Madra Dubh <ccaine@worldnet.att.net> wrote:

> Do you live in Japan, Louise?

It shows?

> If so, do the street vendors still make and sell Yakitori?

Yes. 

> And is the night rent with the cry "Osoba!"?

Uh.... I've never heard that one.... Which is not to say that "Osoba" is
not shouted in the night--just that it's never been done in my presence.
But we do have two soba shops in the area that still deliver by
push-bike. And a tofu peddler too.

> And do they still have small "Mom and Pop" Saki stands where the glasses
> sit, filled to the brim, in hot water, waiting for a customer?

O-saki ni.... But maybe you mean "sake", in which case maybe they do,
but I haven't seen glasses of sake prepared that way--just pottery
flasks. 

> And do they still sell Bento at the railroad stations?

Of course. And in department stores.

> And are the Honey wagons still given a wide berth by the wildest drivers in
> the world?

Yup. It's only recently that the last house in the neighbourhood that
required the honey-truck was pulled down and an all-mod-cons prefab put
up instead. It was nostalgic to see and smell the truck back again a
couplathree weeks ago, to deal with a blocked drain. 

> And is the view from Sakai bridge as beautiful as it was forty years ago?

Dunno....

> And is Mariko now an old woman with grandchildren of her own?

Probably. 

> (I'll stop now and wipe a tear from me eye)

(I'll hand you a hanky.)
________________________________________________________________________
                   Louise Bremner (log at gol dot com)
   If you want a reply by e-mail, don't write to my Yahoo address!