Snow Day in Tokyo

It snowed in Tokyo yesterday. I woke up to find myself in a winter wonderland, and it snowed all day. This was pretty good timing because yesterday was Seijin no Hi (成人の日). Essentially, this is a day for all those that have turned, or are about to turn 20 years old within the past year. Each ward/city puts on a celebration where the governor and other important officials speak. The new adults wear traditional clothing. Unfortunately, due to some drinking issues after the ceremonies, attendance has been declining.

Tokyo got about 7 cm of snow over the course of the day, and some places got as much as 13 cm. (For reference, 7 cm is about the height of your hand if you are of average height.) I spent the day hanging out watching my favorite show Aibou - a detective drama - with Tai. We did clear the snow from the trees and sidewalk though. We didn't want his or his grandmother's trees to break. I also didn't want to break our necks when everything turned to ice - which was about 2 hours later. I'm really glad we cleared a path because when we went out for dinner, the streets were a mess. Slush was all over the streets, and I managed to step in more than one puddle. By the end, my boots held more water than the road. When we got back to his house, I ended up borrowing some of his boots so that I could walk home in dry shoes. Although his feet aren't that much bigger than mine, his boots are mysteriously huge. I looked like a strange rendition of Popeye in these giant brown work boots clunking up the streets of Tokyo. Over all, it was a lot of fun, and I'm glad we got to enjoy the snow on our day off.

The streets were still a bit icy on my way to work today, but it was all in good fun. Ice-skating in heels is an interesting but thrilling challenge. By the time I returned home, the roads were fairly clear. Surprisingly, no station in Tokyo predicted this huge snow storm. They were all saying that we would just have rain, so no one was prepared. The non-essential trains halted service, and the core trains continued but with delayed service. There were no high-speed trains like normal. The roads went to ice, and the sidewalks were pretty dangerous. Thankfully, the police were patrolling to help out anyone who got stuck and everyone pitched in to help clear the streets to make things safer. Overall, it was a lot of fun, and Tokyo was exceptionally beautiful covered in snow. Children made snow men, which are made up 2 balls instead of 3 like the American version). Others went sledding. I even saw a girl carrying a snowboard on the bus home. It was nice to see people slow down and enjoy the day.