Ubiquitous!

We're on the rooftop garden of the new giant new Ginza Six shopping experience. Even so, they felt the need to put a Shinto shrine up here...

And, someone, a young person at that, found the need to pause and clap twice and pray. But, when you ask Japanese people they'll tell you, "We're not religious" or else, "It's just culture" Hmmm...

What Are We Trying to Say Here?

I'm not sure...

Of course, if it needs to be communicated clearly, you say it in Japanese. If you want to give an impression, you say it in English. Perhaps in the same way we use French to give something some "Savoir Faire"

...but this one's really odd, don't you think?

Signs of the TImes

English...and Chinese. This tells you about the boom in tourism in Japan.

However, this recruiting poster tells you about the exponential increase in foreign workers in Japan, as the population ages and decreases. 

Blame It on the Olympics

 November may seem like a strange month for a barbecue, but for over 10 years we've had one the first week of November and it's been sunny and cool, with no rain...ever.

This year however, the area of Harumi where we've held the barbecues is being converted to the Olympic Village for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

So that meant we had to improvise and hold them in a local park...until we heard the forecast.

And so it was that our barbecue became a picnic held in our meeting room. While Emi played games with the children, Carol and the moms talked about a project to help a C&MA pastor in the Philippines working with impoverished children. It was a good day!