Japan
Well, after a day of travelling we arrived in Japan safely.I’m going to start jotting down some notes about our time here. When I get back home I’ll write it all up nicely.
We flew ANA from Heathrow to Tokyo, direct. We rolled snake-eyes and got an upgrade to “blanket and eyemask” class. Heathrow security is really over the top. The journey over was so relaxed and peaceful. Got to watch “The boy in the striped pyjamas” on the way over (major tear-jerker). Landed in Tokyo to find that the atmosphere is apparently liquid, it was so humid. Customs, immigration and security are very efficiant and polite – in stark contrast to the UK. Massive fear of swine flu – masks on all airport staff and many passengers.
Flew on to Saporro in terrible weather (got repeatedly warned that we might be turned back if it got any worse), but got their safely. Peaceful journey turned into mad panic as we realised that we had minutes to catch last train to Obihiro, did not have a ticket and did not speak any Japanese. The international medium of miming helped us through. Japanese people have been so polite and helpful. I can’t imagine a British person having any patience for someone turning up and jabbering at them in a foreign tongue. Not seen anything of Japan yet as the sun set as soon as we left Tokyo (7:30 – it’s 10:30 back home…) so the last plane and train journey were in darkness.
Kay’s brother and father were waiting for us at the station to take us to the hotel. Fantastic to see them. Paul’s car speaks Japanese! Room in hotel is fantastic – led to belive they were all coffin sized, but this is like a small room in UK. Paul loved his masses of IrnBru, Heinz Beans and Nesquick. Unloading all them halved weight of our bags… 
Slept in until after midday, but awoke fully-charged. Spent afternoon wandering and getting bearings. Tonight we (Me, Kay, Maria, Bob and Rosemary) have been for a big meal with Miyuki, her parents and baby Islay at her brothers (Tomo) restaurant. Fantastic time. No paul to translate so we relied on their good but limited English and my terrible phrasebook Japanese (I’m awful at languages – why was I the one doing the talking?). Miyuki’s clan appreciated the effort and we had a lot of laughs over it. Paul hadn’t told Tomo that I was vegetarian, like he was meant to, so he had to rush out and buy ingrediants especially for me. I really appreciate that and the food he whipped up was amazing.
Kay’s parents and aunt plus Miyuki’s parents ended up performing a rendition of “Singing in the Rain” outside, much to amusement of everyone over 40. Miyuki and us cowered in embarrassment.
Tomo turns out to be something of a darts champion (dartsu chanpion) in Obihiro and nearly bowed in my direction when I haltingly told him that my dad was friends with Phil Taylor and they played darts together. I must get him an autograph when I get home.
The restaurant was the size of a small living room, wit one table and a bar, hidden in a wall. I can’t get over how compact everything is here. There are car parks which are just tall 3m x 3m towers and the cars are stacked up via a lift system. The cars themselves are all tiny and I view them much as an American might view a British car. Yet at the same time the streets are very broad, much like North American streets. When we got here late at night the entire city was quiet. No cars, no shouting, no arguing, no fights. So peaceful.
That reminds me: we’ve seen almost no grafittii since getting here. The streets and buildings are worn but everything is tidy – it reminds me of a French city in that regard. The Japanese really are a clean and tidy people. It’s even bad form to take a wet umbrella into a building – you have to leave it in the porch or outside. I’ve seen no drunks yet, despite the number of bars and the fact that Tomo’s restaurant seems to be in a red light district. Writing this now in hotel room and all I can hear are the occasional cars going past.
BTW, the police will shoot you if you jaywalk.
Off to bunch of chalets tomorrow to stay prior to the wedding. I’m expected to drive…