Still having a wonderful and whirlwind visit. Went to the Edo/Tokyo museum yesterday with P., N., N. and N.'s mother. ("Edo" was Tokyo's earlier name.) When you come from the U.S., it's easy to forget the centuries and centuries of history other countries have--and Japan is ancient. That's evident when you see artifacts of the emperors, shoguns, and other forces behind modern Japan--but learning about how ordinary people lived is even more interesting to me. However, you'd never know a place like Pearl Harbor existed if you relied on the information here. WWII "occurred" and "China was invaded"--not a word about who did the deeds. Well, it's a government museum, after all.
Went to an "Italian" restaurant last night and it was--well, nice but a little funny. It's so easy to laugh at the unfamiliar, but believe me, I smile fondly about things like this in Japan. You don't get bread, butter, or Parmesan cheese with your spaghetti, which I ordered with meat sauce. Son laughed when I asked if I could get angel hair pasta as the base, but it was good, if not exactly like what I think of as spaghetti. We were amused by the music playing, too: The Chieftains, an Irish group singing Irish songs.
Today, we went to a (free) wartime museum, which was absolutely absorbing. The fact is, I remember this era and the museum is very well done--not too large, either, which I always like in museums. There were all kinds of items and information that concerned ordinary people. One that struck me in particular was a snapshot of a Japanese soldier and his family. When I was a kid, the Japanese were demonized just as Arabs are today; we never thought of them as having families. These displays made no bones about the fact that the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor or, of course, about the atomic bomb. I learned a lot about the Manchuria invasion I hadn't known. Didn't realize a number of Japanese were encouraged to relocate there. Then, many went back to Japan after they lost the war. Will start studying WWII when I get home.
This is my last full day in Japan; I leave early tomorrow for Singapore. Have had my best vacation ever, thanks to dear older son and his sweet-natured wife. I'm a lucky woman.
WIDER: He's gone! Congratulations, Egypt!