Japan Visit-Random Part 1

Seen near the airport. Boy, now I know I am in Japan. Yes, I stopped and shopped, wouldn't you? This post is just a bunch of random stuff we saw and did in Japan. We spent quite a bit of time babysitting, and as some of you parents/grandparents know, the best way, or in our case the only way to quiet a sleepy but resistant baby is to go for a walk. So we did. A lot.

A random street scene near Jesse and Satomi's apartment. They live in a nice apartment in a nice neighborhood only 30 minutes by train from Jesse's work.

A nice lady selling these little jellied sweets they have there.

The approach to the train station. We walked through here everyday, it was between our hotel and Jesse's apartment.

Our hotel, Cy out front. I figured out 1 way they have such a low unemployment rate. There was always several people on hand to press the up elevator button for you and show you the umbrellas available for patrons or to take or return the room key to you. And see the construction guys? There were 2 at each end of the trench to tell passersby to be careful and to move the barriers if an emergency vehicle needed through. I wish I had taken a picture of our room. It has the most amazing pale pink satin chaise lounge, with silky tasseled pillows.They do quite a few weddings at the hotel and we got to see several brides and grooms and guests all dressed up in fancy kimono.

Here's one way to do construction in crowded cities. They piled up the dirt from the excavation in big canvas bags. And I like the traffic barriers, light plastic rods that fit over the cones. Easy to move.

One day we met Satomi for lunch in a Korean style restaurant in a big department store. Can you see the perfect sleeping baby in the background?

There's a grill in the middle of your table and you grill delicate slices of beef on them and dip them in this delicious sauce.

Strange socks!

Grandpa Cy at work. Recycling by the curb. See the blue net on the left? You use these to throw over your stack of trash bags to keep them all neat and so not to block the sidewalks.

Too cute!

One room condo for sale. It is either 5 million or 500 thousand, I don't know which.

Car repair shop.

This is really cool. See the delivery motorcycle outside the restaurant on the old lady shopping street?

I had to be quick to catch this. The guy comes out of the restaurant and puts a tray of food in open china plates and bowls on the rack, and slaps down the canvas cover and takes off, all in a second. The canvas cover keeps everything upright and in place and arrives at your house nice and hot. After you eat you leave the tray and dishes outside your door and they pick it up later.

Yay, an old building. I only saw 1 or 2 old buildings the whole time we were in Japan. That's it for today's walk, see you soon.