The alarm went off at 7.00 this morning.  I had a shower and a small nibble that we had bought last night, and worked until 8.  We then had a walk to the fish market in Sapporo.  It was about 20 minutes so by the time we got there we were all getting pretty hungry.  We found a little restaurant to eat in, where we all had a selection of mini don buri’s.  Afterwards we were allowed to take a photo holding their (fake) giant crab.  Lots of the restaurants had crab here, so it seemed quite common.

We walked back to the hotel, stopping to have a quick look at the Jim Beam festival that was set up.  It didn’t open until 10.00 though.  We went to our room and I did more work, we finished our packing, and checked out about 10.15.  We walked to the station, and got on the next train for the airport.

Checking in was easy!  We were even allowed to select exit row seats, at no extra charge!  Plus they were the only seats on the plane that had 2 next to each other.  We also went to level 4 where there was a “VR” show (although it wasn’t really VR) – we had been given tickets back at the food festival in Sapporo.  I’m glad we didn’t pay the 500 yen for it, but at the end we were (each) given a voucher for 500 yen off any purchase at a particular store in the airport!  So we went there and bought a few things, with a very nice saving.

We purchased a bento box each for lunch on the plane, and then rushed to the gate.  We had gotten to the airport nice and early, but how time flew!  Once on board we ate our lunch and then I slept for most of the flight to Haneda.  The Shinkansen was more fun than flying, but flying was a lot quicker!  We landed about 3.15 – so just a 2 hour flight.

We caught the train to Shinagawa and checked back in to Shinagawa Prince.  Our room was very disappointing.  Lower floor, noticably smaller, less seats…Our last room must have been a special as we were staying for 5 days.  This time it is only 3 days.  Michael and Kaoru got washing organised, and then everybody came to our room to chat and drink while the washing was going (I was working).  As soon as it came out of the dryer we rushed off to Ebisu station, to meet up with Gary and Rikuko for dinner.

We arrived just after 7.  The restaurant was a very authentic place.  We were in a “shoes off” area, on the floor, and for the first time, there wasn’t an area under the table so you could sit normally.  So it was quite uncomfortable but enjoyable.  Kaoru and Rikuko sat on their knees the whole time – it was amazing to see.  We drank sake, wine and beer, and the girls ordered some fantastic food for us all.

After dinner Gary had to meet a friend of his, as his daughter was in town and he wanted to say hello.  So we all got in a couple of taxis and ended up having to go through a secret door to get in to the bar!  It had only recently opened.  Inside I saw a familiar face – Neil, who I met to discuss Inflatable World with last time I was here.  So that was a surprise.  We stayed for a few drinks, but not too long as it wasn’t really what we were after.  Leila and Kaoru went back to the hotel, but Michael, Gary, Rikuko and I decided to go out for a few more drinks.  So we went to the gaigin bar Gary took me to when I was here in June, where we had a couple of drinks.  Then we went home.

My alarm went off at 5.30.  No surprise – Kaoru was out (in the onsen).  She came back just as I was getting out of bed.  I had a shower to wake me up and we went downstairs.

On the bus to the ropeway (cable car) I ate the breakfast I had bought last night.  It wasn’t much but kept me going.  It was quite cool – I had 2 t shirts, a long sleeve T shirt, and my jumper on.  I was OK but wouldn’t have wanted it to be any cooler.

We caught the ropeway up looking at the autumn colors, covered by cloud.  It was quite pretty.  There was a very light hint of rain and as we left the ropeway building we were able to grab a light waterproof overcoat and umbrella.  We walked around for a bit and enjoyed the scenery.  Then we went on top of the ropeway building.  This view was amazing!  in the 10 minutes we were up there it changed from foggy to clear to a white out!  I played around with the hyperlapse mode of my camera and got some good effects.

We caught the next cable car down and had to walk back to the hotel.  Luckily it wasn’t raining.  We walked through the village which was closed but quite quaint.  And then it was breakfast time.  Another buffet, but we didn’t go overboard today.  After breakfast I decided to have another onsen (I was the only person in there) and then we finished packing and went downstairs to check out just after 9.

I had a hot chocolate and we met Michael and Leila downstairs, and we boarded the bus at 9.30.  We drove for about an hour through some beautiful countryside, which took us to a spot where we had an hour to walk around.  We had a short hike but the view at the bottom was better than the top due to the fog / cloud.  It was also a few degrees cooler here than back at the hotel / ropeway we had been at earlier.  I’m glad I didn’t bring a jacket just for this but also glad it wasn’t any cooler.  Hard to believe I would have been fine in shorts back in Sapporo yesterday.

We were all back on the bus early so we left about 10 minutes ahead of schedule.  This meant we were going to be at lunch before they were ready for us so we made a slight detour to see a waterfall.  We weren’t allowed out of the bus because we would have been late but it was an impressive waterfall.

Lunch was at the same place as our second stop yesterday.  It was pretty average unfortunately.  It had tempura which I would have been happy to skip. But a beer helped wsh it down.  We had a look in the shop again and then reboarded the bus.

We all had a bit of a sleep on the next leg.  Our stop was the same as our first stop yesterday.  We bought a profiterole which was gigantic – famous in this area, apparently.  We also bought an ice cream which was very creamy and delicious, plus a beer for our final leg.

Finally, after a very enjoyable trip, we returned to Sapporo.  We said goodbye to our guide and walked back to our hotel to check in. I set up my computer to address a couple of quick things and we went to Michael and Leila’s room, to plan our next day.

For dinner we went to Bikkuri Donkey, which translates to “Surprise Donkey”.  We had a meals worth of jokes going about that!  It was a cheaper place where kids go after school, to get hamburg steak.  I had one with cheese and potato salad mixed through the mince.  It was quite nice!

