with my precious ones is a great blessing . We shopped at Gotemba and had so much fun, this is a most beautiful outlet with Mt Fuji as a backdrop.

Then headed to our accommodation for the night , a traditional ryokan with classic Kaiseki dinner

The next morning, the kids had a glorious japanese breakfast course of rice and side dishes of tofu, fish, . This is also the first time they tried a hot spring bath in public!

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The kids had traditional breakfast course of rice and side dishes of tofu, fish, 

We checked out after breakfast and drove to Amazake chaya —- a 400 year old tea house in Hakone

Amazake (sweet rice wine) at 400 year old Amazake-chaya Tea House is luscious and creamy, nourishing and gently sweet (no sugar), even babies can have it. I particularly liked this the menu suggested, “On cold day, take it hot with ginger. On cold day, take it hot.”

Reminding you that often times, the way out, the healing the salvage is in the reverse.

The menu is said not have changed. Like the handmade isobe (soy sauce) and uguisu (sweet young soybean powder) mochi, a glutinous rice steamed and pounded into a paste by a wooden pestle then toasted by charcoal. Miso Oden (a warm konjac steeped in miso) and Tokoroten, seaweed and sesame topped agar agar strips in a refreshing vinegary sauce. Wasabi on the side added so much sophistication to the flavor profile—— who would have thought!

Wanted to stroll on the Tokeido walkway but HuaiHao had a nose bleed so we aborted the idea 

We then went off to Lake Ashi and Huaihao is adamant at finding more ducks to feed!

We also drove to Owakudani and let the kids have a feel of how much energy the earth has!

By this time, the kids were already used to the idea of bathing in a public bath. They would ask if there is one at the next hotel.

Qinzhi enjoys the outdoor bath and is quite at ease showering and doing her bath while HuaiHao says he feels a bit restrained and uneasy baring it all

Every night, after checking in, we would all do our baths before retiring for the night.

The next few days was spent at Karuisawa where the kids had a go at sledding and snow tubing. The hotel got the greens from the kids. The hot spring facilities at the hotel was new and there was also a sauna and Qinzhi tried it for the first time

We tried the outdoor hot spring bath again and is happy Qinzhi enjoyed it, she says it makes her feel relaxed. She also took her time to shower and is at ease and comfortable

But shopping at Karuisawa was sooooooo good, everything was beautifully spaced out and there were lots of open spaces for anyone to chill. Now the kids are beginning to get really focused looking for presents. This is something the kids chose for ah mei ah yi

The next morning, we woke up and in time to catch the first snow in Karuizawa 

Snow fall just makes you look at it, admire it, 

It slows you down and makes you inspect what it is in your mind

What it is in the heart

There’s a lot of beautiful feelings – gratitude joy inspiration motivation

I ask myself- if this is magic , what is?

I came this far and that in itself is so many miracles and blessings working on and for me

It makes you want to cry

I can not explain how it feels but nature just has a way of bringing one back to the center, to feeling the most beautiful things about life. And loving life all over again.

We lost no time and headed to the Snow Park where the kids had a go at snow sledding and tubing.

HuaiHao really enjoyed himself to the max going at it again and again

I tried the sled – once, lets just say it’s not my kind of thing 

It started to snow after a while and the kids were enjoying the fun unaffected 

I took pictures of them and had the chance to appreciate snow

It’s a beautiful thing to see yet nothing no words can quite describe what I see

We break for lunch and they went at it again after lunch while I took some time by myself to shop

Everyday we headed to the Prince Shopping Outlet for food and lots of shopping!

We originally wanted to take a train to Takayama but the kids loved being in the car so so much daddy booked another car at a premium and another and another, in the end, we drove and covered close to 1000km in the 10 day trip

The most beautiful moments seem to be the ones that pass us by. Majestic mountains that make you feel happily small.

You kind of find your place and bearings.

We drove towards Nagano at about 3pm. The sun sets at about 4 plus in winter and we had to weave around dark mountains in snow, finally reaching Takayama at about 7pm plus at night, had dinner then enjoyed hotspring bath in the hotel

You could have popsicles after the hot spring bath and the hotel serves complimentary sake beer fruit juice at the lounge area.

