(This post is very late, please forgive the tardiness.) In my previous post about Flat Everett we met our flat friend, and took him around Tokyo. Over the New Year’s break we took two more trips with him. First off, Japan doesn’t have a big Christmas break, but they do have a big break over the New Year’s holiday. Usually people get the 30th and 31st off, with a few days around the New Year, going back to work around the 4th.

Over the break my wife’s sister and her daughter came to stay with their parents, who live just down the street from us. One of the big events was a family trip to Tokyo Disneyland. We all piled into the car the morning of the 31st, and headed out to Chiba, about an hour away or so by car. The place was very crowded. Since the day before there were people waiting (out in the cold!) for the 6pm start of the Disneyland New Year’s celebration. We weren’t going to stay for the evening celebration – you have to win a lottery drawing to be invited for that – so just headed in.

I got a picture or two of Everett in front of the Disneyland entrance, and some of the 2010 New Year’s signs, but didn’t get too many other pictures of him. He was enjoying the rides from inside my bag. The most exciting ride we went on was Space Mountain. I’m sure Flat Everett enjoyed it, but I have never liked roller coasters, and had to go to the Nurse’s Station (where R. works actually) and rest for two hours. Then I went home while everyone else stayed at the park.

I really don’t like roller coasters. I know R. does though, so I thought I would try to tough it out with her. I barely survived. (Flat Everett seemed to have enjoyed it all.)

Flat Everett’s First Temple Visit

The other thing that people in Japan do after the new year is go visit a local temple. The “first temple visit” of the year is traditional, and people buy various charms for good luck for the new year. I decided to take Flat Everett to one of the most popular temples in Tokyo, Meiji Temple. The temple is very popular, and when I went on the second (I think) Flat Everett and I had to wait about three hours total in order to get into the temple itself. The place was absolutely packed. I got a few pictures with Flat Everett, one in front of the temple archway (the wooden gate structure, called a Torii), and also in front of a collection of sake barrels that are donated to the temple by local businesses. The final picture is Flat Everett in front of the main temple structure.

That concludes my travels with Flat Everett. He has since moved on, and arrived in New York. I’m curious to see what sort of trouble he gets into in my old stomping grounds, New York City.