They are emoticons. Try searching for that word on the US forum. There are a few dozen. The basics are colon + right paren, :), semicolon + right paren ;)

Even star star equal equal **==

Bonjour Kuranosuke,

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip and that my info was of use. Now I'm sure Wonderful-san will want to wake up earlier on his next trip to Tokyo ;-)

Was the chanko nabe restaurant in Asakusa ? Do you remember its name ? Chanko nabe, for those who would know, is the special stew Sumo wrestlers mainly derive their girth from (that and the fact they eat tons of side-dishes and have a nap afterwards). Eaten in moderation, it is not fattening at all and absolutely delicious. Here's a good article with some recipes you can try at home: http://www.banzuke.com/chanko-nabe/

Ok, notice that it was not me that changed the subject but now that we are talking about naps, I'll be that after the morning raw fish, sake, and running around that it was time for a nap.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/smileys/

florence-san: the name of the chankonabe restaurant is waka(i guess for wakanohana), add: 4-1-9 Roppongi B1, ph# 03-3568-4507. plan to go back there in may on my way to bangkok.

wondy: hai. two sakes, 20 pcs of sushi, a 40 min. boat ride, the walking thru asakusa was enough to put me down for the count, but too much to do in a few days, so no time for a nap.:-D