US Geological Survey

The best source of seismic data (to my knowledge) is the website of the US Geological Survey. The below map shows an interesting representation of the seismic activity on the Pacific Seaboard of Japan. As can be seen, the seismic plates are clearly shown. I am now personally more concerned with the plates at 34N 142E. Geologists have said that there is now more loading on the plates near Tokyo, plates that are long overdue for readjustment.Everyone I speak to has a clear sense of foreboding which is fraying the nerves of all. I guess we will have to get used to living on the edge of our seats for the foreseeable future. As mentioned earlier, I will try and get back to Kumegawa tomorrow morning.

Quake +3: Marooned

Well, I am still stuck in Makuhari, Chiba Prefecture, sitting in a dark office. There were no power cuts today as it seems the Japanese public have reigned in their electricity consumption so far. The office is dark as part of the efforts to limit consumption, although such measures are not sustainable and I am getting eye strain from typing this paragraph. The office also has a very large crack in the wall extending from the 20th floor down to the ground.

As can be seen from the photos taken with my iPhone, despite being far from the epicenter, Makuhari has sustained some damage. There are numerous examples of holes and rips in the pavements and roads. Perhaps the most irritating aspect are the clouds of airborne dust swirling around - not good for the old respiratory system. The photos indicate a process called liquifaction, associated with loose and uncompacted soil.

Many of my colleagues have made unsuccessful efforts to escape Tokyo today. Some have tried to get a flight, some tried to hire cars to get some distance from Tokyo, some have tried to get petrol to fill up their tanks. All efforts were unsuccessful and so it appears that we will have to sit tight and hope for the best. Many of the embassies are advising their expats to get out of Tokyo in advance of more bad news on the nuke front and in anticipation of the expected large aftershock.

For most, the main worry has been radiation from the nuclear reactors in Fukushima, some 300km to the north. I am also equally concerned about the follow up 'aftershock' predicted to be 8 on the Richter scale. If this quake is confined to the same area as the first quake, at least Tokyo should survive with only a few more cuts and bruises. If it is closer to Tokyo, there could very well be thousands of more casualties. We have to wait and see.

Despite all the privations, I have managed to put a reasonable shift in at work today, although if I make it home, I don't think I'll return for a week to let things take their course.

So, the feeling is one of helplessness at the moment. It was obviously a big mistake to leave the house last night as I am not now sure when I can return. Makuhari is also on or below sea level so the spectre of another tsunami is very real.

I will try and put up another update when possible. Keep your fingers crossed.

Quake +2: Grim Uncertainty

Looking a bit bleak in Japan at the moment. Not only are there thousands of dead, but the continuing atomic problems seem to be worsening by the hour. It seems that the Japanese Government is being a bit economical with the truth as the safety zones gradually get larger and the problems escalate. If there is any large escape of radiation, it looks like Tokyo will get a good dose as the winds are forecast to blow to the south by tomorrow.

I am currently in Kaihin Makuhari in Chiba Prefecture where my office is located. Now in my ground floor apartment which is only a few hundred meters from the sea which is perhaps a mistake as the French Embassy are saying there is a 70% chance of a magnitude 7 quake hitting in the next few days. It that happened off the coast of Chiba, the apartment where I am now sitting would in all probability be washed away by the resultant tsunami. It is pretty cold at the moment but I am trying not to use any electricity unnecessarily in order to try and minimise the strain on the power grid.

So the plan is:
1. Early visit to the office tomorrow morning to check the situation.
2. Head back to Kumegawa and work as much as possible from home for the rest of the week - if I can get back..
3. Try and stock up and prepare as much as possible for the forthcoming power outages / additional quakes / possible radioactivity.

In short, things are fairly unpleasant. Not only has there been an awful earthquake, but there is also the possibility for things to get much worse.

I will keep you all posted. It seems the power cuts could last for over a month so my online visitations may be a bit briefer. Keep your fingers crossed.