We then went to a shopping centre for Leila to do some shopping.  Michael saw a label in the complex for a gaming centre so we had a look through there.  We couldn’t understand most of the games.  I had a go of the Japanese drums game, choosing a couple of classical tunes so I knew them.  It was fun and killed some time.

Back at the hotel (via 7-11, of course) we went to Michael and Leila’s room for some sake and sweets.  We went back to our room about 10.00 and went to bed.

I didn’t sleep very well last night. The work issues kept me up from about 3 for a while. So when we got up at 730 i really wanted a bit more sleep. But no time for sleep….There were things to do!

We went downstairs for breakfast just before 8. We had decided to have a buffet breakfast this morning so ate in the hotel. They served a western and a Japanese style breakfast. So we helped ourselves to a number of serves and were all quite full when we left. We planned to meet just before 11 to check out. I spent the next hour working while Kaoru got our bags organized.

For today we had packed my backpack as anovernight bag and put all we could in the small suitcase. We left this at the hotel when we checked out, and walked to the station. We went back to Dimarau and bought bento boxes for lunch. We killed the remaining timehaving a drink and snack at mister donut, and walked to the bus stop, where Kaoru checked us in for our tour.

There were about 20 people on our bus. We were easily the youngest, and the only non japanese. We left at 12.00. The bus was half full but the organizer had given us reserved seats so we were all up the front. My backpack wouldn’t fit up top so it was at our feet. We ate lunch and admired the scenery of outer sapporo.

After about an hour we made our first stop ata rest area with lots of food stands. So we made our way through them getting samples. Back on the bus we were told we can move so took the back where we could stretch out.  A couple of other people moved too, but not many.

We drove for about another hour and reached our next stop – i had a power nap onthe way. It was similar to the first stop but less samples. I bought a bottle of milky sake (for tonight) and a can of nikka whisky and soda (for the last leg). Michael and Leila bought a bottle of the local beer. So we enjoyed them for the last leg for the day, and arrived at our hotel in Sounkyo Mt Daisetsu.

We drove for about another hour and reached our next stop – i had a power nap onthe way. It was similar to the first stop but less samples. I bought a bottle of milky sake (for tonight) and a can of nikka whisky and soda (for the last leg). Michael and Leila bought a bottle of the local beer. So we enjoyed them for the last leg for the day, and arrived at our hotel in Sounkyo Mt Daisetsu.

We had a wander around the hotel – both inside and outside. We learnt there is a sisterhotel up the road and a shuttle bus connectsthem so we caught that and checked out that hotel too. It was much nicer! Oh well…

We caught the next shuttle back to our hotel and made it right on time for our dinner sitting – our tour group had been booked for 5.30. A little earlier than we would have liked but nothing we could do.

We overate… Lots…There was plenty of food,all japanese style, buffet. After a buffet breakfast we really didn’t need a buffet dinner. It was all we could do to stand up.

We went across the road to the 7-11; which is really the last thing you’d expect to see in a place like this (well, in any other country anyway). We wanted to buy some nibbles forthe morning as we have a tour at 6.00 am but breakfast isn’t until 7.30. It was amazing how crowded it was. There was even a “tax free” line, meaning people were buying over ¥5000 to take home with them. We didn’t buy much at all.

We all went back to our room for some sake and a chat. Then Kaoru and i went to the onsen. Michael and Leila wanted to go later. The men’s one wasn’t too crowded (the women’s was though, Kaoru told me) – there might have been 10 other guys? At first i wasa bit uncomfortable about getting nude in a room full of strangers but once i was down there and washing i felt fine. I had gotten used to it on our March trip and the feeling came back.

I went in the 40 degree one. But even that was too hot for me. I lasted maybe 10 minutes. Once out i decided to have a shave since they supply a razor, shaving cream and my skin was soft from being in a hot, wet room. I dried myself and returned to the room. I met Kaoru at the elevator which was a surprise as she normally has long baths.

Back in the room we were both really tired soi set my alarm for 5.30 and we were lights out by 9.30.

A relaxing start today. After a shower Kaoru and i went for breakfast. Unfortunately we had trouble finding an appropriate cafe. After about 40 minutes of walking we ended up back at the Starbucks outside the hotel. While eating we saw Michael who had come to get their morning coffees.

After breakfast i got some work done and we all met outside the rooms at 9.15. We walked to the station and caught a 940 train to the Sapporo Beer factory. It took about 40 minutes and i booked my flight to Sydney for next Sunday (Charmhaven installation) en route. It was about a 10 minute walk from the station to the gates and we checked in for our 11.00 tour.

A shuttle bus took us to the starting point of the tour and once our group were ready we were taken around the factory. It didn’t seem very operational so we couldn’t see machines in action – just a few short videos in various rooms. But it was interesting nonetheless. At the end of the tour we were taken to the tasting room where we were allowed to try 2 different beers. Kaoru nearly had a whole one so was a bit tipsy. We helped her finish them off. The tasting room had a great view over the fields where people were playing a game which was a cross between mini golf and croquet. The guide also demonstrated how to pour a beer properly, but for mine it took too long and had too much head.

We checked the time of the next train and realized we needed to move fast, so rushed to the station. On the way Kaoru had us change trains to save us 4 minutes, but we lost 3.5 minutes with delays. Once back at sapporo station we rushed to the bus terminal and just made the next bus to the sapporo museum. The 3.00 tour was not full but they weren’t taking bookings on the day over the phone. So we got the about 1.00 and they said we could fit in.

For lunch we went to one of the halls and paid about $32 a head for a 2 hour “all you can eat”. We had to cook (similar to Korean bbq). The meat was called gengis kahn – basically lamb. It was delicious! We cooked, ate and drank for the next 90 minutes, then paid the bill and went to the tour start point.

