First day

Because we forced ourselves to stay awake until 8:30, we all had a great night's sleep.  And by great night, I mean that Tessa and I woke up at 4:45 and played Phase 10 until the sun rose.  This is a shot out our window towards Daiba, at the southern end of Tokyo.

After Amy and Lily woke up, we headed downstairs for our desperately needed breakfast and tried not to cause any trouble.  I practiced my two Japanese phrases (konnichiwa and arigato goziamasu) on everyone I met with the singleminded intensity of Rain Man.  

We wanted to travel into downtown Tokyo, but quickly discovered that you need cash in order to buy a subway ticket.  As you might remember, we were still on a credit union blacklist.  So we resigned ourselves to seeing the sights and walking around Daiba.  Walking might have been an overstatement.  People we passed would probably have described us as 'staggering' or 'shambling' and might have looked around for film crews thinking we were part of The Living Dead: Tokyo Dayz.

This is Fuji Television Broadcast Center, where they could film Tokyo Dayz: A gripping drama about a mild mannered forensic psychologist caught in the midst of a zombie apocalypse far from home.

Lady Liberty's sister.  The French really got around in the 1800s.

The Flame of Liberty, though Uncle Drew had a few NSFW captions for it.

There are vast underground labyrinths of these bubble machines, each of which will dispense an orb for the low cost of 300 yen.  Each orb contains a plastic Japanese artifact that is neither  necessary nor sufficient but still strangely addictive.  Because you're always left wondering ... what's in that next orb?

Dad, can I have another 300 yen?!

Tessa hoping for the Kiwi!

Airport '77?

Kudos to anyone who knows what I'm talking about.

Though maybe those aren't the kind of kudos you want.

Gundam Unicorn!

See you tomorrow!