Happy Buns

Hi, everyone. Greetings from Tokyo.

You might think that the subject line is referring to some sort of Japanese food, particularly given the focus of my previous posts. But this time, it's not food I'm focusing on. Oh, no. I'm talking about the greatest invention mankind has ever produced. The thing I will miss most when I return home. I'm talking about heated toilet seats.

That's right! I have happy buns because they're always WARM!

The first time I encountered this ingenious invention was in the Japan Airlines business lounge at the airport. I thought it was just a nice touch for weary travelers. But they're everywhere! My hotel room even has one. There's a bunch of other stuff built into it (it's called a "Shower Toilet") that I haven't used yet, but the bun warmer is all the technology I need. I love Japan.

We've been in meetings the whole time, so we haven't been out on the town except for dinner last night (which was 14 courses -- all very authentic Japanese food, including "sea foie gras" or fish liver). I'm looking forward to getting out this afternoon/evening to see the city and hopefully get material for a few more good stories before we leave. I really want to be able to tell my friend Michi what I think of her home country beyond just giving restaurant commentary. :)

More to follow, hopefully in a few hours!

Lori