26/3 - Wine, Women and Chiefly SONG

Monday we had no scheduled activity till the evening, which was just as well given the lateness and amount of the previous day's activities. The weather was nice and we made it into Kichijoji for lunch, after which we dropped in to visit Mari.

Along Sun Road we dropped into the Post Office to send some postcards. This led to quite some frustration for Maria which, rather humouressly came out as a bit of a tirade at Mari's place when Maria was explaining.

What had happened was that we had used 75% of the back of the postcards to write our messages, still leaving a quarter for the address. The post office worker said we had to pay more - the cost of a letter (110 yen) rather than the cost of a postcard - because we had written too much. Anyway, this was a cause for consternation, disbelief, and some anger; as well as a few jokes.

We whiled the afternoon away at Mari's on various activities and before long it was time to go to the Yakiniku restaurant for dinner. This was a special activity we'd scheduled about a week before with Mari, her immediate amily (husband and Ryu) and her mother and step-father (called "Mr"). A yakiniku restaurant is one in which customers cook their own food. A brazier (or 2 in our case - there were a total of 10 of us) of hot coals measuring some 40cm in diameter, with a mesh grill on top, is placed on the table. Customers order platters of meat (beef, pork, liver, etc.) and other dishes which they communally cook atop the grill. The food is delicious and its a great way to enjoy each other's company over conversation and a few beers or other beverages. Further the restaurant was one we had eaten at after carrying the Omikoshi 12 years ago, is run by one of Mari's friends, and has a great reputation. So...it was excellent...gochiso sama deshita Mr/Mari.

After a couple of hour's dining all of us bar Mari's husband (who started work the next morning at 5am) took ourselves off to a Karaoke Box for song. Going to a Karaoke Box is a great experience, even if you're a pathetic singer like I am.

Songs sung ranged from Japanese popular to classics such as Johny Cash and Elvis and rock such as U2's Vertigo. I had great fun singing Yu Yu Hakusho's (one of my all time favourite anime) theme song with Maria, as well as that for the old City Hunter TV anime. Perhaps the biggest "culture shock" moment of the night was hearing "My Grandfather's Clock" (put on for the kids) ... And learning/hearing the lyrics for all the verses for the first time. The most fun moment for me was seeing Mari perform "Cutie Honey" along with a number of the actions. It was extremely cute and fun. Ryu was also finally convinced to sing and appears to have a good voice (I believe to be a singer is one of his aspirations - no doubt particularly hard in Japan) - he sung a couple of old action ranger type themes as well as a modern popular song.

I should mention that Karaoke Boxes are particularly well setup in Japan, as well as being a competitive business. Within a minute of us exiting the restaurant we were approached by a Karaoke tout, many such (and probably for other shadier recreations) can be found around the major pedestrian intersections. This tout guided us to his business (3rd floor of some building a block or 2 away), but all the way we were pursued by a tout from a rival business, trying to convince us to change our choice. Inside the box you are given a couple of cordless microphones, almost a dozen telephone-book sized song lists which can be browsed and selections made from, and a couple of wireless touch screen boxes (a bit like small notebooks) which are used to enter selections, and which aslo provides a search service (by band or title). The room also contains a phone which can be used to order drinks (brought to the room), find out how much time remains, etc.

For me it was definitely a night of wine-women-and-song in the best sense - that warm feeling of friendship and fun. We ended up singing till 11:30, arriving home around midnight.

25/3 - Ome and Back Again

Sunday was a particularly long and filled day for the family, not starting too early but finishing quite late. Of course we were playing host to Aibara-san, but the first major activity of the day was a visit by Yoriko, her husband, and an Obou-san.

The Obou-san - a buddhist priest - had come to perform the twice annual ceremony at the house's Butsudan. A Butsudan is a commemorative collection of tablets dedicated to the ancestors of the household. In Yoriko's case that means tablets for each of her parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. The ceremony is to "propriate" the ancestors - pray for their continued happiness in the after-life. While once a common practice in Japan it is now rare (some of the reasons I can guess at being the "loss of traditions" that continues in Japan and all countries, lack of space, ...) with Keiko (I think it was) estimating less than 1% of households now continuing the practice.

To our pleasure and surprise Yoriko invited us to join in the ceremony - though the Obou-san would perform all the ceremony and we would effectively be passive observers. The ceremony itself was quite simple and relatively short, offerings including small portions of drink, food, and incense had already been placed in front of the tablets. The Obou-san knelt directly in front of the Butsudan, chanting; while we with Yoriko and her husband knelt or sat cross-legged on cushions behind (Aibara-san on a chair). The Obou-san's chants were ocassionally punctuated by striking a chime,and at one stage the names and dates (of death) of Yoriko's ancestors were chanted. Before the kids got too restless the ceremony was complete and we retired to the loungeroom for tea and a traditonal sweet.

In the ensuing conversation we learnt something of the Obou-san - a lively (genki) ascetic older man, with a ready smile and laugh, close to retirement (this was his last visit to the house after doing it for over 30 years), and who's dream was to take long trips on a ship (which he did once to Australia about a decade ago). Personally (though I'm sure Maria would agree) I saw him as a great "advert" for buddhism - cheerful, engaging, happy, and open.

Soon the Obou-san had to leave for another job. While Yoriko was away dropping him off at the station Keiko arrived, and soon after Yoriko returned we were off to the station (Maria and I walking, the others in Yoriko's car) as the start of our journey to return Aibara-san to her nursing home in Ome.

Passing through the "ticket wicket" (having paid our fairs and had the tickets 'stamped') we learnt that the train (Chuo sen - our main route) had been delayed due "an accident on the line" (I just asked Maria for the special term used and she couldn't remember it either). This is a euphism for someone being hit by a train - of their own volition. Its such a problem (in terms of frequency) that a law exists to charge the family of the "victim" with the financial cost of the delay.

