Maid Cafes, Ryokans, and Onsens...Oh My!

When my husband (then fiance) told me that we can do whatever I wanted on our trip, my first thought was, 'How Sweet!'

I have since changed my mind.

Apparently, doing "whatever I wanted" implies that I am also doing all the planning.  Which is good one regard, because I can be a control freak when it comes to things like planning trips.  But still, it would have been nice to have had more of an input than "Let's go to maid cafes!"

Fortunately, I really only had to plan the Japan trip.  My family (mom and aunts) did most of the planning in terms of what we're going to be doing in the Philippines.  And Dewi, my best college buddy, was going to take us around Singapore.  So at the end of the day, I only really knew what we are going to be doing in Japan.

One of the first things I looked at when planning the trip to Japan was the type of lodging we would like when in the country.  Upon internet research, I learned that there are these things called 'ryokans' which offer a more authentic Japan travel experience than a western hotel.  To sum it up, it seems that ryokans are like bed and breakfasts with the exception of beds.  Instead, they have futons.  And I believe, the floors are tatami mats.  Anyway, at the end of the day, after much research, James and I decided to go for the ryokans.  Because really, where else are we going to get that experience?

Like James, there was one thing I wanted to try in Japan--the onsen.  So when I first started looking for things to do, I looked for places that were known for onsens and that's when I stumbled upon Hakone. It was perfect.  A hot springs town.  Now I just had to find a way to get there :)

And I did...through a Mt. Fuji tour!

My college roommate also had suggestions...and it was from these suggestions that James and I heard of maid cafes.  Yeah, my college roommate, Kyoko, knew how much I watched anime and probably guessed that I would marry a guy who was also into them.  And so she suggested Akihabara, and she volunteered to act as our tour guide for a day in Japan's electronics (and anime!) capital.  Definitely checking out the maid cafe there.

And lastly, because we only had a few days (four to be exact) to explore Japan, Asakusa was our last stop before going to Singapore.  I can't wait to shop at the Nakamise St. and get some tacky souvenirs and street food!

Now based on our itinerary, here are the three places we've decided to stay in:

Sawanoya Ryokan
Yunohana Onsen
Kamogawa Ryokan

Anyway, the Japan trip is coming close...less than two weeks to go!