The Capital in the East

Tokyo is terrifying. Perhaps this is simply what they call “culture shock,” but I feel like if I walk more than one block away from my hotel I’ll be lost forever. So luckily, I’ve been able to enlist the guidance of my temporary roommates who seem far more adept at navigating this alien terrain-and far more confident in their speaking ability-than I. Were it not for their guidance I wouldn’t have been able to eat a bowl of butadon last night (officially my first Japanese fast food ever), as every single restaurant has menus that are almost exclusively written in kanji that I don't know. If any of you out there happen to be illiterate (although I'm not sure how that would work), let it not be said that I do not sympathize with your plight.

Other than that, my only other worthwhile observation is that the first Japanese bathroom I used had urinals clean enough to eat off of, quite literally. More funny observations of the bathrooms are forthcoming.