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Every so often I find these small little details that make me very happy to be living in Japan. It is the summer and the heat is killer. So we found these free umbrellas at the park. This concept would instantly be shut down in Miami. The umbrellas would all be stolen within the first day, maybe the first hour. The amount of trust in Japanese people never ceases to amaze me. Sure most people don't have the need to steal an umbrella but neither do the people in Miami. Seeing someone walk with an umbrella on a terribly sunny day back home is like seeing a Pegasus.

What little things do you see every day and take for granted or don't realize how different it is in other countries?  

On my last day of Obon, I went to Okayama to go shopping. I couldn't find anyone else who was available so I went by myself. The Okayama Aeon is VERY big so I knew it would at least be a fun shopping experience.

I saw a lot of shops that I'd knew, but most of the places to eat were unique. I tried a french toast thing and a specialty cheesecake. It was kinda weird because it looked like actual melted cheese over a cake.

I went to the game center, just looking around. I have no luck with crane games---you may remember that I tried REALLY hard to get a Sailor Saturn figure when I was in Tokyo-- but I tend to look around in case there's something worth trying for. Or begging my friend to try for!
Anyways, I looked around the game center and saw a...

big whale shark

I really like whalesharks. This summer I got a whaleshark keychain, and found whaleshark stationary. This beautiful stuffed animal was nestled in a crane game with only a penguin for company. I took a breath, threw down some 100yens and started playing. 500 yen in, the crane grabbed it....
and dropped it.

I learned that you can ask the game center attendants to re-balance the prize, which is something that is never done in America, so I gestured to the attendant to help me. She did, and I went for it again. 300 yen later

TA-DAH!

My first win! And I was SO excited, I was shouting and making people around me laugh. I decided to make things even sillier by rushing into a purikura booth.


I love my whaleshark!
  

Summers tend to be hot, and when it's hot, you sweat, right? Well, I tend to sweat a bit even when it's not too hot, but this summer was borderline dangerous with the heat. So, of course, I sweat up a storm. Now, I have been told that Japanese people don't have a smell, a body odor. How lucky you are, if that is the case. Someone like me tends to smell even when doing nothing at all, so I'm sure you can imagine how stinky I became during this summer. The nice thing about Japan is that they have a whole bunch of face and body sheets that you can buy even at convenience stores, to wipe off the sweat and even add a nice scent. It did confuse me a bit, about that, considering Japanese people tend to not have an odor to begin with. And although it does help some, in the end I still have to take at least 2-3 showers a day, so that I am not stinking up the room. Sigh, sometimes it is difficult being "brown", lol.