Scotland - An Impromptu Visit

Well, I wasn't at all sure I would manage a trip to Scotland in 2012, but fate has decided otherwise. From looking at flight prices, it seems that February is the cheapest month when flying from Japan. I managed to get a last minute British Airways flight (Boeing 777-300) for about GBP 650. Quite reasonable!

I arrived in Scotland late on the 23rd February and will be here for a total of about 10 days. So far, I have managed to meet up with my friend Neil, do a bit of shopping in Tescos supermarket, and have eaten some great Scottish food. Today (Sunday), my parents and I had a lovely Sunday lunch at the Dores Inn near Inverness. I ordered the haggis, neeps, and tatties along with some great ale from Orkney (Scapa Ale and Northern Light). Excellent food, only bettered by the location of the Dores Inn on the banks of Loch Ness. The wind was cold and brisk and the waters of Loch Ness were quite choppy. It was really surprising to see three swimmers working their way down the loch.I plan to travel to Skye on Wednesday and spend a night there, meet a few relations, and do a couple of odd jobs. On Wednesday night, I'll stay in the Skeabost Country House Hotel and have a nice bar meal along with some more ales - really looking forward to it!

More blogs and pictures to follow soon.

Kitchen Keiji

Well, an excellent end to the weekend indeed! We ate in a local Kumegawa restaurant called Kitchen Keiji tonight to celebrate the birthday of my sister-in-law. As usual, the food was excellent and the service was very good. Rather remarkably, despite the quality and quantity of food, we only paid 2,500 yen per person......about GBP15.

Saturday was also a pretty good day. Late afternoon, I met up with a Hungarian friend and we visited a few watering holes in the Ebisu area of Tokyo. First stop was The Footnik Bar where I drank a pretty good pint of Scottish St Andrew's Ale and ate a bacon butty. Beer was good, bacon not so good. I still haven't found decent British bacon in Tokyo, and it now looks like I will have to admit defeat.

Following The Footnik, we walked a short distance to Ebisu Garden Place and entered The Beer Station (the name bode well). Much to the interest of our fellow customers, we ordered a beer tower which contained 4 litres of quite tasty beer for a quite reasonable price. The schnitzel we ordered to eat was absolutely fantastic - I will return just for that.

An excellent weekend, only soured by watching Scotland get beaten in the rugby up at Murrayfield.

Rondo Sports

Since we left the Japanese countryside, I have really done very little exercise and have been inactive for way too long. It was clear that sitting at a desk all day and drinking a lot of beers on the weekends was not a sustainable lifestyle to have. Some changes were long overdue.

I have never really been interested in going to the gym and would always prefer the chance for outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, cycling etc. However, my favourite activities are not possible in Tokyo, at least to the standard I would prefer. The prospect of a busy Tokyo cycle path is far from appealing and would in no way satisfy me.

As a result, I have been left with no other option but to join the local gym, called Rondo. I would never claim to love going, but it is tolerable and I doubt whether many other gyms can be as good. I am certainly a satisfied customer and try and go about 3 times a week.

I usually just try and use some of the exercise machines, although I occasionally go to one of the two swimming pools. The machine which I have really come to like is the cross-trainer. Great exercise with no impact on the joints.

Some of the facilities on offer are:

1. Climbing wall
2. Large exercise machine room
3. Two swimming pools
4. Outdoor jacuzzi
5. Tennis courts
6. Squash courts
7. Golf driving range

Perhaps the most important aspect of Rondo is the cleanliness. There are always a number of staff on cleaning duties and I never feel uncomfortable.

Rondo certainly appears to be a very successful business. During the daytime, most customers appear to be senior citizens in their mid-60s. After 6pm, the clientele changes to businessmen and women who are trying to exercise after a busy day in the office and an unpleasant train journey home.

I hope I can continue my exercise regime long into 2012.

Happy 2012!!

Wishing you all a great 2012. I anticipate that this year will be a challenging one.......however, I like a good challenge.