We had paid the ¥500 each for the premium tour. This had a guide who took us through the museum (stopping at a few places of interest) and also had a video (with English subtitles). But the real clincher was that we got a couple of drinks at the end, one of which was the original recipe for sapporo. After finishing these we bought a beer which was a special for the museum, and after enjoying that we caught the next bus home.

On the way back to the hotel we made a detour at dimarou food court where we sampled some food and Kaoru bought some cake. We all went to our room to sample it and Leila bought a sake in to go with it. Once that was finished we had some chill time for 30 minutes in which i just worked.

We met outside the room at 7 and walked to the food festival where we sampled a few more things for dinner, including a beer to wash it down (Leila had a wine). We then went to 7-11 for a supply of snacks and sake. We planned to meet for breakfast tomorrow and i had another sake-bath to finish the night.

I woke before the 7.00 alarm went off. After a shower, some grapes and a bit of work we left the hotel at 8.00. We walked to the train station and separated to find breakfast, but ended up bumping in to each other at mister donut.

We caught an 8.43 train to Yoichi. This is the town where the Nikka whisky distillery is. This was a surprise Kaoru had organized for us. It took 2 trains to get there, and we were early so we went for a walk around the town. They make a great apple pie next to their space dome – which they put in to commemerate a Japanese person (who lived here) who went to the moon. Unfortunately it was closed so we could only get a photo out the front.

We got to the Distillery and managed to move forward to an 11.00 tour. The guide was in japanese but they had an app we could install to get a self guided english tour. It was quite enjoyable, especially the bit at the end where we each got to taste 3 whiskies! They had a recommended way of drinking them so we did that. Kaoru only had one of hers so we had the other two straight up. It had a much stronger caramel flavor – definitely my preference in cooler weather.

We walked back to the station and caught a 1230 train to Otaru. Once there we found a sushi place for lunch, and then wandered around for a bit. Kaoru called her cousins daughter who, by coincidence is in sapporo at the moment, and is actually in Otaru for the day. So we met up with her and her friend from Singapore. Kaoru had met the girl once before, before she was 1 year old.

We strolled along the canal chatting and eventually ended up at Le Tao – a famous place in hokkaido. I had a hot chocolate and cheese cake. We then went to Don Quiote, as Leila and Yuka’s friend both wanted to go there and it was right near the station. We then said goodbye as they were going back by bus (a little cheaper but as 3 of us are using JR passes the train is better for us). We got on the train and started the long trip back to sapporo.

We walked back to the hotel, took a 5 minute break and then went out for dinner. We found a ramen restaurant which was a bit smokey at first but not too bad. I ordered gyoza and the others all got ramen. It was a big meal. I couldn’t finish my rice. And about $10 each! The restaurant started to get smokey and i noticed somebody at the table 2 next to us had lit up. So we payed the bill and left.

We spent the next 90 minutes just walking around, and admiring the town at night. It was a comfortable 17 degrees. We finally got back to the hotel. I had completed 20000 steps for the day. So i had a bath enjoying some sake from the 7-11, and called it a night.

We woke up, had a shower, and met outside our room at 8.00.  Our first mission was to get money from the bank, but it was closed!  Luckily we found that we can withdraw money from the ATM in the 7-11, and it was the best exchange rate we have encountered yet!  So that’s good to know.

We went to the food market, and after a bit of a browse, decided it was time for breakfast.  We ate at a Ramen restaurant.  We then walked around the market a bit more (I had a matcha tea frappuchino), and then we walked around the port.  We could see the ropeway up Mount Hakodate, but decided against doing it.  So we booked our tickets to Sapporo and then went back to the hotel to check out.  Back at the station we bought some food for the trip, and caught the 10.48 train.

The trip seemed to take forever.  I had a nap, ate lunch, and another nap, but it was still really slow.  Nearly 4 hours in total.  The scenery was nice, especially going around the bay, with the water close enough to touch on the right, and the mountains on the left.  Finally we arrived, and found our hotel, navigating through the subway.

Once we had checked in and were taken to our rooms we had a bit of a relax, but then thought it was time to hit the food festival. It was about a 5 minute walk from the hotel to get to the start but it took an hour to get from one end to the other… and that was just seeing one side! We stopped regularly to buy some food and drink and it just seemed to go on forever. We then walked back on the other side with more stops and enjoying the look and taste of the selection of food available.

We had seen everything just after 6…So now it was time for dinner. But we were all full! So we went back to the hotel. It was starting to get cool now it was dark. We had some relax time and then walked to the tv tower, which we had first noticed as we walked to the festival, and on the way home it was lit up. As we got closer we could hear music playing, which ended up being “YMCA” – a Japanese favorite, and it was playing at an oktoberfest underneath the tower! It would be wrong of us to not stop and have a drink, so we ordered a drink each and sat down. It finishes at 830 and it was already after 8 so things were thinning out. By the time we had finished our drink the lights were off.

We paid our 720 yen and went to the top of the tower – about 90m high, and walked around admiring the sights. The Sapporo region is definitely a picturesque one. We could see the ski jump which was used for the winter Olympics many years ago. It is one of the attractions on my list if we have time.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the convenience store for some food. We were all pretty tired – the adrenaline is wearing off. So we had an early night.

I woke up around 7.45. Everybody else was up, naturally. After a shower breakfast started, which consisted of (several slices of) pizza toast and left over oden. We tidied up our room and had a wander around the yard. The 4 of us then went for a walk – first to drop something off to the lady next door (who I have met several times before), and then just a walk around the block to enjoy the fresh mountain air.