So what was to be a single long train ride became a bus trip, followed by 2 trains and something like 2 hours in length. By the time we arrived in Ome we were all hungry and aware that we had little time before we needed to return to Kichijoji (in order to attend dinner at Matsui-san's place that night). So we grabbed obento and headed over to the nursing home.

Though not particularly familiar with aussie nursing homes, I suspect this one while not unrepresentative of a Japanese nursing home, is quite different to those we have. A 4 story building situated right next to a rather nice river (excellent views) it houses some dozen odd patients, cared for by about the same number of carers. Each patient has their own room - though very small (particularly when filled with even a portion of a life's memories), and there was a kitchen, dining room, guests room (to spend time with visiting family ... Who can even sleep there overnight if they want).

Aibara-san was very keen to show us her nursing home, giving us the grand tour. It was very touching, on visiting her room, to see the wedding photo of Maria and I from 13 years ago on the wall with a number of other photos - all of her family. She made it clear she considered us part of her family. Saying goodbye was hard for all of us.

The train ride back to Kichijoji was long (Ome is at the end of the Chuo line) with Keiko, Maria, and I all dozing for parts of the trip. Looks like Maria and I are really becoming Japanese - being able to sleep on the train!

Arriving back in Kichijoji in the late afternoon we were met by Nobuko and Hajime and walked through Innokashira koen (park) to Matsui-san's place. A mist had arisen from the lake and waterways, so it was quite interesting and Tomoko came out and met us with her dogs.

We were met at the house with effusive greetings from Tomoko's mother - by the end of the evening this had even begun to thaw Hajime's isolation. The dinner and company with Tomoko and her mother were superb and time seemed to fly by. Tomoko had bought a DVD of Howl's Moving Castle (which she gave to the kids at the end of the evening) for the kids to watch - so there was a couple of hours of adult conversation with lots of laughter.

Before we knew it, it was 11pm and time to say goodbye. Tomoko walked us back to the edge of the park, we took our leave of Keiko and the kids in Kichijoji, and were home by 11:30 - very tired but also happy after a full and satisfying day.

24/3 - Cowra Connections

The previous evening Maria had been showing signs of the cold/flu that had held Grant a bit sick for a couple of days. So it was no real surprise when she awoke with a headache and sore throat.

We were expecting some special guests that afternoon and the next morning, so the morning was dedicated to cleaning and general preparation.

Around 3:30 Keiko arrived with her mother Aibara-san. A strong, clever, well educated woman from a good family, she had been Maria's host mother for about 8 months of her stay when she was 17, and we saw her several times during our 2-year stay. In the interim she had suffered a stroke, from which she had majorly recovered, but now was quite frail and living in a nursing home.

Aibara-san had come to join us for the "Cowra Kai" (the annual party concerning the Cowra-Seiki exchange program) as Maria's host mother, stay the night with us, and then return home to Ome in our company the next day.

It was a great pleasure seeing Aibara-san again, and she was also clearly happy to see Maria and us. Around 5pm we set-off for Seiki (the party's location), with Aibara-san's frailty dictating a slow pace. We were very proud of Zoe on this night - she supported, guided and helped Aibara-san all the way and throughout the night - showing her warm and generous heart. We arrived perfectly for the 5:30 start and were warmly ushered in as guests (an especial thanks to Keiko for the arrangements she had made in this regard).

The Cowra Kai was an enjoyable and interesting experience. We were well looked after, once again met many of the OBs (Old Boys - those who have gone before ... Or sempai ... Of course Maria is one of the OBs, but the first Keiji (a great guy) did his exchange in 1970 - so its all relative) that we knew from previous ocassions, and generally had a good time. Of course there were quite a few speeches. All previous exchange students had to make a speech in their 2nd language, including the new girl from Cowra. Of course Maria had to make a special one as guest of honour and did very well (she was very nervous). However Keiko's speech that followed was exceptional - not only for its demonstration of complete off-the-cuff control of English (she lived in Australia just 1 year, over 25 years ago) but for its great warmth and frankness. Without going into details it brought a tear to both our eyes.

Finishing at a fixed time, as these things so often do, we taxied home with Keiko and her mum as well as Akiko (an exchange student from the year after Maria and Keiko) and her husband. Even after the guests left and I flagged and begged off to sleep at 11:30 or so, Aibara-san kept talking to Maria, so happy was she to see her again and spend time with her.

23/3 - Edo Architectural Museum

Friday was the first pleasant day in Japan weather-wise for us - indeed it was a beautiful day. Warmth, sunshine, and the feel of spring in the air.

Not having anything scheduled and tired from the long day beforehand we spent the morning at home. This suited the kids perfectly, who spent a lot of time climbing a tree in garden.

After lunch we went in and saw Mari, deciding to go and visit the Edo Architectural Museum. Not too many suburbs away (we went in her car) the museum is well worth a visit. It contains perhaps 2 dozen full buildings that have been transported from their original site to the museum's precincts. The buildings range in age from about 60 years old through several hundred, with many of them being fully enterable and explorable. So we were able to go into old wooden farmhouses, rich family's cobined home and silk vault, and even an old bar as well as a sake-ya (grog shop).

We spent several hours exploring with grounds of the museum (large, as you'd imagine). The most fun we had was when we found the traditional kids' games in a dusty square outside the bath-house. So we all had a try at walking on stilts (Mari was the best) and rolling the rim of a (bike) tire with a stick (Maria was the best). Lots of laughter accompanied these activities.

The museum also has a link with the anime Spirited Away. The artist came to the museum for inspiration and you can find several of the museum buildings in the movie - the central (to the story) bathhouse, the bar, and even the yellow tram.
Eventually it was museum closing time and we left, though satisfied. The museum shop has a number of very interesting things, so we spent quite a while browsing it. Then it was home for a quiet night.

22/3 - Little Edo

Thursday, after a nice breakfast we took our leave of Mrs Yamamoto and, under the guidance of sensei, headed to Shin Kagagoe. Kawagoe is at the end of the train line on which Iriso "sits" and is famous for a few reasons - its festivals, its Otera, and Ko (little) Edo. It was for thse last 2 reasons that sensei took us there.

