Tokyo - Dave's post for April 22

I guess it's time for me to step up to the plate since I haven't posted any thoughts yet. Where to begin - Japan definitely stimulates all the senses. We stayed in Shibuya in Tokyo and it's quite frenetic - looks of activity at all times of the day. Although our hotel was tucked away on a little side street so it was more toned down than the surroundings in the immediate vicinity. Conversely, looking out on to the landscaped grounds and Lake Ashi from our rooms at Hotel de Yama was so serene and peaceful. In terms of sounds, the subway and JR stations each have their own unique songs, some of them are quite catchy. When we're not in transit Paul has serenaded us with his rendetions of songs from every era ... and language. I think he's gearing up for our night of Karaoke. In terms of smells, there have been several meals that were not only very tasty but they were very aromatic as well. Yuki has already mentioned last night's tasting menu dinner but she failed to mention that she saved me from a potentially severe allergic reaction. One of the dishes had a dumpling with clams inside; it would have a been a very unpleasant evening if she hadn't noticed it and warned me in time.
Another item I feel compelled to talk about is cost/value. I was under the impression that Japan would be extremely expensive but that is definitely not the case. Everything from meals to subway tickets to shopping to beverages ($3.00 beer in the mininar!) - has been very reasonable and I'm considerably under budget at this stage of the trip. So if you think you need to save up for years in order to travel to and enjoy Japan don't give it a second thought but it's not the case.
Excited to see Osaka and the next phase of our journey. P.S. Apparently I smile a lot in pictures.