No Smoking Sign in Japan

Although Japan sadly has one of the highest smoking rates in the world (2nd tier, about a high smoking rate (50-59%, based on WHO report), they pride themselves on being very courteous about their smoking. Here is a sign which reminds people not to smoke while walking in public. How I wish they would have had this behavior in Hong Kong when I was there. I often found myself dodging clouds of smoke there.

That said, while most people don't smoke while walking, they do stand in designated smoking areas outside buildings and in public places. The number of smokers in these areas can vary from just a few, to 5-10, to 30+ (like the one outside Shibya station). You can just imagine the potency of walking anywhere near those areas.

Expensive Mushrooms

Here are yet some more expensive mushrooms, from Tokyo, Japan. JPY 25,000, or about USD 250... but you do get 5 large ones.

Bad Etiquette in Japan

I guess it has ceased to surprise me that I see the same disturbing things in Japan, that I'd view as normal in other countries.
Shown here: A man filing his nails on the subway platform, allowing the nail dust to float into the air and into all's lungs.

Krispy Kreme @ Shibuya, Tokyo

I finally had an opportune moment to get some Krispy Kreme donuts in Japan, after having been here for almost a year. While buying some movie tickets at Toho Cinemas on a Sunday afternoon, I noticed the line was quite reasonable at the Shibuya Krispy Kreme (about 10 deep, vs. the usual ~40+). It was definitely worth it. They do it right in Japan, keeping the fresh, warm donuts coming off the production line. Plus, they give you free glazed donuts (warm ones) while waiting in line! Here's a video from someone random online.

The photos above say it all. Check out the glaze pouring down... mmmm, donuts.
FYI - in Hong Kong, Krispy Kreme pulled out last year after just 2 years there. I can say, from first-hand experience, that they did not know how to do it. The donuts there were always cold, room temperature, never warm. I once asked, "do you have any warm ones?". The clerk responded, "what is that?". 'Nuff said.

Pathetically poor word choice on a food menu

Hire somebody to check the English...need I say more? It actually refers to (what Westerners usually refer to as) "chicken" skin. Specifying it's the cock's and not the hen's is not adding much value to any english speakers viewing the menu.

Late Night Food

The great thing about Tokyo is that everything stays open late - which helps when you are starving at 2 AM. This was at a bar in Ebisu. In the back you see 4 cheeseballs (deep fried hard like Falafel, with cheese and bits of meat inside). The rest are just two plates of aburi-toro - flame seared toro (Probably the kind that's endangered - bluefin).

Here you have your Wサウザン野菜バーガー, "Thousand Vegetable", (I think the thousand refers to the Thousand Island sauce, as opposed to the thousand types of veggies) Mos Burger:

Can somebody get Child Services on the phone?

Saturday night at Midas, a hiphop club in Roppongi (a party area in Tokyo). Besides the regular crowd of suspicious looking individuals, who do we see on the dance floor? A kid, probably 8 years old, dancing with his (I'm guessing) father! Kid's dressed up just like Daddy, with an over-size jersey and a sideways hat. Sure, just bring the kid for show-and-tell, or as cute bait for women...

Anyways, he's showing Daddy his dance moves 1-on-1, but after awhile gets tired and sits on the stage. Does Daddy take him home? No, of course not. He instead coaxes him off of the stage back into some more sets of Who Wants to be an Elementary Drop Out by going to Midas until 2AM on a Saturday night.

"This is Tokyo"