Ohana trip to Japan

I was the only member of our family to have NEVER visited Japan. And I am full Japanese (although JA, Japanese American). Zack, Keita and Cassidy were especially excited for all of us to take a trip there. When Japan fully opened up to tourism in the fall of 2022 (after 2+ years of being closed because of Covid), the trip planning began in earnest in January 2023. We decided on 7 days in Tokyo and 6 days in Kyoto. In Tokyo we stayed at the Hoshinoya Hotel. It's a modern take on the traditional ryokan, or inn, to convey a feeling of quiet comfort, even though you're in the middle of a metropolis with 40 million people. Each floor has only 7 rooms, with a central gathering area for talking, drinking and snacks. The rooms had 2 kimonos for each person (of course they already know your size before check-in). One for lounging around inside and one for city walking. A big feature was a rooftop onsen (hot mineral springs bathing). In Japan they think nothing of dropping trow (trousers) and soaking in a communal bath (sexes are separated). Unlike other nice hotels, you never see staff doing their job. Things happen invisibly. If you do see someone restocking coffee, tea or confections, they shuffle away quickly and in deference. After every exciting day in Tokyo, we looked forward to relaxing here. When you enter the hotel, you take off your shoes. After a day or two they remember your room number and put them in the appropriate cubby. I've included many photos in this entry because the Hoshinoya was an experience and destination in itself. As Michael Scott (Steve Carell) said in "The Office" about Sandals resorts, the Hoshinoya was "all-inclusive, and you know what that means" ;-)