So what exactly can you get away with? A quick run-through through the TSA's Prohibited Items list hints at a surprising irony: Much of what is removed from carry-ons is perfectly legal if declared and packed in luggage that is checked and stowed.

There are two Japans. One is the tangible, modern nation of today, the LED-spangled cities and bullet trains. The other is more ephemeral, the mystical psychological landscape of the nation's past.

No matter who makes it or who flies it, a plane can be boiled down to this: It's a metal tube with wings on the side, a fin on the back and pointy bit up front.

Each year the Life Ball begins with an extravagant opening ceremony in the main square of Vienna City Hall, which can accommodate 45,000 people.

As the lines to the back of the jet get backed up with people, the commoners get a glimpse of what is offered in front of them. They are teased as the upper class fidgets with their electronic massage seats while sipping on cold red wine and munching on salted nuts.