Toyocho station, our neighbourhood train line, was the start of the southern leg of the trip. Dragging my backpack/ roller bag over manicured and paved streets was a noisy exercise, and P2 carting strongly by back, we had generous transition times for the Otemachi connection to hectic Tokyo station. The facially masked brigade swarmed past us by Mama-san bike, curious glances, or generally, fixated on their phones. In the throes of the underground rail road works, the rabbit warren gave way to organised chaos. We found our place on the shinkansen bound for Shin-Kobe and then eventually, the old town centre of Kurashiki. A weekday, the train filled up to the brim by Shinagawa, and as efficient timing has it here, we connected to leg number 2. Kurashiki put on breezy cool but fine weather, and
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