Tokyo Misc.

We saw this scene on our first day, and it was a typical sight.  Between J.R. (Japan Rail, which is operated by the government) and private companies, between the subways and the commuter rail lines and the bullet trains, it's staggering how many trains there are!

Here's a picture of Shinjuku (one of the neighborhoods in central Tokyo) at night.  You can see it was very, very crowded (another common theme of our travels around the city).

Here's a picture of Kichijyoji, a neighborhood closer to where Isako's mom and brother live, at night.

We came across this sign on the top floor of a department store - the whole top floor is restaurants, and someone had to use the restroom, and this sign was in front of it.  It struck me as funny just because it was so huge and bold - in the words "COMFORT STATION" the letters were about 6 inches tall.  I also liked the phrase "THE TOILET OF GINZA", as if it's a special place.

Here are a few pictures I took at the Ueno (Tokyo) Zoo.  We went because my mom wanted to see the giant panda, but when we got there there was a sign in the panda house that the panda had left for Mexico for a breeding visit about 2 weeks before we were there.

And here we are with the extended family after a fun night out in Ginza.