Day 21 July 8

So we reach the last day of our Japan trip. We are a very tired group of people and getting all our stuff from here to the airport looks daunting. Especially since we have to kill about 5 hours after we leave this apartment.
I get up early and go to the local station to check out if we can get to the station platform without using steps and luckily we can. Great news. We must avoid steps at all costs. The luggage is too awkward and heavy. I also go to 7-11 and pick up some cash from the 7 Bank and some super glue. The glue is for the zip on my suitcase which broke a few days before.
Pack up and wait until 11am when it's time to depart. We try to have showers but it's very hard in the world's worst shower ever. Water is either cold or boiling and you have to hold it all the time. Despite the great beds this place wasn't very appealing. Though we love Shimokitazawa.
Head to Shibuya to walk around before we leave. There are plenty of available storage lockers underneath Shibuya 109 just across from the station and we manage to get all our stuff in there. Then we walk around Shibuya for a few hours shopping and coffee. Last minute gifts for friends. That Japanese CD we heard when we first got here. It's fun and I reluctantly avoid record shops but still get a chance to browse toy stores with Remi. But we're so tired it's hard to get really excited.But what a great trip. What a special place. Loved it.
Then it's times up and we start to head to the airport. First on the Narita Express which takes us past the Tokyo Sky Tower which looks pretty amazing. To the airport and from there it all runs pretty smoothly until we're on the plane and heading back to Australia. Overnight so we know were going to be wrecked in the morning.

Day 20 July 7

Our last full day in Japan. The weather is extremely hot and our shower isn't working. Neither is the cooker. The rooms are small and this authentic Japanese living is not all it's cracked up to be. Seems the batteries are missing from the gas igniter. If I still smoked I could use a lighter.
The shower is another matter. You have to follow steps to shower one of which involves turning a crank. Can't get it to work though so we message the agents for help. But it's time to go out so step into furnace which is Tokyo. The plan is to take a leisurely stroll around the Imperial Palace Gardens but the sun is glaring down and we are really feeling it. We use wet rags to cool ourselves down. We stay just longer enough to take photos of corner of the palace.
Remake our way back to Shimokitazawa for the last bit of shopping. A great suburb with lots and I mean lots of vintage stores. Liz gets a few things but a lot of the stuff I like is either too small or overpriced. Still I found a few record stalls so I was happy. Remi came digging with me in one and picked out the Half Men Half Biscuit EP. He liked the name. The neighbourhood as so much going on you could spend days here. The rest of the family go back to the apartment while I look for this Japanese CD we first heard back when we started in Japan. Liz alls me that when she got back the apartment was like an oven. So we get 4 air conditioners going in an apartment a little bigger than my garage.
We have to wait around for the guy to fix the shower and he turns up around 6. Turns out we were doing it wrong. Shower is useless though. Two settings. Cold and scalding hot. Useless.
Have our last dinner at a great little pizza place during Happy Hour. We want to sit by the windows that overlook the shoppers on the street but that's reserved for smokers.
We take the kids home and Liz go out on a date to Poor Cow.  The rock and roll meeting place. I'm meeting Phill Calvert and his wife Julia. Phill was in the Birthday party with Nick Cave and the owner Fi Fi is excited to have him there. When I mention to him I know Bruce Milne and I'm in the band Little Murders he looks like he's going to have a heart attack. "My favourite band" and he grabs the Stop album plus photos of me when I was young for me to sign. Then we do the photos as he plays the record. It's all a bit surreal. The band Bits of Shit turn up and I have a chat to them too. It's a rock and roll meeting place alright.
A great night and a great end to the trip. Tomorrow is going to be a hard one.

Day 19 July 6

From Osaka to Tokyo for the last leg of our holiday. Full of stations to cross through it actually runs a lot smoother than I thought it would except when we get to the next apartment and we're confronted by stairs at the station and the residence.
Anyway is was cool gliding across Japan in a bullet train.
We arrived in Shimokitazawa around 3 pm just in time to check into our Air BnB. It's up a hill which is painful with all our bags. The place is so small it beggars belief. But the beds are the most comfortable we've had here. And real pillows! Most pillows over here are terrible and have a sense of nothingness. These are comfortable. We park our stuff and go for a wander around the neighbourhood which turns out to be pretty funky with lots of retro shops. Liz buys a few clothes here. It's very cool. We go to Freshness Burger for dinner. Burgers but not as we know them. But very tasty and I'm sure the bun is not bread. We all eat well except for Ruby who is not doing well out of the lack of vegetarian dishes in Japan and Liz whose wedges are eaten by Ruby.
More wandering and looking at shops before we drift home. We were thinking of having an early night but the trip is all over so we push ourselves to visit Shinjuku at night and I'm so glad we did. Just walking around the busiest train station in the world is something but then you get outside and there are so many people on the street at 9.30pm at night. And the place is lit up like Bladerunner. Fascinating. We stand there soaking it all in. Well Liz and I do. The kids not so much.They're not sure why we want to stand there for a while. We try to explain that we may never be back again and we're filling up our senses. I won't repeat some of the answers to that! But wait ! There's Godzilla above the buildings.