Walking from sensei's house to the eki took some 20 minutes during which we passed a number of fields (found situated right between the houses) planted with green tea (for which the area is famous) and a couple of shrines and temples.

Ko Edo is a portion of Kawagoe in which a number of old Edo style buildings still exist and from which traditional style businesses like specialist food production, are conducted.

So after a kilometre or so walk from the eki we were in Ko Edo and enjoying both the interesting facades as well as the various fascinating products found inside. The kids particularly loved a loop street dedicated solely to Okashi (sweets or lollies) with lots of beautiful looking traditional sweets through to ones from sensei's childhood and even soft-serve.

For lunch we went to a little Tonkatsu (perhaps my most favourite simple food - pork with rice, shredded lettuce, and usually miso soup) shop. When I say little, I mean little, a kind of bar that seats 4 or 5 people behind which the owner/chef prepares food, and 3 low coffee tables, each of which seat 4 people max. So the 5 of us, plus one guy at the bar and the owner plus "waitress" took up the whole shop...and we did our usual "dance" of shoes and backpacks on/off in a narrow and confined space. The thing to understand is small is the norm for restaurants here, as well as specialist (i.e., specialising in 1 food type).

After lunch we walked across town to Kitain Otera - a very famous and powerful (then and I suspect now) buddhist temple. It has a connection with the Tokugawa shogunate, so its also a kind of museum also that contains historic items and even rooms. Also outside is a garden containing over 500 Rakan (statues of the buddha's disciples - each different) that are very famous. There is a legend that if you enter the garden at night and feel each of the statues you will find one warmer than the other. Mark it and return in the morning and you will find the deshi (buddha's disciple) that bears the most resemblance to you.

By then it was late afternoon so we road back with sensei, saying goodbye when he hopped off at Iriso. Again I was saddened at the shortness of the visit and my inability to communicate my deeper thoughts and feelings to Yamamoto-sensei who was not only a great instructor to me 11 years ago, but who had been so generous to us across the last 2 days. My greatest regret was that I was unable to train with him again (though I have all but forgotten all of the katas I once knew, and perhaps even some of the kihon-waza). Anyway, it has certainly rekindled my interest in karate and Renshinkan karate.

Not sufficient for a long day (sorry - sarcasm alert) we went over to Keiko's place for dinner and a delicious curry that Jun had cooked. Once again we had a long conversation, just like old friends, but with so much to catch up on. Again we left late, but this time took a cab home (though we only got us reasonably close despite having a nav system - Japanese house addresses are rather complex).

21/3 - Karate-Senseis and Overnight Stays

Wednesday saw the start of a multi-day activity planned before we left Australia - an overnight stay with my old karate teacher - Yamamoto-sensei.

After a slow start to the day (these things seem rare and are especially welcome) we went into Kichijoji and picked up lunch for ourselves and Mari before going round to see her. We also took the opportunity to *try* to book ferry tickets from Pireaus (Athen's port) down to Santorini online - for when we arrive in Greece. However each time we were unable to complete the transaction - very frustrating.

So, spending more time at Mari's than we expected we finally headed off to Iriso. Iriso is quite a long way out, and not on any train line that runs direct from this area. So it was a long bus ride (leaving Kichijoji the roads were so packed that pedestrians were going much faster than us), then one train followed by another. A trip of well over an hour.

Sensei came to meet us at Iriso eki, and it was great seeing him again. Still very genki and slim at 62, his daughter Nobuko was also there (a surprise) with her car and we road back to his place. We were welcomed in typical generous Japanese style - afternoon tea, and conversation by sensei's lovely life and his 5-year old grandson (a bundle of energy). Zoe and Grant eventually played networked DS games - MarioKart and Mario 64, with him - very cute and funny to watch.

After a wonderful dinner with dishes ranging from sashimi (yum) through te-maki-zushi (hand/own made sushi) to aloe (clear cactus closely related to aloe vera and very very slimey ... Not a bad taste but its best not to have too active an imagination with a mouth full of slime) it was time for baths and laying down futons - the kids got one room upstairs and we got another.
Then with the kids down, and Nobuko and her son returning home (a 2 hour drive apparently to somewhere else in Tokyo) it was a chance to discuss karate and the lineage of our style - Renshinkan (Shorinji) - something I hadn't been able to pickup while living here 11 years ago. For those wondering why that's important, the lineage of ryus (schools) of martial arts are considered very important; with at least as much emphasis and complexity as the bloodlines of European aristocracy.

20/3 - Birthplaces

On this day we had a signifcant symbolic activity for the family, and in particular Zoe, indeed one of the most important of the trip, but not a usual tourist activity. We visited Eisei Byoin - the hospital in which Zoe was born over 11 years ago.

In the morning we visited Yoshida-san, who was now living in a unit just a couple of hundred metres away from the Shataku we had both lived in 11 years ago. First she took us along to NTT Musashino, where I had worked for 2 years, and just 10 minute's walk away. I had heard it had been rebuilt (it is a major establishment of multiple buildings, including tennis courts and a soccer field - the size of several large schools together) but was not prepared for just how much it had changed. I had heard stories that the new buildings were so high and their lights so bright that they frightened the local children at night and that local residents had complained. Now I could partially understand those stories - the place was all but unrecognisable ... Very slick and modern and cold. I was not able to enter (its a walled enclosure), which I knew in advance, and I was no longer disappointed by that fact. Seeing the new NTT (all my lab members had left many years before) left me cold and sadened. Sometimes we can't even see the past - never mind go back to it.

Then it was to our old shataku - our place of residence for 2 years in a 2LDK (Living room, Dining room, Kitchen) on the 3rd floor of building 7, of 12 buildings all clustered together. Despite a coat of paint the shataku was little changed - perhaps a little more worn around the edges. As we couldn't go into any of the units I don't think it made much of an impression on the kids, even Zoe for whom it was the first place she lived.

