Aqua City, Toys R Us, Kid sized bathrooms

Max and I paid our first visit to a Japanese shopping mall this week.  We got a lift from friend Blanka who has her Japanese driver's license.  Blanka picked us up at our building and it was a struggle to try to get Max's car seat into the car.  There wasn't any latch system so we had to weave the seatbelt through the back of his carseat.  It was hardly attached at all but what are you gonna do?  She actually had her daughter in a carseat in the front seat.

So I sat in the back after finally getting Max buckled in (he protested vociferously making quite a scene) and we were off.   We headed out of the center of Tokyo towards the man-made islands on the outskirts and arrived in Odaiba after about 20 minutes.   There we hung out in a beautiful park for a while.  It was amazing to be in such open space compared to what we are used to in central Tokyo.  There was a beach (man-made) nearby and everything was very new looking.  So after a bit we got back into the car and Max got back into his wobbly carseat and we drove a short five minutes to the mall.  

Inside, I can only say that I felt transported back to the States.  We emerged from the elevator into a food court and there was a Cinnabon and MacDonalds and in the distance I could see the Toys R Us Store looming and next to that Gap and Eddie Bauer.  It was incredibly disconcerting.  In any case, we headed to Toys R Us where I was to look at tricycles and a bike helmet for Max.  He entertained himself at the Thomas the train tables and I was able to look at tricycles.

One by one, I wheeled them out to Max and he had no interest at all.  So I scrapped that idea.  I grabbed the smallest bike helmet available (so he can ride along with me on a big bike) and a bag of pull-up diapers, some window decals and was done.  Good thing because Max had a serious need for a diaper change.  So we brought the kids to the baby changing room where there where cushy large tables for diaper changing.   I may seem fixated on baby changing amenities but it's so nice when this everyday unpleasantry isn't made into more of an ordeal by lack of facilities.

Then I discovered the kids bathroom and my god, it had tiny (short) toilets and urinals and short sinks.  Max was loving it and went from sink to sink turning the water on and off and spraying soap on his hands.   I had to take a picture to document this.   So here it is.