Life's Little Injustices

Japan has been working on building a maglev (also known as a “levitating, superconducting magnet train of pure awesomeness”) since before I was born. They still haven’t put one into production, but there’s a test track outside of Tokyo where they’ve pushed 580kph. If you can read and write Japanese, you can enter yourself in a lottery to ride in the test car once or twice a year (last go around there were 100 riders chosen from 8,000 applicants). Otherwise, you have to be a VIP or know someone to get to ride.

Riding on the maglev has been near the top of my Japan “to do” list since I got here. I mean, jeez, I still haven’t received the flying car or the jetpack I was promised, so surely a ride on a floating train is not too much to ask for…

Luckily, one of Yukari’s acquaintances used to work on the maglev project and promised to get us in, but he told us it could take a year or more. So, imagine my consternation when Yukari told me this morning that she was going on a field trip to Yamanashi to ride on the maglev. This is the same Yukari who refused to even investigate how to sign us up for the maglev lottery. Oh, the humanity!