After a nice lunch at Yoshida-san's unit (4 bedrooms - huge!) we caught the bus along to Eisei Byoin in Ogikubo (a couple of suburbs in towards the centre from where we are/were). Though Eisei Byoin had been expanded through the addition of a new building the feeling was still the same - small, strict, and confined. We arrived in time to join the 2pm tour which we had booked to tour. This tour is for future mothers considering the hospital as their delivery place and is a 20-minute tour of the rooms and facilities for mothers. As said, we found it little changed (the one particular difference I note is that mothers in labour now have separate rooms - though there is still a delivery theatre (which we weren't shown) that mothers are wheeled into at the appropriate time). Anyway, for Zoe (and Maria and I) the poignant moment was seeing the nursery - just the same as 11 years ago - with its glass windows and curtains that are drawn back to reveal a room with over a dozen babies. I think it was pretty special for Zoe to see the place where she spent the first week of her life.

Then, rather than by-bus we travelled by train back to Kichijoji, where we grabbed some postcards (rather difficult to find unless you're in a tourist trap) and then some new shoes for Zoe - the others had soles that were too hard and due to all the walking were causing her pain. From Kichijoji we travelled home by "MOO" bus (which ther kids were rather excited about), and Matsubara-san dropped by to join us for dinner and a chat.

19/3 - Fuji-san

Monday was a special day for us. Sadaoki, my old boss, had set aside (guarded in his words) the whole day to take us anywhere in his car. To provide some background to this Sadaoki runs a lab of some 40 people, works both days of the weekend, is about to become Dean at Tokyo Institute of Technology, travels internationally many times per year, and was last year honoured with Japan's highest recognition for science - being presented to the emperor. So, to say he is busy and an exceptional scientist is an understatement.

For our destination we had chosen to go to Mt. Fuji - one of the icons of Japan. Neither Maria or I had ever been to Fuji-san and felt it would one of those major sights for the world trip. Sadaoki was agreeable, but (quite reasonably) asked us to come to his place (by train) because driving in the middle of Tokyo is a terribly slow experience and I suspect would have taken longer to get from his place to ours than it took to get to Fuji-san. So we needed to get up at 5:45 to leave the house at 6:30 to walk into Kichijoji and catch a sequence of 3 trains to get over to Sadaoki's station where he would be waiting for us at 8am. We arrived at 8:05 to find Sadaoki waiting for us ... Though the task had been made harder by Grant being sick in the night and at around 2am Zoe bringing him down to our room. Made all of us that bit more tired.

So then it was a couple of hours in the car along Japan's express ways - a great chance for me to grill Sadaoki about a wide-ranging set of topics - and 2,500 yen later in tolls we were on the skirts of Fuji-san. What we weren't prepared for was just what a visual spectacle Fuji-san is as you approach it. It really does stand-out and dominate the skyline as you approach - even though there are other mountains in its environment it is at least as stunning as any of the images you might have seen of it - snow capped and cloud shrouded it really took me by surprise just how visually impressive it is. No wonder it has inspired so much art and literature such as the famous Ukiyoe 48 (?) views of Mt. Fuji (of which most people have seen a few images).

Sadaoki had a good plan. Rather than going straight up Fuji-san we would take a look at some of the famous sights around Fuji first. There are 6 (? Ahhh, how quickly we forget) famous/beautiful lakes around the base of Fuji-san. So first we went to lake Kawaguchi - beautiful, but also with great views up to Fuji-san ... And also cold already at 0 in the middle of the day (we were already at around 1000 metres above sea-level).

From there it was to my favourite - Oshinohako (the 8 ponds (of Mt. Fuji)). Springs that are where (some of) the melted snow of Fuji, having passed under ground and come back to the surface in surprisingly deep (10 metres) and clear ponds populated by giant and colourful koi (carp). Its quite an impressive area with many traditional thatched roof buildings as well as being a kind of tourist trap in a very charming way - a number of quaint traditional food venders line the road (that must be walked) leading into and out of the area.

From there it was lunch then up Mt. Fuji. We had learnt that it was open up to step 4 of the 10 steps (stations) up the mountain. It needs to be much later in spring or probably even summer before enough of the snow has melted for you to be able to drive to the top station. So up we went to step 4 at 2020 metres and lots of snow everywhere. I'd been promising/threatening the kids with a snowball fight all day; so that's just what we had with me being attacked from both sides. A lot of fun, and Sadaoki even joined in for a bit. Then down the mountain to another lake where we found Omochi (sweet rice paste in a ball - if you've seen the movie A Taxing Woman its the thing the old man nearly chokes on in the restaurant and must be sucked out with a vacuum cleaner) being made in the traditional way - a large wooden bowl which is hammered into with a mallet-like instrument, and every second stroke someone reaching in quickly to move the large sphere of dough-like substance. Of course we then had to try it - oishii data (it was yummy).

Then the long drive back to Tokyo with the car's nav system getting live updates on congestion points and suggesting alternate routes back to Sadaoki's house. Sadaoki dropped us at his station just after 4pm, and with the train rides back to Kichijoji, some minor shopping, and the walk home, we were in the door before 6 (in time for me to see the last couple of Sumo matches of the day on TV) and to my relief have a light meal at home.

18/3 - Temples, Shrines, and Parks

Sunday we had two things scheduled - a meeting with Yoko Watanabe, one of Maria's schoolfriends from her time here, and dinner with the Matsubaras. Sunday was a particularly cold and blustery day.

We met Yoko in front of Seiyu, and she took us around some of the famous and very Japanese sights of Kichijoji. Right across the road from Seiyu, also on Sun Road, is an O'tera (budhist temple). A wonderful example of the side-by-side naturer of new and old Japan. So first we went into the O'tera and the kids were shown the rituals with incense and the donations box. Then we went across the road (almost literally) to the Hachiman (kami/god) Jinja. Jinja are Shinto shrines with the two religions existing side by side in Japan, most people taking part in the rituals of both and each having their own provinence in daily life. Its very interesting and while perhaps sounding complex or even hypocritical, in practice doesn't seem to be at all. So, at the Hachiman Jinja (the one we'd visited earlier) the kids learnt of the basic Shinto rituals of rinsing the hands and mouth before approaching the shrine.

