This spring, I met a wonderful couple and we became close friends. We first met in Tokyo and had a one-hour photo shoot in Shibuya. Despite being strangers at first, we never ran out of things to talk about during the shoot. We bonded over our mutual love for Pokémon and Nintendo games, as well as discussing Japan and America.

We spent two days together in Osaka and Kyoto, totaling four days. In Osaka, we split the photo shoot into daytime and nighttime sessions. Before the night shoot, we went out for sushi together. They particularly loved takowasabi, a dish commonly enjoyed with alcohol in Japan, so we asked the sushi chef to prepare it for us. They enjoyed other dishes as well, and we had a great time savoring local sushi together.

The two days in Kyoto were also incredibly enjoyable. We explored various places, took photos, and indulged in local souvenirs and matcha soft serve ice cream. While the photo shoots were fulfilling, the memories we made together were truly priceless. I’m so grateful they came to Japan. As I write this, I already miss them and look forward to seeing them again in the US or Japan!