Sayonora Japan, it's been amazing. Lufthansa....we need to have words.... What better way to start the last day than with being unable to find the restaurant we wanted to find. If there's one thing I'd change about Japan it's making places easier to find. Most roads don't have names, numbers are all over the shop and not a lot makes sense, including the maps. Maybe it's all part of what makes Japan Japan though but when you're carrying a rucksack and a backpack it ain't much fun. We did find a nice restaurant to have our last meal in though nonetheless. We sat at a table and ordered our food from a screen. No sushi this time but a variety of dishes for a few quid each. It was all good and we were still trying ... read more

Biggest, largest and craziest....in Tokyo....where else! Let's start with jazz though. You know, that soulless, pointless, endless nod to mutual onanism that goes on for hours, contains only one 'song' and involves lots of nodding to each other? Well, if you're going to import anything into this wonderful country, put that wayyyyy down the list. I had to put up with it in a Japanese restaurant yesterday, there was a band setting and warming up today in a square while behind me I could hear....jazz. Stop it please dear Japanese, you're better than that. Usually the Japanese carry on in their own sweet way and, at the cinema, most of the films are homemade. The food is mostly Japanese too although disappointingly trash like McDonalds and those garish doughnut places have arrived. But mostly it's healthy ... read more

A full Japanese breakfast, taco stuffing yanks, Toyo and, finally, Tokyo!! A number of years ago I lived in Hong Kong and while I was there I did a bit of English teaching. It was mainly conversation classes for adults and I still keep in touch with two of my students, both of whom have visited me in England. Today it was time to return the favour for one of them as one of my students and friends was a Japanese lady called Toyo. I hadn't seen her for quite a few years and she'd never met Claire and we planned to meet at Yokosuka station at 10am. We were up early and meeting various people in the house. Breakfast was included and our host has published vegetarian cookbooks and used to run a restaurant in ... read more

From Hiroshima to Hakone with decorated wooden spoons And so we left Hiroshima today. After you've done the atomic dome, the museum and peace park it's easy to forget the American atrocity that happened here. And that's not a bad thing because the people have made a city to be be proud of from the ashes of death and destruction. They want to be able to move on whilst honouring all those slaughtered: and they do, with pride and dignity. And that's all part of being Japanese. And there's definitely nothing wrong with that. After two days of lie-ins it was time for Claire to get me up early. When you consider a lie-in on our holidays is 8.30am..... So, we were up at 5.30 and waiting by the tram stop 35 minutes later ready for ... read more

Hungry deer, a mountain to climb, a dipstick and bizarre weather in Hiroshima Let's start with the weather. I'm half way down the stairs of the hostel and I think 'hang on I've forgotten my raincoat.' No-one in their right mind is going to go out in Japan without a raincoat. I have my umbrella of course. But no raincoat as well would be madness. And then, in what must be the first time ever in Japan....it hasn't rained!! All day!! I've used my brolly though to keep the sun off because of course I didn't bring a hat or sun cream with me. It's been really hot so it was nice to get some shaved ice late in the day. I haven't had that for a while and some effort and half a block of ... read more