2018 Japan Vacation, Day 14 - More Anxiety, and a Day in Shibuya and Harajuku

Back in Tokyo, we had planned to spend a relatively low-key day in Shibuya and Harajuku. Kai and I had gone there with Kai's grandfather last week, but my wife had spent that day with girlfriends and hadn't gotten to go to those prime shopping districts. And as we wanted to get some omiyage (souvenirs) for some folks back home, we decided to head back there.

We had a relaxed time at home but as the time to head out for the day drew near, Kai's anxiety kicked up again.

He was still worried that he would catch Mom's cold, even has my wife was feeling better herself. Kai claimed that his body ached and his nose was starting to run even though I saw no evidence of that. He asked to have his temperature taken even though his forehead did not feel hot at all. The thermometer confirmed that he did not have a fever.

As he continued to express his anxiety over getting sick, my wife told him that he could stay home all day with his grandparents while she and I went out. She didn't want to hear his complaints all day. Kai said he would stay home.

I was pretty sure that he wasn't really sick and that whatever ill feelings he had were all in his mind so I encouraged him to go out with us. I told him that he would feel better if he went out and did something instead of staying home and just being on his iPad all day. I told my wife that if he did not feel good, I would bring him home.

And so he went out with us.

We started out in Shibuya and he asked that we stop at a drugstore to get him a throat spray.

He didn't particularly like it, but it made him feel better that he was taking some medication to ward off a cold.

We went to the mall behind Kai and my wife in the following photo, and found a few things for folks back home.

It was another hot day, though in the shade and when there was a breeze, it didn't feel too bad. Maybe we are getting used to the heat.

In Japan, you often see people walking with umbrellas on hot, sunny days. Not only does the shade from the sun help them feel cooler, but the Japanese tend to value light-colored skin for themselves as opposed to the tanned look that many Americans prefer.

We met a friend of my wife for lunch at Maisen, a restaurant in Harakuku that specializes in tonkatsu (breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet). The pork was really good!

After lunch we all went to Anywhere Door, a place that serves cone shots.

The cones are coated in chocolate (or white chocolate), and you can choose to have it filled with coffee or, in Kai's case, a melon ice.

Kai liked it very much, but my wife described this as an Instagram place, meaning that the food looks better than it tastes.

We spent a little more of the afternoon walking around Harajuku and then Ikebukuro before heading home. Kai didn't get sick and admitted that he had a better time than he would have if he sat home all day. He seemed more relaxed and wasn't obsessing about getting sick.

For dinner, we went to a kaitenzushi restaurant.

The sushi was great, but Kai's anxiety returned.

All throughout dinner, during the walk home, and after we got home, he constantly expressed worry that he was getting sick.

"I feel warm, Dad." His head did not feel warm at all and when we got home the thermometer confirmed that he did not have a fever.

"My throat feels funny, Dad." Hard to know what to believe when he is this anxious.

"I need some Vicks, Dad." I explained that there are medicines to help prevent you from getting sick (like Airborne) and medicines you take after you get sick to relieve the symptoms. Vicks is more of a treatment, not prevention, and you shouldn't take it if you're not really sick. Kai didn't care, he still wanted it.

"I'm feeling stress about getting sick, Dad." He's feeling stress? What about me?

We have our last big day tomorrow. Hopefully he won't be like this all day.