Onsen, fantastic food, a bit drunk.

Mostly quiet here on the Eastern front. We're winding up to leave Japan, and had a formal family occasion as an early send-off. Needless to say, as with most family events here, it all got entertainingly boozey.

Our grandparents, mother's side, live in Takedao, a place which is startlingly remote when compared to where we live. It's only 20 minutes by train, but sits up in the mountains with less space for urbanity. It's (relatively) famous for its onsens (hot springs). One of the local places has undergone a substantial upgrade, and we were booked in for bathing and a fancy lunch, courtesy of les grandparents. Merci beaucoup. The place is lovely, and sits on the edge of a river. The views from the hot springs are great. And from the road on the other side of the river, you can see, er, naked people.

On to the food. In a country which offers some of the best dining, this was somewhere along the top notch. We had kaiseki ryouri, food which comes in small but perfectly formed portions and in a long procession of servings. Everything was brilliant, especially the thin slivers of Kobe beef which you cook yourself in an onion soup and then dip in poached egg. Of course you can guzzle the soup afterwards, too. Magic. The booze was flowing nicely, and Papa and Akira down at the end did a better job of stacking it away than the rest of us. By the time we got back to the grandparents, they were both nicely sloshed, and spent the rest of the afternoon lolling about on the floor.

After everyone retreated home, we scuttled over to Maki and Katsuya's for a few more beers, okonomiyaki (kansai-style pancake) and yakisoba (fried noodles). Peachy.

Good day, wonderful people.

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