Back at the house we had some tea and planned what we would do for the rest of the day. We packed our bags and took some photos of the 6 of us, and then all piled in to Otoosan’s car (Kaoru in the boot! Lucky it’s a hatch!) and went to see their vegetable garden. It had grown so much since March when we were there last. We tasted some of the fresh food, and it was beautiful.

All in the car again, and it was off to the train station, where we said goodbye to Otoosan and Okaasan. We were sad to leave them, but needed to continue our travelling. So a train ride, 3 Shinkansen’s, a local train, and about 5 hours later, we got off at Hakodate, in Hokkaido!  It took us about 10 minutes to find our hotel, but we checked in and went to our rooms.

We realised the Sumo was on, so turned on the TV and saw the end of the day’s fights.  We went for dinner, just as it started to rain.  And boy did it rain!  We ran across the road to an Izakaya, but they were full, so managed to hail a taxi which took us to a place Kaoru found – Hakodate Beer.  We ate and drank there for a couple of hours, including a beer which “the presidents of companies drink”.  It was 10%!  Michael and I had one each.  It was quite nice.

We walked back to the hotel as the rain had subsided, and went to our room for drinks and snacks, which we bought from the 7-11 on our way home.

The alarm at 6.00 was not nice after a late night the night before. But we had a big day planned. After a shower Kaoru and I went to Segafredo for breakfast, but they were still closed! At 6.30! We had to go to the convenience store instead and I bought a couple of rice balls and a bottle of orange juice, which we consumed back in our room. We finished our packing (we had put the stuff we didn’t need for the next week in our main suitcases, and just had our small suitcase to live out of), and went downstairs to check out and put our big suitcases in storage. We then waited in the lobby for Michael and Leila.

At 7.30 we left Shinagawa Prince for the Shinkansen lines. Michael, Leila and I caught a Shinkansen to Tokyo, and Kaoru caught a JR train there. As the JR would be so crowded it made it easier for the suitcases to go by Shinkansen, but as Kaoru didn’t have a JR pass it would have cost a lot more for her to come with us. We met up, bought some snacks, and got on the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nasu.

Once at Nasu we caught a local train to Kurodahara, where we met Otoosan and put our bags in his car. We then walked about 10 minutes up the road and met with Okaasan, and did a course on how to make miso. This was something Kaoru’s parents had done before, and Kaoru went with them to pick it up a few weeks ago, and thought we might enjoy it. Michael and I were given aprons to wear to keep our pants clean and it was off to work for us! Kaoru, as always, was busy translating everything for us so we could enjoy the experience as much as possible. We had a look around the storage areas and were explained how the parts of the process work which we did not get to see. He has been doing it for over 40 years, and his family have been doing it for over 120 years, so a long history.

After being served some snacks and green tea, it was time for us to head off, so we walked back to the station (it was so great without our bags with us!) and caught two local trains and a bus, which eventually got us to Nasu Land Beer – a craft brewery Kaoru had found for us to visit, which brews beer for the emperor! We got a tasting paddle each, and enjoyed a couple of pizzas with our beer. We then walked back to the bus stop and caught the next bus to the taxi office which Kaoru and I went to on (maybe) my first trip to Nasu – with the Soba restaurant across the road. The taxi came through and left just as we got there, and didn’t say anything to us, so must have been on another job. We watched another taxi go past and not stop, so decided we would start walking. It was only 3 km so wouldn’t take us too long, but Kaoru called Otoosan and he came and picked us up, and took us to the house.

We showed Michael and Leila around the house, as they hadn’t seen the extension. Leila gave them a present – a canvas print of a photo that we took last time they were there, with the 6 of us. We had a couple of beers, and then I had to deal with some work for an hour or so. Otoosan got the coal bbq going and cooked some pike on it! What a treat that was. We were going to eat outside but then the rain came, so we came inside while Kaoru and Otoosan finished cooking the fish. We then went in to the lounge to watch some Sumo, but I fell asleep on the floor so missed it. Once Sumo was complete it was time for more food. We were treated to tomaki sushi and oden (like a hot pot), with sake to go with it all. After dinner we got the beds sorted while Okaasan and Otoosan did the dishes and tidied up. We watched some TV for a laugh, but were all pretty tired so were in bed by 9.

No alarm needed today. We got to have a bit more of a relaxed morning. Kaoru and I had breakfast at the bakery at the far end of the station. We had never eaten there before. I had eggs benedict and Kaoru had French Toast. We watched the endless line of people going to Shinagawa town. It was so thick-it would be a nightmare if you had to cross it…especially if you had a suitcase.

We went back to our room to brush teeth and start packing. As we have an early checkout tomorrow we wanted to be prepared. We went over to the station and met Michael and Leila at 10.30. We made our way to Roppongi area and had an early lunch. I had cheese toast – the bread was over an inch thick! We then made our way to our adventure for the day… MarioKart!

I had heard about this when i was in Japan in June. When i showed it to Michael and Leila it was locked in. We had arranged our international driving permits (a requirement) and were good to go. Kaoru couldn’t join us as she can’t drive but she got some photos of us as we drive away. We were allowed to wear costumes as well but since it was a hot day we just wore hats. We asked about helmets and were told “you don’t need if you don’t crash”. I also had borrowed Davids Go Pro, and they leant me a chest mount for it which looked better than the head mount David had leant me.

So off we went for my first drive in Tokyo. And what a hoot it was! We went to a few stops along the way for a couple of photos but we were more interested in the driving. As we got to tokyo tower i heard a scream from Leila behind me. Kaoru had managed to find us and was taking photos! We got a cold drink, said goodbye to Kaoru and got back on the road.

