Trip In Japan

Incredible Daughter #1 isn't with us in La Quinta this year -- she and her boyfriend Aren opted to go to Japan instead, visiting Tokyo and Kyoto.

Today wast their first day, and they've already opened up a blog, Trip In Japan, and started posting photos and commentary. Visit them here.

Here are a couple previews of the photos, most of which are probably Aren's -- he's a very accomplished amateur photographer.

Incredible Daughter #1 has always been fascinated by Engrish, the mangled English used by Japanese marketers. Here's an example she found in Shinjuku:


Some of the photos show a new Tokyo that's very different from the city I grew up in, with huge skyscrapers everywhere; others look just the same as I remember, as if the clocks had stopped. I was also glad to see that ID #1 was concerned with cultural issues, as evidenced by this photo:

The Japanese have an incredibly rich and beautiful culture, which she'll see when she goes to Kyoto, but they also excel in smutty tastelessness.

It's not at all unlikely that one would see a businessman snoozing on the train ride home, his head comfortably ensconced in this pillow's cleavage.

I'm sure Trip In Japan will swell with photos over the next nine days, so you may want to drop in from time to time.