We have just finished our traditional New Year lunch and now I am about to have a nap under our heated kotatsu table. I imagine that we will also pay a visit to the local shrine soon, as is the tradition in Japan, to pray for an auspicious New Year.

2012 is the Year of the Dragon. People born in the Year of the Dragon are supposed to be brave and quick tempered. Both Clara (2000) and Yuki (1976) are dragons.......Clara certainly demonstrates the quick temper at times.

More posts to follow over the coming year.

Festive Tidbits

In the end, I never managed to take pictures of the family dinner to celebrate Clara's 11th birthday on 22nd December. Well, that's not exactly true.......in the 3 pictures that were taken, there were at least a couple of people who either looked deeply unhappy or mildly aggressive. I thought it best to delete those from the memory card of my camera.

Despite what the pictures might have indicated, we all DID actually have a very nice dinner. Clara was very proud to be the center of attention and happy to be growing up. The food in the restaurant was adequate as always, but nothing special. What was special was the occasion. Lovely to see Clara soaking up all the attention.

On the 23rd, Clara hosted a party for 4 of her school friends. Really nice kids - very polite and well behaved. Clara did not want me to cramp her style, so I headed off to Kinokuniya book shop in Shinjuku and then had some beers. Nice.

Christmas Day was pleasant, but typically low key for Japan. We opened the presents under the tree and had a great dinner later in the evening. My friend in Shimogo, the local doctor, sent us an extremely tasty bottle of Napa Valley wine called The Prisoner (2009). According to this link, the 2009 vintage actually debuted in a real prison! All in all, a very satisfying day. Christmases in Japan used to be a difficult time for me in the past. Everything is much more low key in Japan and it was difficult to hear about the fun others were having in other parts of the world. Now I know what to expect, it doesn't phase me anymore.

We are all now in limbo waiting for New Year to arrive. I am sure I will soon make another visit to my local bar and am equally sure we will have a nice lunch on New Year's day. I will endeavor to be a more active blogger over the next couple of weeks. Better go.....dinner time.

'Tis the season to be jolly

I've been a bit of a boring boy recently, hence the lack of updates to the blog. However, as with most people at this time of year, there are a number of noteworthy events coming up.

We only put up our rickety old tree a few days ago, but it makes a welcome addition to our living room. I'm not sure how comfortable our dog is with the tree beside his bed, but he has not cocked his leg at it yet. Clara commented that we she was younger, the Christmas tree appeared massive in her eyes. I'm sure there is a song about that somewhere.....yep, it is called 'The First of May' by the Bee Gees.

The start of all the special events is today, 22nd December. I'm very proud to say it is Clara's 11th birthday........11 years ago today I was pacing up and down the Simpson Memorial Maternity Hospital in Edinburgh waiting for a little noisemaker to arrive.

11 years later, she is coming along great and Yuki and I are very proud of her. Happy Birthday Clara!! We will all go out for a special birthday dinner to celebrate. I'll try and post a couple of pictures on this blog tomorrow.

So, it looks like it will be a very busy and enjoyable couple of weeks. I'll be sure to post a few more blog entries in the near future.

Thanks, Apple!

An electronics brand manufactures your rather expensive laptop with a defective component which fails 3 years after purchase. Not long after, the same brand announces that the MP3 player you bought 6 years ago has a potentially faulty battery. If that were the end of the story, I imagine you would never buy a product from this company again. I would imagine there would be wholesale defections of consumers, possibly permanently, to other brands.

Well, the brand in this case is Apple. And in this case, far from moving my allegiance, I think I will probably be hanging around for a few more years yet.

About 1 month ago, my MacBook Pro started acting funny. Strange lines appeared across my screen, the computer seemed unusually hot, and eventually all that would appear would be a fault message in 6 different languages. I took my laptop to the Apple store in Shibuya and a week later I was told it was ready for collection - no charge! The logic board which forms the majority of the internal gadgetry required replacement due to a manufacturing error. I am now the proud owner of a MacBook Pro which has had most of the internal components replaced. Had I have had to pay for this myself, the bill would have been approximately £350. It is not unreasonable to now expect my laptop to carry on going untroubled for a few more years yet.

