So going back to the mothers…maybe it’s because I can’t really see what goes on in family’s daily lives, but in almost everyone here I see this seemingly unfaltering self-discipline. The working moms ride their bicycles, sometimes with as many as 3 kids on it (one in a front child seat, one in a rear child seat, and one baby strapped on their backs in a carrier). They drop them off at school by 9:15 am the latest, do all the necessary preparations, then head to work. Many of them return to school by 5:30 pm to pick up their child or children. But their day is not yet done. Once they leave school (often about 30 minutes later, since children rarely leave the premises so easily-still wanting to play and chat with their friends), they still buy groceries and prepare dinner, feed the kids, get them bathed and dressed for bed and then whatever other chores need attending to. I sometimes see one or two fathers pick up the kids, but generally it is the mothers who come mornings and evenings. And when I talk to mothers they always nonchalantly say their husbands usually leave so early (6-7am) and come home so late (10-11pm) . Everyone appears to accept their roles and carry on. I learned a lot just by observing the mothers, even if I may not know the whole picture. I complained about this and that when I arrived, but now I sometimes think I’ve had it slightly easier in comparison. In our household, the Daddy takes part in the household chores and caring for the kids, despite a physically tiring job. Also, my work hours are not terribly demanding so I do have a little extra time to look after the place. I still don’t (and will never) agree with fathers who think earning money is the only thing they are responsible for when it comes to their family. I can only imagine what their daily lives are like, by comparing it to my own. Of course everyone’s situation differs a bit, but I know the moms have one major thing in common – they do a hell of lot in a day. I do give these mothers lots of props for having the strength and patience to raise their kids, run a home, have a job and still look after themselves.

It feels like summer is practically over already. Although afternoons are still really humid, the evening breeze feels slightly cooler these days. I would have liked to take more trips to the beach but we only really have Sundays when we can all go, and not every Sunday was a good beach weather day. But the beaches close to Tokyo are notoriously crowded, so it’s not exactly a relaxing time. I still have a hard time tackling the crowds here even though I grew up in a pretty big city. The beach at Zushi was not terribly crowded for a summer weekend. There was a pretty mixed crowd of people – groups of teen-agers, families, foreigners, couples. Along the beach is a row of restaurants and bars that give the place a lively atmosphere, but not as rowdy as the beach at Enoshima.

There are lots of places to take the family during the summer, but I am learning to always expect a crowd. If you can disregard the crowds , the pools here are great. When people say the pool, I really think it is just one big swimming pool. It’s not – it’s a whole mini indoor water park with one large swimming pool, a ring-shaped pool with flowing water (where you can sit on a floaty tube and drift along as if you were on a river), a shallow wading pool for babies and toddlers with toys, and some even have a hot spring area with all sorts of baths with jacuzzi jets. They usually cost somewhere between 1200 – 2500 yen, depending on the area, but you could really spend the whole day there.

There are even free places to take the kids for water splashing fun. So many public parks all over Tokyo have elaborate water fountain areas specifically for kids to splash around in. I find there are a lot of these things in Tokyo that make it pretty cool for young kids to enjoy.

Many museums and the zoo are located within Ueno Park, but Ueno Park itself is quite a nice place to spend the day. There are lots of places of interest for the children – the space in front of the huge fountain, the playground, live performers, the huge steam locomotive and life-size blue whale sculpture outside the Natural Science Museum. It’s always nice to go there with friends, but I find that it’s not so much a park where parents can sit on the grass and relax while children play, but more a place where kids are constantly mobile and exploring. Which means parents must be constantly mobile as well!

This little boy rides a skateboard fearlessly! Keiji and I watched him try ollies (he managed a bit of air), go down slopes, take tumbles with ease and get back on his board in a flash. And he’s only 5 years old.

I’ve noticed that in Tokyo it’s pretty common to see mothers going for a stroll wearing high heels, designer accessories and purses. Her heel height is quite low but I’ve seen a few mothers pushing strollers in stilettos. Sun hats also seem to be more popular over sunglasses.