We make our way back to Shimokitazawa for the most comfortable sleep of the trip.

Day 18 July 5th

No sightseeing today. Although there a few things left on our list it just can't be done in this heat and humidity. We're looking for somewhere cool to stroll around in and maybe a catch a film.
Namba Parks is a beautiful piece of architecture which is also a shopping mall. Complete with a 9th floor rooftop garden. We start off with a stroll around the gardens but it is way too hot to enjoy although it would be excellent in better weather. Then we stroll downward through the next 8 floors. It's kind of relaxing even though the shops don't appeal to me. Melody buys her second pair of trainers in Japan. We stop for a bite at Bagel & Bagel before going back upstairs to the cinemas to catch a film. The best of the bunch in English is Alice Through The Looking Glass and I overcome my reluctance to go in when I think of the heat  waiting outside. The film as got some pretty bad reviews but it works a family film. Something we haven't done for ages. Johnny Depp's Mad hatter is still painful but Helena Bonham Carter remains a treat and the kids laugh as soon as she starts barking from the big head.
After the movie we walk home and it's slightly cooler. We walk through Den Den Town again for Remi's sake and I find a Godzilla toy at Astro Zombies. There is way more cooler stuff there but some of the price tags are so high they are breathtaking. Oh well.
We stop for our last meal in Osaka at an Indian Restaurant which turns out to be fabulous. Generous portions, cheap food and the place is busy with Japanese which is always a good sign. The Garlic Nan was as big as the table.
Full of food and feeling more relaxed today than when we have dashed from landmark to landmark we go home and start packing for Tokyo tomorrow. We checked our train station. No lifts at Nipponbashi. How painful.

Day 16 July 3

I bought a new pair of shoes for walking in the other day and now my feet are killing me from wearing them in. Melody reckons you just have to swallow the pain.
MY turn to feel terrible this morning. It's hot all through the night and I get little sleep which leaves me feeling pretty bad. Gradually I get my self together and we're off to the Osaka Aquarium

. We're looking for the giant crab (not as giant as we thought) and the whale shark (we see it and don't realise what it is until we are leaving) which tells us we should read the signs more. Any way the Emperor Penguins are impressive and some of the fish look amazing but none more so than the jellyfish we are hypnotising. At the end we go to the fish petting zoo. We touch the fish. Huge stingrays and all. Strange experience.I feel odd patting them.
We decide to jump on the bullet train to Kobe to go and see the huge statue of Gigantor. Probably would have been easier to take the normal train because we have to catch a subway after we get to Shin-Osaka. The again the bullet only takes 13 minutes.
Gigantor is pretty spectacular. A huge statue built to ward off the evil of earthquakes after the huge one in Kobe in 1995. Gigantor was one of the cartoon series I grew up with in the sixties. That and a host of other Japanese cartoons and of course Shintaro the samurai.
A walk around Kobe doesn't reveal much so we head back to Osaka on a normal train and head back to Shinsebashi for dinner. For some reason we go for Burritos. Was not that great although Liz liked hers.
We're worn out so head back to the apartment. That old refrain "we're going to need a holiday to get over this holiday" comes up. And it's true. We've done a lot. But there is so much to do in Japan it's crazy.

Day 17 4th July

Getting up slowly then a quick excursion around the corner to find some souvenirs before we run out of time but nothing at all we like. Just a shopping arcade full of the Japanese $2 shops. It was close but not so close in this heat. It says 31 degrees but because if the humidity it seems a lot higher.
We get back with no presents for anyone and set off for another day exploring Osaka on foot. We've got the hang of the subway system and we almost experts. A lot of walking between lines though. It reminds me of London.

Start off at Osaka Castle. Which is impressive. Though I'm a bit used to European castles so to me it looks like a huge fancy house with a moat. We don't go inside because it has quite a few poor reviews on the net. Seems the inside is just modern.
From Osaka castle we hop the tube to Shin
sekai for a walk around the "New World" It's supposed to be modelled on Paris and New York but to me it looks like a Japanese version of Blackpool complete with the first homeless people we've seen in Japan and tacky stores. Still it's bright and colourful and it has a tower (like Blackpool) It's the Tsutenkaku Tower. It's small but it's funky. We go to the top to get a view of the surrounding area. There's a zoo close by it but it doesn't look much from up here. We can all see the bridge over the Osaka Bay which does look great. On the way down they have a Pocky Exhibition. A salute to chocolate on a stick!. That was wacky. But Liz buys a super large pack. There are also lots and lots of capsule machines. Toys in a capsule which are a massive fad here.
From there we walk to Den Den Town. This is Remi's choice because the place is full of discount electronics and anime shops (and as it turns out 3 great record shops in a row) Lots of crane stores too. Amusement arcades at high volumes. Whole department stores dedicated to anime. A bit of a geek paradise. Japan is a sensory overload.
We grab dinner to take home from the local supermarket. Fried rice.The food everywhere is great and we are completely worn out so this makes it easy to relax after a full days walking. I think we watched a film after that on Netflix but we were so tired I can't remember.