The Next Day

Well, as far as I can tell, everyone I know is safe and well. Yuki managed to get home late last night and Clara seems to be returning to her normal self.

There have been constant aftershocks which keep everyone on edge but the main concern now seems to be the quake aftermath. I hope all the people we know in Fukushima are okay and that the damaged nuclear power stations do not go in to meltdown. If so, we will be staying inside the house for some time.

So, I would assume that for most Tokyoites, life will return to normal over the next few days providing there are no additional quakes to follow. Seems slightly unreal that many of the places we knew well in Fukushima Prefecture will never be quite the same again.

Magnitude 8.9 - NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

Information courtesy of the US Geological Survey:

Earthquake Details

This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude 8.9

Date-Time

Friday, March 11, 2011 at 05:46:23 UTC

Friday, March 11, 2011 at 02:46:23 PM at epicenter

Location

38.322°N, 142.369°E

Depth

24.4 km (15.2 miles) set by location program

Region

NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

Distances

130 km (81 miles) E (86°) from Sendai, Honshu, Japan

179 km (111 miles) ENE (68°) from Fukushima, Honshu, Japan

188 km (117 miles) SE (145°) from Morioka, Honshu, Japan

376 km (234 miles) NE (37°) from TOKYO, Japan

Location Uncertainty

horizontal +/- 13.5 km (8.4 miles); depth fixed by location program

-----------

Very strong quake with constant aftershocks. Feeling a bit seasick. Clara and I sat under the dining room table for a good bit. Lots of rearranged furniture and spilt tea. House is still shaking. Wondering if the main event has passed or if it is the prelude to the Big One.

11.30pm - Had quite a few aftershocks since the main event. Clara now asleep and Yuki is stuck in Tokyo till tomorrow. City seems generally fine and the local area has returned to normal with the usual load of Friday night drunks roaming the streets. Although there will be a series of aftershocks to come, hopefully the main event has passed. Thanks for all the messages on this blog and on Facebook.

February Update

We are approaching the end of February and I have realised that I have not done an update to the blog for some time. So here it is - albeit a very brief one.

I have been quite busy on a few fronts recently, both in and out of work. These projects will be revealed in later posts. I have felt really lethargic over the last couple of weeks, have had a sore throat, and now a slight headache. I can only conclude the reason for my current state is the high pollen levels in Tokyo at the moment. At different times of year, depending on which tree or plant decides to propagate pollen, there are a number of peaks that have to be endured. Hay fever was never a problem for me in Britain or in rural Japan, but Tokyo is usually saturated in the pollen season and the resistance of the local population is weakened by pollution.
The picture at the top of this post is a pollen sensor which are placed at various locations around Japan by Weathernews to measure pollen levels and tell people what they already know (or feel). Personally, I would prefer a team of lumberjacks to be hired to clear the offending cedar trees. If that doesn't happen soon, I may have to start my new career as an arsonist.

Not long until I have another week off work (March 7th - 11th). I will endeavor to have something more interesting in my next post.

P.S. I have just noticed I wrote a very similar blog almost exactly 3 years ago. Looks like I will have to suffer for a couple more weeks yet. Just want to sleep......

Shiobara Onsen

We are just back in Tokyo after an evening away at Shiobara onsen, not too far from where we used to live in Shimogo.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the New Shiobara Hotel. The large number of onsen / baths was a real plus point and it was especially pleasurable to sit in the outside bath whilst the snow slowly fell around me. I also took the chance to open the pores by suffering the sauna for 30 minutes.

Holidaying in Japan seems to be a real lottery. Sometimes you end up really disappointed despite paying a high price whilst at other times you find a real gem for a quite reasonable amount of money. I would really recommend the New Shiobara Hotel, as despite the age of the hotel, money had obviously been spent to keep it in tip top shape. The highlight was certainly the large number of different onsen to bathe in.

