6 Short Films from Tokyo

1. Attn: 1 major city missing pidgeons.
I have never been to a major city without pidgeons, but I don't think I have seen a single on yet here in Tokyo. Perhaps I have been to busy looking at other things to notice them yet, but that didn't stop me in Europe. The only satisfactory explaination I've found yet is that because Japan is an Asian island, pidgeons must not be indiginous here. I suppose they came to America by boat, kind of like in An American Tail (Fievel) .

2. Speaking of childhood memories, does anyone else remember the little chocolate-filled, koala shaped cookies that came in a little hexagonal box? They are made by a Japanese company and are everywhere here. I love it! They even come in really big hexagonal boxes, which is what I'm going to buy next time. Because my little box is already gone.


3. I have begun to assimilate myself to Japanese culture. While in America and in loud clicky heels, I would march around with pride at hearing the "hey, shut up the teacher's coming" steps following me. Here, however, I am careful to try to walk mostly on the balls of my feet to make as little noise as possible and be as least disruptive as possible.

4. Hai is Japanese for yes. People say it a lot. They are not saying, "hi!" I'm getting used to that.

5. When you open a bank account in Japan, you have to have a stamp, or seal that is officially yours and proves that you approve what ever goings on with your account you are dealing with. (Most bills are taken right out of the account, because Japan is still largely a cash culture.) My name, especially my last name, is particularly difficult in Japanese and there is no character for anything resembling my name. What Kanami Tanimoto, the office manager for the English dept., found to use for me just happened to mean "Blue Mountain"! I thought, hey! That's fantastic! I love the gorgeous blue rocky mountains. When I expressed my excitement, she felt much better about the whole situation.

6. I think one of the supermarkets in my neighborhood is secretly owned by Walmart!
I first notived the rollback tags. Then I saw great value brand peanut butter. I was like, hey I used to have that brand of peanut butter. Wait, that's Walmart brand. Walmart brand AND rollback tags. This is no longer a coincidence or adoption of western oddities.
Then, what really blew my mind, was great value brand seaweed.
I have encountered the international conglomeration right here in my own neighborhood.