Day 15 July 2

Election day in OZ. Which is fine because we voted before we left.
We started off with me cooking some bacon and eggs which was a nice change. A little bit hard because they don't have knives or a toaster but we muddle through.
Today we're going on a day trip to Nara. It's terribly hot as soon as we walk out the door. I don't know how long we're going to last out there especially at Nara park. Nara Park is where the deer run free. It's pretty amazing. You can buy biscuits to feed the deer. Unfortunately at times the deer areas times like a bunch of seagulls and all later around you but much closer than birds. We learn to move away from groups of them. We also learn that if you hold the biscuit high they will actually bow to you before they receive the biscuit. Great stuff.
We move from there to the temple which contains the Big Buddha. I wasn't ready for the sheer largeness of the temple. It was massive. And wooden. Like a huge ark. Very impressive. Inside the temple is a huge Buddha. Again we are pretty much knocked out by the size. We wander around the temple. There is a beam holding up the roof with a small hole in it that if you can climb through you will reach enlightenment. Only Remi does it.
Coming outside it's got even hotter. One of the deer has gone into one of the shops and they are trying to get it out. There is other things to do here but the heat is a bit much and another shrine might be pushing it. So we take the bus into town and have a bite to eat.
It doesn't sound lie we've done much but it's getting on and we're all tired and decide we'll make some fried rice rice at home and I'll get the VPN working on the computer so the kids can watch Netflix. Free VPN gives us access to Japanese Netflix which as even less content the Australia. And it's funny to hear English on the screen.
The rice we buy for our meal looks a little different. But it's rice! But no. It turns into mush. So the fried rice is like fried rice soup. I eat because I'm starving. And you can wash it down with a little whisky,

Day 14 July 1

Osaka. No big sightseeing trips today. Time to wander around the shops and buy a few things. Not that we haven't already bought a few things. Shops are endlessly fascinating from the main drag in Shisaibashi to the small ducky shops in Amerakamura. The endless food shops in Namba where people are lined up along the street to buy fried squid. The Alice in Wonderland shop where you have to duck under a little doorway. Endless. And you know there are so many shops you will never find. I had to get a new pair of walking shoes because I've kind of worn out the ones I dad. It's really hot outside so a chance to try on shoes under air conditioning is a relief.

We stop and have a large pizza. Actually too large but very tasty. And very American style. From there we split up as the others go home and I go and check out King Kong where I pick up a couple of record bargains. Because our dollar is not very high at the moment it's quite hard get any bargains. And i think it's dropped at bit because of the UK decision to leave the European Union.
 Walking home at least 8 fire engines burn along the tiny street where we live. There must be some kind of fire going on. Back home half the crew are asleep.
When it gets dark we head back to Dotonbori and wall of neon. We stay there a bit just soaking up the atmosphere. And taking photos. Then we wander around Dotonbori. It's packed with tourists and locals. Remi, Rubu and Liz have a go at indoor fishing for half a hour. Sadly they catch nothing. But Liz appreciates the serenity.
They give us some Claw tokens. Many amusement arcades have these claw machines and Remi is addicted to them. We have to keep control of him are he would spend all his money trying to win prizes with the claw!
We wander down little lanes and find ourselves in Namba realising we are a little lost. Luckily we have google maps and a pocket wifi! Wandering home we get back around 11pm. Again we are exhausted.

Day 13 June 30

And it's farewell Hiroshima. We leave our unremarkable but very cheap hotel and go to have breakfast at the station. Mel isn't feeling well and there is no room for us at the cafe and Starbucks isn't open til 10. We park ourselves on the pavement with all our baggage waiting for our train.
When we get to the bullet train it seems the electric lines are down and we are allowed to jump on the Norzomi express. Express but not really faster than the Hakari. Stops less stations.
Touchdown Osaka but we are really early as Air BNB check ins are 3pm. So we have a bit of lunch and just take our time. We'll get there early and hope the cleaners are gone. We forget the read the first instruction on the direction sheet so we come out the wrong exit at Nippombashi. Damn it. Can't go back in so we look a bit lost until a local comes and helps us. Soon we're walking the streets again. I do mean streets. No pavements here.
We get to the place and it looks alright. Plenty of room with 6  double beds!We're all a bit exhausted but I'm a bit excited so Liz and I leave the kids to rest while we walk to Shinsibashi. Have a look at Time Bomb records and know I'm going to need to come here by myself. So many great records. Walk around the shops and see a lot of American stuff and vintage clothes shops and more and more shops which we will look at tomorrow. Go to the supermarket and grab some food to cook tonight.
At night Remi and I go for a walk to Dotonbori to see the wall of neon. Pretty amazing and looks sharp above the river. So many people about and we'll have to bring the others here tomorrow night.
The shops have giant moving crabs and dragons and all sorts going on. Slightly mind blowing.