It was also fun to walk around in the heavy snow and have a snowball fight with Clara. Work starts again tomorrow but the happy memories of the weekend will help we get through. I now need to book my holidays for February and March - once these are organised, I can look ahead to some more fun.

Japanese Railway Museum

We all went to the Railway Museum yesterday (Sunday) for a small excursion. Clara seemed to enjoy the experience the most and was all over the trains and inside the carriages. I also found the trains enjoyable but was also perhaps hoping for some prototypes of the latest Shinkansen (bullet train) technology - perhaps these exhibits will appear in a few more years.

It was still quite a thrill to see some of the early Shinkansen trains and sobering to realise that Britain is now well behind in terms of train technology and infrastructure. Embarrassing to see that Britain now appears to be far behind even the early Shinkansen developments.

The next excursion will be to Nasu Shiobara onsen next weekend for a stay at what looks like quite a nice hotel. The usual highlight will be soaking in the onsen - I am hoping it will be boiling hot.

Today (Monday) is a national holiday in Japan, so a long weekend before the work year starting properly tomorrow. I have holidays that I need to take before the end of March so I think I will take a week off in February and another week off in March - not long to wait for some more R&R.

A Brief History.....

Happy 2011

Wishing all the readers a happy 2011! I ventured out to my local bar (Elwood's Bar - owner's blog here) last night in order to prolong the New Year celebrations and also to watch the live Premiership football. Unfortunately, the football wasn't being shown but I still managed to have a good time talking to the other customers.

The only mistake of the evening was accepting an invitation to join a game of Jan-Ken-Pon - essentially a game of rock-paper-scissors. The stakes were high as the loser had to drink (and pay for) a glass of 75% alcohol / 151% proof rum. Out of the 12 customers in the bar, I ended up losing the game and was faced with a very nasty shot of rum. In those situations, there is no point in hanging about so I despatched the noxious fluid in one swift gulp. Not nice! A fun start to 2011 - lets hope it is a good year for all.

Hogmanay Haggis

Seems to be a lot of Golden Haggi on Skye for Hogmanay. I can report no sightings in Tokyo but will keep my eyes open.

When I have crossed over the boundary between boredom and exceptional boredom, I occasionally partake in the annual Scotsman newspaper haggis hunt. I won a calendar a couple of years ago for my efforts. Those who wish to join the hunting party can do so by clicking here.

Hope the Scottish diaspora enjoy Hogmanay in whatever part of the world you may be.

Champagne Brunch and the Aftermath

I was struggling to remember what we did but now recall we went to a hotel near the airport for a champagne brunch. The champagne flowed freely and the choice (and quality) or food was truly fantastic. As the hotel was next to the airport, we spent a lot of our time plane spotting – 75% of flights were Cathay A330s with Trent engines……..Most of the 20 or so people at lunch were at Mark’s wedding the previous day. However, there were also a lot of his colleagues + sundry others in attendance. I have to say that another highlight of my visit to Hong Kong was that everyone I met seemed to be genuinely nice and easy going. I think I only managed to bore one or two people to death so perhaps a few will still speak to me next time I am over.By the time that lunch had concluded, the spectre of my 8am return flight the next morning was becoming ever more real. What better way to banish that spectre? Yes, a return to the Turkish restaurant for more beers. Later in the night, my parents returned to the hotel whilst Mark and I continued talking gibberish to Satu (restaurant owner) and others. I cycled back to the hotel, fell off my bicycle and now have some nice grazing and to my left arm – a badge of honour for surviving a busy Hong Kong weekend.

The worst aspect of my trip was the knowledge of my 8am flight. Catching this flight would mean a 5am start from the hotel, something I proved unable to do. I woke up at 1pm (by which time the flight had actually arrived in Tokyo), cussed and shook my head for a while before a taxi to the airport and working it out from there. I ended up getting an ANA flight at some cost but it was much better than Delta Airlines with a great selection of films and better clientele.

