Sky Aquarium

One good thing about living in a big and international city is being able to regularly attend world-class art exhibits. All cities seem to have their own specialties and styles when it comes to art, exhibits and museums. And I’m slowly getting to know the way the scene works here in Tokyo. The approach is ultra modern incorporating a lot of new ideas and experiments. It’s not better or worse from what I’ve seen in NYC, London, or Paris, it’s just different. Many of the shows seem to focus on the experience at the museum, rather than a standard viewing of the artwork. A good example of this is Sky Aquarium, which we checked out last night. Wild, sculptural, water-spouting aquariums were displayed on the top floor of the second tallest skyscraper in Tokyo. The space is also a city viewing area, so windows line the entire floor. As we looked through the aquariums and past the brightly colored tropical fish, we could see the Tokyo skyline. There was a lot of colorful mood lighting, and these incredible jellyfish…

Getting Published

I’m excited; after some fun hard work I’m having a four-page feature article, some photos, and a map (put together with the help of a graphic designer) published in next week’s Metropolis magazine (Japan’s #1 English publication). I met with the editor yesterday to go over the final details of the layout and it looks like we’re good to go. The whole thing is kind of fun for D and me because before we moved, we would sit in our kitchen in Portland and read up on Tokyo by checking out Metropolis magazine online: http://metropolis.co.jp/ (sorry, I still haven't figured out the active link thing). The article is about Yanesen, a large Tokyo neighborhood, which I now know like the back of my hand. Free tour available to all visitors of Casa de Reid.

Post meeting with editor: celebratory sparkly gold shoe purchase...


Thanks Dwayne, Marie-Adele, and Yuko for your help translating!

Cloudy Day Beach Picnic & Hike in Japan

After riding three trains and one bus, we made it to the beach outside of Tokyo. It was a fun adventure; we're always happy exploring new areas. We hiked for three hours up the rocky coast. I think we'll be back once the sun comes out again.

Little Kids on the Subway

I finally got it together and whipped out my camera in time to take a photo of this strange phenomenon. This sweet little boy was riding Tokyo Metro all alone. He’s not the youngest solo rider I’ve seen. I’m talking LITTLE kids ride the subway here alone, all the time. I’ve spotted teeny, tiny four or five year-old girls on the subway. They just cruise along by themselves, little feet dangling off the edge of their seat, playing with toys, making their way through the maze of train stations. It sort of blows my mind that their parents are brave enough to let these kids cruise around like this.