Day 12 June 28

On our way to Hiroshima today. We have a last  wander around Fuji before hopping on the bus to Hiroshima. Well the bus to the bullet train. Our JR Pass doesn't allow us to ride the Norzomi which is direct and super fast but we get a ticket on the Hatari instead,
It takes a couple of hours and we reach Hiroshima around lunchtime. Briefly checking in to our first and only hotel on the trip and we're confronted with the ingrained smell off cigarettes. It's hard to escape the smell in Japan because every one is at it. Makes me want to take it up again but of course I won't.
Walk to Peace Park where we look at the different memorials to where they first dropped the atomic bomb. It's pretty amazing and full of history. Hard to believe that they actually did it. Kids are full of questions. The museum is particularly thought provoking as we see the personal effects and stories of young children who died. This includes the story of Sadaka and the thousand paper cranes which I have read a few times to pupils.There is a big display of paper cranes around the children' memorial. The Peace Dome is pretty impressive too if that's the right wording. is We spend a few hours in the park then go for a walk around Hiroshima.
On the way we had seen a robot shop and Remi and I go and have a look. It's full of robots and arcade games. Remi plays Pac Man. I talk to the shop keeper about robots and buy another one for my collection. The shops are just so interesting here I could look for days and probably will.
We have dinner in a restaurant full of locals. The food is delicious and includes Miso soup. Lots of stuff I don't know the name of but all tasty. We wander slowly back to the hotel. It's halfway through the holiday and we are getting a bit tired.

Day 11 June 29

Taking the ferry to Miyajimi to see the Torii gates today and it all runs smoothly and very quick. However the weather is really bad and at first it's hard to even see the gates through the rain. But it comes into view and they look magnificent. Just walking on to the island our feet get completely soaked although that's quickly forgotten as we find ourselves surrounded by deer. I've never been this close to one and they are quite beautiful. Especially when they raise on their hind legs to eat from the trees. Ruby is in her element and Remi is loving it too. But still the rain pours down.



Liz finds the  antique Japanese dolls she's been looking for in a small shop. I find myself some Studio Giblet trinkets. After which we wander around the temple there which gives us a different view. Usually tourists go up the mountain but hundreds of steps in the rain does not appeal to us neither does the cable car so we make our way back to the ferry and from there back to the hotel to get out of  our soaking wet things.
We take a short break at the the hotel to get our strength up. All through the trio we have been going at it from 10am in the morning until late at night but that was proving relentless. So we're finding time to relax.
For dinner we're choosing between Okonomiyaki and Ramon noodles thanks to recommendations on Facebooks. The Okonomiyaki wins out and it's delicious. It's like a savoury pancake but so much more. It's kinda cooked on our table too.  Before that we had one last wander around Hiroshima. Lovely place.

Day 10 June 27

Wake up to a warm morning which will soon become a very hot day and then finish cold and wet. It's like being back home. We try the bus today. After a few jitters we work it out and we're soon at Kyoto Station. From there we take the JR line to Inari to take a walk  around the Fushimi Inari Shrine. Mainly famous for it's row upon row of... actually I'm not sure what you call them. A corridor of orange posts that lead to the mountain top. It is a fantastic sight and starts off crowded then thins out as you go higher up the hill. I was not in the mood to do more steps today so while the others went ahead and returned down the mountain. Of course I went the wrong way and wandered down into an artisan village around the side. Which meant I had to start climbing back up the steps to get to where I made the wrong turn. The shrine itself is huge and teeming with tourists.
We then take a train (quick) and a bus(really really slow) to the Golden Pavilion. This is a gold plated shogun house. It takes us over a hour to get there for what is basically a photo. A nice photo indeed. We're back out in 15 minutes and get back on the bus but this time it's packed. We are crushed against the door and each stop more people get on. Elderly women kind of wish through you and into the centre of the bus. It sometimes happens on trains too but this is madness and it will last 40 minutes so we jump off at Emechi to catch a train. One stop later we're at Nijo Castle but we're too late! It's closed. Ion is too many transfers so we decide to just go for a stroll around the shopping district. I get in a few record shops and Liz gets her phone fixed (Remi dropped it the other day and it was impossible to see any of the screen through the many spider web like cracks)
For dinner we cross over the main street to an older part of town where there is a little river and a pizza truck. The pizzas are delicious and we sit outside an old museum type building as drops of rain start to fall. A light rain starts to become a heavy rain as we head for our last stop which is the Kyoto tower. Only 150 metres tall but the observation deck is very much like a space ship. And the lights of Kyoto glisten in the rain. We head down to the sky lounge for some over-priced drinks and say goodbye to Kyoto in style. Kind of.
Back home on the bus and the rain is pouring down. So we get soaked. So does our washing which was hanging on the balcony. It's after 11 and tomorrow we head for Hiroshima so we retire slightly damp.

