Can't think of a title

We have given up on trying to get home early, mostly because we can't for under 6k. And the kids seem on the mend, interesting though that they got sick in the cleanest, most hygenic country we've been too. Hmmmm... In Japan, people regularly wear masks to keep their germs to themselves and avoid contaminating other people. I guess they don't work so well. With both kids sneezing and spreading visible and invisible germs, I suggested that we get mini masks for them both and just continue on. (At the very least, it would be an amusing picture) The Japanese hugely frown upon public displays of illness. In fact, blowing your nose in public is one of the most taboo and disgusting things you could do.

Yesterday was a gorgeous day (finally!), hot and sunny and we had many things on our list still to see. Justin really wanted to go to the Tokyo Fish Market, the largest in the world, selling over 2000 tons of fish a day and home of the world famous tuna auction. The tuna market is now largely closed to the public due to crowding but the rest of the market is open. You have to get there before 8AM if you really want to see the action, and that just doesn't work for this family. So, we got there at noon. And saw nothing. We had read that the market is in action till 2, but all we saw were trucks driving off with their goods. However, we did find all the famed sushi stalls and mini- restaurants that line the area around the market. You can't get much fresher sushi. Justin had a feast and declared it some of the best ever, better be. Even my Kappa (cucumber) rolls were more delicious than ever. Probably the sticky rice was made with MSG.

In Shanghai I saw an advertisement on the Discovery Channel for Earth Day. It was stating that 90% of the fish in our oceans are gone and by 2048 they will all be gone if we don't do something to stop the overfishing. After seeing the asian markets and knowing that this represents just a small fraction of what is caught daily in the world and an even tinier fraction of what is caught and thrown back dead, I absolutely believe it and it terrifies me. I don't know what terrifies me more, that or the air pollution we have seen across Asia. Both are absolutely horrifying.

From the fish market, we hopped into a taxi (our first) and drove to Ginza. Ginza is the most upmarket, ritzy part of Tokyo, home to some of the most expensive commercial real estate in the world. We had a coffee, poked around, and hopped in another taxi and headed for Tokyo Tower. Justin says that in Tokyo all we have done is gone to an area, walked down a street to find a Starbucks, had a coffee and moved on. It's pretty true. Tokyo doesn't have a lot of good sightseeing. Tokyo Tower is one of the most popular attractions-- it's an orange replica of the Eiffel Tower, though not nearly as beautiful. When I lived in Tokyo, I saw the tower every day and night, but never once went to the base or ascended it. It's that kind of attraction. Anyway, we were looking to kill some time. Tokyo is a large, sprawling, but uninspiring city seen from above.

One of the things we have been astounded by in Japan, and also in China, is how many people they have working at attractions such as Tokyo Tower. Our tickets were checked and we were greeted by no fewer than 4 attractive, well dressed, and bowing women before we got onto the elevator. As we left the tower, we were thanked repeatedly and then received bows from 3 well dressed Japanese men standing together in a row. Imagine that job. I wonder what the unemployment rate is here in Japan. (4.9%, just checked)

Since our earlier cabs had been remarkably cheap and by now we were all exhausted, we hopped in one to take us home. One hour and $50 later we were home. This is the case for using the train systems in Tokyo. Yes, it's horrendously crowded and extremely confusing (there are two separate lines under the city) but it's by far cheaper and much faster.

Today it's raining and cold again, this is by far the worst weather we've had on our entire trip. It's been cold and rainy nearly every day we've been here and the forecast for Kyoto is the same. It's very hard to see a city and keep your spirits up in this dismal weather. It's our last full day though, so we headed out with a plan to have lunch and then see a show at the Kabuki Theater. The theater is historic and one of the few places remaining to see true Kabuki- a traditional sing/dance/acting performance, and it's set to be torn down next month! Unfortunately, I think the rain gave everyone else the same idea and after waiting in line for nearly an hour and all the way to the front of the line, they announced that the show was sold out! Even the best laid plans...

Time to pack up and head to Kyoto on the Shinkansen.