Odaiba

There is a little man-made island in Tokyo Bay that has all kinds of things to do on it.  Below are pictures of the World's Largest Ferris Wheel which Sid and Sam rode while Graham and I cooled our heels in a place much like Fun Fun Fun, drinking Dr. Pepper. The ferris wheel is just shy of 400 feet high.

The subway

This subway is not even full.  At peak hours, there are attendants who smash people into the trains to ensure maximum capacity.  Personal space? Not an option.

Just down from Sam's school, an unusual site

At Takeshita (Tacky-sheeta), crepes

Melinda taking Sam to school

Sam's first day of school

The Bath House

Sorry, folks, no pictures, but I can tell you about Sid and Sam's latest adventure. In our neighborhood is a traditional Japanese bath house.  Ours is sort of small (it does not, for instance, have the bath with the electricity running through it, the mud bath, or the cold bath--it is simply a warm bath with temperature about 120 degrees F), but popular as the latest fad here is to jog around the imperial palace (an odd fad given the record high temperatures this summer).  The runner then heads to the bath house.

Basically you go to the bathhouse where you first shower (to get all the gross stuff off of you) and then you go get into the bath.  The bath is a communal and naked affair.  (Ours is segregated by sex, but the mineral spring baths all around are mixed).

So, Sid and Sam went to the bath--without a towel!  So they were sitting in the bath when the bath house lady beckoned Sid, indicating that he should get out and come over to her.  So, naked Sid got out while the Japanese men snickered and went over to the bath house lady who gave him a tiny towel to share with Sam.

Sid said it was not a very refreshing experience given that it is so hot everywhere and the bath is hot.  Sam, however, really liked going and thought it very funny that his daddy had to go naked to the bath house lady!