We aren't really so dumb. After lunch yesterday and a good nap, Andi and I caught a train to Asukusa and found a delightful Japanese neighborhood whose shopping district is still in the style of Edo period in Japanese history. Little stalls lined streets filled with all kinds of merchandise...all the plastic stuff for which Japan is famous, Japanese sweets, fake handbags, fans, kimonos, happy coats, shoes--you name it, it was there. This area gave meaning to the phrase "made in Japan". This is a big tourist area and there were many rickshaws (sp?) vying for business. We also walked around a number of shrines and temples including one called the "Five story pagoda". Lots of people were purchasing fortunes to leave for good luck in the front of the main temple as well as lighting and leaving incense. It was the first time we have seen such huge crowds in the streets.
Despite the obvious cultural differences it strikes how our two cultures are also alike in this day and time. People are just going to work, taking care of their families, looking for a place to eat lunch in peace, shopping...doing all the normal things of living in a big city. More later.
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