Better Late Than Never

We recommend booking your accommodation early as it is a popular destination. See the other tabs for details.

We met in 2013 while on a Japanese language summer program in Kyoto, Japan. Maria would chase kitties around temples, while Hitoshi made sure they got off at the right bus stop. Very little has changed.

Our relationship withstood 6 years of long distance between Tokyo, New York, and the UK. Despite different time zones and unreliable signals, regular video calls and the anticipation of seeing each other again kept us going.

Hitoshi proposed in May 2024 on a Greek island called Paros. It was early evening and after a day of beach hopping Hitoshi had to convince Maria to check out yet another beach that day. They looked for seashells on a quiet, sandy beach with sparkling waters all around, when Hitoshi told Maria to close her eyes. Maria knew she would open her eyes to either a seashell or a diamond...

We now live in New York City with our two cats, Salmon and Saba. Hitoshi is a strawberry farmer and Maria works at a bank, saving the planet one Powerpoint at a time. Our favorite pastimes include chilling with the cats, beach volleyball, salsa dancing, ukulele, and discovering the best Asian food in the city.