Then we walked to the other side of Kichijoji and to Innokashira Koen (park) - a rather famous park in Tokyo. Centred around a lake it is both large and very beautiful. During Sakura (cherry blossom) flowering season (just around the corner) it is packed with people. This day it was the usual early (cold) spring Sunday crowd - sightseers, exercisers, tap dancers (on a small metre by metre board), and nature photographers with their tripods and special long lenses (the park is famous for several reasons including cherry blossoms, late night assignations between young people, and a particularly colourful male duck ... It was for this later form of wildlife that the photographers were there). We did a slow tour of a portion of the park, visiting both the tiny Kitsune (fox-spirit - kind of a trickster in Japanese folktales) shrine, as well as the much larger dog (? - there's some complexity here - its not a dog spirit shrine, but some other kind of female spirit (with a snake around its neck), but seems to have some dedication or association with dogs) shrine, where the kids both bought small charms (small coloured cloth bags about 5cm by 2cm in size that are attached to bags, mobile phones, and car rearview mirrors in the same way that small stuffed toys can be found attached at these locations - these charms are supposed to give luck, or health, or ...), as well as a "prediction" each. These predictions are written on a small piece of paper and can be lucky (in which case you take them with you) or unlucky - in which case you tie them to a special tree or line at line so the (bad) luck does not come with you. Apparently Zoe got the best prediction, and Grant got the 2nd best.

Then it was back into the shopping district for lunch. If I have many more of these large cooked lunches (lunch sets are great value at around 1,000 Yen for a large cooked main course with a couple of side dishes and sometimes a drink) I am going to balloon out. So we had a chat with Yoko and learnt that she is now an author - having written a large number of guide books (how to choose the right pet for you, how to clean the house, consulting the doctor, etc.). So we went to a bookshop to see one of her books, before seeing her off at the eki.

Since we were having dinner in Kichijoji that night with the Matsubaras we decided to visit Mari for the afternoon - keeping warm, spending some time together, and using the computer (polish up the blog a bit). During the afternoon Grant started to complain of a headache and develop a mild fever. Mari supplied us with some medicine and we decided to go ahead with the dinner (it really being too late to call it off anyway).

Meeting the Matsubaras at LonLon (a large department store attached to the station) they took us to a nearby restaurant known as Watami for a great meal. Apparently one of a franchise I highly commend this restaurant to anyone visiting Tokyo (though how anyone can find it - just in Kichijoji alone there are hundreds of restaurants with most buildings seeming to contain at least 1 on some floor or other). Great ambiance - a mix of traditional physical layout and cool jazz - combined with tasty cheap dishes that can ordered as and when wanted.

Then a cold walk home with me piggy-backing Grant part of the way due to his fatigue and illness. Though an early start the next day I watched a bit of late night TV and saw a couple of interesting stories. One on the drought in Australia, and the other on the disturbing phenomenon of "Young Idol" magazines (due to the age of some of the readers of this blog - the kids' schoolmates, I won't write further about that here). As to international news, there seems to be almost none other than that concerning North Korea, and a couple of baseball players playing in the US league. That's across all TV stations including NHK (the national broadcaster). Whether this is a reflection of an inwards looking culture, the fact that 130 (?) million people generate enough news themselves, a lack of cultural cringe, or some other reason, is unclear to me.

17/3 - Meeting our Benefactor

On Saturday we had a visit from our benefactor and "land-lady" Yoriko. Yoriko is Keiko's cousin and had offered us the use of her parent's house when she heard from Keiko that we were looking for a place to stay. Of course we were somewhat nervous - here we were living in her childhood house and hopefully not making any social gaffs (we knew for instance - from Keiko - that Yoriko had received at least one phone call from a neighbour saying that the front gate had been left (this is the driveway gate that as far as we knew was open when we arrived)). We shouldn't have worried - Yoriko is an absolutely lovely lady in person and made us feel completely at home.

Yoriko also brought around the cleaning lady "Suzu-chan" who cleans the house once a fortnight as well as giving it more a lived in feeling (more pressure that Yoriko receives from the neighbours - they don't want a house that looks unlived in - so Yoriko comes around a couple of times a week; opening shutters and so forth).

After checking with us that it was OK, Yoriko went back home and brought around her dog "Rock" - a Black Labrador - that loves to roam around the garden when she is here. Rock is a gentle sook and the kids had a great time playing with him and feeding him.

I'd wanted to add to the blog and make a couple of work-related emails, so I rode over to Mari's to use her PC. I found the ride and broken but wide ranging conversation with Mari very empowering - I've been relying on Maria's far superior Japanese too much on this trip.

At Mari's I also posted an email to Yoshida-san. She was a good friend of ours from the shataku (company housing) were we lived when here 12 years ago. She and her husband had taken us to the hospital in the middle of the night when Maria's waters had broken, and indeed, gave Zoe her first bath (which we still have on film) at home. We really wanted to see Yoshida-san, but didn't have a phone number (and she had moved out of the shataku). Anyway, within an hour or 2, she had called us and then dropped around for a visit (living close by still). Another great meeting of old friends and we made further arrangements to meet.

By that time Keiko, Hajime, and Nobuko had arrived - they were coming around for dinner and lots of catching up - so we had a rather full house. Anyway, dinner that night was great, and as the kids one by one drifted off to sleep we spoke of many things old, present, and new.

16/3 - Anime Museums

Friday was one of our planned activities from before we arrived in Japan - a visit to the Ghibli Museum. The Ghibli Museum is owned and run by Studio Ghiburi (did I spell that correctly? The curse of not having ready access to the internet and ability to check anything that's required) - these are the guys responsible for the most heart-warming and wonderful animations around. Best known to western audiences are Spirited Away, Howls Moving Castle (all major cinema releases in the west), and Porco Rosso (an SBS favourite), but also responsible for other fantastic films that I recommend to all (even if you don't have kids under the age of 13) such as Tonnari no Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service.

