Dinner at Denny's

I dropped by Sudoidibashi to take some pictures of the Tokyo Dome and its accoutrements, and on the way back I stopped at the Denny's there to get dinner---the fact that the menu was partially in English and that it was next to a hotel greatly helped with the whole vegetarian there. As I was waiting for my non-smoking seat (how is it that in a nation health concious enough not to be self concious about wearing masks so many people smoke so much in so many places) a woman in clothing much unconventional than most Japanese women I'd seen sat down next to me. She had the most amazing blue pants, embroiders throughout in a crazy pattern of thick white thread, with a matching vest, a turtle necklace, and a lacy yarn shawl. I complimented her on her pants, and she told me, with great difficulty, that the embroidery style is a traditional Japanese handicraft called Sashiko and that she made them herself. We ended up eating together, whereby I found out that she, Junko Maeda, is a textile artist whose work has been displayed in New York and Seattle. She was in town for a quilt conference. The conversation was very rickety but very smiley, bits of English and guidebook Japanese held together with help from the waiter and many laughing Wakarimasens. It was a good dinner.