March | 2015 | Ukrainian Tom

Lots of photos – minimal text from Tokyo, Japan.

We will move to Tokyo this summer to begin the next assignment. BMW’s office is in the heart of downtown.

Brand visibility is extremely high here next to Tokyo Station.

As the largest city in the world, Tokyo moves via mass transit.

Commuters are fixated by their phones.

Many wear masks to avoid germs and pollen.

Citizens are highly disciplined. On escalators, they stand on the left and leave the right lane open for those in a hurry.

The streets can be crowded…

… with locals wearing American garb (Kayla is a freshman at Dickinson).

Indian restaurants are plentiful in Tokyo…

… and Gandhi is revered.

Our first cultural lesson: always remove your shoes when entering a home. Slippers are often provided.

And what a marvel… heated toilet seats!

They also come with many features (Greg later found an electronic seat with three positions: men / women / closed).

This is the Ginza area of Tokyo.

Night time in the city is quite bright.

This is not Paris, but Tokyo Tower (for communications and viewing).

Is Greg independently wealthy with10,000 yen? Actually, no. It’s worth $84 USD.

This MineCraft exhibit was focused on teaching skills to young gamers.

For several centuries, Japan has been known for cherry blossoms (which were just starting to bloom as we were leaving).

Americans are familiar with the annual cherry blossom festival in Washington DC, but how many Americans know that the trees were a gift from Japan? First Lady Helen Taft presided over the first ceremony in 1912.

2015 is a year of transition, from Delhi to Tokyo. We look forward to this new adventure.

Bonus photo: The Cricket World Cup started in February (it only comes around every four years). Defending champions, India, were undefeated throughout the tournament, but then lost to Australia in the semi-finals. Thanks, Kumar, for this click, taken at our CyberCity office complex where thousands watched India defeat Bangladesh in the quarter finals on the jumbo screen.

First time visitors to India may spot what they deem as obstacles during their travels, however as you’ll see here, there are no obstructions, only solutions… Jugaad solutions.

If a metro tower is needed in the middle of the road, no problem. Everyone will drive around it.

This one comes complete with diversion arrows. The Hindi word “Jugaad” means an innovative fix, or a work-around solution. If there’s a will, there’s a way.

Traffic lights get caught in the middle. I pass this one every day and it’s never been hit.

Electrical towers have a pre-defined spacing, regardless that the road was here first.

In this case, the tower was here first and the widening of the road has its limitation.

That’s ok, everyone understands (note the men holding hands. This is common in India. They are just good friends, nothing more).

Was the line-painter drinking during this assignment?

No, it’s important to steer around this obstacle.

Sometimes road blockages are temporary. It’s common to be slowed by a cow crossing.

This is one of my favorite non-obstacles. The potential blockage caused by this lamp post is not a deterrent due to the extra long fuel hose.

Trees are common obstacles. Those who remember the mid-1970’s will recall Sanjay Gandhi’s 5-point plan, which included “Plant more trees.”

Cutting a tree requires permission from the bureaucratic tree authority, which is not easy to achieve. This tree actually creates a nice bit of shade in the driveway.

This tree provides shade for outdoor diners.

You can see the building was secondary to the path of the tree.

No need to consult the tree authority here. Jugaad to the rescue.

This wall was completed with a slot for the tree branch, until one day it met with an “accident.”

Take a look at this tree.

Here’s a close up shot. Why the bulls-eyes?

It’s a warning to go left or right, but definitely not straight.

Any car selecting the middle lane will have to move. Note to drivers: No matter what you think, the tree ALWAYS has the right of way.

The left-side passage is tight, but Delhi drivers are deft with millimeter closeness. There’s always a Jugaad solution.

Bonus photos: Friday was Holi, the celebration of colors. Squirt guns are required equipment.

Marketers like to join the fray. Visits to the water refueling station were fewer for this boy (despite the branding, he was squirting water – I think).