What we will miss most about Japan

With less than six weeks left in Japan, I have been thinking a lot about all of the things we will miss about being here. Some are big, some are little, but most of them have been a part of our daily lives for two years. I will keep adding as more of them come to me. So, here goes.....

The best things about Japan are...

traffic directors everywhere you go. They direct you in parking lots, when you are pulling out into traffic, etc.
KINDNESS everywhere you go.
Free gift wrapping when you buy something...and they wrap in the cutest little packages.
100 yen stores- so much better than dollar stores
Fresh fruits and vegetables packaged so beautifully in the markets
Heated toilet seats (even at rest areas along the toll road)
roller slides and awesome parks for kids
Japanese Pottery
Cherry Blossoms in the springtime
Sticky Rice
Every flavor Kit Kat imaginable
Sweet potato and Cherry blossom ice cream
warm towels to clean your hands before a meal
Riding the trains in silence (it is so peaceful- no one talks on the train)
The world's best Ramen
Mt. Fuji on a crystal clear day (I still have to catch my breath whenever I see it, even after two years)
Onsens (only tried it once, but it could become addicting if I lived here longer)
Vending machines EVERYWHERE (even on Mt. Fuji) with ice cream, beer, tea, coffee (both hot and cold), and more types of drinks than you ever knew existed.
SAFETY- I have never felt more safe anywhere in my life. My kids actually have freedom when we go places. It's refreshing, yet scary to think about being back in the states.