So, with the exception of my missed flight, an excellent and enjoyable trip to Hong Kong. Next time I go (which I have resolved to be in the not too distant future), I will be more realistic about flight times and ensure I fly with ANA.

Thanks to:

• Mark and Grace for putting me up.
• Mum & Joep for bringing over the kilt shirt and Christmas presents.
• Mark’s wide selection of pals for the good banter.
• Satu and Katie at the Turkish restaurant for service beyond the call of duty.

See you next time!

Saturday - The Big Day

As my time in Hong Kong progressed, so my memory fades………perhaps something to do with the Hong Kong tradition of incessant beer drinking. It goes something like this…….got lost trying to find Mark’s apartment, put on the kilt and associated paraphernalia, ferry over (with beer) to central Hong Kong, beers in The Captain’s Bar of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (very nice hotel!), wedding ceremony, Pier 7 again for the first reception, return to Mui Wo for the second reception at the Turkish restaurant.

A busy day but nice to see all attendees in their finery. Mark had some clothing issues that saw him borrowing my kilt shoes. There was no solution however to his three-quarter length kilt socks that had shrunk in the wash. The socks provided us all with plenty of chuckles and Foggo, Mark’s friend, quipped that it appeared Mark has picked his kilt up from a cosplay shop.

The ceremony itself was brief and businesslike as there are fixed slots for couples to tie the knot. Despite her best efforts, Grace (the bride to be) failed to be fashionable late and was just on time. It was just as well she made it as the next available slot would have been 6 weeks later. Phew!

I think I have written enough about the wedding day itself – I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking. The highlight of the day for me was being ambushed by 4 slinky Chinese bridesmaids from another wedding party, all wishing to get a photo with me in my kilt. I liked.

Obviously, a fantastic day was had by all but God only knows how many beers were drank that day. And we still had champagne lunch to follow the next day...watch this space.

The Calm Before the Storm

As I stayed with Mark and Grace on Thursday night, I needed to wheel my case a short distance to check into the Silvermine Hotel for the remainder of my stay. I could have economized by staying the whole time with Mark and Grace, but with the forthcoming wedding kerfuffle, I played it safe and avoided getting under anyone’s feet.

We met up with Mum & Joep who were also staying at the Silvermine – both were looking a bit ragged after their hit-and-miss journey escaping the Scottish winter travel lottery. After a restorative midday all day breakfast in the China Bear pub next to Mui Wo ferry pier, we headed into Hong Kong proper. The groom needed a haircut and the rest of the clan needed to stretch our legs after dicing with deep vein thrombosis the day before. I really enjoyed the ferry ride over – great skyline, unusual sights and smells.

As Hong Kong still retains some fading connections to the old empire, I took the opportunity for a pint of Boddingtons and an accompanying bowl of sticky toffee pudding whilst my parents and I waited for Mark to return. This was followed by further beers in The Junk Pub and Pier 7, a rather nice waterfront hostelry with fantastic views out over the harbour and surrounding skyscrapers. It was a bit chilly sitting in the beer garden but the amazing buildings made it feel a bit special.

Friday night saw us all return to Mui Wo to sit outside the Turkish restaurant in for some more socialising. Lots of pints of Carlsberg, spring rolls, and chit chat. A successful, yet predictable end to Friday night. All in all, a very nice day getting reacquainted with Hong Kong and a welcome change from Tokyo.

And the main event was still to come....... The highlight of Friday had to be the amazing harbourfront night views. Loved seeing the fantastic buildings and colourful lights of Hong Kong. The ferry journey back to Lantau Island offered a fantastic opportunity to see the sights - unfortunately the camera shake (which I blame on the choppy crossing) resulted in an array of useless photographs.

