I’m pretty tired over here, but I really want to get these posts up so I can start talking about Tanegashima and the rest of the here and now. Also this language barrier thing has put me in a bit of a funk today, so in the interest of time and tone I’m going to be sort of brief. Don’t take it personally – it’s not you, it’s me. Promise.

We decided to spend our morning at the Tokyo Skytree because Cody knew how to get there and it’s got a great view of the city. There’s a shopping mall right next door where we poked around while we waited for our turn to go to the top of the tower.

Japanese shops and products are really design-oriented, which I appreciate.

The Skytree is rather big.

When it was our turn to board the big elevators for the trip to the top of the Skytree (which was so high up our ears popped) we were encouraged to get real cozy. The elevators were big, but in America they would have put half as many people on for the sake of personal space. Anyway, that guys face on the right. The cutest.

More insane views.

Skytree snack time: curiosity compelled me (as it frequently does) to try that lychee vinegar soda on the left. It was more vinegar-y than I expected it to be, but the more I drank it the more I liked it. Cody got ice cream with corn flakes, which turned out to be rather good.

The Skytree has these sections with glass floors. Pretty cool, but again with the personal space. That was the best photo I could manage.

After the Skytree we went back to the smorgasbord that is Shinjuku for lunch where we got to order ramen with an automated machine in front of the restaurant. I’m so mad I didn’t think to get a picture of it. I was distracted trying to decode the menu and match it up with the little photos on the machine. When I go back I’ll make sure to keep my wits about me. Anyway, that ramen was amazing. It’s a variety made with pork bone broth and the flavors are intensely delicious. Kind of in the way dark chocolate cheese cake is intensely delicious. I mean I could only eat about ten bites before I started feeling like I was choking on it. It was super duper ridiculously rich.

And so then I had to work off the lunch with some calisthenics.  Luckily there was a perfect routine on tv, but I felt funny because I left my work out pantyhose in America, silly me (I mean those girls were wearing pantyhose to work out).

Fin.