That's wonderful, really. I'm so pleased everyone was so generous. People want to help, and if they can help with specific things which they know are needed, people are more willing to be generous rather than give money which they really don't know where it's going in some cases. I took care of my baby grandson today, and I was thinking about Japanese women with babies. No diapers, how would they fix a bottle? Baby cranky, crying, confused, difficult to calm. It's cold, probably don't have any clothes except what the babe was wearing. Worry about radiation. It's challenging enough under the best of circumstances to care for a baby. My heartfelt prayers go out for them.

kfca37, I have some pieces of China with a variety of markings such as Made in Japan or China. I have several matching and not matching pieces also with a variety of markings that my DH brought home from his tour of duty in the South Pacific. Those markings are so small I can't read them, even with a magnifying glass. I have a set of a tall tea pot and 6 matching small cups and saucers. They are marked "Made in Occupied Japan" and were brought home from a tour of duty in the South Pacific by my BIL, my DH's brother, but in a different time and area of the SP. I also have a set of tea cups and saucers .given to me by my MIL, and are marked with a tiny red design and under that it says Cherry China. I assume they were pre WW2. Unfortunately, there are reproductions which are hard to detect and It is hard now to know what is what by the markings. I suggest you google "Made in Japan" " Made in China" and "Made in Occupied Japan" "Cherry China" and Kovels. Sue

Yes. Ha! Depends totally on my mood and if I care to "correct" or "confound" the assumptive person. It's actually not their business. So, I might start talking about the faeries who live with me; or ask if they are dealing with anyone else other than whom they see right before them...

Jasdip, I thought that would bother me too. We did try and avoid rush hour in train stations in the early morning and late afternoons. We only ended up riding a couple of packed trains where we had to stand. Most Japanese are extremely polite and quiet. Trains, amusement parks...so quiet. I got a rude reminder on our return to LAX. It was so jarring, the rudeness and loudness that I turned to Lauren in the airport and asked her why are Americans so d@mn loud and rude?!!! Even Japanese car horns are politely quiet. Extremely muted beeps. Even with the packed streets in touristy market places, it wasn't bad.