Last night, I received an email about my long forgotten iPod Nano which was been gathering dust for the majority of the last 6 years. The mail informed me that there is a potential problem with the battery which therefore requires some form of remedy.

Dear iPod nano owner, Apple has determined that, in very rare cases, the battery in the iPod nano (1st generation) may overheat and pose a safety risk. Affected iPod nanos were sold between September 2005 and December 2006. This issue has been traced to a single battery supplier that produced batteries with a manufacturing defect. While the possibility of an incident is rare, the likelihood increases as the battery ages.

Apple recommends that you stop using your iPod nano (1st gen) and follow the process noted below to order a replacement unit, free of charge.

After following the additional instructions on the email, it turns out that my iPod Nano is from one of the manufacturing batches which require replacement. The official line from Apple is that this would be a like for like replacement i.e. 1st generation iPod for 1st generation iPod. However, according to other sources such as The Guardian Newspaper, the replacement will come in the form of the latest 6th generation iPod Nano. Perfect! Can you guess what one of Clara's Christmas requests was? Yep, an iPod Nano.

So, all in all, despite the problems with some of the Apple hardware I have bought over the years, it would seem that I am now an even more loyal customer. In admitting their errors and providing replacements with little stress or effort, they have ensured that my hard earned cash will flow in their direction for some years yet.

This experience reminds me of the Tylenol saga from 1982 - product problems which were dealt with openly and without too much focus on the bottom line. The result? A greater market share and a brand with an even stronger market reputation.

Shimogo - A Sad Return

On Saturday, I woke up early and travelled up to Shimogo in Fukushima Prefecture, a place where I lived for 4 years. I had planned on visiting Shimogo on 26th November to meet my friends Tomo and Satoshi. Unfortunately, my trip was earlier than planned and for an altogether different reason. Satoshi died very suddenly - heart attack. He was only 57.

Although I was worried about being a liability at the funeral, I really wanted to do everything I could for an old friend. Attending his funeral was all I could really do to demonstrate the value I placed on our friendship.

Despite prior doubts, my attendance at the the funeral was very warmly received by Satoshi's family. I am glad that I played a small part in making their grieving process a little easier. It brought a tear to my eye when his family told me Satoshi liked to drink from a Scottish cup I gave him as a present and that he often talked about me.

Satoshi's family and friends welcomed me with open arms and we had many good conversations about him and other subjects. I certainly know that Satoshi would have approved of all the events. I felt extremely privalaged to be asked to attend the cremation and to assist with the placement of his remains in the funeral urn. I am sure that such a ceremony may seem macabre to many readers, but it does not feel that way. Japanese mourning gives the deceased great dignity and respect and helps those left behind to move on with their lives with fond memories of the departed.

The trip back to Shimogo was undeniably sad, but undeniably worthwhile. Given the circumstances, I don't think that it could have been much better. I will always remember the good times I had with Satoshi and may even visit the Donzoko restaurant / bar (in Tokyo) soon to have a pint in his memory. On a visit to Tokyo a few years ago, Satoshi was very keen to visit Donzoko as it was his stamping ground when he was much younger. At the time, I felt very privileged to be taken to such a place where he had so many happy memories. It was nice to see Satoshi reminiscing about happy times in his past.

After the events connected to the funeral, I met up with Dr Tomo in Wakatsuki, a local restaurant we used to frequent with Satoshi. Of course the evening was tinged with sadness, but we certainly managed to have a good time - Satoshi would certainly have approved. Tomo kindly brought 2 bottles of very nice wine which were quaffed with unknown quantities of beer.

I took a few photographs in Wakatsuki, but they all turned out blurred. Obviously the Canon designers have not yet worked out a solution to alcohol induced camera shake.

Nursing a hangover, I slowly walked to Shimogo Station this morning (Sunday). The autumn colours were splendid and the air was chilly and refreshing. I was extremely pleased to bump into Fuminori, my old work supervisor, although he nearly caused a car accident when he pulled over to speak to me. Another nice event was meeting an old student from my time at Shimogo Junior High School. He got off his train and was hanging around the platform for 5 minutes while he plucked up the courage to speak to me. I remembered him from school - the Shimogo students were really a fine bunch!

