Zach Thomas

In Closing: The long journey home

It’s been quite a culture shock returning to Scotland after 100 days in Japan. My 11 hour flight from Narita airport took me to London and after a 6 hour wait in Victoria station I was able to take the 8 hour night bus to Edinburgh. From there a 3 hour bus journey south took me to Dumfries where my family live. I don’t think there are many contrasts as strong as those between central Tokyo and the remote hamlet of population 15 where I grew up. It’s true that I miss convenience stores and game arcades but as I sit here looking out over my garden I feel truly calm for the first time in months. The sound of birds chirping just outside the window as they socialise over a round of birdseed, the mist rolling solemnly over the pine coated hills that enclose my village, the chickens that follow my mother round the garden in a procession of feathers and noisy clucking. It doesn’t take long for the jetlag to shake off and for me to feel at home once again.

I remember sitting on the night bus marvelling to myself at how cold it was. I said to myself: “I did it”. I set out to spend 3 months in Japan. To live there, to work there, to travel there. And “I did it”. There is nothing more satisfying than looking back and realizing that you fulfilled your own ambitious goals. For this satisfaction I owe a great deal to the Saltire Foundation and the team at SDI who made the whole thing possible and have shown a dedication to my internship even when things were looking bleak. Furthermore, I’d like to thank everyone at Toshiba for their patience and support. The environment at the lab was very friendly and has given me a great introduction to research. I would also like to thank Ken Maeda for organizing my placement and for his nostalgic tea break conversations about Edinburgh. Last but not least, endless appreciation goes to Ryuzo Okada (my tutor) for his informative guidance and assistance.

Japan has been a wonderful backdrop to a wonderful set of experiences and it is no exaggeration to say that (aside from visa problems) I would not have changed any element of my time there. From the sweaty commuter train, to the spiritual hush of the Shinto shrine, to the dramatic summit of Mt Fuji, every scene from my time there has been engrained into my mind like the very essence of culture and experience.

I now turn my attention to my 4th year of Mathematics at Edinburgh University and a busy year as president of the Edinburgh University Japanese Society. A very different set of challenges lie ahead but one thing is for sure: I will be in Japan again in the near future. Watch this space.

The busiest week of my life.

For those of you who are familiar with the aforementioned visa predicament you will also be aware that I made productive use of the waiting period by conducting some personal research into the Japanese Animation Industry. When my visa finally arrived Scottish Development International were very interested in what I had been doing and suggested I compile an internal report for them and round things off with a presentation before I leave Japan. Naturally, I was very enthusiastic to make use of my work and agreed to have something put together before the end of my internship.

My internship at Toshiba was scaled down from the original 8 week plan but it has still been very challenging and a lot of hard work. My tutor requested me to have a report and presentation of my work ready for this Friday so I arranged with SDI to give a presentation on the Thursday morning at 9am. What a week it has been! I spent 9 hours each day at Toshiba RDC running tests and writing my report. Then in the evening I returned home to work on my SDI report and browse the web for content. It's been so knackering thinking from two very different perspectives: My market research is very business focused with a lot of qualitative information and my Toshiba research topic is very mathematical. I feel that my brain has developed a new ability to switch between mindsets.

In addition, I am the president of the Edinburgh University Japanese Society and it's getting very close to our famous "Sushi, Sake, Sumo" Fresher's Week event. I've been sending out loads of emails organizing everything for the society. On October 25th I am organizing a large event as part of the Japan-UK 150 celebrations and this has also been a major responsibility on my shoulders during my time here:

http://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/japanuk150/events/andmore/EdinburghUniJD.html

On Thursday morning I gave my final presentation to Frank Boyland and Dr Stephen Baker and they seemed very pleased with my results. I presented them with an overview of my report which reached a length of 24 pages. Straight after that I headed to the Toshiba headquarters in Hamamatsucho for a closing meeting with Chika Komatsu who has been coordinating the placement at Toshiba for me and Euan. Chika's a very friendly lady and a great representative for the company, she presented us with Japanese style lacquered picture frames as a momento of our time in the company.

