This morning after church Mark and Tessa set out for brunch with a Tessa’s classmate and her dad. While Mark and Tessa enjoyed their quality time together I decided to torment Cy with one of those parent-thought-up outings. It’s a relatively clear day and we can probably see Mt. Fuji, so I decided to head to the observation deck on the 69th floor of Landmark Tower in downtown Yokohama. The lead up went something like this:

Me: Cy! It’s a clear day and I bet we can see Mt. Fuji! Let’s go to the Landmark Tower observation deck.

Cy: I don’t want to. I want to go home.

Me: Your room is a complete disaster and if we go home you’re cleaning for the next few hours.

Cy: [pause]

Fine.

A parenting win! So we set out by train. As we exited Sakuragicho Station, Cy noticed the Nippon Maru sail training ship and asked if we could go there instead. I quickly agreed.

Most people know how incredibly expensive Japan can be, but museums and parks are an exception. Admissions are generally quite low in price, and our Nippon Maru visit cost only 600 yen (about $5 USD) for both of us.

We started wandering the decks and Cy asked random questions, including some that I could answer (“That’s a capstan. It’s a tool for hauling in mooring lines.”).

As we left the museum Cy declared it “really cool”–silent fist pump by mom. We stopped for a French-inspired lunch at a nearby restaurant, then headed home.