Earthquakes and Snow and Sun-Oh My!

Well, it has been a busy week, as the lack of any postings on this blog will show.  We are still learning to get around on the underground and continue to find kind and helpful souls to point us in the right direction. We are even helped by Japanese people who do not speak a word of English. Lots of pointing and nodding and smiling and we are on our way again.

On Wednesday we woke to the feeling of a train passing under our bed. Since we are on the 19th floor, I was somewhat surprised and then even more so, when Tony told me it was an earthquake. Just as if it was a thunderstorm or lightning flash! We later learned that it was 4.8 on the Richter Scale and that this happens regularly.....everybody carried on their day as if nothing had happened. This is another aspect of life here that I will have to become accustomed to.

On Thursday, after the snow had melted on the ground (just a light dusting, I am relieved to say) Tony had a big open house in his new offices on Thursday with a couple of hundred people, representing many of the large corporations and trading houses, passing through and bearing gifts of fruit, flowers, chocolates, wine and champagne. No event goes by without a gift being offered, another custom which is evidence of the charming and generous nature of the Japanese.

On Friday, our well-informed and energetic, if diminutive, relocation agent Ayako, took us around various different parts of the city to get a feel for where we might like to live. We visited areas of high rise apartments and large supermarkets, like Roppongi, and other places where there are smaller homes and quieter back streets, near parks and with delightful shopping areas full of individual stores, like Hiroo and Azabu. We are hoping to find somewhere to live in one of the latter areas. Then you can all come and stay! That same day, we three had lunch in a tiny basement sushi bar, where we sat at an oblong counter, with a sushi chef in the middle of a revolving conveyor belt with dishes of sushi and miso soup circulating around. You helped yourself to the sushi, or called out an order to the chef and instantly he made your request and put it on the conveyor belt. At the end, they count the number of plates in front of you (plus the delicious local beers) and you pay on your way out. Some of the best (and cheapest) food we have had so far. $25 for three of us. Needless to day, it was a very popular venue. So, Tokyo does not have to cost us an arm and a leg, after all.

I continue to marvel at the glorious flowers everywhere, even in the chilly February climate and hope to create a whole album of photos to show you. On Thursday I found some floating flower pots (see top photograph) and an arrangement in a pot, which, on closer inspection, were tiny cabbages of different colors (to left).
Delightful.


I still haven't seen Mt. Fuji from our window, but the sun is shining today.........

We love to hear your observations, either on this site, or by email.

Sayonara,

Julie and Tony