Next stop was Yako, home of the Saiwai-cho immigration office. I collected my Alien Registration Card which is meant mainly for identifying myself as a legal resident but as I am leaving Japan in a few days it's only important as a compulsory document for exiting the country. It was a great feeling being able to collect my card without any hiccups and swiftly return to the Toshiba RDC.

A few hours of work later and I headed back North to Shinbashi for the Saltire Interns leaving dinner. The folks at SDI certainly have a good taste in restaurants. We had a private room with a 42nd floor view of the Tokyo night view and a great range of traditional Japanese food. I enjoyed a rather disturbing fish-eye jelly which only came second place to the eyeball crunching - "It tastes like egg!" - activities of Alex and Colin. In addition to closing speeches and the many "Thank yous" due to Dr Baker and Frank Boyland we also had an interview with a representative from the Magazine "Immigration News". It seemed like a choice opportunity to spread my enthusiasm for Japan and hopefully, despite the inevitable mention of my visa problems, I managed to leave an impression of just how much love and respect I have for this fine country.

I am very happy to announce that we succeeded in convincing Stephen to go to karaoke and his rendition of "You look wonderful tonight" by Eric Clapton was top class!

I woke up this morning and refused to have a hangover. Rather, I felt so numb that I wasn't really aware of my physical condition at all. I had agreed to be at the office for 8am to make some final adjustments to my presentation. Once I sat down in front of my computer my auto-pilot kicked in and before I knew it I was sitting in the lunch hall being congratulated on a job well done.

This evening I have two leaving parties to round off this epic week. Tomorrow is my last day in Japan and I'm already day dreaming about that roast dinner waiting for me at home.

 

Sunny days and stormy nights: Izu Peninsula

Last weekends Fuji expedition was perhaps one of the most knackering experiences of my life and it took me until Wednesday to return to normal. I can't remember those days particularly clearly but somehow when my senses returned I had half a report and a complete set of code in front of me. I guess I have a reliable autopilot.

It was suddenly the weekend and time for my last weekend trip. I can't believe I have to return to the UK in less than a week! While the other interns were showing off their dance moves somewhere in Tokyo's nightlife scene. I slipped away from Tokyo with my girlfriend (Kept that quiet didn't I?) to the Izu Peninsula south of Tokyo. The weather recently has been very unpredictable and Japan has seen record breaking rainfall in areas further south such as Nagoya so I was slightly worried that we would end up having a miserable time. Luckily, it didn't end up that way...

First stop: Atami. Atami is considered the "gateway to Izu" and it has all the hotels and tourists to go with that title. We stopped there briefly to visit the MOA Art Museum which is a short bus ride through some tight Japanese streets. The museum buildings were beautiful and the surrounding grounds contain traditional tea ceremony houses and a bamboo grove. These well kept extremities are reflected in the high priced entry fee and the entranceway is so epic it takes 10 minutes to get into the main galleries. The grandeur and scale convinced us that the museum was a product of Japan's economic bubble.

Afternoon had arrived and the morning sleepiness had finally lifted, we headed back down the hill and hopped on the train to Ito. On the train there were seats facing East out onto the coastal side of the train tracks. The wide windows gave us a fantastic view of the surrounding scenery as we flew half way down the peninsula to a less frequented station a few stops past Ito. We enjoyed a lovely walk through a sleepy seaside town down to the waters edge were a large group of scuba divers were getting geared up for some underwater exploration. Walking through a few similar bay areas we headed up hill to a lighthouse and a thrilling suspension bridge 23m over a gorge where the waves were raging below.

Jumping on the bus, we left this beautiful scenery behind and headed to Ito where a torrential downpour had begun. Luckily we had decided to splash out on a high quality Japanese inn (ryokan) so I could savour my last full weekend in Japan. The service at the ryokan was ridiculously good. Firstly a member of staff picked us up from the station and dropped us outside the entrance. Another member of staff held an umbrella up so we could transfer into the building. Inside we were checked in by a very friendly looking old man who escorted us through the building to our room, ushering us with polite bows and broken English the entire way. Upon entering the room we didn't get a moment to breathe as our nakai (personal maid) arrived and began perhaps the longest speech I have ever heard a person make without breathing. She introduced us to all the facilities the ryokan had to offer and was bowing her head to the floor the whole time and saying many gozaimasu-s and itashimasu-s - elements of polite Japanese speech.

