Finally the humidity in Tokyo subsided, giving way to the Fall weather. Since my return from Indonesia, I have not been savagely attacked by the darned mosquitoes, although I had stocked up on the repellants. It is quite pleasant to ride the bike in the evening.
Another thing that has been missing from my neighborhood here is the sound of the cicadas. In the summer, like clockwork, the cicadas will make their noise from dawn until dusk, but these days, I have yet to hear a single cicada sing.
Today is the National Holiday for the Aged. Ironically, some young people rushed to an elevator that was reserved for the handicapped and parents with strollers, and the meek elevator operator turned away my father (who was on a wheelchair) and me (the wheelchair pusher). I hope that the holiday still means something, not just another reason for a sale, the way it has seemed to be in the United States.
