This week was Obon in Japan, when many people have a week or so off. Aeon gave us the week off, so I spent four of these days in Tokyo. Among other things, I went to Shibuya, Meguro, Asakusa, and Yokohama. You know how there’s the big controversy about Prime Minister Koizumi going to the Yasukuni shrine? Well, I went there just two days before he did.

The museum was the most interesting part. Especially the version of the history of World War II that’s written there. Some highlights, to paraphrase - the only choice that FDR had to spur on America’s economy was to force Japan into the war. And another part that implies that countries in Asia were able to fight for their independence _even though_ Japan lost the war. It really reminded me of the rhetoric that a certain world power is using right now about “bringing democracy” to the Middle East. Anyway, after speaking to some other folks about this subject, I do understand that all Japanese differ on their opinions of this subject. It’s still interesting, nevertheless.

Other than that, I saw lots of great views and had a lot of great food, like monjayaki, which is said to be a pancake like okonomiyaki, but it’s more like a stew. It’s darn delicious, though:

and I had some nice tantanmen in Yokohama:

In that Chinatown, I found me some Lychee Black Tea!