The visit to Shimogo was certainly worthwhile. I celebrated the life of a friend and met people who I associate with happy days.

Satoshi Yuda

Very sad news - my friend from Shimogo in Fukushima, Satoshi, died suddenly today. I do not know any details of his passing but am sure to find out over the next day or two.

Satoshi and I usually used to meet up every Friday night in the local restaurant called Wakatsuki. Very fond memories of spending Friday afternoons on the Aizu ski slopes and then meeting up with Satoshi for some food and drinks. We had some very good times indeed and that is how I will certainly remember him.

I regarded Satoshi as somewhat of a unique character. He was frank and honest about any subject we discussed - quite unusual in Japan where people tend to be very guarded with their thoughts. I learnt a lot from him and he helped me view Japan from a different perspective.

Condolences to his family and other friends. RIP.

Ishinomaki - 7th to 10th October

The trip up to Ishinonaki was certainly a success. Our group (Team Tsukuba) arrived in Ishinomaki late in the evening of the 7th with the aim of starting work promptly on Saturday morning. Saturday saw us prepare lunch for locals living in the area where we were residing. On both Sunday and Monday, our time was spent clearing debris and unblocking drainage channels.

It is fair to say that I was not actually looking forward to the lunch event on Saturday. I wasn't really sure what to expect from the survivors and was concerned I would somehow be a hindrance to them. However, the event was a resounding success. In all, we served over 100 lunches to mostly elderly people. It seems that many of those who turned up have nothing left - no money, no clothing, and perhaps no more family. They are really living on a knife edge as the world slowly forgets them and the Japanese Government provides feeble assistance. It was sad to see such a proud group of people relying on charity to survive.

Memories of Saturday:

• People keenly collecting their lunches which really illustrated the dire position they are in.
• An elderly lady who despite all the travails was friendly and extremely jovial. When I helped carry her box of food, she jokingly asked if I was interested in marrying her.
• Watching the locals talk amongst themselves - the weekly lunch provides perhaps the only opportunity for the remaining community to meet.
• An elderly lady with a baby on her back - made me wonder where the mother was.

It was getting late by the time we had tidied away the marquee, tables etc. We drove to an onsen to wash the dust and grime off us before driving into Ishinomaki center for pizza. Business is recovering in some parts of town, and we were happy our money was helping make a difference. The pre-dinner onsen was lovely with the outside bath (called rotenburo) having a fantastic view of the waterfront. It was hard to believe that such awful events occurred there only 6 months previously. In the pictured neighbourhood below, the tsunami waters reached all the way to the roofs of the houses. Some houses were flattened whilst other stood firm. There appeared to be no rhyme or reason to the destruction - completely indiscriminate.

As mentioned above, both Sunday and Monday were spent doing manual work, mainly trying to clear drainage channels of accumulated sludge and debris. Perhaps the hardest part of this work was lifting off the heavy concrete covers to gain access to these channels.

We were extremely lucky with the weather all weekend - lovely blue sky and not too chilly at night. I did however get a bit of sunburn on my arms and neck, but that is a small price to pay. It was heartening to see other volunteer groups assist in the clean up and nice to see people of different nationalities lending a hand. Over the duration of the weekend, I met fellow Brits, Americans, a German, a Canadian, a Chinese, and a Dutch woman.

We also paid a visit to the immediate waterfront where the tsunami was at its highest and most destructive.

This building (a police station) was knocked over by the force of the water and remains where it fell. Some buildings will be left untouched for posterity and will perhaps serve as a useful warning to future generations not to ignore the threat of further tsunamis.

The following picture shows a building that somehow remained standing.

The tsunami reached the very top floor of the building as can be seen by the absence of windows and the twisted railings. I doubt anyone survived in either of the buildings pictured above.