Hong Kong Arrival

I was looking forward to my trip to Hong Kong and travelled direct to Narita Airport after a full day at work on Thursday. The Weathernews office temperature is unbearable most of the time so a quick shower at the airport to wash the scum and office BS off me was the order of the day. Feeling clean and in good form, I waited for the Delta flight to depart. The aircraft cabin had seen better days and had no In-Flight Entertainment which was disappointing, but no great surprise. I am guessing that the old 747s are going to be retired in a year or two and that no money will be wasted on any upgrades.

Mark (and his then fiancée, Grace) very kindly met me at the airport. No time was lost getting a few pleasant Carlsbergs in one of the airport hotels before our 20 minute taxi journey back to Mui Wo on Lantau Island. A very gentle reintroduction to Hong Kong – can’t believe my last trip over was about 6 years ago.

To Hong Kong

Not long until my short trip to Hong Kong. Leave from Narita Airport around 7pm tonight and do not arrive in Hong Kong till a little after 11pm. As I have never flown Delta Air Lines before, I am quite interested to see what they are like. However, I am not overly optimistic as the Delta Boeing 747-400s are hand-me-downs from their merger with Northwest Airlines. I anticipate a decrepit aircraft without personal in-flight entertainment. Despite that, I will be happy to have a short break from work and from Japan.

The only dark cloud on the horizon seems to be the travel plans of my parents. The last I heard, their flight from Scotland had been cancelled due to the harsh winter weather. Fingers crossed they make it, especially as I need the new dress shirt they have bought me to go with my kilt. If they don't arrive, I'll have to buy one in Hong Kong.

The general plan for Hong Kong is:

Thursday 9th Dec: arrive after 11pm and meet brother for a couple of beers.
Friday 10th Dec: meet parents (hopefully), check into the Silvermine Hotel, wander around HK, dinner.
Saturday 11th Dec: Mark's wedding. It will probably be a late one so I had better pace myself.
Sunday 12th Dec: recover from Saturday and see parents and brother.
Monday 13th Dec: 8am flight back to Tokyo.

I will do a couple of blogs next week to let you know how I got on.

Anticipating December

Quick post to indicate my plans for December. I am really looking forward to a short visit in Hong Kong from 9th - 13th December to attend the wedding of Mark and Grace. Should be a good party and will also allow me to hook up with my parents for a few days. I am also interested to see what Delta Airlines is like as I have never flown with them before.

Then towards the end of December, many functions at Weathernews (including my own) will shut down for nearly 1 week. I am looking forward to some time at home and will attempt to dust down some of my culinary skills aquired at university.

New Year celebrations will be muted for us this year due to the passing of Takashi in March. I am however looking forward to 2011 and hoping there will be a few leaps forward, in true Year of the Rabbit style. 2010 is a year I will be happy to swiftly forget.

Aberdeen for Relegation?

Why oh why do I continue to support The Dons? A 9-0 humiliation...........9 - 0 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Akihabara

Yesterday was Culture Day in Japan which means another welcome national holiday. Japanese workers have far fewer paid holidays to take when compared to the average Brit, but the large number of national holidays in Japan do make up for it somewhat. I think the next public holiday will be on 23rd November, so not too long to wait.

I have always been interested in Akihabara, primarily because of the numerous electrical shops which are located there, hence the Electric City moniker. After arriving in Akihabara around midday I was in need of some sustenance before I browsed though the many shops. I had settled on getting a burger for reasons of convenience. However, as luck would have it, I stumbled across a Brazilian steak restaurant which I recalled had been highly recommended by one of my colleagues at Weathernews.

The place is called Tucano's and I soon discovered that it was worth visiting Akihabara for the steak alone. A nice big piece of rump steak with a smattering of green beans and sweetcorn cost 880 yen. Not a bad price for a great piece of meat. I of course felt obliged to order an Asashi beer to help wash it down. What a great start to my visit in Akihabara!!!! I will return for another steak in the not too distant future, I promise.