After our days hike I was looking forward to peace and quiet and when she left the room I was about to breathe a sigh of relief but then suddenly she reappeared with a tray and served us tea. The tea was followed by Okashi, a sweet snack. Then dinner arrived. At some point when I wasn't looking she had set the table and rearranged the room. Food arrived in a constant stream, but not just common dishes, a proper Japanese display with excellent presentation and multitude of different colours. Miso soup, grilled fish (ayu), sashimi, tempura, various tofu foodstuffs like yuba, fishcake, umeshu and many more. I could list them all but as you can see from the photograph that would take some time.

Feeling properly stuffed and understandably sleepy I stared vacantly at the room as the ryokan staff tidied up in record time and made our beds. Eventually we were finally allowed peace and the sudden quiet that prevailed over the room felt unusual after the rush of Japanese customer service. Luckily, the perfect thing was only a lift ride away to ease away the stress of the day: a private rooftop ryokan.

It took a little while to get over the weird feeling that standing on a rooftop naked in a thunderstorm brings but when I climbed into the onsen everything just melted away. The city lights of Ito spread out far along the coast and a cold but friendly wind cooled our faces, flushed from the heat of the bath.

The next morning we were up early. Eager to get out and see the next destination?? Well, yes. But also because our favourite Olympic medalist maid was knocking at our door ready to serve yet another culinary adventure. I've never been particularly good at eating in the morning but I managed to wolf down something before we headed out. Our next destination was Shimoda, all the way at the bottom of the peninsula.

Shimoda is a great example of how well the Japanese tourist industry works. You step off the train, head to the well placed tourist information center in the station and they make a plan for you. Combination ticket in hand we started our afternoon off with a cable car ride to the summit of a mountain where we went to a Japanese shrine dedicated to couples. It is a popular Shinto practice to write down your wishes on a small wooden plaque which is then tied to a special area of the shrine. We got ourselves cute wooden heart and inscribed our wishes to remain a strong couple when I have to return to the UK.

Taking some time to admire the fantastic view of the bay we headed back down to the town and arrived just in time to take a boat cruise of the bay by "black ship". This requires a little explanation of the historical significance of Shimoda. Shimoda is famous as the location where the American black ships landed to force Japan to end its isolationist era. Once upon a time Japan was closed off to foreigners but faced with the power of a fleet of black war ships under Commodore Matthew C. Perry they had no choice but to begin diplomatic relations with the U.S.

We filled the rest of our day with museums focusing on Perry and the surrounding history and a relaxing walk around the bay. We found a tiny area of beach neglected by other tourists and bathed in the glow of the setting sun. It was a picture perfect moment and I couldn't have asked for a better way to bring a close to my traveling adventures in Japan.

How not to climb Mt Fuji.

Before work started I went sightseeing everyday but now that I spend 9-11 hours a day in the office these casual activities are limited to the weekend. So, it's important to make the most of the weekend and tick a few more must-see places off my list.

Last weekend I went to the Mt Fuji area with Colin, Euan, Bahariah and Alex. We were interested in climbing the mountain but left our options open. A couple of train journeys starting at Kawasaki station brought us to the Kawaguchi lake area North of Mt Fuji. The bad weather and low visibility were a sign of things to come but we didn't let this dampen our spirits. Here I use "dampen" as a metaphor but we did quite literally get soaked as later paragraphs will reveal.

On arrival at the train station we followed our stomachs to a nearby restaurant and indulged in the local specialty: Houtou. Houtou is a warm soup dish with a miso (bean paste) base and a lovely array of mushrooms, carrots and other vegetables. We also had a round of Japanese green tea to top up our culture meter for the day.

Taking a gander at the tourist map outside the station Euan discovered a nearby tourist attraction called "The musical forest" and was very excited indeed. Not wanted to let him down we all agreed that "The musical forest", whatever it was, would make a good first destination. Unfortunately the last bus was from 7:30 so we had a mere 6 hours to explore.

