Tokyo, continued

Here are several shots we took in Ginza, the really upscale shopping district.



January 2nd is the Japanese shopping equivalent to the day after Thanksgiving, and shopping in Tokyo is the equivalent to absolute craziness, so combine the two and you've got a level of shopping and dropping that I never dreamed was possible. That's me in a store, taken by Tim.

That's Tim, in the same store, taken by me.
You can see in the pictures people packed in wall to wall, but what you can't see is outside people lining up to get in the store, waiting for someone to leave so there's now room for one more.


January 2nd is also one of two days in the year where people can go up to the Imperial Palace.

They handed us Japanese flags, and then ushered us through three security check points. Then we followed the masses of people walking up the hill toward the palace.




We wound our way through the gate, over the bridge, and then into this huge plaza.


When the place was just about full, the Imperial family came out, made a short speech and then waved for five minutes. The Emperor is the second from the left.

I know he saw me. How could he not've?

We went to a diner for breakfast the next morning. This dude was sitting next to us. He had these Gundam toys and a toy gun, and he kept talking to himself with the gun in his hand, and occasionally firing. I didn't know if I should be disturbed or amused. As it was, we had a difficult time not erupting in laughter.

Little girl on the train with her mother. Amazingly cute, and so, so tiny.