Everyone’s been buzzing about the story, and it’s great.

But I also want to point out Rachel Manja Brown’s new story, also in Strange Horizons, that grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me back to Tokyo when I read it.

[ via raanve's twitter stream ]

Lake Chuzenji, above the temples of Nikko, with its resorts, and the surrounding mountains, reminded me of going up to Grand Lake in Colorado when I was a kid.

But there is always something around the corner to remind you that you’re someplace else.

I look forward to returning to Japan soon.

During our trip last August, Cynthia and I visted the Yodobashi in Akihabara on an early Saturday evening. But then, we were on vacation, our time was our own, and the packed mob scene was interesting.

But, you say, isn’t that like flying halfway around the world to go to Fry’s?

Does Fry’s have a nail salon? Does Fry’s have people in silver spacesuits demoing the latest gadgets? Does Fry’s have a peppy jingle that you realize is The Battle Hymn of the Republic, leaving you nearly doubled over in laughter without the language at hand to explain why, exactly, that is so funny to an American?

Cynthia and I have tickets for the Nozomi Shinkansen to Hiroshima tomorrow morning at 7. The typhoon’s track cuts across the main bullet train route, so our trip may be delayed.

Right now we have heavy rain and wind, and many blown-out umbrellas at Ueno Station down the street from our hotel.

Japan’s National Institute of Informatics has a visualization of current and previous storms incorporating satellite images, other data sources, and reports posted to weblogs and emailed from ketai (mobile phones.)

The NII also publishes an Atom feed of typhoon reports.

Now I hope you know there’s more to ramen than Cup o’ Noodles (but everyones who’s ever been a poor student should honor the memory of Ando-san.)

This is from Keyaki, a shop from Sapporo. The broth is miso based, with garlic. That’s shredded onion on top. It’s rich, and the broth holds on to the curly noodles. There’s ground pork, mushroom, and carrot in there as well.

Eating excellent ramen in Yokohama, made by a branch of a shop from Sapporo, in a replica of 1950′s Tokyo, while the radio in the shop plays the Beatles, and you’re one of the two westerners in the building, that’s awesome.

To get there: take the JR Yokohama line to Shin-Yokohama. Take the north exit from the station. Head two short blocks (you’re heading towards the football stadium) and turn left, go another short block and turn right. The ramen museum’s on the left. They charge 300 JPY for admission. 900-1,000 JPY for a bowl of ramen. It gets busy at lunchtime.

Several faiths represented here in this old capital.

After walking around in the late summer humidity, I wanted some cold soba. We passed by a place in the morning where a cook was rolling out buckwheat noodles in the window. On the way back from the Shinto temple, we stopped in. It was perfect.