So this place is a bit of a pilgramage location for families with small children...and so we found it.

Once again Matsubara-san came through for us in organising tickets (they were nearly all gone for the whole month several days ago when we bought them) as well as going with us there (its in Mitaka, so just a short bus trip from Kichijoji).

However, before talking about the museum I'd like to mention gomi (rubbish) and recycling as we're experiencing it here, because that was the kids morning adventure. Recycling, and in general the handling of rubbish is much more "extreme" than in oz, with much more expected of each house/person. There are several different categories of recycling items and as an example with plastic items (e.g., the container your obento from the supermarket came in) you are expected to wash it,dry it, and remove any stickers labels on the outside (which go in a separate category). Now, our situation is compounded by the fact that garbage collection and the payment for it is a bottom-up system - collections of a dozen houses or so all organise their rubbish together, putting it out in a single location (on certain days ... And you can't put it out early like the night before because of crows and general untidyness) and paying from a collective fund. Because our house has been empty for sometime, it has not been paying into the garbage fund, but that means we cannot put our garbage out. Now there are some recycling bins at the local shop, and that's what the kids adventure of the morning was, taking plastic bottles and such like down the local supermarket (about 3 blocks away) by themselves (though Maria did go along on her bike shortly after). So we have a kitchen (small as you'd expect) with bags of rubbish in it, and are reduced to asking Keiko to take it away with her and place out with her garbage on the appropriate day.

Anyway, the afternoon was dedicated to the Ghibli Museum (we had 2 O'clock entry tickets). The best way I can create a picture (we weren't allowed to take photos inside) is to think of a mixture of Alice in Wonderland and Hogwarts (from Harry Potter) - multi-stories with an open area spanning all floors, narrow spiraling staircases, bridges from one side to another, little alcoves, interesting images and models all over the place. For the kids the highlight was the Nekko (cat) bus from Tonnari no Tottoro (the most famous of all the movies in Japan). Nearly full-sized they were able to climb all over and through it under supervision... In 5 minute sets. We went back a 2nd time for them to have a play (thankfully this time the line was short), and I can rarely remember a purer smile of sheer joy on Zoe's face. The other physically impressive feature was a full sized bronze robot (from Laputa) on the roof of the building. For me though the most impressive feature were the displays of original artwork (from sketches through to the wonderfully colourful cells) and the environment (and items of inspiration - books on human movement, strange walking sticks, sculptures) that led to their creation.

We returned to Kichijoji in the late afternoon and with Matsubara-san's aid searched out an internet café. What we found was actually what's called a Manga Kissa. Sort of a mix between an internet café, a hotel, and a cinema. You have the choice of various rooms on a hourly rate (with different fees for an extension) - from 250 yen for a basic computer in an open room through to muti-seat rooms with reclining massaging leather couches. The business has a large anime and manga library, as well as a shower (that also needs to be rented) and presents a bit like a slick motel - a kind of reception desk with attendants behind it. Keiko tells me (writing this Saturday night after our dinner together here at the house) that these places are often used by the young working poor who pay to sleep there overnight (prices from 1500 yen - under $17) - not having a place of their own (or apparently possessions).
By then we were at the end of another tiring and cold day and were very thankful for a quite trip to Seiyu to buy various obento and then a lift (rather than 30 minute walk) home with Matsubara-san.

15/3 - Education and Research Links

Thursday was a busy and long day - in the morning a visit to Seikei high school and university, and in the evening a party in Shinjuku with my old Furui Lab (NTT) members.

Seikei is a rather famous private school in Tokyo (just here in Kichijoji) where Maria spent a year as an exchange student 25 years ago. Its also where John has taught for the last 20+ years. So we went off to meet him at 10am and received an inside tour of the school (and to a lessser extent the University - the junior high school, senior high school, and university are all next to one another and occupy a huge tract of land by Tokyo standards). The school is carrying out massive building works, and while it was end of year "holidays", many students were still at school - come in to practice with their various clubs. Anyway we toured the various facilities including the gym where Maria first practiced Kendo. As the final act we visited the new university library, built at some incredible expense, including a robot retrieval (of books) system, and looking like some vision of the future.

After lunch in Kichijoji with John we dropped by and visited Mari; getting to see her conducting a class with some of her students (a rather informal thing in a large room in her home). Mari had a doctor's appointment (an alergy) so we headed in early for the Shinjuku party.

An hour to kill in Shinjuku we wandered thr precincts of the Eki - which are absolutely huge. Not only did we see literally dozens of entrances to the station, we saw the life/energy of the city, and strange sights such as over a 100 people lined up outside a Krispy Kreme donuts shop.

Then it was time for the lab party. I'd been so looking forward to seeing all the friends I'd made at work - Matsui-san, Minami-san, Mori-kun and of course Sadaoki. The party was held in an up-market Italian restaurant in the basement of a posh hotel near the station. While seeing everyone was great the party was too short and the environment too formal - such that I didn't get to spend anywhere enough time with everyone.

The party finished by 9:30, but perhaps the most interesting thing for the readers might be the 2 drunken salarymen at the table next to us. Both in their 50s and fairly afluent looking, one was very loud throughout the meal, with the other nodding drunken agreement. By the time we were leaving the nodder was vomiting on his plate, and as we were taking a group photo outside they were helped out of the restaurant with a little more frce than necessary...and off they stumbled to the station, the loud one reprimanding the nodder.

So it was goodbye to everyone (hopefully not for another 11 years!) at various locations till we were at the ticket buying station with Matsui-san (who we were travelling back to Kichijoji with). Its times and places like 10pm on a normal/average Thursday night in Shinjuku that make me realise what was energy and power this country still has - people virtually wall-to-wall, all rushing somewhere.