Day 9 June 26

It's Sunday so it means we might have to face some crowds today. We head first for Arashiyama National Forest which is only one stop from where we are staying. The trains are immaculate with velvet seating and seats for one person. Very comfortable. Getting off at the station we basically follow the hordes. Across the bridge and very loud river complete wit small waterfalls we enter the small town. Lots of girls are walking around in kimonos and there are plenty of places to hire them. A bit of a tradition here. The streets are crowded and we make our way up to the temple which as these beautiful gardens Liz would like to see. This leads to the Bamboo Grove which is a delight. There are so many people taking selfies it's crazy.
From there we head to the Monkey Forest. A bit of a steep climb but we are rewarded with monkeys roaming free around us. Plus spectacular views of Kyoto. You are not allowed to stare at the monkeys so we avert our eyes a lot. Then we go into a cage and feed the monkeys through the wire. Lots of fun. We wonder what happens if they jump on you and soon find out as a tourist as it happen to her and this security guard dashes across the compound. The monkey makes a swift retreat. Still it's all a little bit wonderful.
We catch the train back into town and start to make our way to the Manga Museum. The streets are bustling and we have seemed to picked the busiest one. Lots of different food on display here and the aromas are thick and mouth watering. We don't have a clue what any of it is. I drop into Joe's Garage to look through the records quickly so as not to stop our momentum.
Soon we are at the manga Museum and what a joy it is. Everywhere you look people are reading manga comics. Outside in the gardens, amongst the exhibitions, just everywhere. You can read almost any manga ever made. We have come for the King of Pop exhibition featuring the work of Eguchi Hishashi and it's just brilliant. I walk around it twice. Downstairs we read Manga as we wait for an artist to paint our kids as Manga characters.  I love this museum. Even the gift shop is fun.
From there we walk down to Jet Set Records to have a quick dig while Liz looks for a new bag. Feeling a bit hungry we go into a noodle shop and I try the Kamage noodles. A big bowl of noodles with dipping sauce. Messy to eat with chopsticks but delicious. We plan to head to Kyoto tower but Mel is feeling sick so we make our way home.  There are a trio of comedy buskers by the station but we don't get the jokes. Ah!

Day 8 June 25

Looks like it's going to be a long days travel. We pack up all our things and then leave them at the front desk before going for a walk to the local shrine and look at the incredibly high trees there. There are supposed to give off energy and we're going to need it today.
First we take the bus to Misima station. They call it a highway express but it was quite slow. I'm not sure if we even got on the highway. From there we caught the Shinkansen to Kyoto. Waiting on the platform as other bullet trains went past the speed was incredible. If they didn't stop at the platform the just suddenly appeared for a few seconds as they flew by. The one we were going on was one of the fastest. The Hikari. So we zoomed across Japan. All a bit of a blur except for the Panasonic Ark which stood out because it looked like something from outer space.
Reaching Kyoto we realised we had to make 3 train switches because of their complex ownership of railways. The family looks tired as we walk between different stations and up and down stairs loaded up with bags. Eventually we reach Kamikarusa where our apartment is. It's raining and we have to find the place. It's about a 15 minute walk but it seems so much longer. And when we get there we can't find the front entrance.
Inside it's a pretty amazing looking flat but missing any kind of instructions how to operate stuff. Nor or there any glasses to drink out of. It's pretty big and there's 3 bedrooms which is unusual for Japan but the mattresses are very thin. Oh well. Liz and I go for a walk and find we're next to quite a busy little area with a Uniqlo store where we buy a few little things. We also try and buy groceries. The milk thing is scary but we get it right this time. No so the sugar which is something else altogether. I've got a google translator but I forget to bring my pocket wifi.
We pass a Korean BBQ on the way and decide we'll eat there tonight. Gathering up the kids we go back to the restaurant and we're ushered to the back to a more traditional eating place. In faltering English they ask me how much I want to spend and we work out the dinner like that. Kicking off with  there most popular dish beef tongue we start to get a bit scared about what might be coming. But Remi and I like it. Tastes a bit like bacon really. Everything else is a bit more normal but incredibly flavoursome. We converse with the owner and he gets us to try little things I can't pronounce. Home to a glass of wine and bed.

