A combination of rain showers and tax prep in March signal Tokyo's segue into spring.
Cherry blossoms are nearly in bud, but cold, damp days of crunching fiscal figures can put people in dour moods. After wandering a wet backstreet, absorbing little more than precipitation, I throw in the towel and hail a green cab home.
The Tokyo Musen taxi driver zips with breathtaking alacrity to the curb to pick me up, and smiles charmingly as I climb in. I set about wiping rain off my cameras with a sigh, when suddenly the driver's hand appears between the front seats, bearing two little candies in bright yellow wrappers. I hesitate. "Not your usual sweets," the driver coaxes. "They're sugar-free, vitamin-packed and taste great."