Bling Cars in Shirokanedai

2 inconspicious outdoor lots house 3 sweet rides below.

Mercedes SL __

Bentley Continental GT Coupe

Hummer

Flight problems

A bit discomforting when I took my flight to Taiwan, and the emergency breathing supplies kept popping down from above a passenger's seat. Japan was impressive in gettin 4-5 technicians on the plane in about 10 minutes, but it took about 15 for them to fix it...

Taiwan Taxis

Taiwan taxis are cheap and nice. Here's a few examples of a Nissan Maxima (always with leather inside)

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.