Journey to the Central Capital

My friend Quill and a 12 year old Japanese boy who decided to hang out with people almost twice his age. Here we are at an Okonomiyaki restaurant. What was strange about this is that he spent the whole day with us. It is interesting to see how much freedom is given to Japanese children. In America we are taught not to talk to strangers and to avoid anyone we do not know. This kid just came up to my friends and I and started talking to us as if it were nothing. The whole day I was amazed and we kept asking him if it was alright for him to be doing this. And he would respond that it was alright. I constantly see Japanese children do things that I was never allowed to do. Oh, to be a Japanese child.

Waiting for the train. This is a common sight all over Japan. Trains are hardly ever late, extremely convient, and a great form of transportation. With the trains, you can go almost anywhere in Honshu. And if you want to get to your destination faster, and are willing to spend extra, there is the Shinkansen (bullet train). Over the long weekend my friend and I traveled to Nagoya, the 4th largest city in Japan. Along the way we transfered to different trains on different lines that are owned by different companies and charge different rates. I was suprised at how such a convient and effecient system can be so confusing and complicated. I found it less than convient. This is all new to me, but to the people who ride the train everyday it's routine. I just find it fascinating that trains play an important role in the everyday life of Japanese city dweller. The ability to travel great distants on a whim is easiyl attained with the Japanese train system.