A clear day in Tokyo

Today was clear and cold, and I guess the lack of smog and clouds is a rare occurrence this time of year, so I went up to the top of the Tokyo Tower for the view. At 333 meters high it is the tallest self supporting steel tower in the world. Here's a picture with Mt Fuji in the distance- also a rare view from the city. Later in the day I had a teppenaki lunch where meats and vegetables are grilled on a lava rock (heated by propane) from Mt Fuji. Delicious!

I've also enclosed a shot of Victoria trying to communicate her shoe size to the lovely salesgirl on the Ginza. Vic's suitcase has still not arrived, and we are trying to figure out if the lack of information means we will never see it, or if it truly is coming tonight. Everyone is being incredibly polite about it, but one wishes that it was okay just to scream a few obscenities into the phone, as one might with American airlines personnel.

I braved the subway on the way home from the Senso-ji Buddist temple this afternoon. It was actually very easy to navigate, and lots of signs were clearly marked in English. There was even a lovely English voice over the loudspeaker announcing the stops. I am continually amazed at how orderly and polite everyone is, and how happily they seem to follow the proscribed path of cooperation in all ways of city life. On the sidewalks there are yellow lines right down the middle, and you walk to the left, simple as that, and everyone waits at the crosswalk for the lights to change even it there are no cars coming! The shop girls are plentiful- it seems as if everyone has a job- and it seems that their one desire is to make your experience in their city as pleasant as possible. At lunch with my tour group today we discussed all the ways that Americans could improve the world by adapting some of the manners and customs of the Japanese. Can you imagine Boston with no jaywalkers?