Back in Kichijoji it was another late night walk home for us - 11pm by the time we were in. Interestingly, no one said they were cold, despite the usual low temperature (it was 10 degrees in the house when we got in) - perhaps after 1 week we are adjusting to these winter level temperatures. Unfortunately they're forcast to continue for another week.

14/3 - Some Rest (Relatively Speaking)

A relatively quiet day for us, for which I am thankful. We headed into Kichijoji for lunch to meet Matsubara-san. Matsubara-san was the lab secretary when I was at Furui labs, and not only a good friend, but extremely knowledgeable and helpful to foreigners such as myself while at NTT. We had been in contact with Matsubara-san prior to coming about various plans, and indeed she and her husband had visited us in Canberra 2-3 years ago.

So after lunch it was various planning - how to get to the Furui Lab party the next day, the visit to Eisei Byoin (the hospital in which Zoe was born), the studio Ghibli museum, and bike hire.

The bike hire proved rather problematic. The only place we could hire from - at a very reasonable 2,000 Yen per month was at another Echi (station) and the problem of how to get 3 bikes (we had 1 at the house already) back to our place was somewhat thorny. By way of digression, a bike is a key part of most people's lives in Tokyo. They're used to ride from home to the trainstation, or to the local shops. As you can imagine bike parking spaces is a big problem with sidewalks cluttered with bikes and the local council hiring old men to help manage the situation. Finally, I should also say that with very very few exceptions the bikes are all stately, heavy, women's bikes with the step-through frame, and a basket on the front. Racing/road and mountain bikes are almost never seen.

Back to the bike hire, we needed our passports so Matsubara-san drove us home. On checking we found out that there were no child sized bikes. Therefore we tested whether Zoe and Grant could ride the bike we had here at the house. While Zoe could, Grant really couldn't, ... And they were both accidents waiting to happen in the packed streets where cars, pedestrianns, and bikes all weave in and out between each other at extreme proximity. So, the hire was off. The kids were very disappointed.

So instead we sat around here at the house, watching live Sumo (one of my most favourite "sports" - the Spring Basho is on at the moment down in Osaka) on NHK, and chatting about a wide range of topics with Matsubara-san. Then it was a quiet night at home - which was needed.

13/3 - Concerts and Cooking

Tuesday found us rather flat and we all had an unplanned sleep in. Probably not surprising given the number of activities and length of days we'd been experiencing. So, Tuesday was the day for Nobuko and Hajime's (Keiko's 2 kids) school concert.

Due to the sleep-in and some missed calls on either end it was nearly 11:30 by the time we got to the town concert hall, and we had missed seeing Nobiko's group perform. After lunch we saw Hajime's group, and we must say how impressed we were with the quality of the students' singing (it was all choral + piano work). Here's a contrast to Australia, near the end of the day the P&C (parent's group) choir also performed and were quite good - their kids loved it.

Keiko then took us along (about 10 minute's walk) to her old house to see what a Japanese building rennovation project looks like. She will soon be renting out the property. Then it was next door to what used to be Keiko's grandparents's place but now is a special school for kids who drop out of the education system, but then (eventually) want to get a high school education so they can find employment or get into University. The Japanese education system does not deal well with such cases, and this special school of some half-dozen students and the single teacher (a wonderful woman who has lived in many places around the world) seems one very good way of dealing with such issues.

After that it was back to Keiko's house for warm food and even warmer company and wide ranging conversations. Finally though it was time to leave (getting onto towards 10pm - the kids are dealing with the long days and walks really well) so it was a very cold 30 minute walk home in the wind.

As an aside the cold temperatures are an ever present reality of daily lives. Currently the temperatures are ranging from about a minimum of 3 or 4, to a max between 10 and 14. The house we are in gets extremely cold, so the first task in the morning is to turn the 2 heaters on. Going out we get all rugged-up with our multiple layers - its a shame we just didn't have sufficient luggage room for proper coats. Due to the cold weather over the last week (also due to continue for the next week) they've revised the Sakura (cherry blossom) blooming times to later (23rd here in Tokyo). The blooming of Sakura is a national event here - it gets covered every day/night during the weather, and blooming prediction dates are provided for each city/region. Anyway, its cold here such that rain is predicted for Friday and they say it may snow.

12/3 - Art and Technology

Monday we travelled into Ueno to see the last day of an exhibition at which Mari's work was included, as well as to Akihabara - the famous "electric town" - where all things electronic and game related can be found.

We were to meet Mari at 10am at Tokyu - one of the best known department stores in Kichijoji. Think something like David Jones. Arriving just before 10 we found the store not yet open but were encouraged (along with other waiting customers) by a floor manager to go inside and wait by the lift area to stay warm (on special seats brought out each day for that purpose). Now Grant wanted to go to the toilet, and we knew where they were on the other side of the floor we were waiting on. Setting off with the kids in tow Maria was almost immediately acosted by one of the greeting/floor staff who came dashing after her (this young woman would not have been put to shame by Audrey Hepburn in her French finest - tailored uniform, cute hat, etc.). Flustered she told Maria the store was not yet open and to please wait. 2 minutes later the opening chime sounded and all was well.

Now, to provide context, Mari is a very talented porcelain artist who has taught classes in her home since before we knew her. I believe her students mainly do china cups and such, but Mari seems to try many medium.

So, it was into Euno (by train of course) which is one of the famous districts closer into the centre of Tokyo. Famous for its various museums and famous for its markets.

Mari had 2 pieces on display as part of an exhibition by what must have been 100-odd artists. One was an extremely beautiful tripartite of a young girl with flowers; the other being of her Alaskan Malamut "Taro" who died a year or 2 ago and who is still a dominant aspect in her life. Other exhibited pieces ranged from sculpures in wood and stone through paintings, and even minor installations.

Then it was lunch - we went to a Tabihodai (all you can eat retaurant) with a difference. While occupying the 4th floor of a department store building it had a very traditional presentation, and a great variety all sorts of traditional food, right through to desserts and drinks: all in a very nice setting and for a very reasonable price (1800 yen for an adult).

