Mmmm... Chocolate...

I've been to a lot of places -- I guess it's accurate to say all over the world -- but I've never seen a place as devoted to sweets as Japan. There are pastry shops seemingly everywhere. You can't go 100 yards -- er, meters -- without passing another one in some parts of Tokyo, and they're open from early morning until almost dinner time. And they're always busy. Chocolate seems to be a strong favorite there (there's even one chain of shops that serves nothing but chocolate croissants and the like.

Still, for a group so dedicated to their sugary treats, the first thing you notice after returning to Chicago is how overweight everyone here looks.