“Tap In, Tap Out — The Great Japan Adventure”

October 2025

We started in Tokyo, a city so bright,
Imperial Palace gleaming in light.
We strolled palace gardens with proper grace,
Till we lost half the group — “Wrong exit, wrong place!”

We learned to remove shoes — in every location,
From temples to toilets — a true shoe rotation.
Remember “toilet shoes” for the toilet, my friend,
Use them elsewhere and your honor will end.

Then off to the mountains, no monkeys in view,
They’d taken the day off — what did they do?
The air was crisp, the stairs were steep,
And futons on floors denied us sleep.

Matsumoto Castle stood proud and tall,
We climbed those stairs—some nearly did fall!
We puffed and we panted, “How many more?”
Those samurai sure loved this climbing chore.

Then Narai appeared with its old wooden charm,
Two hundred Jizo keeping us from harm.
On the Nakasendō trail we wandered on,
Tsumago to Magome—our knees nearly gone.

Hillbilly Coffee on a mountain side,
No Starbucks here, but caffeine pride!
We sipped from real cups, we laughed in the mist,
And laughed at the moment too sweet to resist.

Takayama temples, serene and divine,
While we muttered, “Is that sake or wine?”
We were monkeyless, Fujiless, leaderless too,
But laughter and chaos somehow pulled through.

Then Shirakawa’s roofs in prayer we found,
Steep thatch sloping, touching the ground.
We marveled in silence (well, for a bit),
Till someone said, “Beer?”—and that was it.

Kanazawa came with its gardens and gold,
A city refined, both gentle and bold.
We tried the sake—“smooth!” we all said,
Then stumbled politely on our way to bed.

Then—Shinkansen! The bullet train’s grace,
Whizzing to Kyoto at a lightning pace.
One thousand torii, a million souls,
Tea ceremony calm with beautiful bowls.

We mastered chopsticks (sort of, not quite),
Raw fish for breakfast? “Well… all right.”
“Arigatō!” we mumbled with flair,
Still unsure what we’d just said there

Cherry, Betsie, and Chris full of cheer,
Dave and Sandy from Cali were here.
Betsy from Tennessee (that accent! that fun!),
Could out-talk a monk when all’s said and done.

Meg and Cindy, Susan, Pat and Marife,
Table talk endless each meal of the day.
From Canada came Bill and Barbara and crew,
With Lori, Heather, and Howard too.

We slept on the floor (oh, our aching spine!),
Became smashed into trains like sushi in brine.
“Tap in! Tap out!” became our refrain,
Akemi trapped in the wrong train again.

We conquered chopsticks, green tea, and raw fish,
We counted our steps and made every wish.
The stairs and the hills we forever trod,
While muscles screamed, “Please, mercy, oh God.”

Vending machines on every street,
Hot drinks, cold drinks, all snacks to eat.
Yet hotels with no lounges, no friendly bars—
No cats but dogs in prams, like movie stars.

Ten-course, twelve-course — we lost count by eight,
“Is that a mushroom or some raw fish I ate?”
We grilled our own beef, we drank plum wine,
And toasted Asahi — crisp and divine!

Toshi left us—his time was done,
But new guides stepped in: Yasu and Jun.
With Mika and Aya to steer us through,
They saved the day (and the schedule, too!).

In Kyoto we counted rocks—fifteen, not one more,
While gardens whispered secrets from Zen days of yore.
We braved the crush at Kinkaku's golden gleam,
And follow Howard’s cap hoping to be seen.

Then dinner called: Italian, Japanese in disguise,
A 10 course kaiseki feast where mystery lies.
We eat the treats, we sip beer and wine
Evenings and life all seem to be fine.

Now Kyoto by night, the autumn moon high,
Our fifth-floor terrace brushing the sky.
Sunrise, Tōji Temple and dramatic skies
Sounds of Lori's ukulele as trains rumble by.

Next day we board, our new guide in command,
Zooming to Himeji’s White Heron, proud and grand.
We dined French in Japan—no raw fish in sight,
Just warm bread and coffee, to our pure delight.

Reboard the bullet train, a blur and a gleam,
We zoomed to Miyajima, an island of dreams.
The Torii shrine stood proud on its six pillared feet,
And the ropeway views made the sea views complete.

Then Hiroshima—silent, stark, and still,
Where echoes of sorrow test the will.
From ashes and ruin, a message took hold:
That peace is the treasure more precious than gold.

In Nara we wandered to the grand temple’s gate,
Where Buddha in bronze sat calm, sedate.
The vast wooden hall rose tall and unfurled—
Said to be the largest of its kind in the world.

Next day we rode the Nankai Line’s bend,
Up to Kōyasan where the mountains ascend.
A hundred monasteries in mist and pine,
Where monks served us peace—and a vegetarian dine.

Our travel mates—what a grand design,
Each one unique, each one divine.
Meg and Cindy, friendly and bright,
Bringing laughter morning to night.

So many memories, bright and clear,
Barb’s good cheer we’ll always hold dear.
Marife’s Spanish lilt, Dave’s laugh so wide,
Echo through streets on this wild ride.

Cherry flew in from Mongolia’s plain,
Joined our adventures through sunshine and rain.
Betsey and Chris, ever ready to lend,
A helping hand to guide a new friend.

Dave and Sandy, with hearts so grand,
Always together, hand in hand.
Susan with questions, sharp and keen,
Curious eyes in every scene.

Bill was game for laughter and fun,
Heather first up when the day’s begun.
And Pat, still wandering each street and flat,
On a noble quest—to spot even one cat.

So here’s to Heather and Lori, hooray!
A birthday in Japan—what a magical day.
May adventures keep calling, near and far,
With sake in hand and goodies in a jar.

Potato chips with Betsy—every flavor divine,
Wasabi, squid, or salt—each one a find.
The beer crowd and tea crowd, side by side,
Sniffing out options, with desire as guide.

Pools, saunas, onsens galore,
Clean and tidy, who could ask for more?
Steam on your faces, peace in the air,
You soaked away miles without a care.

Then typhoon whispers on the nightly news,
And a bear in a market—what headline to choose?
He pounced in the sushi, caused quite a fright,
Even Japan has wild nights!

Lori and her uke at the Labo, so sweet,
Strumming through floats and lemonade treats.
And everyone, well, I’ll simply state—
We're happiest when memories are great.

But all things must end as we ride once more,
To bustling Osaka with its neon roar.
Our farewell dinner, laughter and cheer,
Goodbyes and questions—“Where to next year?"

So here’s to Japan, with laughter and cheer,
To friends, to the journey, to sake and beer.
We came, we bowed, we got sore feet
But life is good, and Japan was sweet.