The strongest memories of the 3 days in Ishinomaki are the sad stories told by survivors and the sight of personal possessions strewn around wherever you look. ID cards, broken crockery, kids chairs, CDs, vinyl records, golf clubs, toys.

One man who worked in our group was stranded on the roof of his home for 4 days before he was rescued. During that time, he could see the body of his mother floating nearby. The junior high school near our lodgings lost 200 students, in part due to confusion and delay immediately after the earthquake struck. This confusion meant they did not evacuate in time to avoid being swept away by the tsunami. I think it is best not to dwell too long on the fate of those who died.

So, I will probably be making another visit there in the near future. The immediate concerns are now the onset of winter and the mental health of survivors. In the street where we stayed, 4 people have committed suicide since the disaster.

May I also take the chance to thank those who generously contributed to my fundraising page. At the time of writing the amount collected is £560 (against the original target of

£250). The money will be used to buy tools and other essential supplies.

Let us all hope those that survived will one day regain some semblance of normality.

Donations for earthquake / tsunami victims

If anyone wishes to donate some money to contribute to the clean-up and relief efforts after the Japanese earthquake / tsunami, please click on this box. I'm not expecting too many donations due to 'fundraising fatigue', but a couple of quid would certainly be appreciated.

I'll soon post some text and pictures on this blog to show you the ways in which your donations make a difference. To all Scottish readers, now is your chance to dispel the stingy Scotsman myth.

Destination Ishinomaki (Miyagi Prefecture)

Well, it is over 6 months since the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit the Pacific coast of Japan. On Friday 7th October, a friend and I will join a group which has volunteered to assist with the clean up operation. We will be slumming it for 3 days.

We'll be mostly in Ishinomaki, a town which bore of brunt of the natural disaster on 11th March. According to the most up to date of information, 5,000 people in Ishinomaki have been confirmed as dead or missing. I assume that there will be a great deal of work to be done over the next few years, so this will perhaps be the first of many trips up north. I feel a certain responsibility to contribute something to the work up there as I lived in neighbouring Fukushima Prefecture for some years. The people up there were really very welcoming, so it is time to return the favour.As can be seen from the above picture, there is not much left standing in Ishinomaki. I'm not really sure what to expect, but I will post a new blog on my return.

I have just bought some hardwearing work gloves and N95 face masks which are apparently required to deal with the toxic particles blowing around. I now need to find myself a sleeping bag - still have a few days yet to get that organised.

We should be able to stay inside a building during our time up north. If not, I believe that tents are also available.

I'll take my camera with me, so I will be able to give you an update once I return. Although the radiation levels are noticeably elevated up north, I do not think it is a major concern for an adult making such a brief visit. I would however be more concerned if my children lived in the area.

Update to follow upon my return.

Yakatabune - Boat Trip

On Sunday 25th September, I and approximately 30 other customers from my local hostelry (Elwood's Bar) went on a boat trip in Tokyo Bay. These boats, called yakatabune (meaning 'roofed boat'), are a popular excursion for Tokyoites. Rather surprisingly, most of my fellow passengers had not yet actually been on one.

Yakatabune used to be popular amongst the cream of Japanese society many centuries ago, but are now popular amongst the hoi polloi. Great background information to yakatabune can be found at the following link. The interior of these vessels are supposed to invoke the memory of days gone by - tatami flooring, low tables, wooden windows, and paper lanterns around the exterior of the boat. Very nice indeed!From what I can gather, most yakatabune serve traditional and high quality Japanese dinners. However, the main source of sustenance on our vessel was monjayaki and okonomiyaki. Much cheaper, and in my opinion, much more tasty. The unlimited amount of beer available was also very welcome.It was quite a pleasure to eat and drink in the boat, with the views of Tokyo gradually changing as the evening drew in. A very pleasurable day out on the water, and one which in my mind finally signalled the end of summer.A great day out which I would recommend to all.

Earthquake - 6 months later

Well, it has been 6 months since the massive earthquake hit the east coast of Honshu - a useful point to reflect. Looking back, I am still more than happy with the decision for Clara and I to relocate for a week in Hong Kong. Radiation is still spewing from the nuclear plant up in Fukushima and I am therefore hoping my biggest mistake will not prove to be returning so quickly.