Day 7 June 24

Woke up to Mount Fuji obscured by clouds. No matter because we got to see it yesterday. I do feel for the travellers who come today though because theres not even a peep. From what I hear many travel here to see Fuji but you have to be lucky this time of the year. And we were.
Today we decided to hire bicycles and ride around Lake Kawaguchiko. Girls bikes mind you. But the land is flat and there won't be any problems.
It's a beautiful ride and Liz is already putting it down as a highlight of the trip halfway through it. The landscape is stunning. We stop off at not one but two lavender festivals. The second one we try some of the food stalls. Liz try a sausage but it turns out not to be cooked all the way through. So we grab a corn stick. Which is better. I try a local beer. And pick up some sake for later.
Up and down the smallest of hills and right around the lake.The weather is just right. Looking for the centre of town where we might get a bite to eat I notice a toy museum so we head there to have a look. It's small but it's brilliant. All toys are made in Japan. I notice I have a few copies of the robots. I like the tin boats as well. One part of the museum is devoted to 7 inch picture sleeves. A record museum too. Amazing. And so well set out.

At the gift shop I check out the robots for sale. Top robots by top designers with top prices too. One robot I liked seemed to have an extra 0 on the end but no it really was around the $900 mark. I had to settle for a smaller Masudaya Radicon robot. A copy of one of their 1950's "Gang of 5" robots. To get a real one would cost about $58 000.
When we come out of the museum it's starting to rain just a little but across the road Liz spies a baseball hitting/training nets. So we all have a go at hitting baseballs. Liz does well with the 80km pitching. Stupidly I try the 100km pitch. I think I hit the ball 3 out of 25 times. I should of worn my glasses.
Then the rain really starts to come down so we abandon plans to ride into the centre of town and start to head back via the supermarket. At this place we're away from town so we're cooking our own meals and we fall back on to the old standby of pasta. Looking at all the different foods on display is pretty mind boggling though. And don't mention the amount of fireworks on display. Ruby is diving to buy some. (secretly so am I) Anyway I pick up a pack of sushi for later. There's also a bread shop too and the breadstick we buy tastes amazing. We cook up as soon as we drop the bikes off and have a relatively early dinner. We haven't really eaten since breakfast. This happens a lot.
After dinner Liz and I go back to the onsen for our bathing. I'm used to the etiquette now. When I walk in I see other shoes lined up but it's some one just finishing so I'll have the bath alone. This time Ruby tries it too. Calm and relaxed we come back and drink our sake (plus a beer from the vending machine) and watch the original Night of the Living Dead.

Day 6 June 23

Another big day of travelling today. First we have to pack our bags and leave the submarine house. It's raining outside and miserable and the walk to the station gets us wet. We call into the tourist information centre to say goodbye to the girls who have helped us so much. Then it's back on the trains. First to Shinjuku. Then the bullet train to Otsuki. And then we ride the Mt. Fuji Express which is a very cool looking train. Arrive at Kawaguchiko around 2 pm and it's a beautiful day but Mt. Fuji is obscured by clouds. Everyone warned us we might not get to see the mountain at this time of the year.
Picked up and taken to our villa by the Lake and everything is explained to us. "And one more thing" seems to be the catch phrase. The room itself is lovely but there is no couch to sit on and there are only four channels on the TV and they are all in Japanese. So we head out to the lake for a walk. Mt. Fuji is still covered by clouds but we can now see the tip of the mountain and the clouds are moving. After about 30 minutes the clouds pass by and Mt. Fuji is revealed in all it's glory. And it is beautiful. A little bit magical. The photographers all pop out from everywhere. Liz and I sit on the bench and just look at it. The kids go back to the villa.
The cottage is self contained so on the way here we were taken to the super to buy groceries. Making a cup of tea we find we have bought coconut milk. Later we would realise the eggs we have bought are pre-cooked. A trip through little rice farms to the 7-11 store is need.
After all that walking Liz and I go for a soak in the onset which is deep spring baths. Very very hot. Because you can't wear bathers we're little bit nervous. I go into the men's onsen and luckily I have it to myself. As does Liz next door. Sitting in a hot bath, outside, with a twilight view of Mt. Fuji was simply just amazing. The vending machine next to the onset sells beer too. What a beautiful world. The state of bliss leads to a very early night.