After a casual saunter around lake Kawaguchi we arrived at the entrance to "The musical forest" which turned out to have no trees in it whatsoever. It did have a lot of music though. "The musical forest" is built like a small Swiss town including a museum dedicated to music boxes and other classic musical trinkets. It felt very strange walking into Switzerland from Japan and I was slightly dubious about paying 1000yen. It was worth it in the end though as we were treated to a performance of the Totoro (a famous Japanese animated movie) theme tune by a Praha Quartet. Even the gift shop was unique with spiral staircases and very pricey looking Western style furnishings.

We let time run on a little too much in this parallel universe and had to hurry back to the station for the bus. It was at this time that I felt a little bit disappointed with the course of the evening. I hadn't even seen Mt Fuji! A group of noisy American tourists heading towards the mountain all wearing matching red caps convinced me that I would not leave this place until my initial challenge of reaching the 3776m summit was complete!!

Stupidity, bravery, dedication? It was most likely a combination of all of these that led me to the mountain with Bahariah and Alex. We stopped at a nearby convenience store and stocked up and water and a special high nutrition biscuit called Calorie Mate. I also borrowed Colin's (massive) waterproof jacket.

Climbing Mt Fuji begins at the 5th station where the lower level forests and fields give way to the serious rocky landscape completely barren of anything interesting or beautiful. We started climbing around 9pm in the pitch black following the multitudes of multicolored mountaineers. One thing about Japan that really strikes me is the importance placed on uniforms. Every job or task has a uniform: traffic directors, department store lobby employees, car park attendants and (more relevantly) mountaineers. The mountaineering uniform consists of waterproof jackets and trousers, hats with mounted flashlight and thick boots. Faced with an overwhelming majority of appropriately dressed Japanese I began to feel slightly uneasy.

One the way up the mountain there are many places where you can stop for something to eat. We stopped at a few of these on the way to the summit for some instant noodles priced at a ridiculous 600yen (3 pounds). There were also many huts for sleeping in but this particular weekend was one of the busiest and there were thousands of people climbing the mountain just like us. There was no room to even enter most of the shelters so we had to persevere and keep climbing.

Surprisingly everything went smoothly up until to the 8th station which was experiencing a mass exodus of sunset seekers. We joined the queue heading up the last section of track to the crater at the top. The weather had progressively been getting colder and wetter as we climbed and the final stretch was horrific. The rain was swirling around us like some malevolent spirit and my jeans became twice as heavy as they soaked with water. I tried to shield myself with an umbrella but it was wrenched repeatedly from my hands. The air was so thin and my breathing became ragged. The queue was moving pathetically slow, I felt like a member of a procession of dead souls wandering mournfully into hell. It truly felt like there was no end as we stumbled up the track in single file.

Sunrise was about 4:30-5:00am and sadly we missed it, we couldn't get to the top in time. When we saw the clouds lighting up above we concluded that we should descend as soon as possible and find somewhere to warm up. I for one was absolutely shattered and it was in silence that we dejectedly began the 3 hour decent. We made it to roughly 3760m.

4 hours later and we were sitting in a restaurant at the 5th station, our wet clothes in polythene bags laughing bitterly at our failure. There is a saying here in Japan: "Climb Fuji once, only fools climb it twice". I agree with this for the most part but I am sure that one day I will climb again to see that famous sunset.

Starting Work at Toshiba RDC

Last week my much anticipated internship at Toshiba began and it has not been a disappointment. My project has been scaled down but I have still been given something interesting, challenging and most importantly useful. I know you would love to hear what I am working on but if I told you... I'd have to kill you.

I do, however, have a few cultural anecdotes to share about my workplace that you may find interesting. My typical workday begins at 9am, this isn't too bad for me because I live a mere half an hour away near Kawasaki station. For many Japanese the commute can take 1-2 hours and this means waking up at 6am or thereabouts. Between 9am and 10am all my colleagues disappear from the office for a daily seminar of some kind. The office is deathly quiet at this time and I usually sit there enjoying the peace and reading slowly over some material.

At 10am everybody reappears and morning exercises are announced over the tannoy. Ichi...Ni...San...Yon! I subtly do my exercises pretending that I understand the Japanese. There is only one other non-Japanese in my office and his Japanese is MUCH better than mine but I still find opportunities to get involved in conversations with my limited vocabulary. One things for sure, this is a good environment to improve my Japanese ability.