We spent the night searching for another car and bf booked it in a heartbeat even though it costed him 850 a day but he gathered it will be worth it as everyone will be comfortable 

This trip, we tried as much to let the kids try different varieties of Japanese food, such as the okonomiyaki, ochazuke, tempura .

But the kids have garnered a liking for visiting Lawson’s , Family Mart and Seven Eleven, always amazed at the selection there and picking up onigiri and desserts and Kagomi juice everyday

Before long, we were already half way into our itinerary and have arrived in Takayama after driving 189 km from Karuisawa.

We had a visit at the morning market and fed more ducks at the river. Mommy and daddy came here 20 years ago(?) in summer and now we have 2 kids in tow.

How much time has passed?!

I found a nice place to get grilled rice balls and they were really awesome. We had the Midarashi dango (rice dumplings dipped in soy and grilled ) and Norimaki dango ( skewered rice dumplings wrapped in seaweed). AND we had Fukutaro’s afurae goheimochi, a rice cake glazed with fragrant sesame sauce, grilled on a skewer . Typical of local cuisine in the mountainous Chubu region, it is so named because it resembles the shape of the “gohei”, a staff with plaited paper streamers, that is offered up to the Shinto deities.

We then headed to Hida to collect our side table that we ordered

The next place we headed to was Shirakawago, I have always wanted to be here

It was visibly less crowded and we got to stroll 

I was asking myself what was I feeling to be at shirakawago

I have always wanted to be here

The last time I was at Takayama I already wanted to be here

I guess I planted a seed then 

And reaped it only now when conditions are ripe

I walked a bit and tried to feel for my feelings

What am I feeling ?

I heard myself say, I m finally here.

Yes I am finally here!

Some kind of magic happened when i was last in Takayama to bring me here now

The kids had so much fun playing snow balls and throwing at each other. And they now enjoy a warm amazake!

At this point in time

I wanted to go to Gokayama too and asked for it

It snowed more heavily on our way but the trip was totally worth it! I find myself liking Gokayama more

We headed for soba and saw snow falling through the window

Looking at it is lulling me to sleep 

It’s releasing of stress and very very relaxing soothing therapeutic 

Sometimes snow was graceful sometimes a little more than intense

But there’s so much beauty and magic in those moments

I just couldn’t verbalize them

More of feels like you are connected to the snow and you are not that alien from it

We took a walk outside and the kids had snow bomb fun with dad 

Everywhere around there was quiet 

You could hear the sound of your steps on the snow pile

You go a bit slower and gentle and realize how hard and how much of a bully you have been to yourself 

Gokayama is this place to me

We drove all the way back to karuisawa to return the car only to drive the same car back to Osaka. The distance is 489 km and we are 280km away now. Driving through some of the most beautiful snowscapes. We stopped mid way for dinner and pushed forwards to Osaka reaching at 9pm

The next day was spent at Kyoto and I introduced the kids to Shojin Ryori at Tenryu-Ji ‘s Shigetsu for a vegetarian lunch

“Each meal is prepared by the monk holding the position of tenzo, whose task is to serve meals to enable one to practice Zen with the least hindrance. Each meal is appropriate to the need and occasion, and is just enough to satisfy the palate and the soul.” —— Zen Cuisine at Shigetsu

I think the key word is just enough. Just enough is logic, intuition, wisdom, it’s heart.

The all vegetarian lunch excludes the use of alliums like onions and garlic. Showcasing six flavours and maybe 20!types of vegetables, no one vegetable is repeated and no one cooking method is repeated

HuaiHao tried everything and I m impressed 

We shopped in Kyoto and the kids bought presents. The next day we spent our time in Namba shopping for more and then headed to the airport for our 1130 flight home

Everyone helped to with the luggage and we made it on time to the train and to the airport

The kids thanked daddy for the trip –each in his/her own way. It’s so good to travel and see the world. And it was daddy who made it possible for us all.

It’s a beautiful blessing gifted to me by bf who worked and saved for the family.

Back home, Qinzhi made sure the presents to everyone was wrapped beautifully, she made cards and wrote notes, while Huaihao at Lego got busy at Lego.

Traveling allowed me to broaden my perspectives and let me see how I have been going in circles coming down too hard on myself. It made me happier and brought me to a much better place 

Traveling helped me become a better person

I have shifted yet again 

It makes me feel that I can/want to do better to do this again 

Lets do it again!