So this weekend I am celebrating one week at work in Japan. Things are going well so far, although the commute is a bit crowded sometimes. I’ve settled on getting up at 6:30 to catch a 7:10 train or so, getting in to work at 8:15. Going home varies, but usually it isn’t as crowded as getting to work. I really do miss my “commute” at Columbia University: about a two minute walk door to door.

To celebrate, I went down to “Joyful Time”, a bar in Gakugei Daigaku that my friend introduced me to. It is a nice little place, family run above their Chinese restaurant. A friend, Ami, runs the bar. It was good catching up, and I had one for E., doing research out in Osaka.

I’m going to Denny’s for brunch today to meet another friend. I really like Denny’s in Japan. I really like Denny’s in America. They are the same company, but somehow different. I wish I hadn’t given up coffee, because Denny’s is one of the few places I know around here that has free refills. I’ll see if they have decaf coffee, but decaf coffee in Japan is very rare.