I've gotten a little behind with this, but will be caught up soon. Off to Japan on Sunday for a few weeks, but I will try and keep you updated (with pics) about what's new in Japan.

And here is a piece of good news.

If you have ever been to Japan, one of the biggest differences you will notice is the lack of green grass in parks and school playgrounds. Many times when I saw places that did have green grass, like the city halls and such, there were signs saying "Stay off the grass!" posted all around.

Well it seems that Tokyo officials are making a change for the better.

The Tokyo metropolitan government has decided to turf the schoolyards of all the capital's primary and middle schools over the next 10 years, it was learned Friday.
This is the first time a prefectural government has made such a decision.
When the project--involving about 2,000 public primary and middle schools--is completed, the turfed area will be equivalent to twice the size of the Imperial Palace's grounds.
The metropolitan government hopes the move will moderate the so-called heat island phenomenon and provide children with an improved environment for outdoor
activities.
Tokyo's school playgrounds were mostly soil-based until the 1960s, when the trend of covering them with asphalt began--initially in urban areas. Recently, due to its drainage properties, crushed limestone has been used to surface playgrounds. Rubber chips, which are often used in all-weather tennis courts, are also popular. Currently, only 44 primary and middle schools have playgrounds that are totally covered with grass.

Here's a link to the whole story.