I am leaving today for Bali and will be back in Tokyo next week.

Below, Shinjuku at dusk.

Today I walked my old 'hood, Omotesando. In some ways Tokyo seems exactly the same as when I left it. Then there are the jarring reminders that time has past, such as substantial additions and deletions to the landscape.

In Japan buildings are fashion items: built just to be torn down in a few years and replaced with something new. My local Kinokuniya international supermarket has been replaced with a parking lot and moved to a new location down Aoyama dori. There is the new, very cool Tod’s flagship store on Omotesando (see some great photos of the Tod's store from Jean Snow on MOCO Tokyo).

At Kiddyland, a children's toy store, a darn near pornographic picture is used to sell "girl's briefs."

My first few days back in Japan have been surreal. I feel I am experiencing reverse, reverse culture shock. One of the things to really hit me compared with New York is how mono-cultural it appears to be here. (Harajuku girls or other Japanese sub-cultures might seem extreme and unique, but their extremeness almost always follows a prescribed formula). It is only over time that you really begin to discern the subtle nuances in people.

I am staying with an old friend, V. My first night she took me to a local izakaya in Roppongi. (My beloved "local" is unfortunately now closed.)

This restaurant used a computer touch screen for placing your order . The photos of the various appetizers and entrees are displayed and you simply touch the item you want. Computerized voice over explanations are available as necessary.

The Japanese love to automate everything, robotic dogs, robotic nurses, will they soon eliminate the need for people?

It is nearly a year since I left Tokyo to move back to New York City. This week will be my first trip back to Japan. I plan to stock up on the Japanese pottery that I love and visit with the Harajuku girls now made so famous by Gwen Stefani. I will post some new pictures as soon as I can.

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