Then we have the first round of work. Keyboard tapping is heard all around and I usually get some directions and advice from Okada-san, my tutor. Okada-san is very helpful and his English is great. I have already learned a great deal from him. I've spent a lot of my first week reading various reports linked to my subject and piecing everything together in my head.

There are several canteens in the complex and I go for lunch each day with some friends in the office. We all head down to the canteen together and brave the masses of employees queuing for lunch. Nobody starts eating until everybody has arrived and the quicker members of the group who get through the queues first acquire a table and stand there like a marker for the others. It seems like a trivial thing but when I think about it, I have never experienced such a thoughtful range of etiquette anywhere else in my life than I have here in Japan.

Last Friday I went on a private tour of the Toshiba Science Museum that is attached to the research centre. Toshiba has an interesting history and there are many products on display from the very old washing machine that looks like a barrel to new advances in science like a hard drive the size of a fingertip. There is an impressive motion sensing ninja game in the museum that seems to be a highlight with guests of all ages. I was most pleased to discover that it utilized the PS3 cell processor (partly developed by Toshiba) and was designed by none other than my tutor Ryuzo Okada. Wow.

After work that day it was my welcome party so all my colleagues took me to a restaurant in central Kawasaki. Speeches were made, including a short speech in Japanese by myself which gained much round of applause and “Nihongo umai!” (Impressive Japanese). After a few beers later I had my karaoke head on and convinced (nay, forced) my workmates to accompany me to karaoke nearby. The night was rounded off nicely with such classics as Oasis’ Champagne Supernova and Billy Joel’s “The Piano Man”.

It’s been a great week and I really feel like I have for the most part integrated into the workplace nicely. In my next blog entry I’ll tell you all about my dramatic weekend trip to the summit of Mt Fuji.

The animation week: Comiket.

After a busy week at SDI researching the anime and manga industry the weekend had finally arrived and what better way to celebrate some time to myself than to head to the worlds biggest comic convention. Accompanied by Euan Robertson with his unstoppable enthusiasm for everything Japanimation, I traveled by monorail to the Tokyo Big Site on the edge of Odaiba (a big man made island opposite Tokyo bay) for Comiket 74.

We were already in awe at the size of Tokyo Big Site when we entered the main convention area and merged with the crowds of otaku (hardcore anime fans). There were thousands of stalls advertising all manner of creative projects linked to the animation industry. We were pleased to see even a small hint of Scotland in this massive assemblage of ideas: we discovered a tourist guide book specifically tailored for Harry Potter otaku including postcards of Edinburgh and other HP related destinations. If that wasn't enough then the whiskey drinking society around the corner was the icing on the Scottish culture cake. What whiskey has to do with comics and animation we will never know but it was nice to see a touch of home in an event so large.

Upstairs we were confronted with the offerings of more larger companies. Enthusiasts dressed in anime costumes (cosplayers) posing in front of drooling Japanese otaku holding cameras that outsize anything I've seen on the conventional camera market. I have to admit, the costumes were spot on and it was like they had stepped out of the posters plastered over every inch of the convention space.

Enjoying the unique atmosphere I followed Euan, who by this point had a certain sparkle in his eye suggesting he was in some kind of anime fan nirvana and was not taking calls at that time. We arrived in the central area of Tokyo big sight and walked straight into the cosplay Gauntlet: multicoloured spikey hair, outrageous makeup and tights (LOTS of tights). The scale of anime fandom in Japan is unbeliveable and I really felt like I had plunged straight into the heart of a beast I am never destined to understand.

The end of the visa blues!

I had almost given up on my all-important visa arriving but sure enough after much delay and worry it finally arrived in the post. It was almost hard to believe that such an anti-climatic little slip of paper could be worth all the destiny altering trouble caused but sure enough the paper was the only thing between me and my long awaited internship. My new start date for Toshiba is the 19th of August and if it wasn't for the never ending patience and support from the Saltire Foundation, Scottish Development International and Toshiba then I would be soon returning home with my tail between my legs.

