Today we went to actual Tokyo to go to the Imperial Palace. It was a little nerve racking at first because we had to switch trains at the Kawasaki Station. There were two lines that we could take. One would stop at every station (maybe 15 or 20?) and would take forever and a day to get there. The other train had two options. One would stop at some stations, but not as many as the other line, and the other would go straight to Tokyo but would cost extra money. So we were trying to catch the fastest train that wouldn't cost us extra money. When we got to the platform for what we hoped was the right train, there are all sorts of signs for the "green car." No one mentioned anything about a green car. I'm suspicious that it's the expensive one...because it was different than what I had seen before. So a train comes, and there are green squares all over it, but the sign says it's a regular train. So we get on. Then it gets going really fast, faster than any of the other trains we have been on, and doesn't stop for a long time. And I'm beginning to think that maybe we did get on the one that takes extra money, but how the heck did they let us on without paying? Are they going to stop us and yell at us in this other language when we get to Tokyo? Long story short: we were on the right train, I was stressing about nothing.

So we finally make it to the Palace, and the gate is closed. There are about five guards stationed outside the gate and some others inside a booth. Well how about that. The guards let in some people, but they look like they are too well-dressed to be tourists. We don't trust our language ability enough to ask what is going on or understand the answer. So we walk a bit and see another gate. There are more tourist-looking people at this one, but they're just standing in front of the gate. So we take a few pictures of the roof of the house that we can see over the fence and we leave. As we are leaving, a large group of tourists come, "Boy are they going to be disappointed."

As we head back to the station, we hear a megaphone. Can't understand what it's saying, it's in Japanese, but we decide to follow it anyway. All around us are business people in business suits entering and exiting the banks and insurance companies surrounding us, and all ignoring this Voice. A couple blocks away we see a guy standing on a make-shift platform with a megaphone. Everyone is ignoring him.

We find a gigantic underground mall attached to Tokyo Station. Well, who knows if it's gigantic, but for a mall attached to a subway, it sure is. Wander, wander, wander. Conny wants a white jacket. Too small, bad collar...WAY too expensive. Why oh why am I in a first-world country?? But luggage is cheap. Pretty colors, hardcases, a hundred and some odd bucks. Jessica may acquire a new suitcase on her stay here. Saw one with Mickey Mouse on it.

Leave to go home just about rush hour. Why is being smushed between many people you probably couldn't hold a conversation with to save your life so funny? The way everyone just takes a breathe and squishes together is truly hilarious. There are three people inside your personal bubble, you are probably in three other peoples' personal bubbles, and everyone tries to be polite and not notice how uncomfortable the situation is. No one complains when the train goes around a corner and the domino affect topples everyone and their sister because no one can reach a handhold, even if there were enough for everyone. So we do the horribly inappropriate, we laugh every time we fall into another person, squeak when we are pushed against a wall.

Okaasan tried to convince me that I shouldn't take a bath, or ofuro, because I'm sick. These people. A Japanese ofuro is different than an American bath. It's deep so that a person can sink in up to their chin, indeed, they can't not. It's temperature controlled to be 42 degrees Celsius always. When not in use, a cover is placed over the top to conserve as much energy as possible, a whole family will use the same tub full of water. As such, you clean yourself off as much as possible before going in. As whole family's worth of sloughed off skin...eeewwww. But it's worth it, kind of. When I get in the tub, my whole body tingles in a way that is not always so pleasant. I think it comes from my surface being warmer than the inside. Normally, body temperature is 37 celsius, that's 5 degrees warmer than normal. So it's a case of what's just underneath my skin shivering at the temperature difference, while my skin is very happy indeed. Once I'm used it, I'm still not used to it. It's just too hot. But I don't want to get out. No matter that I can feel myself overheating after sitting for two minutes, I don't want to go out into the cold again. But after awhile, I must. And it feels good to be in the cool air.. And still, a hour after getting out, I feel warm. The air around me cannot touch the inner core of warmth that the ofuro gave me.