details

I lasted less than 24 hours in Tokyo before breaking down and buying a diet coke from a vending machine. Considering that I plan to give up the diet coke this July, this is a Bad Thing.

Here's where detail note-type stuff begins:

Last night, we had dinner with former and current Fulbrighters living in Japan. We went out with a guy who studied in the states about 20 years ago, and who is a professor, researcher and neurologist studying the human equivalent of Mad Cow, or how that disease impacts humans, or something like that if I understood correctly. We went to a tempura restaurant here in Akasaka. Very good, and I was rather proud of myself for being less squeamish than usual. Also, I was told that I should eat eel more - something about having babies or something like that. Afterward, a group of us wandered around Asakasa for a while.

Old men love me. It seems to be a cross-cultural thing.

This morning, I ran around the Imperial Palace (and only got a little bit lost, and even then only for a minute or two) and then we had an intro to education in Japan. I took care of ordering business cards (I didn't think they would be necessary, but was told differently Sunday) and they will actually be less expensive here than they would be in the States. After, there was a presentation on traditional Japanese theatre, including a Japanese classical dancer getting into make-up, which was really, really amazing and cool, which may be the most lame description of anything ever. I have a ton of pictures, which will say more than I can.

Had enough time to dash into a bookstore to find a decent phrasebook and wander into a convience store, find where a 100 yen store is (didn't get a chance to go in, though), and get back here for the dinner/reception.

Now, I have a few minutes before a group of us head out for Karaoke. Again, I think we are staying in the neighborhood, if only because it is easy and close and none of us really want to try to figure out the subway after going out. Tomorrow is sightseeing tours, meetings with lawmakers, and something else in the afternoon, but I don't remember off the top of my head.


Random Japan fact of the day: the average kimono for a classical dancer costs in the neighborhood of at least $150,000 US. This does not include wig or makeup.