We were back at our starting point after about 2 hours, after a thoroughly exhilarating time. Then the 3 of us were alone in Tokyo and made our way to a craft brewery Michael had found, in Shibuya. We had a couple of beers there and i dealt with a couple of work issues. Then we got on the train for yoyogi for another spot Michael had found. We were able to have a tasting paddle there so could experience a larger number of beers.

After we were done we headed back to Shinjuku and met Kaoru in a department store. No matter how many times you see them they are always mind blowing. The foods…the colors…the packaging. But then it was time for dinner. We went to omoide yokochou, which is a lane way with a number of yakitori stands. Salarymen often go there for dinner on their way home, and we had seen it on master chef. We found a shop where we could eat outside where there was a bit of air flow.

Once dinner was complete we went to golden gai – a drinking laneway where each shop could fit about 10 people (sometimes less). Kaoru was tired so went straight back to the hotel. A number of the shops have a cover charge (500 – 1000¥) and others didn’t but charged more for drinks. We only wanted a couple, and wanted to experience a number of places so picked the no cover charge ones. I had an opportunity to practice my Japanese (what little there is) and we had a great time. But we had a busy night ahead so after our 3rd place we made our way back to the hotel.

Michael and Leila organized their dirty washing and i took them to the washing room. We also had a look at the pool in the hotel. Kaoru checked our load but it needed a bit longer in the dryer. So while washing was being done we ate meats Michael bought in Kamakura, cheese and snacks Kaoru had bought, drank beer and sake and looked at photos and videos of our mario karting. Eventually we called it a night, but it was nearly 1.

We met outside our room again at 830 and went in to the station for breakfast. I had congee. After breakfast we caught the train to ofuna (where Kaoru used to work), and she changed her ticket to a one day for the area. It wasn’t worth it for us as we were on jr pass.

The next train took us to Kamakura where Kaoru showed us a vegetable market, but it wasn’t as busy as she was hoping to show us. Then we went to a craft beer place for a late second breakfast.

A bit of a wander around and we caught a bus to the bamboo temple. We paid an extra 500 yen to get the green tea as well. It came with a sugar lollie which improved the bitterness of it. Drinking the tea looking up at the bamboo was so peaceful. Pity about all the tourists! The whole area was crazy.

A bit more of a walk around and then we caught the bus back to another temple. This is the one Kaoru and i saw the bride pass out at many years ago. We then walked back down the street to the station, stopping for a pork bun, matcha ice cream, beer and shopping along the way. We all had sore legs so stopped for a sausage and drink, and planned the rest of our afternoon. We decided we didn’t have time for the big buddah so caught the train to Endoshi island. We walked across the bridge and up the main street, and bought a squashed squid. …something. … basically there were 3 little squid with a small amount of batter, squashed in a sandwich press.

We walked further up to the temple but after a number of steps decided we didn’t have time to go further. So we made our way back to the station and caught the train to fujisawa. We went to Kaoru’s old “OK!” supermarket where Kaoru showed Michael around all the food and Leila and i checked out the bottle shop and daiso to make some purchases.

We got to “our restaurant” for our 7.00 booking. As usual they were happy to see us again. We ate and drank plenty and had a great meal. On the way out the master came from the kitchen and gave us a gift. A cloth each, like the ones we gave guests after our wedding.

We walked to the station and caught the train back to Tokyo. It was a bit late and we were all pretty tired so we skipped late night drinks. I had a beer while getting some work done.

We left at 830 this morning and went to my usual breakfast place – Segafredo. We watched the mayhem of the station for a bit and then caught the train to Tsukiji (fish market). We walked around town for a bit and made it to the gates bang on 10.00, which was when the gates open to the public. So we didn’t get to see any sales but saw them packing things up and also got to walk through most of the market and see all the fish. It was a “no photos” area but there were a high number of tourists with their camera out. We looked at one fish and the guy said “fugu”. Michael asked if he could take a photo and the guy said ok.

We then had second breakfast. We found a donbourie restaurant with no line which was great as people were lined up at all the sushi places (as we did last time), with a beer, but also a very refreshing cold green tea. Once finished we moved on to tsukigi honganji which is the main temple in the area.

After a look around there and watching a bit of the memorial service we caught a train to ryougoku and went to the museum for a walk around. We spent probably a couple of hours there. It had a great history of the edo period as well as more modern tokyo.

Then it was time for our “big event” of this trip. SUMO! Kenichi and Kaoru had organized tickets for us, so in we went and found our seats. We watched a couple of bouts but because it was still early they were low grade. We bought some lunch and beer and watched for more, learning bits of the rules. We watched a number of fights over the afternoon and it was really enjoyable. The very last fight had an upset as a lower ranked person beat the higher ranked!  This caused the crowd to go wild which included throwing cushions at the stage!  We couldn’t tell if this was from excitement or disgust.

After the fights were over it was about a 20 minute walk to the place Kaoru had organized dinner for the night. It was a Michelan restaurant and owned by an ex Sumo wrestler. There was a ring in the middle which used to be a training ring. We had a hot pot there which was great.

We made our way back to the station and to Shinagawa. We then went to the supermarket on the second floor at the station and bought a few drinks and snacks. We went back to our room to plan the next days activities and get some work done.

We woke about 720, had a shower and left the room just as Michael and Leila got to our room at 8. Kaoru took us to a place she wanted to go to for breakfast, for a croque monsuier. It was a bit of a walk but worth it!  The day was warming up already, on its way to 31.

After breakfast we aimlessly walked around for a while and waited for a cafe to open at 10.00 for coffee (i had lemonade) and do some planning. We then got our Shinkansen tickets for our next trip. We don’t leave until Friday but as we wanted reserved seats we thought we should get in early; as it was we couldn’t get 4 seats together.

