Leap Year

No news, but it's not every year I get to blog on February 29th. We have a quiet weekend planned but will have a small party on Sunday night to celebrate Hina Matsuri. This is Girls' Day in Japan - more details to follow early next week.

After work, I visited the Imperial Palace to take some pictures of the grounds. Unfortunately, I forgot that the Palace is closed to visitors every Friday (and Monday). I guess I'll attempt another visit in the near future.

Clara is really starting to look forward to her trip to Scotland. I'm also looking forward to escaping from Tokyo as the daily commute is wearing me down. It's no fun being jammed against my fellow passengers for 2 hours of every day.

Sick Boy

I have been feeling pretty ropey over the last 10 days. Yuki thinks that I have a severe case of hay fever whereas I believe I have a persistent cold.

It has been difficult to speak as I have had a sore throat and bunged up nose which occasionally can be coaxed to give up some thick green material that the layman would term as 'snot'. I am hoping that it is indeed a cold. If it is hay fever, I can expect to suffer the same symptoms for 3 months of every year for the duration of my stay in Japan.

Hay fever is an especially severe problem in Tokyo for 2 reasons. Firstly, the pollution exacerbates peoples' sensitivity to pollen. Secondly, since World War Two, there has been a long and sustained programme of cedar afforestation. However, the expected demand for this timber did not materialise and these plantations have been left to grow and produce large brown clouds of pollen during February and March. These cedar plantations cause misery to millions of Tokyoites every year. The most common method of battling the pollen is to wear a surgical mask. I have not gone down this road yet, but may have to 'go native' if things get too bad.

Not only do these trees cause hay fever, but they are also responsible for soil erosion as they have shallow roots when compared to the natural growth trees which they have replaced. The cedar tree is certainly the curse of Japan.

Due to my cold / hay fever, I have done very little over the last 2 weeks and have stayed at home as much as possible. My condition seems to be improving so I think I will visit my local bar for a couple of beers later. As pollen levels are currently rising, I can only conclude that I have been suffering from a cold as my condition is improving.

The weather seems to be improving and we have had a lovely few days with blue skies. I intended to pay a visit to the Imperial Palace at lunchtime so that I could take some pictures of the plum blossom for the blog. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so I guess that will give me an excuse to do another blog next week.

Tokyo Snow and Setsubun

We had planned on visiting the Isetan Department Store in central Tokyo, but were put off by the snow which had fallen overnight. Unlike Shimogo, Tokyo is vulnerable to paralysis and chaos once a slight dusting of snow accrues. The thought of attempting the train journey into Shinjuku convinced us all that it was best to remain at home.

Unfortunately, our house suffers from a problem which is common throughout Japan - a complete lack of insulation. We are spending a fortune keeping our house warm using a gas heater. It feels like the heat is almost immediately lost. In summer, the cool air generated by the air-conditioner is promptly lost for the same reason. I don't really understand the reasons why the majority of houses have been so poorly constructed, but it is possible the situation is starting to improve. People outside of Japan would be surprised at some of the primitive conditions faced by the Japanese, even in a megalopolis such as Tokyo.

Today was Setsubun, a day which is supposed to mark the end of winter and beginning of spring. Judging by the weather, some greater power had other ideas. During Setsubun, it is traditional to throw beans around each room to exorcise bad spirits or bad luck. A family member (me) has to wear an ogre mask while the other family members (Yuki and Clara) drive the evil apparition from the house in a hail of beans. Whilst this is going on, the brave ogre slayers shout, "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" This loosely translates into, "Demons out! Good luck in!"

Anyway, it is now February and I am starting to get excited about our forthcoming trip to Scotland at the end of March. Yuki and Clara will visit for about 2 weeks and I should be around for about 1 month. I will attempt to get the flat in Edinburgh organised for sale, although it promises to be a long and complicated process. Another highlight will be going to the wedding of Graeme Campbell, a friend from Aberdeen University.