Goodbye Japan!

My last few weeks in Japan have been hectic - perhaps a good thing to stop me becoming sad about all the good places and people I have had to say goodbye to. The first stage of my farewell period started with a trip by Clara and I to Shimogo Town, in Minami Aizu. We both wanted to visit the area and catch up with people from the past. A hire car gave us a good degree of freedom to move around and act like tourists. We did all the main Shimogo sights - Ouchijuku, Tonnohetsuri, Kannonuma.

Ouchijuku, Shimogo

We stayed in a hotel at the well known Ashinomaki onsen the first night and at a familiar guest house in Shimogo the second night. Whilst Clara was meeting old friends, I was drinking with the local doctor in a restaurant I used to visit every Friday night, Wakatsuki.

Kane and Tomo

The doc and I drank the wine he supplied and managed a few beers. I was really surprised when he presented me with an incredible watch, a Seiko Astron. The watch automatically adjusts to different time zones using GPS signals - very useful on the Trans Siberian Express.

The remainder of my time in Tokyo was busy. Emptying an apartment is a long and complicated task, more so when you have to do it in a foreign language. I did my best to spend as much quality time with Clara as possible - we met for lunches, dinners, and the last evening we met we saw FC Tokyo play Urawa reds - an exciting 4-4 draw.

FC Tokyo's Ajinomoto Stadium

I'm terribly sad to leave Clara in Japan, but she is no longer a small child and is more and more independent each day. I will do my best to see her on her 14th birthday, whether that is in Scotland or back in Japan.

Elwood's Bar

Just before I departed Tokyo, I had a typically crazy farewell party in Elwood's Bar. I am very grateful for everyone who turned up, bought me a drink, and wished me well. There have been many great nights there.

Now I am sitting in a quayside cafe in Sakaiminato, waiting for my ferry to depart. The trip from Tokyo was interesting and I am happy to discover that the prefectures of Shimane and Tottori are extremely beautiful. During my time in this part of Japan, I met many more excellent people to add to some wonderful memories of Japan.

I will try and regularly update this blog en route as I take the Trans Siberian Express back to Europe and a new life near London. Joep and I will stop off at a few places between Vladivostok and Moscow and the hotels we will stay in are supposed to have good internet connections.

So Japan, you took up 10 years of my life. I have learnt a lot and am extremely privileged to have met so many wonderful people. I will be back many times in future years.またね！

The Birthday Blog

My 2 weeks in Scotland passed in a flash.......before I knew it, I was back on the plane returning to Japan. It was, however, an excellent time! 

Kano up a mountain

Early in my holiday, I met up with an old university friend and hiked to the top of Ben MacDui, Scotland's second highest mountain. The weather was kind and I picked up a little sunburn on my arms and legs - quite unusual for Scotland!

It had been some time since I last met Willie, but we still managed to share a good story or joke. On the way down the mountain, we sought out another old university friend, Gary Russell. Gary decided to quit his career in retail for one in the great outdoors - he is now self employed and spends his time sympathetically repairing mountain paths. Gary and his colleague really appreciated the two bottles of beer we gave them at the end of their day's work.

Uni chums - Gary and Willie

After descending the mountain with Gary and Willie, we stopped off for one drink to catch up a little more. The chilled bottle of Peroni beer has never tasted so good.

The days after the hike were pretty quiet - I walked around the shops in Inverness, had some nice home cooking (especially the breakfasts) prepared by my parents, went out a couple of times for lunch, and enjoyed the afternoon and evening sun in the back garden. What more could you want from a holiday?

The primary motivation for visiting Scotland this summer was to celebrate my birthday........my 40th birthday.....yes, 40th! Rather than sitting morosely in a Tokyo bar wondering what my family and friends would be doing on that day, I decided I had to make it back home. The added bonus is that Neil and I share the same birthday, so we regularly manage to make it an enjoyable event.

Birthday ales - Neil, Len, and Kane

This year, we had lunch at the Dores Inn next to Loch Ness. Neil's partner Jenn joined us, along with my mother, and the Whatleys - Len, Rhoda and the quick witted wee Orla. Oh, and I had better not forget their gorgeous little dog, Ruby. Orla was not happy when I suggested that perhaps Ruby could accompany me back to Japan.

A very pleasant and chilled out day with old mates - I haven't felt so at ease for a long time. 

The remaining highlight of my holiday was a short trip to Skye. Len kindly invited me to stay overnight at his mother's house in Bernisdale. The plan was to have dinner at the nearby Edinbane Inn, have a few pints, and enjoy the live music. A very sociable evening indeed!

Neil, true to form, made himself available for ales in The Castle Tavern in the evenings before I was due to return back to Japan. Thanks to all those I met over the duration of my birthday and visit to Scotland - it was a great homecoming.