My son’s American passport needed to be renewed.  At age fourteen, he is still a child–and that means he MUST go to the embassy in person and with both parents in tow. (One parent may be absent if proper paperwork is filled out.) So last Wednesday, my husband, my son, and I headed to Tokyo. The American embassy has strict rules about what may be brought inside, so we stuck most of our belongings in a locker.  So I don’t have photos of the embassy itself. (And photos are not allowed inside the embassy, anyway.)

This is the subway station for the embassy, and other embassies in the area.  I think the mural depicts the international feel of the area due to the many embassies and consulates there.

Sushi from a restaurant my husband chose. (We’re in a mixed marriage. He’s a foodie and I’m not.)

Light soup and green tea

My lunch was the top left on the sign. So….I don’t know the current exchange rate, but aroundish fifteen U.S. dollars, give or take several dollars. (I really don’t know the current exchange rate.)

Tokyo Station………… this is just a very small part of it! It’s large.

Ooooooh pretty lights

Shop. Japanese people are expert shoppers…..and sellers. We all know the Kit Kat craze. (What? You don’t know the Kit Kat craze?) Japan constantly introduces new flavors of Kit Kats. It started with your basic flavors like strawberry and then progressively wackier until the powers that be are wracking their brains for new flavors.  Please look at this link:

https://nestle.jp/brand/kit/inbound/en/gotouchi/

Sake flavored Kit Kats behind me. I can just imagine drunk chocolate company managers thinking this one up.

Tokyo Banana flavored KitKats

Tokyo Bananas are an upscale Twinkie.  See link:

http://www.tokyobanana.jp/language/en/

People usually did not buy these special items for themselves. Japan is a culture that likes to give presents, that likes to give souvenirs, and likes to give food. They usually buy these rather expensive food items as souvenirs for friends and family back home.

The line for the Tokyo Banana Kit Kats was SO LONG (and it was a weekday.) One woman was buying over twenty boxes over them!!!!!!!!! I bought some for my Japanese classes to munch on. The Kit Kats were banana flavored, and I must say, delicious.