After lunch, I meandered through a maze of large and small electrical shops. I marvelled at the sheer selection of goods on display and could have spent a fortune had I not been careful. Although browsing was high on my 'to do' list, I also intended buying a very capable Japanese-English electronic dictionary. These devices are remarkable and contain volumes of dictionaries, encyclopedias etc. As they are highly capable, I was soon to discover that they also came at a highly capable price. One girl was doing her best to sell me the latest Casio dictionary for 35,000 yen - far too much! I had decided that as the price was so high, I would not end up buying a dictionary after all. However, I passed a small shop on a side street that was selling the previous generation of Casio dictionaries for only 15,000 yen. Quite a saving and it seems that the only difference is that the latest model has a colour screen. The main drawback to this learning tool seems to be the requirement that you need to be fluent in Japanese to use the thing. Quite a painful process indeed....

Well, a successful trip to Akihabara and a great way to break up the week. Other news......yes! I will be off to Hong Kong in early December to attend the wedding of my brother. Not long until that trip and am really looking to a small break away and seeing the family.

Will try to do another blog soon. Till then, take it easy.

Kaihin Makuhari

It has been a beautiful day here in Chiba. Lovely blue skies with a fresh autumnal wind blowing. I ambled to a cheap restaurant for lunch and was impressed once again at the great value for money my lunch represented. Perhaps I should have taken a picture......

Despite my contentment, feelings of unease regarding Kaihin Makuhari are always close to the surface. I have come to 2 recent conclusions why I dislike the place so much:

1. The place is so contrived, I feel like a character in SimCity. Nothing has been left to chance with the result being an almost perfect reproduction of a town planner's brain fart. No charm, no excitement, no beauty. Although I have never been much a fan of the Japanese built environment, at least some of the older areas of Tokyo display some form of character or variery. Kaihin Makuhari reminds me of a long road in the Australian outback........constant monotony.2. Permanence. Simply put, there is none. One excuse for the parcity of visible history is the fact that many parts of Japan were levelled by American bombers during the closing stages of WWII. This is an excuse that doesn't sit well with me. In most parts of Japan, I have rarely seen buildings in excess of 30 years old. Another excuse is the number of destructive earthquakes in Japan, the world's most tectonically active country. However, if some wooden buildings in Kyoto or Nara can survive hundreds of years, their is no excuse not to have other architectural relics or treasures. There is good reason why Kaihin Makuhari does not possess old buildings - the area is on land mostly reclaimed from the sea. However, I do not believe any of the houses or office buildings will be here in 50 years time. Japan is a land of disposable buildings which are intentionally built with limited life-spans.

The lack of permanence or continuity doesn't sit well with me (or I suspect other people, even perhaps the Japanese). In Britain or other countries, I find it reassuring to know that not all things in life change at breakneck speed or immediately disappear. It is good to have a connection with the past and to know that the buildings you use and see today were once used by scores of previous generations. By the same degree, it is comforting to know that when we are all gone, many of the places we know today will survive unchanged.

That's one of the problems with Japan - the past is lost and the future will show no trace of your existence. Generations go their way with history confined to the life-spans of living people. The country is all the poorer for it.

Skye News

The Isle of Skye has been in the news a lot recently for both good and bad reasons. Last week the new Royal Navy attack submarine HMS Astute grounded on shingle near the Skye bridge. This is the second grounding of a nuclear submarine off Skye in 7 years. Although many would not agree, I always enjoyed seeing the submarines off the island when I was a boy. I remember great excitement seeing these sinister shapes anchored off the Black Rock in the Sound of Raasay. The waters off Skye are frequently used by Navy submarines for testing and torpedo practice and Loch Portree is actually termed a Z-berth which is deemed suitable for use in the event of a reactor problem. Z-berths are generally placed in areas with great water depth, just like the waters off Portree and in the Sound of Raasay. HMS Astute now appears to be heading back to Faslane to lick her wounds and bring the Captain closer to his court martial. And on a lighter note, I see that Skye has been voted one of Europe's the best island holiday destinations in a survey performed by Conde Nast. That's not really a great surprise to be honest. There are few nicer places than Skye when the sun is shining......unfortunately that is not a common occurence.