A small section of Japanese society has actually lambasted and mocked many foreigners (referred to as gaijin in Japan) for pulling out to more stable climes. For a time, we were rechristened byejin or flyjin. I am not criticising anyone for steadfastly staying put in Japan, but I think the criticism aimed at those who left is a bit rich. The Japanese have proved to be one of the most discerning and sensitive nationalities when it comes to world travel. Again, that's fine by me. Just don't criticise others for doing their best to preserve the safety of themselves and their family members, especially in a land where the Tokyo mayor advocates imprisoning Tokyo expats if a major disaster were to strike.

The cleanup in northern Japan seems to be progressing in fits and starts. Some areas look like they are ready for reconstruction whilst others are still covered in mounds of debris. Perhaps a bigger challenge will be persuading people to move back.... Since the problems with the nuclear power stations, there has been a big public backlash against the use of atomic energy. Let's just see how long this backlash lasts.....people forget very quickly.

There are still regular aftershocks, but they appear to be lessening in their intensity. People are slowly returning to their normal lives with the ever-present tension felt in the months immediately after the earthquake and tsunami decreasing steadily. In the back of my mind though, there is still the threat of the next big quake forecast to strike Tokyo. Some seismologists state that the risk has increased since the quake on March 11th, as discussed in the following link.

Fingers crossed for an extended period of stability.

And finally.....Hakodate

Our last night in Hokkaido was the 24th August. We left Sapporo early in the morning and headed to the nearby town of Otaru, famous amongst the native Japanese for the glassware made there. Otaru is famous amongst the foreign expat community in Japan for an entirely different reason - a lawsuit aimed at lifting the ban on non-Japanese from using some of the local onsens. Fortunately, one of those banned from the onsens (Debito Arudou) for not having the right ethnicity, took umbrage and won his anti-discrimination case. Despite such a victory, it is still not yet illegal to exclude customers from any premises in Japan based on race.

After our stop off at Otaru, the bus journey down to Hakodate was actually very nice. Lovely views from the road which followed the coastline south. We stopped off at a couple of places en-route and arrived at our hotel in Hakodate at approximately 5.30pm. Our hotel, the Bourou Noguchi, was very impressive indeed! A great blend of traditional and modern Japan. After arrival, we had to quickly eat dinner and then rush to join the bus once again to experience the night views from the top of Mount Hakodate. This rush meant we didn't have time to eat desert.

And the views from Mount Hakodate were certainly impressive - supposed to be amongst the three best night views in Japan, for which I wouldn't necessarily disagree. However, there were thousands of other people pushing, shoving, and shouting to get a glimpse of Hakodate below. The night view was certainly impressive, the experience depressing. I much preferred the experience of Mount Inasa in Nagasaki when we visited almost 4 years ago. Similar night view, but much more restrained and civilised. I wasn't at all unhappy to get back on the bus and return to our hotel.The room at the Borou Noguchi Hotel was one of the best I have stayed in. As can be seen from the picture, we had our very own hinoki (cypress) wooden bath on our balcony. Soaking in the bath was the usual pleasure and the Western style bedroom and Japanese style lounge were very tastefully done with little expense spared. However, the same problem existed as I experienced in Sapporo the previous evening. By the time we had returned from the night view and had an onsen, it was too late to explore the city of Hakodate (even if I did have the energy from the marathon day we had just experienced). So, similar to the night before, I was in bed asleep by 10.30pm.It was a terrible shame we were all so rushed. I spent approximately 8 hours in the Borou Noguchi Hotel, 6 of those hours were spent sleeping. It seemed to have defeated the purpose of staying in such a lovely place as we never had a proper chance to enjoy all the hotel had to offer. Shame.

Before our flight back to Tokyo the following day (25th August), we still had the chance to spend half a day wandering round Hakodate. I skipped breakfast in exchange for an extra 30 minutes in bed and then split from the rest of the tour and found a quiet watering hole to sit and have lunch with a couple of beers.