Day 5 June 22

Today we decided to take the bullet train to Hankone primarily to visit the Open Air Museum. We've been looking forward to travelling on a Shinkansen since we first saw one. We took the local train to Shinagawa where we were to catch the train. Reserved seats. And very comfortable they were. Actually I had just settled down to reading the new Ray Davies biography after viewing the countryside for a bit when we arrived at our destination. From there we took a much slower train and then an even slower one. The train journey was getting hard. But then we started moving up the mountain and into the national park where the scenery was breathtaking. It all became a bit puffing billy. As we rose up the mountain we found ourselves up in the clouds.
At the station we came upon a very misty village. A short walk and we were in the museum. I'm not that big on sculptures but places like this quickly change your mind. There's the Henry Moore sculptures I had to write about in Art way back in the early seventies. A Rodin piece I recognised. Some great contemporary work. And then there is the Picasso exhibition. There are works I've never seen before even in books. I didn't know he did all this glass artwork or that he diversified into so many areas. Mind blown.Just brilliant and worth the long journey.
We also bathed our feet in the hot springs too as our feet were worn out from all the walking. We stayed at the museum so long that we never got a chance to look around the town much as it was closing time. We did stop and have a bite to eat though at at a Toy Story themed restaurant where he a lovely little curry and a glass of beer.
After taking the long trip back to Harajuku the others called it a day. We picked up some bento boxes on the way for dinner. However I went out to Roppongi to meet a parent from school who was here working on an art project. Geoff Nees and his colleagues met me at at place called Yakitori. They put a heavy mug of sake in front of each of us. Very strong and tasted potent. The others then proceed through a course of chicken on skewers. First chicken hearts, the neck the liver and so on. Unfortunately I had eaten twice in the last 5 hours and there was no room for anything. I did try the liver though and with a sip of red wine it tasted immaculate.
To get to Roppongi I had to use the Metro and it was easier than I thought. Roppongi reminded me a bit of the old Kings Cross. Every few steps a guy in a suit was strung to get me to come into their fine establishment. Travelling home after midnight I notice quite a few men in suits sleeping on their way home. I must admit that I was ready for sleep myself.

Day 4 June 21

We were going to have a bicycle ride around the palace today but woke up to a rainy day so cancelled that idea. Then of course the rain stopped our plans togo to Hankone. So we decided to go instead to Electric Town. Back on the train for a ride to the other side of town to Akihabara.
Stepping out of the station the visual assault is pretty full on. Every building is plastered with signs. It looks amazing. So much to look at. But we're hungry and we commit a terrible sin and go for a quick McDonalds meal. We know it's bad and Ruby tells us off but it seems to be just what we need. Bread snacks are too sweet and searching for a local place to eat is time consuming with the kids humming and hawing.
We go in search of Super Potato. 3 floors of Retro gaming just for Remi. Every console ever made. Again. Mind boggling. On the top floor there are a bunch of old arcade games and despite the room stinking of old cigarette smoke we play a few of the old games. The one I play used to be at the Lizard Lounge when we first started and I would play it as we waited for the punters to arrive. I was rubbish then and still am now. Super potato is very cool.
We move on. There seems to be a lot of Maid Cafes in this area but we are not tempted to eat there. We find a shop which is 3 floors of cuteness and adventure though and as models from Star Wars to Studio Ghibli. The presentation is fantastic and a shopping trip is mostly spent looking at displays.
We find a bit of a gourmet supermarket at the train station and buy some stuff to make our dinner with tonight. Pasta! It's western food day!
We head back to the house where after dropping off todays purchases I head back out again to do some record digging in Shibuya while the family rests. Head to HMV first where the amount of records is staggering. I could spend hours in here easily. Buy a few records and then walk around the corner to Disk Union and buy a few more. Head back to the station stopping for a quick video call from the middle of Shibuya Crossing to Michelle Liz' sister. I notice that there a quite a few others filming there walk too.
Meanwhile Liz as been shopping in the Paris end of Harajuku. With the trees and high fashion shops I can see the resemblance to the Champs Elysee. We meet up in Kiddy Land of all places. Super cute and very loud. Disaster as struck though and Liz's phone as taken a tumble and the front is completely cracked up. Remi won't be holding that for a while.
Back to the house for a late pasta dinner and our first red wine. It all goes down well and I head back to 7-11 to get another one. Cheers

