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.
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