Halloween is one of my favorite holidays in the U.S. I went Trick-or-Treating for many, many years after I was really too old for it. I love dressing up, and seeing other people dress up. I’m glad, at least, the costume portion is alive and well in Tokyo: this year I dressed as Runner 5, a character from Zombies, Run!, a smartphone game. No one recognized my costume – one of the greatest joys of dressing up as a certain character, but that’s OK – but I walked among the crowds in Roppongi and enjoyed recognizing theirs.

Tokyo is an incredibly bikeable city, when the weather permits, but I avoided biking for almost a year after moving here because it seemed intimidating. I hadn’t ridden a bike since I was 10, let alone around cars and pedestrians, how would I manage?

But then you think back to all those times you as a pedestrian were almost mowed over by a bike, or the people who seem to manage riding a bike while also texting, listening to music, and holding an umbrella.

If they can do it, I say we can, too. Though it’s probably better if we don’t do that texting, music, and umbrella thing. Also, wear your helmet.

If you haven’t been to Muji’s flagship store in Yurakucho, it’s worth the trip just to see the Muji house. One of many models that the “No Brand” store offers, the house is like it sounds: a full-size house, inside the store itself, that you can enter and poke around like you were snooping at a friend’s. It is minimalist and well-designed, a place for everything and everything in its place. I love you Oakhouse, I really do, but I hope you’ll understand if I start making plans to secretly move in to the Muji house.