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！