In summary, Hokkaido is certainly a fantastic place to visit and I was lucky to have a brief glimpse of what the island has to offer. I would recommend it to anyone. On the other hand, if you want to really understand and have a deeper appreciation of Hokkaido, it would perhaps be best to hire a car and explore at your own pace.

To Sapporo

On the 23rd August, we had a full itinerary on our epic journey from northern Hokkaido towards the south. Amongst other things, we stopped off at some picturesque waterfalls and spent about 3 hours at Japan's most popular zoo (Asahiyama Zoo). Going to a zoo seemed a little inappropriate to me - there are plenty to visit in any country or city around the world. I also feel uncomfortable that the animals are cooped up for their lives in small spaces purely for the enjoyment of humans. Clara loved it though and I must admit that watching the polar bear diving into a pool to retrieve fish was fascinating.

After departing the zoo, our journey continued to Flower Land. Not overly exciting and for me, a little disappointing. The large field of sunflowers all had drooping heads and I think that the famous fields of lavender had also already reached their peak a week or two before. The light rain was also a slight irritant.

The real prize for me was our stay in the city of Sapporo. Sapporo is world famous for the Snow Festival held each February - another good reason to make a return journey to Hokkaido one day. However, I was also interested to see the city as it is supposed to be unique amongst other Japanese cities as it adopts a more American style town plan.

Soon after arriving at our hotel in the Susukino area of the city (within the entertainment and red light district), we walked about 15 minutes or so to see Odori Park. The park is one of the well publicised images of Sapporo, so I was keen to get a quick glimpse before our search for a suitable place for dinner and drinks.

The only downside during our stay in Sapporo was the hectic schedule we had to stick to. We had woken up early (again) that morning and had spent an extremely busy and tiring day travelling to the aforementioned attractions. We also knew that there would be another early start the next day. Before the holiday, I was really looking forward to a good night out in Sapporo. Reality meant that I was in bed and fast asleep by 10.30pm. By trying to do too much, I actually failed to do some of the things I most wanted. Just too tired to explore the city, made worse by fear of being stuck on the bus the next day with a thumping hangover.

So similar to Shiretoko, Sapporo was a nice place to visit. In order to really appreciate it though, I will have to return one day.

Shiretoko Peninsula

For as long as I can remember, I have always yearned to visit the Shiretoko Peninsula. I imagined raw and unspoilt scenery, an abundance of wildlife, and only a smattering of people. My expectations proved pretty accurate.The only problem was that we were on a bus tour - a simple and often stress free way to see a new place, but one that sticks to a rigid schedule (especially in Japan) where you cannot linger.

Perhaps the most memorable memory of my whole trip was simply sitting on the beach for 5 minutes next to Clara. The air was fresh, the waters in the Sea of Okhotsk were clear, and the amount of bird life around the coast was a reminder of the relatively untouched wilderness we were visiting. Shiretoko was fantastic - but our brief visit was nowhere near long enough. I regard our visit as a taster - I will return sometime in the future for at least a couple of days. The scenery in winter must be breathtaking.

On the short return walk from the beach to the car park, I noticed a large cluster of thistles (called azami in Japanese) - how could I not take a picture of the flower of Scotland? A few years ago, I remember being quite surprised to learn that thistles were commonly found in northern Japan. The parallels don't end there - Scotland and Hokkaido are almost exactly the same size with almost identical populations.

Shortly after lunch and our brief sojourn to the beach, we got back on the bus and went to see the fairly interesting Sea Ice Museum near the town Mombetsu. Every winter, the Sea of Okhotsk freezes over due to the continuous influx of fresh water from the Russian Amur River, thus lowering salinity. It must be quite a sight to see in winter!Shiretoko was everything I had hoped it would be - a real gem. Next time I visit, I won't be in such a rush to leave. Fantastic!

Sapporo Classic

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Sapporo Black Label (kuro label) is generally my beer of choice in Japan, but as I was in Hokkaido, I thought it more appropriate to drink Sapporo Classic. Classic is not sold anywhere else in Japan, only Hokkaido.