To make use of my time while waiting for the crucial visa I began doing some independent market research into the Japanese animation industry. It's an industry that has always interested me and the crucial changes that are taking place in the Japanese market make it a topic of hot debate. Scottish Development International, in their capacity as an economic development agency, find market research such as my animation industry report very useful so instilled with the power of a "Cultural Exchange Visa" I will be able to present my findings to various sector teams within the organization as part of my internship program. This unforeseen development is actually very useful as work experience and at the end of the week I will be interviewing a representative from a very large and influential company in the animation industry (I'm not telling which!) as part of my report.

Now that work has finally begun and I shake the lethargy off, I'm excited... very excited indeed.

A Weekend in Nikko

Last weekend 4 out of 6 Saltire interns headed to Nikko National Park situated north of Tokyo. Not wanting to miss out on one of Japan's cultural highlights I headed to Nikko this weekend with Miss Bahariah to catch up on shrines and temples.

Nikko is a worthwhile day trip for anyone staying in Tokyo, you can get there directly from either Asakusa or Shinjuku station. We decided to meet at 8.10 and get to Nikko as early as possible. I made the (perhaps foolish) decision to wake up even earlier and head to the Tsukiji fish market for a sashimi breakfast.

Dragging myself out of bed at 5am I took the necessary train journeys North from Kawasaki and arrived at Tsukiji station. The smell of raw sea creatures that surrounds the whole market area is like a miasma of fishyness. Tsukiji is a proper functioning seafood market as you must be careful to avoid all the forklift trucks and other transportation vehicles that zoom around with little care for the multitudes of misplaced tourists. As I walked into the market I was soon wide awake and headed straight for the row of sushi and shashimi eateries. After a short wait my large bowl of shashmi over rice was served. For the uninitiated a simple explanation of shashimi is needed: shashimi is sliced raw fish which tastes excellent when seasoned with a mixture of daikon (white radish), wasabi (horseradish with attitude) and soy sauce. Tsukiji is the best place to try it because the fish was most likely alive mere hours before. You can really taste the difference.

Full of fish and feeling a little queasy I dodged past more forklift trucks loaded up with quality seafood and headed back to the station. Unfortunately at this point I was a little bit disorganized with trains and I ended up arriving at Asakusa station a bit late (Sorry Baha!!). Luckily Bahariah had already boarded a train to Nikko with another friend of mine, Ippei Ukai, and I was convinced she was in safely headed in the right direction.

A couple of short phone calls and a walk across Nikko later and I finally met up with Ippei and Bahariah at the entrance to the Nikko national park. At this point the predictable Japanese city streets lined with noodle shops and convenience stores changes to dense woodland dotted with shrines, temples and other world heritage treasures. This spot is also home to the picturesque Shinkyo bridge pictured below. Despite the earlier sashimi adventure I was still hungry and we all sat down at a nearby noodle shop for some soba.

Full of prawn tempura and other goodies we began the great tourist trail to Tosho-gu. There is an abundance of beautiful temple buildings on the path up the mountain. Have a look at the photographs below to get an idea of the atmosphere. The buildings are sculpted with fine details and the colouring is all very elaborate. There are a selection of sculpted panels on the building of monkeys displaying the three main principles of Tendai Buddhism: 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil'. At the top of the trail you can pay an extra entry fee and rise even higher into the forest to see the tomb of Tokugawa Ieyasu, it was worth the hike up the famous 1000 steps and felt a little more secluded and special than the tourist stomping ground below.

That night we stayed in a ryokan a short journey by train away from Nikko. The particular location we staying seemed to have a rather saturated hotel market and we managed to secure a last minute room in a nice ryokan overlooking a beautiful river for only 3000yen each, thats about 15 pounds for the British readers. The best thing was that there were very nice onsen (public bath) included and after our busy day of sightseeing it was great to soak in the tub. Bahariah spent a LONG time in the bath and we were worried she might have passed out. Unable to enter the womens baths we asked all the women on their way past if they had seen a foreign woman in the bathroom, as Bahariah blends in with the Japanese they had no idea. In the end she emerged like nothing had happened and we all retired for the night.

