I don't remember whether I noticed it in Tokyo or not, but soon after I got to Osaka I started seeing a lot of plastic bottles, full of water, outside houses along the side of the road.  I think I assumed the first one I saw was meant to weigh down a sign or something in case of strong wind, but they're all over the place. Apparently, people put them out to keep cats away.  The cats see their reflections on the side or something, and are freaked out, is what I was told.  I think I remember reading or hearing about this somewhere else - pointing more towards cats' intense dislike of water, which makes more sense, though how full, sealed bottles are going to do the job is such a mystery that this must be crossing the line into superstition.  Most of the bottles are a little too dirty to be reflecting much of anything, anyway.
So why would cats be such an issue?  Don't Japanese love cats? They star in almost as many cute photos and Youtube videos as rabbits, definitely.  If not more.  With pancakes and things on their heads.
 The internet proves that there are plenty of pampered house pets in Japan, but alongside that - I definitely noticed in the park in Tokyo where I would go running that there were what seemed like a lot of outdoor cats hanging around. Usually I saw them because they were being fed by people who were sitting at a little bit of a distance, as if the cats would be easily scared away.  I was only in Tokyo for a week, though, so I didn't see all that much.
The alley/street that my guest house in Osaka opens into has several hanging around all day. Normal, right? But then, down south a couple of miles in Nagai Kouen (Nagai Park), where I am going to try to run while I'm here... well, you know how in Boston we have squirrels?  In Osaka, apparently, they have cats. I'm being completely serious.  I saw several people feeding them while I was doing laps, but there were others, all over the place. Just hangin' out.
I also noticed several tufts of sparrow feathers on the sidewalk that looked like they were not naturally shed.  I bet there isn't much of a rat problem, though.

so today i took the train over to a neighborhood called akihabara, which is famous for its electronic/otaku stuff.  that means, well, you can guess i'm sure.  the easiest way to tell the difference, from a distance, between the aisles full of manga for teenage girls and the aisles of manga for pervs is the particular shade of pink.  the porn is a much lighter shade. although honestly i saw a lot of pretty suspect imagery on the shoujo covers as well.
 so watch out. there are multiple stores that have MULTIPLE FLOORS of manga.  And then there are the ones that also have toys.  And Then, there are the ones that sell used toys like an antique shop/flea market. I wish i could have taken photos in some of these places, but i'm sure i would have caused a scene.
i spent way too much money on natsume merch and my pile of manga is getting taller... and i haven't even gotten to osaka yet.  i have a few pictures, but for some reason this trip has been very un-photogenic so far. i think asakusa was just an easy target, and these neighborhoods are going to make me work for my pay.
maybe the longer i'm here, the less conspicuous i'll feel, because i'm not a photographer- so blocking the sidewalk to take pictures just seems like such an obnoxious tourist move.  i need to get over it.

also experienced my first earthquake a couple of hours ago.  it was over in less than half a minute and didn't actually seem very strong, but i was in my room and immediately started throwing all my valuable crap in my bag, about to run out the door when it stopped. the hotel owners said one of that level is a very common occurrence.  it spurred a train of thought that is perfectly simple and pretty obvious, but which had never occurred to me before that moment - i can't really wrap my brain around how profoundly it must shape the development of a culture when the earth moves under their feet like a living thing, on a regular basis... never mind the actual disasters.  we certainly don't have that going for us in the northeast.

also, in most recent news/disappointment, a friend of mine from new york has been touring with his band (asobi seksu- the singer is japanese) and they just happen to be playing a show in shibuya right now. i mean that literally.  i planned on going, but i thought it started later, so i totally missed my window.  that is completely ridiculous, and it's completely like me to waste such an opportunity, isn't it?  i was too busy sitting in a tiny cafe drinking a tiny cup of coffee, eating a very messy croissant, and studying to bother to come back to the hotel early and check the show times.  oy vey.
on that note, the oxford comma is dead!  long live the oxford comma!

upstairs hallway in the ryokan

entrance 

made it in one piece, everything's fine - my major first-world problem right now is that i'm surrounded by restaurants but i can't really afford to spend much on food. a medium coffee at the starbucks here is well over 4 dollars. so i'm in more of a regular neighborhood this time rather than a world-famous temple, so good pictures aren't quite so easy to take. i need to get my photographer mojo going or something because there are good opportunities for photos here, but it's going to take a little more work than last time. also, this is not a very touristy destination so i feel like kind of a wanker taking pictures of everything. maybe when the jet lag subsides i can get my act together, because the few photos i've taken so far are pretty awful...

36 days?  ha!  try 89!

...honestly i'm feeling more than a little overwhelmed, anticipating this.  it's mostly the plane, though.

wish me good wireless; will try to update from tokyo in a couple of days!