We caught a train to Nippori and walked through the main street. It was a very old fashioned town. We found a craft brewery place and had some beers (tasting paddle) and food. We finished the walk through the main street, stopping in the occasional shop to look around. As we were ready for lunch we found a soba noodle shop. It was hot outside so some cold soba and beer was just what we needed.

After a bit more walking we got on the train to Akihabara. Kaoru wanted to show Michael and Leila a craft shop there. It wasn’t what she was expecting but there was s large selection of foods to look at, and we got a few samples. We then decide to go for massages so went to the same place Kaoru and i went to the other day. We had to wait 20 minutes or so, so passed the time with a bit of a walk around.

Once our massages were complete we got on the train to Shibuya, and then non JR to Kozawa daigaku station. It was then a bit of a walk to nikufest – meat festival. We were walking against a large number of people, so we figured we were going the right way but getting worried why everybody was leaving. It wasn’t as crowded as we were expecting so i think we choose the right time to get there. We had a couple of beers and some meat dishes. Nothing overly fantastic but still nice.

We walked back to the station and back to the hotel. A trip to 7-11 had us top up on supplies, and then we all went back to our room to eat and drink a bit, and plan the next day.

I woke several times in the night but got up about 830, had a shower and went down for breakfast. After breakfast Kaoru and I started packing our bags as we were checking out of “château Yoneda” today.

We left our bags behind (as we were coming back later this afternoon) and Mio drove us to the station. It was still raining from yesterday – nothing major, just a constant rain. We then went to yokohama again – this time to see Hiro and Yasuko.

We found Kiyoken restaurant which Kaoru had booked. It’s a famous Chinese food restaurant. They were waiting for us out the front. We had a great meal and lovely chat about old times. Bob and Irene Nelson, for example, and trips to lake massasecum. Their english is still very good considering they haven’t really used it in over 20 years.

We paid for lunch and took a photo outside to send to mum and dad. After a long goodbye we parted ways at the station and caught the train back to Tokyo. Because it was rainy and Kaoru was getting tired we got Mio to pick us up from the station.

Yoichi was having a sleep and after a cup of tea i had a lay down too. A beer as a jump start and we were ready to go for dinner. We put our suitcases in the back of the car and said goodbye to Yoichi as he was off for nomikai. Mio, Kaoru and i went to town and i went in to pick Arisa up again. We then went to an Italian restaurant for dinner. Near the end of the meal we got a message from Michael and Leila. They had landed and were just going through immigration.

After dinner we dropped Arisa off as she wanted to watch tv. Mio then drove us to Meguro station as that was jr and close to Shinagawa. Kaoru and i said goodbye and left. Once at Shinagawa we checked in at Shinagawa prince hotel – our residence for the next few days. We went up to our room and to our surprise we were in the same room i was in on my very first trip to Japan!  I know because it was the corner room.

We spent a bit of time unpacking and getting the place under control. We then went down to reception to await Michael and Leilas bus. We saw them at the checkin counter. So said hello and once they had finished we arranged to take 5 minutes to drop their bags off and then we went out for food.

The rain was getting heavier just as we crossed the road to the station. We crossed the tracks and went to the same restaurant i started at on my June trip. We ordered some food and drink and caught up for a bit but were all pretty tired. We went back about 1145 and called it a night.

As usual Kaoru was up about 6. I had a bit of a sleep in, got up and had a shower and breakfast. I was served these amazing grapes which you can only get in Japan. They were big, dark purple in color, and very juicy.

After a bit of work we walked to the station and made our way to yokohama. Even though i had a jr pass, we didn’t take the jr line as it would take longer and cost more for Kaoru. So there’s a bit of planning that goes in to each trip.

At Yokohama we went to a cafe. I had an iced macha latte and a chocolate and banana croissant, as i was getting a bit hungry. Kaoru bought a cake for us to take. We got on a local train and walked to Ryu and Naoko’s house. We both remembered the way. Just as we arrived it was starting to rain. This was the start of typhoon 18 (their names are the number for the year). We had a great afternoon of eating and talking. Naoko is pregnant again. Ryu has been on assignment in Kobe, but his boss has changed and is moving back to Tokyo at the end of the month. So things are going very well for them.

The afternoon flew, with the help of beer, wine and sake. We didn’t get away until about 6 and were therefore in a bit of a rush. My task for the day was to pick Arisa up from school and bring her to the restaurant we were eating at. So Kaoru dropped me at the school, and i went up and said “Yoneda Arisa no ogi desu. Arisa o mukaeni kimashita”. Shortly followed by “toile wa doco desuka” as i was busting.

I am not allowed to speak any japanese to Arisa. So i asked her a couple of questions and she had nobody to help her. In the elevator i told her we needed the 10th floor and she knew what that meant. We then found Kaoru and went to Kamakurayama, and waited for Mio and Yoichi to arrive.

Our dinner was absolutely amazing. Lobster, sashimi, and then the most beautiful scotch filet you could imagine. We had a great view from our private room, and delicious wine to go with it. Then they brought out a selection of cakes, of which we could pick 2 each, and tea or coffee. I also needed to help Mio finish her meat as there was too much for her. By the end of the meal we were stuffed. Kaoru and I had been eating pretty much all afternoon.

Yoichi had nomikai (drinking party) planned so we said goodnight to him and caught a taxi home. Back at the house i more or less collapsed and went to bed.

It’s cleaning day today, so I’m not allowed to have a shower as it has already been “cleaned” for when the cleaner comes.  I had breakfast and addressed a couple of small work things, and then the 3 of us left the house.  Mio had to go to the dentist, so we went up to the shopping centre; Kaoru and I went to Starbucks and had a drink, and then went and did some shopping.

