G8

Oh! I completely forgot to mention it, but I was wandering around looking for an arcade in Kawaramachi and was stopped by a policewoman who very, very politely (and nicely!) informed me that you're not allowed to ride a bike in that particular area because it's dangerous on both the sidewalk and the road. For how many police officers Japan is supposed to have, I don't see them very often, so I was surprised to see about twelve of them in one area.

As it would turn out, G8 apparently met in Japan this year (in Hokkaido, though...) and this had something to do with that, according to a policeman I asked. The cops in this group that I looked at were carrying batons and some light gear, but not the heavier loadout and bulletproof vest you see the beat cops wearing. Also, I didn't see any guns present.
Just, you know, for the record.