After lunch we took a walk back towards the eki (station) to check-out one of Tokyo's most famous and longest running (it was the first to reopen after the end of WW2) markets. We found it an interesting juxstaposition of traditional items, food, mobile phone stores, and clothes shops. However what ,os impressed the kids was the "ferris wheel" carpark we passed on the way. A multi-story concrete building without façade it had three low garage-like entrances, in front of each of which were car sized turntables. Attendants at the end of the street conduted customers into one of these driveways/garages. The customer would hop out and a circular kind of lift (like a frris wheel) would take the car up somewhere inside the building. When it is time for the customer to get their car back it is lowered by the same mechanism into the confined space. The car is then reversed out onto the turntable, which spins the car around, and the customer is able to drive off. Anyway, the kids wanted to stay and watch more cars arrive and leave, till we had to drag them away.

After that it was off to Akihabara - always worth a visit if you have even the slightest interest in things electronic (cameras, phones, TVs, etc.), or games. The latest bleeding edge technology is available at quite exceptional prices; while the sheer atmosphere of the place has to be seen to be believed. Also, for game fanatics, this is the mecca - where new systems go on sale first and all the game and anime related pariphenalia can be found. As examples of bargains (for those in know about games, we saw Nintendo's Wii for 10,000 Yen and the new PS3 with 20 gig drive for under 50,000 Yen). Anyway, we did a bit of back-street shopping for the very cheap and specialised electronics, as well as visiting Yodobashi Camera. Yodabashi Camera is a massive (multi-story) electronic store and very famous for its selection and prices. Despite having visited Akihabara many times while living here 11+ years ago I'd never visited this store...what a mistake. I'm going to be checking out the prices of some of the cameras back in oz (if they're even available there yet), as I'm sure I saw some great bargains.

By the time we left Akihabara it was around 5:30 and the first waves (really the "bludging" early leavers) of workers were starting to return home. As such the trains were rather busy...we travelled further into Tokyo so we could catch our train from the start and hence get a seat. However we elected to catch an Express (only stop at major stations) instead to minimise the travel time - so we stood packed in like sardines. The kids handled it very well, and this catching a busy/packed train was one of the experiences I'd planned on giving the kids anyway.

Back in Kichijoji we accompanied Mari to her place where we used her laptop to make our first big post on the blog. We aslo met Mari's mum and her partner "Mr" - another set of old friends that it was so great to see again. We were so tired that Mari gave us a lift home.

11/7 - A Musical Interlude

Sunday was our day to travel out of the city and attend the concert that Jun and Keiko had been preparing with a local (to the area we were travelling to) choir.

Unfortunately it was wet, windy, and cold - so the walk into Kichijoji was not pleasant. In Kichijoji we met John Milne, who was taking us to the concert. We have various connections to John, who has been an English teacher at Seikei (Maria's old school) now for some 30 years - he taught at Cowra High when Maria was there, attending Wollongong High several years before me, his first cousin Ross Mowbray was in my year at high school, and indeed John grew up in Balgownie. So on the relatively long train ride with several changes, there was a lot of exchange of information about things in Australia and things in Japan (e.g., the fac that at this time of year Japanese hayfever sufferers not only have to cope with spring pollen, but various pollution swept across from the factories on the Chinese mainland).

We travelled right to the western edge of the greater Tokyo district and to our surprise found wide streets and sidewalks. After lunch we found the concert hall and spent a wonderful 3 hours listening to choiral and piana pieces that the local group - under the tutelage and conductorship of Jun - had put on. Keiko played beautifully on the piano with Jun - she has been trained from a very early age as a classical pianist. Jun seems to be a virtuoso - conductor, pianist, and even vocal soloist. He also has a rather distinctive dress sense - black leather pants and black leather platform boots that would put any of the 70s glam-rock bands to shame for their sheer height. The local group of performers were primarily composed of a female choir of about 20 members - nearly all past retirement age, a young female pianist, and a young male operatic vocalist.

After the concert there was a party, which turned out to be a full washoku (name for a traditional Japanese meal - lots of different courses served simultaneously in lots of different dishes/bowls and you take what you want - not a smorgasboard) meal. Of course there were speeches by all and sundry including ourselves, and Mari. Being a musical group there were even songs (there was an old piana in the restaurant) and we four ended up singing "Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree" and (attempting to) leading everyone in singing it in rounds.

By 7:30 most people had left and the restaurant was closing. The next train in to Tokyo was after 8 and it was bitterly cold, despite the rain having stopped. So the brilliant solution of going to a Karaoke Box (a bunch of small rooms with karaoke equipment in them - you hire the room for a fixed price for a certain period) just to stay warm was hit upon. So for 320 Yen (total) we stayed warm for half an hour, and Maria and Zoe even sang U2's Vertigo for some half dozen Japanese.

Then it was a rush to the station, the long train ride home with Mari (who had accompanied us), and then a very cold walk home from Kichijoji station afterwards. Ohhh, and despite it being after 9pm on a wintery Sunday night when we got into Kichijoji we found it bustling with life - full of people shopping, rusing to catch trains, or listening to a street band performing - quite a contrast to Canberra.

10/3 - Exploring Further

Saturday was a day for getting basic supplies and settled in. So it was off down the local suppermarket - which was an adventure in itself for the kids - with all the exotic packaging and items. Returning home we had lunch before another walk into Kichijoji for the kids to do some minor shopping (they seem extemely keen to spend the Yen they have).
On the way in we passed thel local Jinja (Shinto shrine) and went onto the grounds for the kids to have a look. Zoe was much taken with its beauty, as she is with all things Japanese (she is really blossoming on this trip and we are both reaally proud of the kids). It happens that we had visited this shrine several times while living here, and indeed it was the location from which we had carried the Omikoshi (a portable shrine carried on the shoulders). Lo and behold we found the Omikoshi behind locked glass doors and so were able to point it out to the kids.

After that it was some further shopping then home to cook - spag bog for the kids, and green thai curry for Mari, Maria, and I.