I am always amazed by these—an actual shoe shinestand.  I am amazed that such things still exist.  I was a little slow with the pic on this one—I wanted to catch the dude actually getting his shoes shined, 'n stuff.  (This was also O'Hare.)

      WHY does this always happend to ME??!! Typhoid Beavis II

      Part of me, just couldn't believe I was actually here:

      Customs and Immigration were a snap. On my "travel form," I, under reason for visit, I clicked "other," and wrote: "Shin Godzilla." "What's this?!"

      I really don't recommend you do that.

      At the "meet and great place," Laura was waiting for me, holding up a child's folder, showing Shin Godzilla.

      I really don't recommend any of you do that, either.

      ( :P ;) )

      At currency exchange, they gave us an origami crane.

      OF COURSE, they gave us an origami crane:

      I took a picture of some traffic cones.  Notice how all the tops are closed—just another example of how Japan is . . . different.

      (Of note, when I first took out my camera, I think this chick, thought I was going to be taking a picture of HER—and she was all smiles.  :) ;) She seemed . . . a little . . . disapponted, and befuddled—when I took some pics of . . . traffic cones. . . .

      Even the (bus) trip from the airport, was an elightenment.  Almost EVERY driver was . . . male.  I mean—I saw, like 2 chicks, in something like 50 miles.  And another thing—I couldn't believe, how many drivers, were SMILING.  Now—how many peeps, driving down the highway, in your country, are SMILING??!!

      Truly, Japan IS different.

      Something else I found strange—bamboo grew WILD here.  Now, Southern Pennsylvania, is just warm enough, that it [bamboo] can grow there.  However, it is cultivated.  Here, it just grew wild.  Wow.

      And the thingies, that protect neighborhoods from "freeway noise"—they weren't just in the well-to-do neighborhoods.  They were is all of them (another way Japan is different).  And they–on both sides–partially arched (or, at least, angled) over traffic..

      And Japan is so GREEN.  (!) –Even the cities are green.  And everything is so close together.  (!)

      A strange observation—I thought that Tokyo, would be a GREAT place to kayak.  (. . . .)

      A picture of Tokyo Skytree.

      I believe, this is the tallest building in the world, 'n stuff.

      Now here's something strange—travel halfway around the way, and find a plant that grows at my parents' place, and has for decades—purple basil.

      (Sadly, some guys came by, and trimmed this plant off, before we left.)

      :P :(

      Blind alleyways? –NO PROBLEM! These mirrors, were ~everywhere:

      I took this picture, because this flower, looked like, um. . . .

      Yeah.

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