Mio met us at Daiso, and we went to a Ramen restaurant for some lunch.  At 11.30 we still had to wait in line for 15 minutes or so.  Unbelievable!  But the lunch was delicious and filled a gap!  We then came back home. After doing some work and getting a quick power nap in, we were ready to leave about 3.00. We walked to the station (Mio wanted to drive us but i showed her how low my step count was) and got off at Harajuku.

We did our usual visit to meiji jingu shrine and could see how the works are progressing. We then went to the scetchers shop as i thought a new pair of sneakers would be good and these would be tax free. Plus i like my current pair. They had 20% off a second pair but Kaoru couldn’t find a pair that she liked.

We were getting a bit hungry so we walked down takeshita street and bought a crepe each. Kaoru said they remind her of her childhood. Once finished we went to togu shrine but as it was after 5.00 we couldn’t go in to pray. We were able to walk around the lake though.

We had some time to kill so went to chrome2 – the place i found last time i was here that i met Gary at. After a beer we headed off to dinner. We met Gary out the front of the same restaurant they took me to in June. We were taken to our table which already had our first course laid out. So we ordered a beer to get started.

Rikuko arrived about 10 minutes later. She was held up at work. We enjoyed the evening. Kaoru and Rikuko got along great. They have much in common as Rikuko is a kimono sensei (among other things). We had one of the dishes we ate last time – it had tomato on bottom and pureed carrot on top, with a delicious juice. It was very refreshing on a hot day. A few more beers and some sake (poured the proper way – where it overflows into a saucer underneath), and also some pike (which is currently in season, and was delicious), and before we knew it, it was time to go. Gary and Rikuko had to leave early for Hokkaido with Rikukos aunt tomorrow.

We says goodbye and caught the train and walked back to Mio’s. She and Yoichi were still up so we had a beer with them and called it a night.

We had a bit of a sleep in this morning – waking up about 8.00.  We got ourselves organised and went to find somewhere for breakfast.  We ended up downstairs in the train station, finding a small cafe.  I had a caesar salad with a waffle and Kaoru had (thick) toast with ham and egg on top.  We had almost completed the walk to the nearest JR station, so we decided to go the rest of the way and buy Kaoru’s Shinkansen ticket back to Tokyo.  It meant we didn’t have to be at Shinosaka with enough time to wait in a long line, so allowed our day to be a bit more relaxing.

We went back to our room to plan our day and shower, and checked out a bit before 11.  We left our bag at reception and caught the train (well, 2 trains) to Osaka castle.  It was a long walk from the station to the castle, and another long walk from the gates to the castle itself.  We got an ice cream to cool us down, as it was about 30 degrees.  We caught the elevator to the 5th floor, and walked up to the 8th, did the walk around the observation deck, and then walked down and looked at the exhibits of each floor.

We went back to the hotel the same way we came to the castle.  We had already completed 7000 steps and hadn’t even had lunch!  We got our suitcase and caught the train to Shin-Osaka, where we finally had some lunch.  We had Okonomiyaki, at the same restaurant we had it at on our way home from Kobe in March.  We caught a 3.15 Shinkansen back to Tokyo.

I spent the whole trip back to Tokyo doing Fitgenes work.  I started with a phone call to Leigh, and then had a number of little tasks.  We arrived at Shin-Yokohama about 5.50.  It took us 2 more local trains to arrive at Seijokuen-mae at 7.15 (we deliberately took a slower-than-normal train to save waiting too long at the end), and met Kozue and Minami.  Kenichi arrived 5 minutes later, and we went for dinner at their local Korean restaurant.  Kenichi had done several trips to Korea with his business so we let him order everything.  At about 9.30 Kozue and Minami went out to pick Yukari up from school, and then she ate, and we had a couple more drinks.

We didn’t realise how late it was, but we finally left and caught a taxi back to Mio’s.  We got home after 11, and everybody was in bed.  Ange started barking so Mio let her out of their room so she could see us.  We tried to be as quiet as possible, and went to bed.

I had a better nights sleep, but still had a couple of wake-ups, before getting up at 7.30.  A shower made me a bit more functional, and breakfast sealed the deal.

Kaoru and I got our bags packed, and Mio drove us to the station at 9.00.  It was a beautiful, clear day, on its way to 31 degrees.  It took us 3 trains to get to Tokyo station, but each change was at the same platform (well, across the platform) so very convenient.  We got there earlier than we had planned, so got some nibbles (rather than a lunch) and waited in line for the train to open up.  From our experience going to Kobe in March, we learnt that getting on at Tokyo, and being there early enough, means we don’t have to pay for a reserved seat for Kaoru (just a normal ticket).

We got on the Shinkansen, where I caught up on a few more things, and we ate our nibbles.  One was a meat pie made with Kobe beef (delicious!), and the other were banana-filled cakes (kind of like a twinkie with banana cream inside).  It was then time to enjoy the countryside, and get a little bit of sleep.

We arrived at shinosaka just after 1, and found somewhere to have some lunch. It’s great being on holiday time! After lunch we caught the train to Namba station and were able to check in to our hotel once we managed to find it (about 215). Mikusan had suggested this hotel – Swissotel Nankai Osaka. It was very nice.

Once we were ready we made our way downstairs and awaited Mikusan.  She was a little bit late (about 3.40), but we had nothing else to do.  I introduced her and Kaoru, and we grabbed a cold drink and chatted for a while.  She speaks confident English when she knows what she is saying, but as soon as she had any trouble she would get Kaoru to translate.  That Japanese mindset of not wanting to look silly in front of somebody else.  We found out that she lives in the mountains between Osaka and Kobe, and that it takes her 90 minutes to get to Osaka.  So we were very lucky to have her come all this way!