Day 3 June 20

Slow start today as we are heading firstly to the Owl cafe which is just around the corner. Toast and coffee and baseball on the TV and then we're off. The Owl Cafe is 4 flights up. We enter a small cafe which is divided into drinks and owls. A quick apple juice and we're in with another American family surrounded by half a dozen owls. The American asks if we know of Casey Chambers. Seems he interviewed her for USA Today last week. When you bump into other travellers you always try to make connections.
Anyway the Owls were amazing. Soft to the touch and just magnificent. I had a rather large one sitting on my arm for a while. It was heavy and light at the same time if that makes any kind of sense at all. The colours were so deep. The kids loved it and the time went very fast.
From there we caught the train to Tokyo Tower. It was a choice between that and the Sky Tree which is the tallest. But I find the Tokyo Tower more iconic. And it looks great. On the way we pass another large shrine whose name escapes me at the moment.
Looking at Tokyo from the top of the tower you can see how vast the city is. No way we could see all of this in 5 days. Each district has it's own character. After this we head down to a small park and relax for a short while before heading to Katano Broadway to see all the anime shops. We seem to be going round and round on the train system. At one stage we are at the front and can see through the drivers window which is pretty cool.
Katana Broadway is pretty amazing and shops are full of amazing toys. Most I've never heard of but pretty soon we find our way into Star Wars and Simpsons territory too. There's a small exhibition of the work of Takashi Matsuyama which we delight in. Then I come across a Gigantor model. Brilliant. After deliberating for a bit I make my first Japanese purchase.
Then we go to this most amazing shop which is just full of antique toy robots. And the floor is lit up. And it's just a delight looking through antique toys. I forgot to write the name of the shop down though. I'll have to do a bit of research and find the names of these places.
By this time it's 8pm we're all getting tired and need some food.We head back to Shibuya and a place called Genki Sushi. While the gang are waiting in line I pop over and grab an adaptor from Bic Camera.  Cheap, unlike the useless one I bought in Melbourne. Back at Genki the deal is you order your food by iPad type thingy and it travels on a monorail to your table. The food is great and it's lots of fun. We love the food and the kids eat squid so it's a win all round. It's getting late and the family are tired from a full day so reluctantly we head home. Not without spending time soaking up the atmosphere of Shibuya just a little bit longer.

Day 2 June 19

Despite how tired I was last night I'm still awake at 6 am in the morning. So I walk down to the kitchen and use this strange kid of coffee teabag thingy which is really good. Better than the real coffee we have later. Everyone else is sleeping soundly.
First up is Remi so around 9 we decide to go for a walk around the neighbourhood. Nothing is open but we walk down Takeshita Dori. Shipowners are getting ready and shutters are coming up. It looks pretty wild already but we keep moving until we come to a small garden oasis around the corner. There's a fish pond with these what I would call giant goldfish swimming about. And turtles. When we come out of the park we're lost in Japan. But with the help of pocket wifi and google maps we find our way home. Pick up some bread at 7-11 on the way home . A six pack. Six slices only. So I have to buy 2.
At home everyone is ready to leave so it's back to Takeshita Dori. Now it's packed. People viewing is pretty high here. Girls dressed up to come to the street. Some guys dress up but in strange costumes. However the rock and roll/punk look is pretty big too. It's all a bit gaudy. And move through there, round the corner to the nicer shops and then to the Yoyogi Park to see the Meiji Jingu temple. I grabbed a snack to eat on the way and as I put it my mouth at the entrance to the park a security guard told me off. We walked up to the temple there which was beautiful and not too crowded. We were planning to see more of the park but we took a wrong turn and ended up at the railway station. Not wanting to turn back we hopped on the train to Shibuya.

From there we made our way to Shibuya Crossing. Which was just amazing. All the lights go red and hundreds of people cross at the same time.
Everyone else is hungry so they go looking for food while I look for a record shop. Google maps don't help and though I'm only 1 minute away from Disc Union i just walk around in circles. Luckily they have volunteers on the street that are there to help. I think I must be the first to ask because they all cheer when I approach them and a girl starts filming. The guy I'm talking to decides to actually walk me there. His friend comes too. And the girl filming. I then do an interview as we walk and at the end film a testimonial. Brilliant.
I've taken so long to get here that only spend a short time looking and will come back on my own in a few day.
Meet up with the others and after a look around head back to Harajuku to rest.
Back at the house we crash for a few hours before heading out for dinner. We're back on Takeshita Street though it's all a bit commercial so we try to go out the way. Settle on a place next to the station. Very small and packed with Japanese. Always a good sign. Liz and I have noodles which are fabulous. Our vegetarian Ruby's okay with hers. (It took a long time to explain no meat to the waiter! ) but Remi's not so big on his dumplings.
It's time to go back to Shibuya to see it at night. Standing on the corner watching the world pass by at Shibuya Crossing is quite magical. Is this what they refer to as an influence on Bladerunner's set design? We go for another walk around the neighbourhood. We see a Deadpool themed restaurant and Remi is very excited. It's 10.30pm and Tower records is still home. 6 floors of music. Great to wander around and we get caught at the J-Indie section listening to this great CD from a Japanese band called Never Young Beach.
But it's getting late and the rain is tarting to come down so we make our way back home. Trains are still packed and first up we catch the wrong train. Because all announcements are in English we soon realise our mistake and get back on the right train in minutes
Back at Harajuku the rain is really coming down now but we make it home a little wet and with tired bones just after midnight.