Carl Sagan said that we are all made of stardust. Pondering this simple but sublime statement one realizes that the machine is far more vast than any mechanical subway system in Japan. As I coasted home on my bicycle from the station I looked up at what stars I could see through the glow of humanity. A smile came across my face with thoughts of others looking back. This same sentiment has been said many times but is worthy of repeating. There is no purpose, but we might as well make the best of it. Take the motto of Tokyu Hands, an upscale hardware store in Japan, which claims to be a “creative life store.” Go create.

Mimi and I saw the moon while out grocery shopping. We were by Kojima, which like many Japanese stores has a huge neon sign. It is of a smiling sun. I thought it was funny that this artificial sun hindered my viewing of the “perfect” moon.

The photo shoot went well. It was fun watching the expressions of people passing by when the say me taking pictures of a woman dressed up as a rabbit in the woods. Mimi even went into a pond of sticky, gooey mud. We will not know how the pictures came out until they are developed but that is a concern for Mimi.

On our way home we noticed some people washing plates with water from a hand pump cistern. Since Mimi was in the muddy pond she wanted to wash her feet so we stopped by. While she washer her feet we noticed that the group there was cooking rice with an old fashioned wooden cooker. When we asked about it they explained that this Tuesday was Ostukimi (moon viewing). Moon viewing is a holiday in Japan that celebrates the best day in the fall to view the full moon. Ostukimi falls on a workday this year so the group explained that they were celebrating tonight instead. Before long we were invited to enjoy local food, view the moon and hear traditional Japanese music.

So we went home to change clothes and later in the evening went to view the moon. Unfortunately is was cloudy but that did not stop the festivities. In addition to the moon viewing festival a local festival about cats was also taking place. Many of the young girls had whiskers painted on their faces and wore cat ear hats. The musical group played songs about the moon on Japanese stringed instruments. In Japan the color of the moon is thought to be yellow not white. Since the moon remained behind clouds a man taped a yellow fan to a pole and moved it back and forth over the musicians.

The custom of removing shoes in Japan before entering homes and buildings can seem quite humorous when a large group of people assembles. The shoes fan out from the entrance forming a sea of footwear that one must navigate over to enter the building. Such was the case on this evening.

Tokyo Station is under construction, so it was difficult to find the subway. We eventually did and made our way for the Roppongi Hills where a lot of international embassies are located. To keep our dress clothes clean we didn’t fully dress until arriving in Tokyo and changed in a department store restroom. Then we walked about 10 minutes to the reception. At the same time we arrived many of the Fulbright Fellows arrived together by taxi. The house holding the reception may not look magnificent in pictures but one has to remember that it is in the middle of Tokyo and is sizable for the neighborhood.

The reception itself overwhelmed me a bit. I am confident in my field, but at the reception I seemed to be surrounded by ivy league graduates and established professionals. I felt a little intimidated at first but then fell into the rhythm just like the many art gallery receptions I attended in the past.

As in all great receptions much attention must be paid to the buffet table. This time I kept myself occupied so I did not have a chance to sample all the wares, but those I did were quite delicious. Among the people I met were an architect from Tokyo, a representative from Toyota, a fellow studying the effects of Denny’s in Japan, a gentleman studying Japanese Cinema, a woman studying moder Japanese manga and a nice man from Yale.

The apartment is very thoughtfully designed and I haven not seen an apartment like it during my time in Japan. Since it is on the first floor and a bit out of town, there is a yard that I can use outside. Many a Bar-B-Q are already planned, or since I am in Japan yaki-niku. (grilled meat) The kitchen is nice enough and the windows are large so that there is plenty of daylight. Some older apartments are quite dark. It will be a great place to conduct research with an internet connection on days that I don’t go to the University and it will be a good place to relax on my days off.

This morning I called the water company, electric company and gas company to tell them that I will be moving in on Friday. I also paid my insurance bill at a convenience store on the way to pick up my custom made hanko. (name stamp) In Japan most bills can be paid at anytime at any convenience store in the country. It is convenient but direct debit is even simpler. I bought a hanko when I previously lived in Japan but I left it in America. Therefore I had to have another one made. A shop a couple of stations from Mimi’s house made my hanko a reality for 1050 yen. This will allow me to open up a bank account, get a mobile phone and finish my apartment lease.

It is two days until the final move so I am packing up my stuff. I still have six suitcases that I brought with me from America. Mimi’s parents have been very kind by donating old plates and other household goods. We plan to drive to Nagoya on Friday to make moving in easier and shopping for furniture easier.<div style=”clear:both;”></div>