Day Four: tourist day

After meeting with an international tax accountant, we found ourselves out and about in Tokyo so we decided to go to Asakusa, then take a boat down the Sumida River.

Day Three Tokyo

This morning as I was walking to my brother's house, I came upon the typical sight of plastic water bottles, full of water, placed along the street corner.  

Japanese people do this because they think it will keep stray cats away, keep them from peeing in that area.  I've never read any evidence about this actually working as a deterrent but people do it anyway.  One of those strange things about the Japanese -- among many.

I also came across a small patch of preserved green space in between several large apartment complexes.

 The little shrine was in the center of the green space.

Here is the view from the hospital ward.

In the evening I met up with Mari at my favorite restaurant, Nakamuraya.  It was actually in a temporary space next door as they were reconstructing their old entire building.  They said it was going to take 4 years to complete.  Here's my favorite dish, the Napolitano.  It is not really Italian, kind of Chinese.  A tomato/pork/clam broth with flat and curly egg noodles.  YUMMERS!

Mari is actually preggers (4 - 5 onths) and after dinner she still wanted dessert so we went to this crazy fruit palace and had parfaits...

Dessert cost as much, maybe more, than our meals!  But it was worth it!

Day Two: Brother

It was a busy day, first running errands, then going back to the hospital, then out to lunch and an onsen.

Here's the bicycle shop:

Here is the ramen spot.  yummy!

the actual ramen:

Tokyo Trip Day One

Sorry I've neglected this blog for so long.  I had a baby, and then there was travel, but always too harried to document.

I'm in Tokyo now, staying with my friend Shirotama.  Below are Shirotama's 21 year old cat Mapu, and the amazing uni dinner we had...  yum!

one of the best things from japan

It's not even a full week since we got back from Japan, but it feels like months! Sleep has been irregular, my body's been going through wonky things like unexplained hives and lost appetite, and frankly I'm wondering whether I've developed some kind of allergy to New York. Although it's not as if I want to settle down in Japan. It's hard to imagine thriving in that kind of monolithic monoculture that pervades every aspect of life.

But anyway, today I want to introduce my single most treasured purchase I made that brings a piece of Japan back into my Brooklyn home. The towelket.What is "towelket" you ask? It is the pinnacle of comfort, the embodiment of home, something that can invoke a sense of security and wrap you in light warmth. It is the love child of the TOWEL and blanKET, and I can't believe it doesn't exist in the U.S.! I have fond memories of the towelket as a kid growing up in the sweltering heat of Tokyo. Towelkets were the perfect thing to sleep with on those summer nights because they were light, and soaked up your sweat. It's hard to find a towelket big enough for two people, but I found mine at the Muji store in Chofu, double size organic cotton. Heaven!

The danger of the towelket is the temptation to use it as a towel. Please, don't soil your towelket with your runny nose, shower-wet body, dirty dishwater hands or post-coital drip! With proper use the towelket will keep you lightly protected from overactive air conditioners and keep your heat worn body nice, cool and dry.