The End of Spring & a Visit to Hibiya Park

It's hard to believe that we are already halfway through 2021. It is also hard to believe that the world has been living with Covid-19 for almost a year and a half now. When our daycare first shut down in March 2020, I thought the pandemic would blow over, in the worst cast scenario, in a few months. It seems ludicrously naive now. These days, it is hard to imagine what the new "normal" world will be like post-Covid-19. Right now, though, spring is already ending, and there is still so much to enjoy. 

The weather has warmed up rather slowly with most days being in the low to mid 70s Fahrenheit. That is a good thing, because Tokyo in the summer is almost unbearably humid and hot. Last week, there was a four day stretch of rain. It seemed like a premature precursor to rainy season, but fortunately it was a false alarm, as the following week has been dry. My commute to school on a rainy morning: 

Rainy season starts from June and lasts until July. As the name implies, it rains a lot and becomes really humid. I have no idea how people dry their clothes without tumble dryers during rainy season. 

I accidentally left my summer clothes behind, so I went clothes shopping for myself for the first time. I went to Uniqlo to buy just a few staples. Did you know that sizing is different at Uniqlo stores here? As you might guess, sizing runs small here. A small is about the same size as an American medium. Uniqlo Japan also has self checkout, which I have never seen at Uniqlos in the U.S.. At each register, there is a space to place your basket. Once you do, it automatically scans, calculates, and provides your total within a couple of seconds. The first time I did this, I thought the items were left from the previous customer, because I hadn't scanned anything. I went to a second machine, and when the same thing happened, I realized. It is pretty amazing. 

This past weekend, we visited Hibiya Park in the Ginza neighborhood. Although Ginza is known for being a flashy district for high-end shopping, Hibiya Park is a stark contrast to that. The park is filled with tall trees and endless bushes of flora. We saw lots of lilies and hydrangeas, which are also everywhere in the city. In the center is a pond. It is a beautiful green space in the center of the city. 

There is also a playground at the edge of the park. The playground has some interesting equipment, including what appears to be a set of gymnastic rings. Some of the equipment are meant for adults - they bear signs stating this. You can tell that all the equipment date a few decades back. the old and unusual equipment lent the playground a nostalgic, whimsical feel. Despite this, it is well-kept and still very much relevant, with tons of kids and families playing there. 

Close to the park is Tokyo Station, a mega station with tons of shops and restaurants. It has separate sections that you can access only by paying a couple of dollars for a train pass. It is definitely impressive for a train station, but not worth a trip by itself. On the weekends it is less crowded. However, some restaurants are also closed. The most interesting thing I saw there was this contraption below located in the family toilet room, which was incredibly large, clean, and well-designed. 

What is this? Can you guess? I don't have the answer. My best guess is a urinal, though it is a bit too high. it has a faucet and a soap dispenser, but also a flush option. A urinal/wash bin hybrid perhaps? Very intriguing. 

After a hot day in the sun, we tucked into a delicious cold dinner of sashimi, with a side of eel and small fried sardines. This is all from the grocery store. Almost any grocery store will have sashimi. Of course, the quality is better at some than others, though in my experience, it has never been poor. 

A beautiful sunset to accompany dinner:

Next week, my brother-in-law's family arrive in Tokyo. Three of the four kids are staying for most of the summer while the youngest, Cousin M, will be staying with her father for three weeks. There are no exceptions yet for people who are vaccinated, so they all must quarantine for the requisite two weeks upon arrival. Cousin M is the same age as E, and we can't wait for the festivities to begin.