The next day we decided to get a bus to nearby Chuzenji-ko, a beautiful mountain lake town. The bus took 40 minutes and ascended the steep mountain side on a one-way winding track that seemed very precarious. We disembarked at the cable car station and in 10 minutes we were standing on a viewing platform being treated to a magnificent view of the Chuzenji-ko lake and the epic waterfall Kegon-no-taki. Being the fit healthy young specimens that we are, we decided to take the 2 hour mountain hiking path across the mountain range to get to the town.

The hiking trail was very nice indeed, as we moved up and down through the mountain forest we occasionally emerged on a hillside clearing and could get another perspective on the lake and waterfall. Mountain flowers of a kind I have never seen were dotted around and punctured that deep greenery with bright charisma. Despite the constant confirmation of bearing and the rather useless map we had of the course, we ended up taking a wrong turn and skipped an hours worth of the hike. We eventually, after much confusion and worry, arrived at a main road and took the obvious route direct into the town.

Chuzenji-ko was a small touristy town and we were greeted by some over-enthusiastic old women with very similar looking ramen restaurants. There seemed to be some kind of battle going on between them and it had comical parallels to my days working as a salesperson. We passed them by to get a better look at the lake. Despite the warm humid weather, the lake was icy cold and we relaxed at the waters edge for a while and enjoyed soaking our tired feet. Hunger eventually made it's presence known and we succumbed to the inevitable and headed back to the ramen battlefront.

One pork cutlet with curry and rice, mushroom tempura dipped in green tea and a Pocari Sweat (ominously named sports drink) later and we were ready to view the famous waterfall nearby. On the 5 minute walk to the waterfall mist obscured EVERYTHING including the famous viewing point and we were just cursing our bad timing when there was a momentary break in the mist and we quickly crammed into the elevator and descended to the viewing platform. The waterfall was amazing at close range and the spraying water was very refreshing in the days heat. We took some photographs, browsed our 4th tourist omiyage (souvenir) shop of the day and headed for the bus station.

Another exciting bus journey later while enjoying the fantastic live album "Across A Wire" by the Counting Crows and we arrived back in Nikko. With a sudden downpour, thunder and lightening bringing tension to the atmosphere I ascended into another temple I missed the previous day. Ippei and Bahariah stayed behind and I sat on the edge of the prayer hall and enjoyed the sound of the rain pattering on the ancient temple. With flashes of lightening and the angry roar of thunder overhead it was yet another moment where I exclaimed "I'm in Japan!".

On the long journey home I enjoyed reading Tanizaki's "The Key" to bring a well-rounded weekend of culture to a close.

Dramatic Contrasts

Another striking feature of Tokyo life are the contrasts you experience when exploring the city. The atmosphere of a shinto shrine or landscaped garden is far removed from the bustle of an entertainment district with pachinko parlors and games arcades. Yet these two atmospheres are often just a hairbreadth away from each other. When getting to know the city I discovered some dramatic contrasts that I think say a lot about the feel of the city.

For my first month here I stayed in the pleasant Zoshigaya neighborhood in northwest Tokyo. It's a very peaceful area where cats laze in the sun and you can easily get lost in the maze of cul de sacs and alleyways. The balconies adorned with drying clothes and minature gardens give the place a real local flavor. 5 minutes down the road and you arrive on a main street heading straight for central Ikebukuro and the typical Tokyo assault on the senses begins. Pachinko parlour theme tunes rip through the air and the neon lights cover every inch of the street in a gaudy glow. It's a full on entertainment district and you need a lot of luck to find peace and quiet here.

Tokyo is dotted with parks and areas of greenery which is a real godsend when the pace of the city gets to you. Endless shopping malls and underground passageways make up a lot of Tokyo's pedestrian space and for a country-boy (at heart) like myself it's a real relief when you find a park bench to sit on and escape from the unforgiving concrete for an hour. These park areas also provide Tokyo with some of the most dramatic contrasts. When you leave Ginza and hit Hamarikyu Teien you move from chic shopping district to secluded traditional tea house in a matter of minutes. My photos above also show Ueno park where you hop from a busy market street into a spacious park with fountains and museums.

First Impressions of Tokyo

Tokyo is all about convenience.

