Since my last post I've done plenty more sightseeing, and the pictorial results can be inspected below. There's not much to add, really, other than to say that Japan continues to be marvellous. Everyone should visit and enjoy this beautiful country. Its inhabitants are by far the politest, friendliest and most civilised people I've ever met. I'm definitely coming back one day.
Never again shall I see Japanese students in Sunderland - hurriedly dodging their way through an unfamiliar sea of chavs and drunks and pasty wrappers - without acute sensations of pity, embarrassment and shame. And never again shall I endure a limp-wristedly clammy handshake, or a knuckle-crunchingly strong handshake, without being reminded that bowing to each other is a much better way of greeting.
In short, I'm thinking of changing my name to Eddie-San, and never coming home.
(I just wish they'd stop cutting the crusts off the bread in sandwiches. I like crusts. Also the McDonalds in Tokyo stop serving breakfast deals at something ridiculous like 10am. Don't they know I'm on holiday?)
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| Space-age high-tech Japanese toilet! After you've had too many bytes, this is where you come for a data dump. |
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| The entrance to the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park. You're not allowed to take pictures at the shrine itself. This is a bit rich from the Japanese, given that taking pictures is all they ever do when they're abroad. I drove a carload of them past the Gateshead Angel once and it sounded like a Bren gun going off. |
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| The music shops in Tokyo are just awesome. Above is one aisle of many in this particular guitar store. Upstairs they had a vinyl section with - for example - 22 separate LPs by Tangerine Dream. And if you've never heard of Tangerine Dream then arguably that kind of proves the point. |
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| Outside Shibuya train station. This is Tokyo's version of Times Square. And it's more fun. |
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| Oh boy. Oh boy oh boy oh boy. Japanese pasties are the bomb. I'm never going back to Greggs. Yes. I just said that. That just happened. |
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| Wise and mysterious words at the cable car station. At the top of the mountain, if you can't find a sensei, then sometimes a poster will have to do. |
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| Maybe 'Cedric' sounds like a cool name for a car in Japanese? I drive an old Nissan Almera, and for all I know 'almera' could be Japanese for 'scrotum'. |
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| Everything is relative. |
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| I spent a full day touring the Hakone district, which promises spectacular views of Mount Fuji from various places, including a boat cruise and two cable cars. In the event it was foggy as hell and the damn mountain didn't show up until the car park at the end of the tour. |