And that's about that. Tokyo is now much darker in the evenings as the winter draws in and temperatures are now around 15C. I will soon have to change to my winter futon and plug in my kotatsu table to keep me warm in my pied a terre in Makuhari. Until the next time.........

A Pleasant Lunch

Clara and I had a very pleasant lunch together on Saturday at the frequently visited Popolamama Italian restaurant in Kumegawa. Nice food in a comfortable setting, at a very reasonable price.

I like spending quality time with Clara and take great pleasure in seeing her grow up. Can't wait to see what she will be like when she is 20. Time passes at breakneck pace so I should not have long to wait until that day.

We both ordered our favourite lunch. I went with the tomato and garlic spaghetti whilst Clara chose her favourite called tarako spaghetti. As can be seen from the link, Clara's lunch option is mixed with cod roe. It must be a pretty healthy dish to eat and Clara loves it. I'm a bit squeemish when it comes to fish and Clara always takes great effort in trying to convince me try her spaghetti. I always say that perhaps I will try it next time.

Clara reads and collects a Japanese manga series called Doraemon. There are about 45 in the series and there are only a few which she is now missing. Yesterday I was lucky to find number 23. As Clara is such a book worm, she immediately started reading and managed to finish it in no time. I will now try and find the remaining few books to complete her collection.

Another week beckons. I will try and live quietly as I am sure the end of this year will be busy with birthdays, Christmas and a couple of other events.....I will keep you posted. The blog has been a bit quiet recently so I will try and be a bit more prolific in November and December.

Kinugawa Onsen

We all paid a brief visit to Kinugawa Onsen and stayed overnight at the Mikazuki Hotel. The principal reason for our visit was to take an onsen and let the waters do their magic.

The hotel was nice, although the room was slightly disappointing. It generally felt a bit Butlinesque as it was clearly designed to cater for the masses. And masses there were....oh the humanity! Humpf....not exactly the laid back break I had imagined, but nice nonetheless.

In no particular order, the highlights of our brief trip were:

• The hotel's chocolate fountain to which Clara made several visits due to her sweet tooth.
• The onsen - nice and not too busy.
• The walk over a suspension bridge to a pinnacle overlooking the area.
• The boat trip which we took down the river.

Ok, Actually, when I come to think of it, the boat trip was definately the highlight of the visit. The peace and tranquility of our 30 minutes glide down the Kinugawa River was soothing to a soul at odds with the Tokyo urban nightmare. Even just a small taste of the countryside was enough and an added bonus was that the town planning mess and decay called Kinugawa Town was hidden from view by the high valley sides. The gentle breeze and blue skies contributed to a feeling of contentment. I may have to change career and gain employment as a boatman on the Kinugawa River - it was that nice.

On the way back to Tokyo, I snoozed in the car trying to catch up on sleep which I had lost over the previous week. I was feeling really tired as I had only slept about 12 hours over a 4 day period - I won't go into details.... Around lunchtime on our drive back to Tokyo, Yuki's brother suggested we stop off at a restaurant which only sells gyoza - Japanese dumpling. Very satisfying, although a cold beer would also have been appreciated to help wash the food down.

A good weekend, if not a great one. However, it is always nice to experience something different. Until the next time.

Back Budhmor

Hi

Just wondering if any of the Scottish readers of this blog would consider a small donation for Back Budhmor. Budhmor House is an old folks home in Portree which is now in need of major renovations costing roughly GBP 1.5 million. As my Granny has spent some time there, I know it is a worthy cause.