Matsuyama-san arrived about an hour or so later.  He had a meeting but finished it early to come and see us.  So we demonstrated Datascore to them, with me driving, and Kaoru translating it all; and doing an excellent job of it, considering she doesn’t really know the indoor sports business.  She has learnt parts of it from hearing me talk about it, but has no real hands on experience.  Matsuyama-san has already spoken about it to some of his contacts!  It could be a long, slow road, but it will hopefully move faster than Konami has over the last 5 years!

Once finished we went to dinner.  Matsuyama-san had booked a restaurant that he knows.  Miku-san had bought a couple of bottles of wine; the restaurant wasn’t BYO but as Matsuyama-san knows the owners we were able to drink it.  We gave Matsuyama-san a bottle of Shiraz that we had brought from Australia, and Miku-san a container of T2 Tea.  We then enjoyed a delicious meal and great conversation.  We got to know them both better.

After dinner we went for a walk around Osaka.  The night life was beautiful.  We didn’t go for any drinks, but just strolled around Dotonbori.  We passed a shop which sold puffer fish. There were some live ones in a tank in the window and then the frame of a couple of dead ones all blown up. Osaka is apparently a better place to eat it than tokyo.

Matsuyama-san explained how people jump off the bridge in to the river when Osaka baseball team wins a game!  Kaoru spoke to him a lot (as he doesn’t speak a lot of English) and I spoke to Miku-san, so she could practice her English without somebody else hearing.  We ended up back at our hotel about 9.30 but as Miku-san had a long trip home we didn’t suggest going for another drink.

Once they were out of sight, Kaoru and I went back out, thinking a drink would be nice.  But we couldn’t find a pub to drink at so we bought some take away drinks and some sweets and went back to our hotel room.  The view out our window (23rd floor) was beautiful at night – it was a pity we couldn’t sit on the balcony.  So we enjoyed a drink and snack, and went to bed.

I didn’t have the best nights sleep.  The couple of craft beers I tried (with the sushi) last night probably didn’t help.  That, and knowing I had to test everything in preparation for my demo today at Konami…

I woke about 7.30 local time and went downstairs to say Hello.  Yoichi and Arisa had already gone to work and school.  I had a shower which woke me up a bit, and then some breakfast.  It was then a busy morning of testing Datascore on Kaoru’s computer, and dealing with issues from yesterday (mostly Fitgenes).

Mio drove us to the train station which was great.  It was raining, and muggy.  Although the traffic was bad, and it looked like we may be late.  At the station I caught the train to Shinagawa and Kaoru went to Shibuya (opposite direction).  At Shinagawa I went across the road to Goos hotel and met Mikiko in the lobby.  I gave her a bottle of wine as a present which she took to her room, and we went for an early lunch (it was 11.00 :)) at TGI Fridays.  Once I saw Taco rice I didn’t have to look any further on the menu!

We caught up and chatted about our plan for the day, and then caught a taxi to Konami headquarters.  The presentation was just to Oishii-san, which was disappointing.  But he was certainly happy with it and will put forward the idea to management.  They also had just tried moving to Sportskeep 3 (finally) and their original database had become corrupt.  So I had to try to fix that (but without my laptop, and other issues in that they couldn’t get the database off the computer).  We left about 2.00.

Back at Shinagawa we had a drink in the lobby, and then Kaoru called as she was on her way.  I met her at the station, and we caught a train to Akihabara.  I needed a new battery for my laptop and Kenichi suggested a store I may be able to get it from.  Unfortunately they didn’t have anything.  So we left empty handed.  We went to a Mr Donut for a donut and drink, and decide what to do for the rest of the day.

I had received a new version of the database from Oishii-san while we were there, so I logged on to my computer back in Oz and managed to repair it, and get it back to him (via Mikiko with an explanation).  We then went for a massage.  Kaoru managed to find a place that charged ~3,000 yen for 60 minutes (~AU$35).  So we went there, and were both surprised at how good a massage we received!  But we then had to move and get to the station, and back to Shinagawa.

We met Mikiko at the station at 6.30 (just on time) and went to Korean BBQ restaurant around the corner.  This was the restaurant that Kaoru and I went to on our first dinner date, that night 5 years ago, when I met Ochi-san as well.  We were at a different table, but had an awesome dinner.  Apart from the beef guts…..I won’t order them again :).

Back at Shinagawa station, Kaoru and I got our Shinkansen tickets for tomorrow, and then made our way back to Mio’s.  Luckily it wasn’t raining any more for the walk from the station, but it was still pretty warm and humid.  Kenichi was in the lounge, so i sat down and had a beer.  Mio was in the bath but came down after a bit.  Arisa was still awake as well.  I had a shower to freshen up (and wash the sweat off!) and went to bed.

Here we go again. ..

I have spoilt myself this trip. I paid for business class flights. The last one was just no good when i got home as i didn’t get any sleep.

Kaoru left a week ago. I caught the uber at 6 and had a quick check in. Once in the lounge i had some breakfast and a shower to freshen up, and passed the time until departure.

Immigration was very busy. It took me about 40 minutes to get through. It was like that the first few times i came but the last few have been quite quick. So i didn’t make the 730 bus unfortunately; by the time i had my ticket it was just before 8 and i was on the 835 bus. To pass the time i went downstairs to the train station and got my jr pass sorted. There wasn’t much of a line at all, luckily.

It was quite hot and humid. I’ll be looking forward to shorts for the next few weeks!  I got a beer and cheese hot dog to keep me going and then caught the bus to Futako Tamagawa station. I was able to get a little bit of sleep on the bus. I can’t have a late night tonight as tomorrow will be busy. Of course once i arrive at Mio’s bar, anything goes!