Sitting in an Internet cafe/Pachinko parlor in Shibuya, Tokyo. In Japan 2 days now. Jetlag almost gone. (I always think that, then it clobbers me the fourth or fifth day.) Very good already at the Tokyo subway system, ladies and gentlemen. Lunch yesterday with my Japanese agent, my Japanese publisher, my friend Seiichiro, and five other assorted people from my agent's and publisher's office. At a Chinese restaurant. Extremely charming people. I tried to do things right, but had had it pointed out to me that honored western guests could make no social gaffes because, essentially, we ARE social gaffes. We can do nothing wrong because we can do nothing right. This is perhaps not as reassuring as it might be.