A random collection of photos to give more of a sense of life in Tokyo.

Notice how the bike rack is covered.

The melon muffin that I had for breakfast was really yummy…light and flaky on the inside, and the top had a crunchy sugar topping. I never expected to have so many pastries on this trip.

The Japanese are very concerned with energy consumption. Recently the government issued a super cool biz campaign to advocate people dressing more loosely so that air conditioning doesn’t have to be so high. The women here all wear skirts, nylons, long sleeved shirts, and sometimes suit jackets, even in the 80 degree weather. Even over the weekend walking around Harajuku, the girls are wearing leggings under their skirts, and light shirts but often long sleeved.

When our cubes are located, every other light is turned off. In the picture below, you’ll see a hallway on the main floor and notice it’s very dark. Also note the umbrella stand that I referenced in an earlier post.

And finally, a picture of the toilet controls. Yes, I took a picture of the toilet. It’s fascinating all the options presented when you go to the bathroom! I have been noticing the lack of paper products in restaurants and bathrooms…napkins on the table in a restaurant are the small kind you get from a dispenser. And in the bathroom they do not use air dispensers and it’s rare to see paper towels. A lot of Japanese carry their own cloth with them to dry their hands. Less waste. The Japanese do not waste. In the bathroom on our office floor, they do have paper towels, but there is also a common towel in the middle of the sink area. I was wondering why in the department stores I’ve seen a lot of washcloth sized towels for sale…ranging from designer towels to ones with hello kitty or other cute characters. Now it makes sense. Hand towels are big business here.