Some pictures from the other day.

So we went to one of the local fish markets the other day, which was an interesting jaunt into Japanese culture. Seafood is quite abundant and popular here, for reasons I can't even begin to fathom. And, it turns out, seafood markets are rather...different.

It was almost like trick-or-treating for fish.

For example, octopus is available in "Fun Size"...
Standard size...
And, for those that just have to be the cool house on the block and give out King Sized:
At this point, Lori is getting more than a little squicked out.

Then I found this little "trick" among the treats...
Yes. That really is a fish head. Just a fish head. Packaged up and ready to take home for some nice tasty home-cookin'.

Now, if you're more of a do-it-yourselfer, or just prefer to see the entire fishy corpse prior to having it butchered into fish sticks for you, they have these variety bins, into which numerous deceased sea creatures are poured in for you to take your pick:

You just grab a basket and some tongs...and help yourself:
Maybe you're not in the meal for a whole fish. Just a snack, right?

Why not grab a set of tongs and help yourself to...a snail:

For the record, those snails are roughly the size of my fist.

I shall spare you the images of the "squid variety bin". Needless to say, it necessitated a very hasty exit into the fresh air, because Lori's stomach can only handle so many dead sea creatures, particularly those that are inexplicably laid out for people to eat.

So I went out and took less offensive pictures of some fishing boats...

And down by the seawall, which is slathered in graffiti, found this writing on the wall:

Just thought it was cool. And far less squelchy than a bin full of squid the size of my arm and a set of tongs...