Greetings from Japan! We promise this is a cooking blog but it just so happens we’re on holiday and thought it’d be fun to bring you along for the ride. After all, our cooking is largely influenced by Japanese culture and cuisine. This is actually our FOURTH trip here in four years. It always ends up trumping other potential travel destinations because there are plenty of allergy-friendly food options for me, we can visit Allan’s grandparents, and quite frankly, it’s just a fun place to visit. The Japanese way of life is different from the American one in so many ways. Everyone is extremely courteous and polite. There is no litter anywhere and the public wash closets are cleaner than the average American home bathroom. There’s an understanding that everyone ought to clean up after themselves so they don’t inconvenience anyone else. It’s incredibly refreshing.