Vending machines are just about everywhere and if the oppressive summer heat gets to you and you think "I could really do with a chilled can of grape and aloe juice" then the chances are that you are standing next to 3 or 4 such vending machines beckoning you with their flashing lights. Surprisingly there are very few vending machines that sell snacks, according to the Japanese people I have asked this is because Japanese people believe it is impolite to eat in public places. Needless to say, I hid my half eaten chocolate bar behind my back.

24hr convenience stores or "kombini" are fantastic, they do a lot more than your typical corner shop back in the UK. It's standard to find your usual range of drinks and snacks; ready made meals; ATMs; scanning and faxing facilities; stationery; stamps; phone chargers and memory cards. Whats more, kombini are everywhere. I was wandering through the mountains of Hakone on one of my overnight trips and I felt truly lost with not a soul in sight, I turned the corner to find two kombini stores where they were more than happy to help me find my way and fill my bag with Calpis (my favorite Japanese soft drink).

The Suica or PASSMO card is what impressed me most. Primarily used for traveling by train or bus this card allows you to pass through ticket barriers with one touch. Its use has been extended to some of the vending machines and kombini mentioned above and you can charge it at any station. It really speeds up your day and with train stations like Shinjuku passing through 3.60 million people everyday you can see why its a necessity.

Manga kissa: 24 hour internet and Japanese manga comic cafes are found near almost any train station. They are quite expensive but the hourly fee includes unlimited drinks, access to an impressive range of comics, internet access, a television AND a Playstation 2. You can pay a high value overnight fee and while away the wee morning hours while waiting for the first train home. So far manga kissa have been my only means of communicating with my family and friends back home and on one or two occasions I missed the last train home and would have been on the street if it wasn't for these cosy havens.

Generally speaking Japanese customer service is amazing. Down to the smallest of details you can expect help and assistance. A good example is a book store, along with the extremely polite Japanese used by all shop staff in Japan you can also expect to have your books wrapped perfectly in crisp paper to protect them from damage. Then the books are placed in a pretty paper bag and sealed with tape. You place your money in a leather tray waiting on the table and your change is rapidly returned, counted out in front of you and then neatly aligned on the tray. The staff then wait patiently while you fumble with your wallet, return your change and otherwise compose yourself before even looking at the next customer. It is a deep bow that sends you on your way.

The simplest of things are turned into a clearly defined procedure with an attention to detail that makes even buying books feel like an art form. The lady at the register turned bright red when I couldn't contain my excitement over something as trivial as wrapping books in paper.

Japanese food is famous the world over for it's high quality presentation and taste. When you get to Japan though, you discover that the Japanese are just as enthusiastic about the cuisine of other countries as we are about theirs. The range of international options in Tokyo is awe inspiring and you can wander around the bottom floor of most department stores for hours sampling all the world cuisine on offer. When I'm in a rush I usually go for gyudon which is one of the cheapest and fastest dishes I've ever eaten. I set my stopwatch and discovered that I had sat down, been served a glass of water, ordered and received my food in 1 minute. I don't think you even get fish and chips that fast in Britain!

A few days ago Japanese morning television informed me that the rainy season is officially over. The Japanese efficiency can often seem quite funny to outsiders: on a sunny day everyone is out in shorts and t-shirts and then as soon as it rains they magically produce umbrellas from nowhere. In the morning there is a program dedicated to morning exercises. Earthquakes appear at the top of the screen, usually seconds after the building you are in has ceased to shake. Trains run on time (shock!) to the second, you can set your watch the train timetables.

My list goes on: mobile phones offer email as standard allowing cheap global network communication for next to nothing. Taxi doors open and shut automatically which caused me a lot of embarrassment during my first taxi ride. Department stores that engulf you, you can spend all day in them whether you like it or not. Then there is Roppongi Hills, a futuristic city within a building. Offices, apartments, shops and entertainment all in a single tower with 54 floors. Everything is at arms reach. Unfortunately the prices for living here are almost as tall as the building itself.

I've always been inspired by the Japanese way of life but when I arrived I realized that I had only touched the surface. The attention to detail, the super-efficiency and the passion with which the Japanese people embrace all areas of life is something that I want to take home with me and has made a powerful impression on me from the moment I stepped off the plane. I am looking forward for my first day at Toshiba when I can begin to embrace the next level: Japanese work life.