Hokkaido - Akan National Park

Our long anticipated holiday to Hokkaido finally arrived when we flew up on Sunday 21st August. After a short bus journey from Kushiro Airport, our first night was spent beside Lake Akan, famous for green balls of algae called marimo. The area of Akan is also the last bastion of the indigenous people of Japan, the Ainu.

I have actually been to Lake Akan once before, about 14 years ago accompanied by vacationing university friends (Grambo, Bash, and Hank). We travelled up to Hokkaido on board the MV Blue Zephyr under clear blue skies, accompanied most of the way from Tokyo by dolphins. Unfortunately, this ferry service from Tokyo ceased some years ago - not at all surprising as we were practically the only passengers on board. As my friends and I all had such a great time during our visit in June 1997, I was excited to retrace some of my steps and see whether or not anything had changed - nothing had.

Memories of my last trip to Lake Akan are:

• hiking to the top of Mount Oakan (and cutting my leg)
• sleeping in the tent with the fear of being attacked by black bears
• sitting relaxing and chatting by the campfire
• bathing in the local onsen (and scaring the other patrons away)
• a marathon pedalo trip on Lake Akan to a small island
• listening to the hand over of Hong Kong on my small radio

This time, we stayed in the slightly more salubrious surroundings of the New Akan Hotel. The room was very nice and the dinner and breakfast buffet were certainly good for a fussy eater such as myself. After dinner, we wandered around the village for an hour or so looking at the usual tourist traps and paraphernalia - below is a picture of the famous marimo.

Clara is adamant that the marimo on sale are actually fake. She said that there is a little old lady who makes the green balls from regular algae and then puts them into jars for gullible tourists - I am inclined to believe her.

The best memory of our most recent trip to Lake Akan has to be the late night onsen and jacuzzi on the roof of our hotel. Very relaxing and peaceful.

Trip to Hokkaido

A holiday to the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido beckons. We all really cannot wait.

Hokkaido is the last unspoiled area of Japan, so it will be soothing on the eyes to see some wilderness as opposed to the Tokyo cityscape.

Our rough itinerary is:

Depart Haneda Airport tomorrow (21st August)

Stay at Lake Akan

Visit Shiretoko Peninsula

Various places through the center of the island

Sapporo

Otaru

Finishing off with a night in Hakodate (25th August)

I will obviously be taking the camera along so there will be some blog postings shortly....may even try and do a few updates whilst we are in Hokkaido.

I am most looking forward to Lake Akan, where my university friends and I stayed about 16 years ago. I have always wanted to visit Sapporo, so that should also be a highlight.

Clara is in very good form as she is looking forward to more travels. She has also just bought a new Pokemon game for her Nintendo 3DS so she is on cloud 9.

I am now a dot.com

Hello All

In a sign of an overinflated ego, I have simplified the web address for this blog. It is now:

www.kanedavidson.com

The old address should still work indefinitely, so you will not need to update your favourites. Not long until Hokkaido - more blogs to follow.

Clara's 2011 Scottish Odyssey

Clara is now safely back in Tokyo after spending another fun-packed holiday in Scotland. My parents loved having Clara around the house and accompanying her on the numerous excursions around Inverness and the West Coast.

Clara had a quite extensive itinerary which included ice skating, visiting Landmark adventure park, staying two nights on the Isle of Harris (thanks to Neil and Rhoda at Blue Reef Cottages), visiting family on the Isle of Skye, a 3 night stay in a caravan at Embo, and messing about in the evenings with her Scottish friends. Too many events to remember.I hope the pictures and video will be able to express what a wonderful holiday she had back in Scotland.
Many thanks to my parents for putting Clara up and giving her such a wonderful time.We will all travel up to the northern island of Hokkaido on Sunday 21st August for 1 week. Although I have been to Hokkaido once before, I cannot wait to reacquaint myself. I will take my laptop computer with me on our journey and will try and do some updates as our holiday progresses.