Sayōnara Japan...

We are sitting at the airport in Hiroshima, waiting to board our flight to Shanghai, China. One country down, 39 more to go!

Some of the highlights:

1) Toilets!  Being a mom of 4 boys, clean toilets are always a treat!!! Every single bathroom we used, especially the public toilets (even subway stations) was impeccably clean and deluxe! The toilets are all automated, even with warm seats! They offer bidet (female bottom washing option), shower (bottom washing), odour blocking, and sound boost (to keep your own bodily sounds covered!). The boys spent a lot of time figuring things out in the bathroom at the first apartment. You could hear giggles from the bathroom as they turned on the bottom washing option!!!

The boys found this hilarious!!  They wanted to know who would try and use a toilet like that!!!

2) Sushi!  The sushi was always delicious, and so reasonably priced, usually around $1-$2 for 2 pieces. It was a great opportunity for everyone to try new food, and discover new favorites! My favourite ended up being salmon, topped with a thinly sliced onion and drizzled with a mayo type sauce!

Not sushi, but a delicious noodle salad!

3) People!  Everyone was so respectful and courteous to one another. If you asked for help, they were very eager to assist. The boys got a few hugs from random people, but not too many! Everyone bowed to each other, like we would wave.

4) Temples!  So many to see, so little time!!  We made day trips to both Nikko and Kyoto, and they were both fantastic!