In the bag

I've just finished a wonderful week and a half with my Japanese family (it really feels like family) in the country, and am enjoying wrapping things up in Tokyo. (By this time Monday I'll be back in Shanghai!) What's left? Tomorrow it's 三鷹の森 Mitaka no Mori, a museum devoted to the work of スタジオジブリ Studio Ghibli (Miyazaki Hayao's animation company) and some last-minute meetings with friends. On Monday I'm meeting someone for a superquick cup of coffee at Tokyo Station on my way to the airport. And tonight I had a final 天ぷら定食 tempura teishoku and made a final UNIQLO run (I got a pair of extra-warm HeatTech longjohns). There the clerk's careful folding over of the tape used to seal the bag - to make it easier to open once I got home - somehow crystallized Japan's remarkable culture of care. Japan's a very special place. I'm glad to have had the chance to become reacquainted!