Neil and Grace Souter will cycle the arduous 115 mile journey from Inverness to Portree at the end of next week, so there is not much time to raise funds. If you would like to help ensure the survival of Budhmor, please make a donation to:

http://www.justgiving.com/grace-neil-souter

Good luck Neil and Grace. Wish I could join you on the cycle and share a pint in Kintail.

Clara's Scottish Odyssey

Sorry to have been so slow in updating this blog......been busy with work and other commitments. The continued summer heat is also sapping my energy...Clara spent a whole month in Scotland this summer with my parents. In the back of my mind I recognise that Tokyo is not the best place for kids to grow up in and I am therefore happy for Clara to be able to briefly experience the life of a Scottish kid. It makes me happy to think she has the opportunity to run wild and enjoy the great outdoors.I get the feeling that Clara is now fully expecting to visit Scotland each summer and Yuki and I will be more than happy for this to continue. Personally, I think that the lives of Japanese kids are too constrained (especially in Tokyo) and they lack the proper childhood experienced by many in Scotland. My ultimate goal is to have Clara study at university in Scotland when she is older......I think that when that times arrives, she will probably be quite agreeable to the idea.The 1 month trip to Scotland was planned long in advance and Clara had no qualms about not seeing her Mum and Dad for such a long time. As can be seen from some of the photos, Clara met a lot of friends, spent a great deal of time at different beaches, visited her great granny a couple of times, saw my Great Aunty, did a bit of crockery painting, went horse riding, ice skating, and probably a list of other things which have escaped my mind.Clara was happy to come back to Japan and appreciated reacquainting herself with some of her favourite Japanese meals. Yuki and I have both agreed that we will all visit Scotland next summer and I am looking forward to that already....better start saving. Clara's return to Japan marked the official end of summer for us all. Back to normality for now but I hope that by around spring 2011, we will have some new experiences to look forward to.I hope to soon be able to post a more regular flow of news on the blog as my schedule will clear up a bit for the next month or two. Bye for now.

Shimogo - A Brief Return

Sorry, I have been a bit slow updating the blog recently. The summer heat in Tokyo seems to have made me a bit lethargic and it is only now that I have the motivation to make some updates.

One of the highlights of August was my brief trip back to Shimogo on Saturday the 7th of August. I was looking forward to meeting up with Tomo and Satoshi again as it was about 18 months since I had seen them last. Both seemed fine and had not changed at all. Every now and again, Tokyo really starts to get me down and I can feel the need to flee the big city for the soothing delights of the countryside. The journey up on the Tobu Line was relaxing sedate and with each passing kilometer, I started to feel better about the world. It is nice to be reminded that life does exist outside of Tokyo.

I was scheduled to meet up with Tomo and Satoshi in Wakatsuki restaurant at 6.30pm. As the taxi dropped me off at my ryokan (called Suzukiya) at 6.20pm, I had to quickly check in and dump my bags in order to make it to Wakatsuki in time. Although I only had 10 minutes to make it to the restaurant, the innkeeper still managed to find the time to highlight my poor Japanese. I only have myself to blame I suppose.....

The walk from my inn to the restaurant was one down memory lane, as it was a route Clara and I used to walk each evening after dinner. Fond memories. The distinctive mountain in the background of the photo was lovely in the fading light and really stirred my memories.
Wakatsuki was fun and I think we drank quite a few beers. Tomo was kind enough to provide a belated Fukushima peach birthday cake sourced from the local French restaurant - very pleasant indeed! After stealing the 5 year old toilet slippers from the toilets and lobbing them into a nearby rice field, we went off to sing karaoke at a bar which I have never been to before. At this point, my memory becomes hazy but I remember singing some Frank Sinatra numbers and one or two Bon Jovi hits.

And that is essentially the story of my brief visit to Shimogo. Satoshi kindly collected me on Sunday morning and drove me quite far to a convenient station from where I could get back to Shimogo. A brief visit, but nonetheless enjoyable!

Thanks to Tomo and Satoshi for their hospitality.